With What I Like About You arriving on Netflix Australia this coming Monday, 19th January, the early-2000s sitcom has a chance at a second life – one it arguably always deserved. In its original run from 2002 to 2006, the show rarely received the cultural spotlight afforded to its peers, yet it quietly delivered something that feels increasingly rare in 2026: a warm, fast-paced, multi-camera sitcom performed in front of a live studio audience, built on jokes, chemistry and heart rather than cynicism or irony.
At its core, What I Like About You is a New York-set sister comedy. The premise is simple and sturdy: vivacious, impulsive teenager Holly Tyler (Amanda Bynes) moves in with her older sister Val (Jennie Garth), a driven woman trying to build an adult life in the city. From that foundation springs a familiar but effective sitcom engine – generational clashes, romantic misfires, workplace chaos, and the unshakeable bond between siblings who love each other even when they’re driving each other crazy.
The sisterly relationship is the show’s secret weapon. Bynes and Garth share an ease that never feels forced. Garth, best known for Beverly Hills, 90210, revealed a genuinely sharp comedic instinct, anchoring the show as the (sometimes) straight-man-with-a-heart while never fading into the background. Her Val is tightly wound but deeply loving, and the humour often comes from watching her resist – and ultimately accept – the disorder Holly brings into her life. It’s a dynamic that feels both classic and sincere, and it’s what keeps the series from becoming just another joke-delivery machine.
Rewatching the show now also serves as a powerful reminder of Amanda Bynes’s once-unmatched comedic talent. Coming off The Amanda Show, Bynes possessed a rare blend of physical comedy, impeccable timing, and emotional intelligence. She could land a pratfall, throw away a punchline, and then pivot effortlessly into moments of real vulnerability. Holly is broad without being cartoonish, goofy without being hollow. In hindsight, her performance feels even more poignant, given Bynes’s later struggles and her allegations that she was subjected to inappropriate behaviour during her time in the industry – an industry that too often failed to protect its young stars.
That context also complicates how the show is viewed today. One of its co-creators, Dan Schneider, has since been accused by multiple former child actors of sexual misconduct. Those allegations have understandably cast a shadow over projects associated with him, including What I Like About You. It’s important to acknowledge that discomfort without letting it erase the work of the performers, writers, and crew who brought genuine joy to audiences. Revisiting the show now requires holding two truths at once: recognising the harm alleged by those who worked within that system, whilst also appreciating the talent and creativity that existed in spite of it – not because of it.
Beyond its leads, the series benefited from a deep bench of guest stars that captured the era in miniature. Over its run, What I Like About You welcomed appearances from Abigail Breslin, Fran Drescher, Megan Fox, Rebecca Gayheart, Tony Hawk, Minka Kelly, Jesse McCartney, Jenny McCarthy, Penn Badgley, and three of Garth’s 90210 co-stars, Ian Ziering, Jason Priestley and Luke Perry. Whilst some of these cameos could be considered “stunt casting”, they were still laced in a certain texture, grounding the show in its moment whilst giving it the breezy unpredictability that multi-cam sitcoms once thrived on.
But perhaps the most striking thing about revisiting What I Like About You in 2026 is how much it represents what television has lost. The multi-camera sitcom with a live audience – brightly lit, joke-forward, unapologetically comforting – has become increasingly scarce. In its place are single-camera dramedies, prestige half-hours, and algorithm-driven “content” designed for passive bingeing. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that evolution, but something has been left behind: the communal rhythm of a live laugh, the theatricality of performance, and the sense that television could feel like a shared event.
What I Like About You was never trying to reinvent the medium. It was trying to make you laugh, to let characters grow incrementally, and to remind viewers that love- especially sisterly love – can be messy, loud, and deeply reliable. Its arrival on Netflix isn’t just a nostalgic curiosity; it’s a reminder of a form of television that once dominated living rooms and now feels endangered.
Overlooked in its day, complicated in retrospect, and still genuinely funny, What I Like About You stands as both a time capsule and a testament – to the power of performance, to Amanda Bynes’s brilliance, and to a sitcom tradition we may not fully appreciate until it’s gone.
All four seasons of What I Like About You are available to stream on Netflix (Australia) from January 19th, 2026.
