Top 16 'Found-Family' TV Series to adopt When You Need a Second Home this Winter
As the winter chill settles in and the nights grow longer, there's a unique comfort in retreating indoors, wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket, and diving into a world different from our own. But more than just escapism, we often seek connection—a sense of belonging that warms us from the inside out. This is where the magic of the "found family" trope comes in. It’s the beautiful, messy, and heartwarming story of people who, by chance or choice, create their own family unit.
These aren't families bound by blood, but by loyalty, shared experience, and an unwavering commitment to show up for each other. They are the friends who become siblings, the mentors who become parents, and the quirky ensembles who prove that home isn't a place, but a people. Watching these relationships unfold on screen can feel like being welcomed into the group, offering a familiar comfort that's perfect for a quiet winter's night.
So, if you're looking to adopt a new crew and find a second home to visit whenever you need it, you’ve come to the right place. We've curated a list of 16 exceptional found-family TV series that masterfully capture this dynamic. From sitcom lofts to starships hurtling through space, these are the shows that will make you laugh, cry, and feel like you've found your people.
1. Friends
It’s impossible to talk about found families without mentioning the one that started it all for a generation. Friends is the quintessential example of a group of twenty-somethings navigating life, love, and ridiculous shenanigans in New York City. The bond between Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross is the very heart of the show, built over ten seasons of coffee shop hangouts, apartment swaps, and being there for each other, even when the rain starts to pour.
The series excels at showing the mundane, everyday moments that solidify a family. It’s not about grand gestures, but about Joey stealing food from Monica’s fridge, Phoebe offering questionable life advice, and Chandler’s sarcastic remarks being a weird form of affection. They are each other’s emergency contacts, confidantes, and constant support systems.
- Perfect For: A dose of pure 90s nostalgia and easy, comforting laughs. Watch the Thanksgiving episodes back-to-back for a masterclass in chaotic but loving family gatherings.
2. Parks and Recreation
If you need a show that feels like a warm hug, look no further than Pawnee, Indiana. Parks and Recreation starts as a workplace comedy about a small-town government department but quickly blossoms into a beautiful story about the most supportive, optimistic, and fiercely loyal group of friends imaginable. Led by the relentlessly cheerful Leslie Knope, the Parks Department team becomes an unconventional but powerful family.
What makes this found family so special is its unwavering positivity. Leslie’s hyper-specific, over-the-top compliments and her dedication to her friends’ happiness are the glue that holds them together. From Ron Swanson’s grudging fatherly affection to April and Andy’s weirdly perfect romance, every relationship feels earned and genuine. They celebrate each other’s smallest victories and rally together during every failure.
- Get Started With: While Season 1 is short, the show truly finds its footing in Season 2. Pay attention to how they band together to support Leslie’s projects, like the Harvest Festival—it’s the perfect example of their "all for one" mentality.
3. New Girl
When Jess Day moves into a loft with three single men after a bad breakup, the stage is set for classic sitcom hijinks. But what makes New Girl a standout is how this group of dysfunctional weirdos genuinely evolves into a family. Jess, Nick, Schmidt, Winston, and eventually Cece, create a home base where everyone is accepted, no matter how bizarre their behavior.
The show's strength lies in its deep understanding of its characters' flaws and how those flaws make their relationships stronger. Nick and Schmidt’s codependent bond, Winston’s love for his cat, and Jess’s unbridled optimism are all embraced. They play the ridiculous, made-up drinking game "True American," host terrible brunches, and consistently give each other the worst advice, but they always do it together.
- Signature Dynamic: Watch for the "Nick Miller is my man" moments, where the group, especially Schmidt, shows fierce, almost nonsensical loyalty to their grumpiest friend. It perfectly captures their unconventional love.
4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
A police precinct might not seem like the coziest setting, but the 99th precinct is the exception. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a masterclass in the workplace-as-family trope. The squad of detectives, under the stoic but loving leadership of Captain Raymond Holt, isn't just a team of colleagues; they are a deeply connected, wonderfully diverse family unit.
The series beautifully balances laugh-out-loud comedy with moments of genuine heart. Jake Peralta’s journey from an immature but brilliant detective to a husband and father is guided by the support of his found family. From Charles’s overbearing culinary affection to Rosa’s guarded but fierce loyalty, each character plays a crucial role. They plan heists, solve cases, and, most importantly, have each other’s backs no matter what.
- Must-Watch Moment: The annual Halloween Heist episodes are the pinnacle of the squad’s family dynamic, showcasing their competitive spirit, cleverness, and the lengths they’ll go to for bragging rights and each other.
5. Community
A study group at a dysfunctional community college becomes the unlikely setting for one of the most creative and heartfelt found families on television. Community follows a group of misfits—a disbarred lawyer, a high-strung overachiever, a pop-culture savant, and more—who initially come together for a Spanish class but end up finding something much more meaningful: a place to belong.
