This is an entertainment recommendation piece arguing that fans of Apple TV+'s "Shrinking" should watch "Cougar Town," an earlier sitcom by the same creator, Bill Lawrence. The article notes that "Shrinking" has increasingly drawn on the tone of "Cougar Town," making the older show a fitting companion watch, even though it never matched the commercial success of Lawrence's other hits like "Scrubs" and "Ted Lasso."

"Cougar Town" starred Courteney Cox as divorced realtor Jules Cobb and ran for six seasons after TBS revived it following its cancellation, gaining a devoted cult following that was famously referenced as a running joke on the sitcom "Community." Despite its premise about dating younger men, the show quickly shifted focus to Jules's relationships with her close-knit, sharp-tongued friend group, including her eventual partner Grayson Ellis. The article highlights this willingness to let characters be affectionately "mean" to one another as the show's defining charm, and suggests this quality is now surfacing more in "Shrinking" as well.