12 Movies Like The Simpsons You Need to Watch
Craving sharp animated satire and family chaos? Explore 12 smart picks inspired by The Simpsons, from Family Guy to Uncle Buck and more.
If you’re searching for movies like The Simpsons, you probably want sharp satire, messy family energy, and the kind of humor that can swing from silly to clever in a single scene. This list brings together animation, live-action comedy, and offbeat picks that echo the show’s fast wit and dysfunctional charm, including The Simpsons (1989), Family Guy (1999), Drawn Together (2004), and Long Story Short (2025). You’ll also find familiar favorites such as Hey Dude (1989), Family Matters (1989), Everybody Still Hates Chris (2024), and Uncle Buck (1989), each offering its own take on family chaos and character-driven laughs. With a mix of kids & family, adventure, and even a western twist in the lineup, there’s plenty here for viewers who want the same playful spirit in a different package.
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01
Drawn Together
animation · comedy
The world's first animated reality series gathers icons from all corners of the cartoon universe and lets them loose, with plenty of cameras to catch their exploits. Here's what happens when eight cartoon characters stop being polite and start getting real.
Directed by Peter Avanzino, Dwayne Carey-Hill, Ray Claffey, Frank Marino, James PurdumCast Adam Carolla, Jess Harnell, Abbey McBride, Jack Plotnick, Tara StrongParamount Plus -
02
Family Guy
animation · comedy
Sick, twisted, politically incorrect and Freakin' Sweet animated series featuring the adventures of the dysfunctional Griffin family. Bumbling Peter and long-suffering Lois have three kids. Stewie (a brilliant but sadistic baby bent on killing his mother and taking over the world), Meg (the oldest, and is the most unpopular girl in town) and Chris (the middle kid, he's not very bright but has a passion for movies). The final member of the family is Brian - a talking dog and much more than a pet, he keeps Stewie in check whilst sipping Martinis and sorting through his own life issues.
Directed by James Purdum, Dominic Bianchi, Peter Shin, Pete Michels, John HolmquistCast Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Mike HenryHulu -
03
Hey Dude
comedy · kids & family · western
Hey Dude is an American Western comedy series that aired from 1989 to 1991. The show was broadcast on the Nickelodeon network, and aired reruns on Nickelodeon until early 1999, and now on TeenNick ever since late 2011. Hey Dude was Nickelodeon's second original live action television series, following the 1984 series Out of Control.
The series was set on the fictional "Bar None Dude Ranch" near the city of Tucson, Arizona. It portrayed the lives of the ranch's owner, his son, a female ranch hand, and four teenage summer employees. Hey Dude was a comedy geared towards a teenage audience.
The complete series have been released on DVD. Only the first four seasons are on iTunes.
Directed by Ross K. Bagwell Jr., Frederick King KellerCast David Brisbin, Kelly Brown, Debi Kalman, Christine Taylor, Joe TorresParamount Plus -
04
Family Matters
adventure · comedy · drama · family · sci-fi
A long-running dramedy centering on the Winslow family, a middle-class African American family living in Chicago, and their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel. A spin-off of Perfect Strangers.
Directed by Richard Correll, John Tracy, Joel Zwick, Gary Menteer, James O'KeefeCast Reginald VelJohnson, Darius McCrary, Kellie Shanygne Williams, Jaleel White, Jo Marie PaytonHulu -
05
Long Story Short
animation · comedy
From the creator of "BoJack Horseman" comes this animated comedy about a family over time, following siblings from childhood to adulthood and back again.
Directed by Katie Aldworth, Katie Rice, Ben Bjelajac, Aaron Brewer, Jack ShihCast Ben Feldman, Angelique Cabral, Abbi Jacobson, Nicole Byer, Max GreenfieldNetflix -
06
Everybody Still Hates Chris
animation · comedy · drama · music
A re-imagined animated version of Chris Rock's beloved autobiographical family comedy Everybody Hates Chris.