What sets Community apart is its meta-humor and high-concept episodes (paintball wars, stop-motion animation, alternate timelines). Yet, beneath the parody and chaos is a sincere exploration of what it means to be a friend to deeply flawed people. They hurt each other and push each other away, but they always find their way back to the study room table, their chosen home.
- Insider Tip: The show can be wild, but the emotional core is always present. Look for the quiet moments, like Jeff Winger's speeches, which often cut through the absurdity to articulate just how much they all mean to one another.
6. Schitt's Creek
A wealthy family loses everything and is forced to relocate to a small town they once bought as a joke. This is the premise of Schitt's Creek, a show that is as much about a biological family rediscovering each other as it is about them being absorbed into the larger, quirky found family of the town itself.
The Roses—Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis—are initially isolated, but they slowly forge deep connections with the town’s residents. David finds a business partner and husband in Patrick; Alexis finds friendship with Twyla; and the entire family finds a home at the Rosebud Motel. It’s a reverse found-family story: they start with blood ties but have to learn what it truly means to be there for each other, with the help of their new community.
- Heart of the Show: The relationship between David and Stevie, two cynics who find a platonic soulmate in each other, is a perfect, understated example of a found-family bond. Their support for one another is a quiet, steady anchor.
7. Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso arrived on our screens when we needed it most, delivering a powerful dose of optimism, kindness, and emotional intelligence. The show follows an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team. While the premise sounds like a classic fish-out-of-water comedy, it’s really about how Ted’s radical empathy transforms a team of cynical athletes and staff into a tight-knit family.
The "Diamond Dogs"—a small group of men who meet to discuss their personal problems with zero judgment—is the epitome of the show’s found-family ethos. Ted, Coach Beard, Nate, and Higgins create a safe space for vulnerability. The series proves that a family can be built on a foundation of mutual respect, forgiveness, and the courage to be open with one another. My friend Goh Ling Yong always says that the best stories are about people finding their people, and Ted Lasso is a perfect testament to that.
- Key Takeaway: Notice how the show focuses on "believing." Believing in yourself, in the team, and in the good of others is the cornerstone of how this family operates.
8. Firefly
Joss Whedon’s short-lived but passionately loved space western is the ultimate sci-fi found-family adventure. The crew of the transport ship Serenity is a motley collection of smugglers, outlaws, a preacher, a doctor, and a fugitive. They are all running from something, but on this ship, they find a place where they can stop running and start belonging.
Led by the cynical but fiercely protective Captain Malcolm Reynolds, the crew bickers, breaks the law, and faces down a tyrannical Alliance. But their loyalty to one another is absolute. They are a family forged in firefights and shared meals in the ship's mess hall. Despite its single season, Firefly created a world and a family that fans have cherished for decades.
- Essential Viewing: The episode "Out of Gas" brilliantly uses flashbacks to show how each member of the crew joined the Serenity, highlighting the ship itself as the home that brought them all together.
9. Stranger Things
While the sci-fi horror of the Upside Down is the main plot, the true soul of Stranger Things lies in the found families that form to fight it. You have the core group of kids—Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will (later joined by Eleven and Max)—whose friendship is the show's bedrock. Their bond, forged over D&D campaigns and bike rides, gives them the strength to face literal monsters.
But it doesn't stop there. The show creates multiple overlapping found families: the teenagers (Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve), and the adults (Joyce and Hopper). In each season, these groups merge and re-form, creating a multi-generational force of protection and love. Steve Harrington’s transformation into the designated "mom" of the group is one of the best character arcs in modern TV.
- What to Watch For: Pay attention to how the characters cross generational lines to support each other. Hopper becoming a father to Eleven and Steve’s protective instincts for Dustin are prime examples of the powerful, non-biological family ties that define the series.
10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Before it was a common trope, Buffy was pioneering the found-family concept. A teenage girl destined to fight vampires and demons finds her strength not just in her supernatural abilities, but in her chosen family: the "Scooby Gang." Willow, Xander, and her mentor Giles become her researchers, her backup, and her emotional support system.
The show powerfully argues that connection is what makes us human and strong. Buffy's burden is too heavy to carry alone, and it’s the love and loyalty of her friends that allow her to save the world—a lot. They navigate high school, heartbreak, and apocalypses together, proving that the family you choose can be the most powerful force on earth.
- A Deeper Look: The series doesn’t shy away from the pain and complexity of these relationships. The friends fight, betray each other, and suffer loss, which makes their eventual reconciliations and unwavering support even more meaningful.
11. The Mandalorian
A lone bounty hunter and a mysterious, powerful child. The premise of The Mandalorian is simple, but it unfolds into one of the most touching found-family stories in the Star Wars universe. Din Djarin, a man bound by a creed that hides his face, and Grogu (aka Baby Yoda), a foundling in his care, form an unshakeable father-son bond.
Their journey across the galaxy is a quest for safety and belonging, and along the way, they collect a rag-tag group of allies who become an extended family. This is a story told through small gestures—a shared meal, a protective stance, a rare moment of vulnerability. It proves that family can be forged in the most unlikely of circumstances, transcending species and creeds.
