Television series
Run the World
- Buddy comedy
- Light-hearted
Run the World follows four Black women navigating careers, romance, and ambition in Harlem with infectious energy and genuine friendship at its core. It's a half-hour comedy that prioritizes the women's bonds over plot mechanics, delivering sharp dialogue and moments of real tenderness. For viewers who want their comedy grounded in character and community rather than punchlines.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you want a comedy about friendship that is loud, warm and unembarrassed about ambition, where the banter between a close circle of friends matters more than the plot.
Skip it if you need brisk plotting or sharp, consistent jokes, because this sitcom meanders and its humor is more warm than wicked.
What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes, sixteen across two seasons, make it an easy run of evenings; the pace is chatty and light, with little to track between episodes.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Insecure2016
Issa Rae's HBO series set the template for intelligent, character-driven Black comedy that treats its women's lives as inherently interesting. Messy, funny, and deeply felt—it proves the form works.
But It's contemplative and sometimes drifts into quiet frustration. If you need constant jokes landing, the pacing will test you.
Living Single1993
The clear spiritual ancestor: six Brooklyn friends, Black women at the center, comedy built on real chemistry and ensemble dynamics. Watching it now reveals how much of its DNA is still in the water.
But The '90s production values and some dated cultural references will feel very much of their moment. The format is more sitcom-rigid than modern shows.
PEN152019
A friendship comedy that actually makes you believe these people would die for each other. Four leads, strong ensemble chemistry, and a genuine investment in how they show up for one another.
But It's sprawling and unfocused at times. Some episodes feel like sketches that haven't quite found their shape.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Run the World
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
A Black Lady Sketch Show2019
Both center Black female friendship and pleasure as a complete story—neither apologizes for that being enough. Thede and Run the World's writers are working from the same well of what matters to celebrate.
Robin Thede's sketch comedy with recurring characters and ensembles. No through-plot, just sharp, fearless comedy about Black women. Same DNA as Run the World's irreverence, completely different form—it proves the sensibility works anywhere.
But Sketch shows are uneven by design. Some bits land immediately, others feel like they're still finding themselves. You have to surrender to the format.
More like this (6)
Girlfriends2000
Joan Clayton and her crew in LA doing the same thing—navigating work, men, and loyalty. Sharper and more plot-driven than Run the World, but the foundation is identical.
But Eight seasons is a commitment. The later years lose some narrative thread, and the tone shifts toward more traditional sitcom.
Trying2020
British comedy-drama about a couple trying to adopt. Smaller scale, quieter, but it shares that investment in showing how people actually support each other through real things.
But It's gently comedic rather than funny. If you want laughs, this will feel slow and precious in comparison.
Broad City2014
Two women best friends in New York making jokes at the center of every episode. Surreal and weird, but the core is identical: friendship as the story's beating heart.
But It's much more absurdist and experimental. The humor is stranger and less grounded in recognizable life.
Twenties2020
Three Black women in LA, comedy-drama about friendship and ambition. Creator Lena Waithe's love letter to female friendship and creative aspiration.
But It was cancelled after two seasons, so there's no satisfying long-term arc. You'll feel the incompleteness.
Love, Victor2020
It's warmer and more earnest than people expect. The ensemble around Victor feels lived-in and genuine, and it cares about showing how friends actually show up.
But The plot mechanics are sometimes obvious, and it skews younger tonally. If you want sophistication, this reaches for sincerity instead.
Dead Ringers2023
Both understand that female friendship is a complete narrative in itself. The difference is genre: one says friendship saves you, the other says it can destroy you. Same structure, opposite temperature.
Rachel Weisz as twin gynecologists in a gritty, complicated Toronto. Looks nothing like Run the World—it's dark, driven, and deeply serious—but it shares the show's architecture: two women, loyalty tested by circumstance, their bond as both salvation and danger.
But It's genuinely bleak. The show doesn't offer comfort or easy answers. If you wanted warmth and vibrancy, you will not find it here.
People
Cast
Writing
- Leigh DavenportCreator
Production
- David WacoAssociate Producer
- Leigh DavenportExecutive Producer
- Yvette Lee BowserExecutive Producer
- Caroline JaczkoProducer
- Millicent SheltonProducer