Directed by Ashley J. Long, Geoffrey Johnson, Traci Honda, Kelly Jones, Brian MainolfiCast Chris Rock, Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Ozioma Akagha, Tim Johnson Jr.Paramount Plus -
07
Uncle Buck
comedy
Buck Russell, a lovable but slovenly bachelor, suddenly becomes the temporary caretaker of his nephew and nieces after a family emergency. His freewheeling attitude soon causes tension with his older niece Tia, loyal girlfriend Chanice, and just about everyone else who crosses his path.
Directed by John HughesCast John Candy, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann, Macaulay Culkin, Amy MadiganNetflixAMC+ -
08
Booba
animation · comedy · family
The world is a mystery to little Booba. But he approaches the curiosities around him with wonder, finding adventure in his everyday surroundings.
Directed by Leonid Rakhmanin, David Petrosyan, Aleksey Kotyonochkin, Alexander Chernogorov, Marina NefyodovaCast Roman Karev, Elena Kareva, Artyom Kretov, Elena Solovieva, Vyacheslav KataevAmazon Prime Video -
09
American Dad!
animation · comedy
The series focuses on an eccentric motley crew that is the Smith family and their three housemates: Father, husband, and breadwinner Stan Smith; his better half housewife, Francine Smith; their college-aged daughter, Hayley Smith; and their high-school-aged son, Steve Smith. Outside of the Smith family, there are three additional main characters, including Hayley's boyfriend turned husband, Jeff Fischer; the family's man-in-a-goldfish-body pet, Klaus; and most notably the family's zany alien, Roger, who is "full of masquerades, brazenness, and shocking antics."
Directed by Ron Hughart, Brent Woods, Anthony Lioi, Joe Daniello, Tim ParsonsCast Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley BakerHulu -
10
Toxic Crusaders
animation · action · comedy · family · sci-fi
Loosely based on the 1984 B-horror comedy film The Toxic Avenger, Toxic Crusaders is a syndicated 13-episode animated series created by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz. Like the source material, Toxie is a grotesque mutant endowed with superhuman powers, but is still a good-hearted and law-abiding citizen of the fictional town of Tromaville, New Jersey; the setting of most of Troma Entertainment's films. In a change from the films, the toxic waste mutated his mop into a sentient entity that sometimes battles enemies by itself or gives him ideas on how to solve problems. The villains include Czar Zosta, Dr. Killemoff, and Psycho, polluters from the planet Smogula who wreak ecological havoc with help from Tromaville's corrupt mayor, Grody. Bonehead, a street punk who bullied Melvin, joins them in the first episode.
Directed by Bill Hutten, Tony LoveCast Gregg Berger, Susan Blu, Rodger Bumpass, Paul Eiding, Ed GilbertAmazon Prime Video -
11
Home Movies
animation · comedy · drama
TV series about the life of Brendon Small, an eight-year-old visionary who, using his friends Jason and Melissa as actors, have managed to direct over a thousand homemade films. His parents are divorced, but it doesn't feel strange since so many other kids' parents are divorced. His friend Jason actually feels upset because his parents are still together. At school, he is taught soccer by his coach John McGuirk, or as he calls him, "that weird Irish guy".
Directed by Loren BouchardCast Brendon Small, H. Jon Benjamin, Melissa Bardin Galsky, Ron Lynch, Janine DitullioMax -
12
Parenthood
comedy · drama
The story of the Buckman family and friends, attempting to bring up their children. They suffer/enjoy all the events that occur: estranged relatives, the 'black sheep' of the family, the eccentrics, the skeletons in the closet, and the rebellious teenagers.
Directed by Ron HowardCast Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Rick MoranisNetflix
Wrapping Up
Whether you’re after animated satire, old-school sitcom comfort, or a weirdly funny family story, this roundup gives you plenty of smart options to try next. Titles like Family Guy, Drawn Together, and Uncle Buck show how broad that same comedic DNA can be, while newer picks like Long Story Short and Everybody Still Hates Chris keep the formula feeling fresh. Bookmark this page and come back when you want another recommendation rabbit hole to fall into. The list is updated regularly, so it’s a good one to revisit whenever you’re ready for another round of smart, character-first comedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these movies similar to The Simpsons?
These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.
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Last updated: September 4, 2026