There was a huge fitness craze in the 1980s. Apple TV’s ‘Physical’ is mostly based on that and is represented in the funniest manner. The social commentary this series contains is strictly moderated for an audience of rational minds who can take the strong approach of the makers. The way the female protagonist approaches things is something that is very subtle and poetic in manner.
Now, without delving into much of the story, let’s talk about some of the series that have the same essence and portrayal of female struggles and how they overcome their difficulties within society, like Apple TV’s ‘Physical.’ ‘Physical’ is a dark comedy-drama series that revolves around the life of a woman navigating personal challenges while embracing the fitness revolution of the 1980s.
1. The Morning Show
Both ‘Physical’ and ‘The Morning Show’ tackle complex female protagonists dealing with internal conflicts and external pressures. The show’s lead protagonists, Alex Levy, played by Jennifer Aniston, and Bradley Jackson, played by Reese Witherspoon, are very powerfully written characters. They put themselves forward against all the odds and became victorious at every step. They knocked themselves out a few times, but they always came back strong. The best part of the show is the complement these two characters share with each other.
The show delves into the empowerment and resilience of women, reflecting the changing dynamics of the era they are set in. This particularly intrigues me into adding this series as it discusses many of the matters exactly as ‘Physical.’ Overall, ‘The Morning Show’ is a thrilling ride with actors like Billy Crudup and Steve Carell.
2. Big Little Lies
“Big Little Lies” is a star-studded drama that is now available on JioCinema. The show focuses on the lives of women and does an excellent job of depicting those lives. The challenges of being a woman and the ways in which society may bring you to your knees are two of the topics that receive the greatest attention throughout this series.
The television show ‘Physical’ is similar to the show ‘Big Little Lies’ in that it focuses on the hidden hardships that occur within the context of seemingly ideal lifestyles. Both shows delve into the mysteries and difficulties encountered by women in all facets of their lives, producing an atmosphere that is at once relatable and intriguing.
3. Workin’ Moms
Just from the name, one can understand why I am putting this series on the list. This is a story about a group of four women coming from different backgrounds and then working out their way into society. Currently streaming on Netflix, ‘Workin’ Moms’ is not an outstanding sitcom; neither does it have a great cast, but the issues it brings forth are certainly unique in its genre.
Both “Physical” and “Workin’ Moms” showcase the various lives of women, which shares a common thematic relationship with both shows. They explore the challenges of balancing a profession, parenting, and personal goals, highlighting the intricacies as well as the comedy that comes along with being a modern woman.
4. Grace And Frankie
The examination of the difficulties that come later in life is a theme that runs throughout all of these episodes. The web series ‘Grace and Frankie,’ which is available to watch on Netflix, is about two middle-aged women whose husbands come out as gay. The script and acting in this series aren’t quite as good as they are in ‘Workin’ Moms, and the cast isn’t nearly as impressive.
On the other hand, the fact that the content was so original made its inclusion in this listicle worthwhile. Similar to the character trajectory in “Grace and Frankie,” “Physical” takes on the concepts of reinvention and personal development as its main character navigates a new path in her life.
5. Roar
Both “Physical” and “Roar” may be found on Apple TV and have some sort of link between them in terms of the distribution platform. The fact that they are both part of the same streaming service may suggest that they have a certain degree of congruence in terms of their target audience or thematic sensitivities, although the precise nature of their thematic connection is not defined.
Because it is an anthology series, what makes it stand out from other collections is that every tale in it focuses on the experiences of feminists. Some storylines are written so beautifully that they will stay in your head anytime you watch any female-centered show in the future.
6. GLOW
Both ‘GLOW’ and ‘Physical’ investigate the decade of the 1980s, albeit in very different ways. This is the final connection between the two shows. ‘GLOW’ is centered on the world of women’s professional wrestling in the 1980s, whilst ‘Physical’ depicts the fitness craze that was prevalent around the same time period.
Both shows focus on the sentimentality and cultural upheavals that were prevalent during that era. The female protagonists in both of these series deal with a variety of challenges and challenging situations throughout the stories. If anything, ‘Physical’ is more of a black comedy, but ‘GLOW’ delves further into the comic-drama subgenre and examines it in its entirety. No matter what it is, the overall context of these two series is largely comparable, and ‘GLOW’ is probably the one that is the closest fit out of all of these options.
Final Words
In a nutshell, these aforementioned series are comparable in terms of their overarching themes, which center on depicting the complex lives of women at various periods of their lives and the difficulties they confront at those stages. If you like ‘Physical’ because it focuses on the struggles that women experience in today’s society, then you will most likely enjoy the other shows on this list as well, despite the fact that their approaches are very different from one another. If you found the series compelling because of this central theme, then you will enjoy all of the shows on this list. I hope you enjoy streaming.
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