Lord knows TV recommendations are always flying everywhere, but I’m putting a must watch on My Mad Fat Diary. It’s one of my all time favorite shows, and I just restarted it and forgot how truly superb it is in so many god damn ways.

It’s a british coming of age comedy set in 1996ish about Rae Early, who’s struggling with mental health, body image, confidence, boys, female friendships, school, and so much fucking more. It’s a classic coming of age story in the sense that she does in fact come of age, but it’s stellar fat representation. It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s well written, and it has an 8.4 rating on IMDB, I’m not sure what else to say to convince you. (Also it’s on Hulu, and it’s 3 short seasons).

It’s a great representation of a fat teenager dealing with body image issues while surrounded by skinny friends, but also finally growing the confidence and learning to love herself for just who she is. It’s also a great look at different things that fat people have to deal with that skinny people would never think about.

16 year old Rae has just finished a four month stay at a psychiatric hospital, and is trying to navigate her new friends and old, her mum, sex and love, and the secret that is her being in the hospital. Part of navigating these new friends (and sex and love) is navigating her feelings for both Archie and Finn, two certified cutie patooties. (Spoilers lie ahead)

Spoilers:

Finn ends up being her love interest for the remainder of the series and let me tell you, it’s the best thing that has ever happened to me probably? Finn is a fucking SNACK. He’s so lovely and he loves Rae just the way she is, and when I first watched this show all I could think was “I guess fat girls can get the hot guy.” It’s fucking world changing to see. Archie is great too, but he comes out to Rae very early on, so clearly that would never work out. I’m watching the show as I type and let me tell you I’m legit GUSHING at Finn. I love him so much. So so so so much.

I don’t really remember much about the ending or the rest of the show, mostly because my brain is absolute shite at the whole memory thing. But it’s phenomenal and I know that every single time I watch it I’m laughing out loud, probably crying, and loving every single second. And cringing. But what good teen comedy doesn’t make you cringe?!