Lola Tung Has the Same Comfort Shows as You — Here Are 3 More Just Like Them
Watching your go-to comfort show (which might be different from your current favorite TV show) when you want to relax offers a level of bliss that’s hard to match. Even mega-popular actors, like The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Lola Tung, turn on old favorites when they just want to chill out. Recently, Tung shared two shows she watches on repeat — and you might just recognize these titles as the same ones playing over and over on your own screens.
In a December 1 interview with Vulture, where she was honored as one of the publication’s “Culturati 50” for 2025, Tung was asked what her favorite comfort shows are. Her go-tos? Sex and the City and Girls. She’s on her seventh rewatch of SATC — we love a relatable superstar.
“The early seasons are so fun to watch,” she told Vulture, about why she keeps coming back to Sex and the City. The relationships keep Tung hooked, like Carrie and Big and Miranda and Steve, whose “witty banter” she loves. She admits there are problematic storylines (something so many shows have, TBH), but it’s the show’s fifth main character that really gives her comfort. “It’s nice because it reminds me of home when I’m away from New York,” she said.
Tung has a personal tie to Girls because Jesse Peretz, who directed episodes like “Beach House” and “Japan,” also directed four episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty. She just watched Girls for the first time this year, but she already knows she’s “probably a Marnie.” Tung appreciates it for the nostalgia. “I love how distinctly 2012 to 2014 it is, the vibes and references,” she said in the interview.
SATC and Girls are pro-level comfort shows: You know the characters, you know the plots, and you know watching a couple episodes will make you feel like you’re in a cocoon of cozy familiarity. But when you’re ready for something new, here are a few similar shows you’re sure to love.
3 Comfort Shows Like Sex and the City & Girls
Overcompensating (2025)
If you’ve been searching for a show set in college, this one’s for you. Benito Skinner (aka Benny Drama) stars as Benny Scanlon, and yes, it’s partially based on his own experiences. The series starts with Benny, who excelled at sports and academics in high school, starting his freshman year at Yates University. He quickly meets Carmen, and they become fast friends during their first year of college together. Underpinning the entire show, though, is the fact that Benny doesn’t feel comfortable coming out as a gay, which results in, well, “overcompensating,” and leads to some awkward if not funny moments.
More comic relief comes from characters like Carmen’s roommate, Hailee (her move-in day scene is everything), and Benny’s sister, Grace. Even if you’ve not seen the show, you’ve definitely seen a clip about “the Charli concert.”
Where to watch: Prime TV
Too Much (2025)
Girls stans, get ready for more Lena Dunham, but get really ready to watch Meg Stalter, who plays Jessica Salmon, a commercial producer who moves from New York City to London after a breakup. Jessica takes a job in London after her relationship ends back home, and she quickly meets Felix (played by Will Sharpe, who you’ll recognize from White Lotus). As Jessica adjusts to life in a new country, she and Felix start dating, and let’s just say that their relationship follows a nonlinear path.
Similar to Girls, Too Much is loosely based on Dunham’s life (she also moved to London and married a musician), so Hannah Horvath hive, rise up for more semi-autobiographical, entertaining plotlines, and a show that feels like one giant rom-com.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014)
This show from 2013 is a throwback in more ways than one. Not only is it over a decade old, but it’s about Carrie Bradshaw’s teen years (yes, that Carrie Bradsahw). It only has two seasons, so you can quickly run through it, and then instantly rewatch. AnnaSophia Robb plays a 16-year-old Carrie living in Connecticut, and she gets to New York City via an internship at a law firm, which she quickly ditches for an internship at Interview magazine. You see Carrie foster her love for fashion, the city, and her friends.
SATC loyalists will love checking out Carrie’s “early years,” especially her core friend group that slightly mirrors the women she shares her life with in her 30s.
Where to watch: CW TV
