Television series
Foolish Heart
A Canadian anthology where six self-contained episodes explore romantic and familial crises through different characters' eyes, anchored by Ken Finkleman's recurring observer. Each story is intimate and messy, pitched between comedy and genuine hurt. For anyone who loves character-driven work that trusts you to sit with uncomfortable feelings without resolving them neatly.
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The Newsroom2012
Ken Finkleman's earlier series that established the tone and some of Foolish Heart's recurring characters. Sharp, satirical, and genuinely moving about people trapped in their own small dramas.
But The media-industry setting feels dated now, and the humour can be very much of its moment—sometimes broad where it means to be subtle.
ER1994
Another 1990s ensemble that shifted focus between characters each week, balancing humour and genuine tragedy. Each episode stands alone but they build into something deeper about how lives intersect.
But Twenty-two episodes per season means some weeks are thinner than others, and the melodrama can overwhelm the character work you came for.
St. Elsewhere1982
A hospital ensemble that perfected the art of weaving comedy and pathos without letting either one dominate. Influenced everything that came after it, including Finkleman's sensibility.
But It's slower than modern television, and the production values read as very 1980s. Some viewers find it takes too long to establish why they should care.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Foolish Heart
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Philomena2013
Both are about how people hide the truth about their relationships from themselves and others, and how that hiding damages everything. Same engine of emotional self-deception, entirely different setting.
A two-hander about shame, secrets, and how people wound each other across decades without knowing it. Blends devastating emotional honesty with unexpected moments of grace and dark humour—exactly Finkleman's territory but in a completely different form.
But It's quite sad and involves religious institutions treating women cruelly. Not a comfort watch, and the pacing is deliberately slow.
More like this (7)
thirtysomething1987
An earlier drama about adult relationships and small domestic failures that influenced the entire genre. Thoughtful, funny, genuinely interested in how people hurt each other without meaning to.
But The aesthetic is aggressively 1980s, and its focus on privileged anxieties can feel self-indulgent if you're not in the mood for it.
Six Feet Under2001
A family ensemble that builds from darkly comic premises into genuine exploration of grief and connection. Each character gets their own story while remaining part of a larger whole.
But Starts slowly and doesn't show its depth until you're several episodes in. The tonal shifts can feel jarring until you adjust to the show's wavelength.
Northern Exposure1990
Eccentric characters in close quarters, balancing comic situations with real emotional stakes. Proves that comedy and genuine feeling about relationships aren't mutually exclusive.
But The quirkiness is relentless and can feel forced. Some episodes prioritize the gimmick over the people involved.
Cheers1982
A sitcom that understood that comedy lives inside character and relationships, not jokes. The emotional beats land because the writers trusted the ensemble to do real work.
But It's a comedy first, so the dramatic weight is lighter than Foolish Heart. Some seasons lean too hard on plot machinery.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show1970
An ensemble that proved you could build a show around ensemble dynamics rather than a single protagonist. Funny and warm without being sentimental about relationships falling apart.
But Fifty years old and very of its era. The gender politics, even progressive for the time, can feel dated to modern eyes.
Taxi1978
A workplace ensemble that balanced absurdist comedy with genuine character work. Each driver had a full inner life that emerged through small moments and interaction.
But The laugh track dates it immediately, and not every character gets equal time. Some episodes are stronger than others by a significant margin.
Magnolia1999
Both structure the same way—separate stories that reveal a larger truth about how people love and fail each other. Both trust that accumulation matters more than individual plot.
Paul Thomas Anderson's three-hour symphony of Los Angeles relationships and small accumulated failures. Nine separate stories that somehow belong to each other, built on the same principle as Foolish Heart but in gorgeous, devastating detail.
But It's very long, very ambitious, and the tonal range is enormous. Some people find it overwhelming or precious; others think the ambition outpaces the execution.
