Television series
That Girl
- Comedy
- Light-hearted
That Girl follows Ann Marie, an aspiring actress navigating New York City with wit, determination, and impeccable mod fashion. It's a brisk, charm-driven sitcom that captures the specific optimism of the late sixties—a young woman's refusal to apologize for ambition. Marlo Thomas is irrepressible; the show crackles with the energy of someone who knows she's breaking a mold.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy classic sitcoms built on bright, quick-witted domestic comedy and a lead whose optimism carries the whole show, the sort of gentle 1960s charm that feels like a warm afternoon rerun.
Skip it if you want serialized storylines or sharp, edgy humor, since this is a tidy, episodic sitcom with a light touch and a pace that can feel gentle by today's standards.
What it asks of you: Half an hour per episode, five seasons of easygoing, self-contained stories; it asks for an open, forgiving attention rather than close tracking of plot.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Mary Tyler Moore Show1970
The spiritual successor to That Girl: a sharp, character-driven sitcom about a woman making her own way in a big city. Mary's Minneapolis newsroom is even more assured, but Ann Marie paved the road. Essential watching for the lineage alone.
But Starts slowly—the first season feels tentative. Takes until midway through season two to find the rhythm that made it legendary.
Bewitched1964
A contemporary sitcom equally obsessed with fashionable femininity masking subversive independence. Samantha's constant negotiation between her desires and what's expected of her mirrors Ann Marie's struggles, though with actual magic as the metaphor.
But The magic effects haven't aged well, and the husband-centric plots can feel dated in ways That Girl avoids.
I Love Lucy1951
The mother of all sitcoms about a woman with big dreams. Lucy's anarchic energy and refusal to stay put influenced everything after, including That Girl's DNA. Hilarious and historically essential.
But Shot in black and white, paced differently, much broader comedy. The 1950s setting and gender dynamics will feel distant.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from That Girl
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Breakfast at Tiffany's1961
Both are studies of a woman constructing an identity through style and performance while resisting the traditional ending that would swallow her ambition whole.
Holly Golightly is That Girl's godmother: a woman playing at domesticity while building her own mythology in the city. Audrey Hepburn embodies the same contradiction—performative femininity as armor and strategy. Funny, devastating, utterly stylish.
But Holly's morality is murkier than Ann Marie's straightforwardness. The film's romantic resolution is melancholic in ways the sitcom never allows.
More like this (7)
Here Come the Brides1968
A contemporary sitcom that also captures the late-sixties moment, though in a different register: small-town, ensemble-driven, full of period charm and unexpected warmth.
But Less focused on a central character, so it lacks That Girl's engine. Some episodes drag.
The Odd Couple1970
Proof that sitcoms of this era could be genuinely smart, with real affection between the leads. Fast-paced, inventive, and built on character rather than situation.
But Two men in an apartment feels like a step away from the themes that made That Girl important.
The Dick Van Dyke Show1961
Incomparably clever workplace sitcom with Mary Tyler Moore herself in a supporting role. The writing is pristine, the character work subtle. A masterclass in how to balance romance, ambition, and comedy.
But Centered on the male lead's home and work life, not the woman's independent journey.
Get Smart1965
A sitcom that understands that comedy comes from character and situations, not forced sentiment. Fast, clever, with a romantic relationship that respects both partners.
But Spy-comedy plots can feel thin if you're watching for character depth.
Gidget1965
A contemporary show about a young woman pursuing her own interests and making her own decisions. Lighter than That Girl, but sharing the same DNA of youthful female independence.
But Depends on whether you're interested in surfing culture; the show's entirely committed to that world.
Rosemary's Baby1968
Both anchor themselves in the texture of urban female life—fashion, neighborhood, pregnancy, autonomy—but one celebrates it and one tears it apart. They're the same movie seen from opposite sides of trauma.
A dark mirror to That Girl's optimism: a young woman in New York City, full of hope and agency, slowly realizing the world around her is rigged against her. Polanski captures the exact same New York visual language, with opposite intent.
But It's a horror film about paranoia and violation. Watching what happens to Rosemary's independence is genuinely upsetting, not fun.
The Goodbye Girl1977
Both feature a woman in New York pursuing acting, but Marsha Masón's character has already learned not to expect the world to cooperate. It's That Girl aged ten years, with wisdom purchased through loss.
A film that understands That Girl's actual stakes: a single woman supporting herself in New York, negotiating love without surrendering to it, finding humor in precarity. Neil Simon's script crackles with the same energy, just with a decade's worth of weathering.
But It's melancholic where That Girl is buoyant. The romance is warm but wearied, and the city feels harder, less magical.
People
Cast
Writing
- Bill PerskyCreator
- Sam DenoffCreator
Production
- Eddie Foy IIIAssociate Producer
- Joel SwansonAssociate Producer
- Lew GalloAssociate Producer
- Bill PerskyExecutive Producer
- Sam DenoffExecutive Producer
Recommended by
Julia, Here's Lucy, Love, American Style, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, Gidget, Pete and Gladys