“Dead to Me” creator Liz Feldman is back with another addictive dark comedy on Netflix, “No Good Deed.” Starring comedy TV greats Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”) and Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) as a married couple seeking to sell their gorgeous LA home after the death of their son. But as strangers flood through their home, they open the door to more than prospective buyers, dredging up scandal and secrets in the process.
It’s a quick binge-watch, which means you might wind up craving more suburban thrills before you know it. Not to worry, here’s a curated list of shows like “No Good Deed” to watch next.
‘Dead to Me’
Naturally, Liz Feldman’s first Netflix series is a must-watch for fans of her new one. You’ll find a lot of tonal similarities between the two, though “Dead to Me” is more about friendship, less about marriage. Both are certainly darkly comic approaches to grief that center acidic performances from beloved comedic actors (Linda Cardellini also stars in this one, alongside Christina Applegate, James Marsden and Ed Asner). “Dead to Me” is sharper, darker and funnier, and definitely the perfect follow-up for folks who loved “No Good Deed.”
‘Why Women Kill’
Sadly short-lived (and to add insult to injury, one of the recent spate of shows temporarily renewed before their cancellation), “Why Women Kill” offered a return to the juicy suburban drama of “Desperate Housewives” and “Devious Maids” creator Marc Cherry. The first season starred Lucy Liu, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Alexandra Daddario, while the second season recruited Allison Tolman, Lana Parilla, Matthew Daddario and Nick Frost. Set across various time periods, from 1940s to 2019, “Why Women Kill” shares the same darkly comic approach to the crime and punishment of suburbia seen in “No Good Deed” — and with the gorgeous homes of a luxurious Los Angeles setting, too.
‘Santa Clarita Diet’
If you don’t mind a sillier, gorier approach to a married couple determined to hide their family’s dark secrets, Netflix’s “Santa Clarita Diet” is a complete joy. From “Better Off Ted” creator Victor Fresco, the Netflix series starred Drew Barrymore as Sheila, a housewife, mother and realtor who finds her picturesque life turned upside down when she turns into a flesh-hungry zombie. Timothy Olyphant stars as her stressed but devoted husband, “Yellowjackets” star Liv Hewson plays their daughter, and perpetual scene-stealer Skyler Gisondo plays her best friend and neighbor (whose asshole stepdad just happens to be a prying, spying cop.) They’re all hilarious and extremely lovable, sharing exceptional chemistry as the unlikely unit trying to keep Sheila from acting on her monstrous instincts — or at least keep the cops and nosy neighbors off her trail when that fails.
‘Weeds’
Another examination of grief by way of crime comedy, “Weeds” starred Mary Louise Parker as a widowed suburbanite who makes the enterprising decision to start selling weed after her husband’s sudden death leaves her family in debt. As her business drags her into the criminal underworld, she still has to keep up appearances and mind her peppy, peeping neighbor Celia (Elizabeth Perkins.) The early-2000s series ran for eight seasons and delivers the biting humor, sharp plot twists, and a deeply flawed protagonist fans of “No Good Deed” will enjoy — there’s even a wildcard brother (played by a scene-stealing Justin Kirk).
‘Good Girls’
More directly crime-based than most of the options on this list, “Good Girls” stars Christina Hendricks, Retta and Mae Whitman as three suburban moms who rob a supermarket and quickly get tangled up in the criminal underworld. Funny, sexy and just so addictive, “Good Girls” is a good one for fans of “No Good Deed” as a series all about the lengths people will go to protect their families, with a suburban thriller flourish.
