Does your Netflix watch list need some laughs and a little romance this Valentine's Day weekend? Does it need some laughs and romance in general? Well, there are endless titles you could stream on Netflix, from movies to shows, but the streamer also just added — finally added — the nostalgic rom-com sitcom starring Amanda Bynes that we have been totally missing from our lives.
When you think of Amanda Bynes' "funniest show," your mind might immediately go to her Nickelodeon hits, like the sketch comedy series All That or her eponymous variety show The Amanda Show. Both hold a special place in the hearts of millennials, who are still quoting the "Ask Ashley" sketch and randomly saying "Amanda, please!" or "Bring in the dancing lobsters."
But the star's funniest show isn't either of her outputs with Nickelodeon. It's actually the vastly underrated sitcom What I Like About You that aired on The WB for four seasons. The series, while still beloved by many a millennial, hasn't been given its time to shine and stand the test of time like Bynes' other iconic roles in She's the Man and Easy A, but the series was added to Netflix on Feb. 11.
What I Like About You now available to stream on Netflix
Bynes stars in What I Like About You as Holly Tyler, a rambunctious teenager who isn't able to move with her single father when his job moves him to Japan. Being so, she moves in with her adult sister Val (Jennie Garth) in New York City. Suddenly, the sisters are reunited and are forced to find a balance between their age gap and ways in which they are used to living.
In the first season, Holly and Val live in a smaller apartment, which makes living together all the more chaotic and a culture shock. From not living together to being thrust together in close quarters offers plenty of comedy and learning experiences. Val dates Jeff (Simon Rex) throughout season 1, but What I Like About You quickly reinvents itself in season 2 and gets even funnier.
Holly and Val move into a spacious new loft apartment and expand their circle of friends. The sitcom also takes on much more focus on Holly and Val's personal lives, particularly Holly's messy love triangle between Henry (Michael McMillian) and Vince (Nick Zano), and then later Ben (David de Lautour). The laughs are non-stop as Holly makes questionable choices that are all punctuated by Amanda Bynes' signature larger-than-life comedic timing.
Unfortunately, What I Like About You was canceled after four seasons by The WB in 2006 and didn't return for a fifth season when the network merged with UPN to form The CW. For the most part, the series wrapped up with a fitting ending, but it's clear to see that there was so much more potential for more seasons of Tyler sister shenanigans, even with marriage and college on the horizon.
If you have been missing some easy, early 2000s nostalgia in the midst of the 2020s, here's your perfect escape that's now on Netflix. Now, What I Like About You doesn't have humor that has completely aged well through a modern lens, but it's still a must-watch comfort binge that simply allows us to watch Amanda Bynes do what she does best: Make us laugh!
Watch all four seasons of What I Like About You while they're available on Netflix.