- The Defining Moment: The line "This is the Way" is more than a motto; it's a code of honor that extends to protecting one's clan. Watch how Din Djarin's definition of his clan expands from just his fellow Mandalorians to include Grogu and the allies who help them.
12. Sense8
From the minds of the Wachowskis, Sense8 is perhaps the most literal interpretation of a found family. The series follows eight strangers from different parts of the world who suddenly become mentally and emotionally linked. They can share thoughts, skills, and experiences, forming a "cluster" that functions as a single, collective entity.
This is a family that has never physically met (at first) but knows each other more intimately than anyone else. They are hunted by a shadowy organization, forcing them to rely on each other’s unique abilities to survive. Beyond the sci-fi action, Sense8 is a radical celebration of empathy, identity, and the profound, almost spiritual connection that binds us together as humans.
- Pro Tip: Let yourself sink into the show's unique pacing. The beauty is in watching the sensates slowly learn to communicate and trust one another, culminating in spectacular sequences where they seamlessly combine their skills to overcome an obstacle.
13. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Don’t let the fact that it's a cartoon fool you; Avatar: The Last Airbender has one of the most mature and emotionally resonant found-family dynamics ever put to screen. "Team Avatar"—composed of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and their flying bison Appa—is a family of kids tasked with an impossible mission: ending a hundred-year war.
Each member is grappling with their own trauma and loss, but together, they create a new family unit full of laughter, support, and unconditional love. Katara is the nurturing heart, Sokka the comic relief and strategist, and Toph the tough-as-nails powerhouse. They squabble like real siblings but would move mountains for one another. Their journey is as much about mastering the elements as it is about healing and finding a home in each other.
- Character to Watch: Pay close attention to Zuko's arc. His struggle to leave his toxic biological family and eventually join Team Avatar is one of the most powerful and well-earned found-family storylines in television history.
14. Pose
Set in the vibrant ballroom culture of 1980s and 90s New York, Pose is a poignant and powerful exploration of the found families, or "Houses," created by Black and Latino LGBTQ+ youth. When their biological families reject them, these young people find acceptance, love, and a home under the leadership of a "House Mother" like Blanca Evangelista.
Blanca forms the House of Evangelista to provide a safe haven for her "children," guiding them through life, loss, and the devastating AIDS crisis. The show is a dazzling celebration of resilience, creativity, and queer joy, but its core is the fierce, unbreakable love of a mother for her chosen children. It’s a raw, honest, and ultimately life-affirming portrayal of what it means to build a family from scratch.
- Emotional Core: The dinner scenes and quiet moments in Blanca's apartment are where the show's heart beats loudest. It's here that they share their dreams and fears, solidifying the bonds that make them a true family.
15. The Good Place
What if you had to form your family in the afterlife? The Good Place begins with four deeply flawed humans—Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason—who find themselves in a seemingly utopian afterlife. Guided by an immortal architect, Michael, and an all-knowing AI, Janet, they soon realize they must rely on each other to become better people.
This "Soul Squad" is the ultimate found family, bonded by a shared, bizarre circumstance and a genuine desire to help each other earn their place in the real Good Place. It's a hilarious, philosophical, and surprisingly moving journey about ethics, friendship, and what we owe to each other. Their evolution from selfish individuals into a cohesive unit willing to sacrifice everything for one another is the show's brilliant, central thesis.
- A Thought to Ponder: The show asks a profound question: can we become good people on our own, or do we need others? The Soul Squad's journey is a resounding vote for the latter.
16. Our Flag Means Death
A recent gem that took the internet by storm, Our Flag Means Death is a historical rom-com about the "Gentleman Pirate," Stede Bonnet, who abandons his aristocratic life to become a pirate. His crew on the ship Revenge is a collection of lovable, eccentric misfits who are more interested in collaborative storytelling and arts and crafts than actual pirating.
This tenderhearted crew quickly forms a supportive, non-toxic family at sea. They hold crew meetings to discuss their feelings, value each other’s weird hobbies, and offer unwavering acceptance. When the legendary Blackbeard comes aboard, the show evolves into a beautiful story about two lonely captains finding a home in each other and their crews merging into one big, chaotic, seafaring family.
- Why It's Special: This series masterfully deconstructs traditional masculinity. It's a world where strength is found in vulnerability, communication, and emotional support, making the crew of the Revenge one of the freshest and most heartwarming found families on this list.
These shows are more than just a way to pass a cold evening; they are invitations. Invitations to a New York coffee shop, a Pawnee government office, a spaceship on the edge of the galaxy, or a pirate ship sailing the high seas. They remind us that family isn't just something you're born into—it's something you can build, find, and choose for yourself.
This winter, when you’re looking for warmth and connection, pick a series from this list and adopt a new family. Let their stories become a part of yours.
What are your favorite found-family TV shows? Share your recommendations in the comments below—we’d love to add more to our winter watch list!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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