Best Series About Second Chances and Starting Over

Why does watching a character start over resonate so consistently as a theme?

Because most people have some real experience with failure or a major life reset, whether through a career change, a relationship ending, or a personal setback, which makes the theme genuinely relatable in a way pure escapism sometimes isn't. Shows that take the initial failure seriously, rather than treating it as a quick, painless setup for the "real" redemptive story, tend to earn a much more satisfying version of the eventual second chance.

If you want a career reset built around real failure

Ted Lasso. An American football coach takes over an English soccer team he knows nothing about, using genuine incompetence and vulnerability as the actual foundation for growth, rather than skipping past the setup toward easy success.

The Bear. Carmy's return to his family's failing restaurant after personal tragedy is built around real dysfunction and difficulty before any genuine improvement, refusing to rush toward comfort.

If you want someone rebuilding after addiction or personal crisis

BoJack Horseman, despite its animated, comedic format, takes genuine, sustained interest in the difficulty of actually changing self-destructive patterns, refusing easy, permanent redemption arcs in favor of a much more honest, cyclical struggle.

This Is Us, particularly Kevin and Kate's individual arcs, gives real weight to the slow, difficult process of rebuilding after addiction and self-sabotage rather than a quick, tidy fix.

If you want a full life reset in a new location

Schitt's Creek. A wealthy family losing everything and rebuilding their identities in a small town they once bought as a joke, using genuine culture shock and humility as the actual engine of the characters' growth.

Virgin River, a lighter, more romance-focused entry, follows a nurse practitioner starting over in a small town after personal loss, using the new setting as a genuine backdrop for healing rather than pure escapism.

If you want a second chance built around undoing past mistakes specifically

The Good Place. Built literally around the premise of moral self-improvement after death, using its afterlife premise to genuinely explore what real character growth actually requires, rather than assuming people simply change because a story needs them to.

Breaking Bad, in reverse, functions as a genuinely dark inversion of this theme, following someone whose "second chance" attempt to provide for his family instead reveals and amplifies his own worst qualities, worth including as a genuine counterpoint to more hopeful entries on this list.

My honest opinion on why Ted Lasso's early seasons handle this theme better than most

I think it's because the show lets Ted's optimism coexist with real vulnerability and personal crisis, rather than treating his positivity as a simple, unearned character trait. His actual panic attacks and marital struggles give weight to his coaching journey, making the eventual growth of both him and the team feel like a genuinely earned second chance rather than a feel-good gimmick.

Do these shows all end with the character fully succeeding, or is failure sometimes part of the point?

Genuinely varies, and that's worth knowing going in. Some entries, Schitt's Creek and The Good Place especially, build toward real, satisfying growth and success. Others, BoJack Horseman most notably, deliberately complicate the idea of permanent redemption, showing genuine relapse and struggle as part of a more honest depiction of change.

How should you pick from this list based on your mood?

If you want a genuinely hopeful, feel-good version of this theme, Ted Lasso or Schitt's Creek deliver that reliably. If you want something more honest about how difficult and non-linear real change actually is, BoJack Horseman rewards that more complicated approach.

Frequently asked questions

What's the most hopeful show about starting over? Ted Lasso and Schitt's Creek both build toward genuine, earned growth and success.

Is BoJack Horseman really about second chances despite being a dark comedy? Yes, it takes the difficulty of actually changing self-destructive patterns seriously, refusing easy, permanent redemption.

What's a show about rebuilding a career after failure specifically? Ted Lasso and The Bear both center career-focused second chances built on real setback and vulnerability.

Does Breaking Bad fit this theme? In a dark, inverted way, following a "second chance" that instead reveals and amplifies its protagonist's worst qualities rather than genuine growth.

Want something matched more specifically to your mood?

Our series recommendation quiz can help you find something else in this register based on whether you want hopeful or more complicated storytelling tonight.