TV Shows Even Sadder Than This Is Us (Yes, They Exist)

I’ve long believed in the healing powers of a good weep. Which is good, because I’ll tear up at anything. Hallmark ads, kids with glasses reading novels in the subway, a spring morning on the cusp of summer. Last fall, I could rely on my weekly dose of This Is Us to elicit a sob.

Through a combination of endearing characters, flashbacks, and ‘70s music, the show found the perfect recipe for tears. Over the course of a season, we watched the Pearson clan come together, age, and grow apart. We saw each character grapple with his or her past, laid out so carefully in flashbacks. It was schmaltzy brilliance, and it did the trick — I cried each episode.

On 26th September This Is Us will return, and so will your source of heart-pangs. Other TV shows have played the same magic tricks on audiences. Whether through wrenching drama or family happiness, these shows will make you feel all the feelings.