XO, Kitty
To All The Boys I Loved Before in series form? Sign me up! It's Lara Jean's little sister's time to shine. Don't tell Devi that moving across the country to pursue a crush is an option to girlies on Netflix shows because she would 100 percent do it. That's not the only thing these characters have in common. Kitty also has a dead parent, and when she's living in Korea a lot of feelings (and revelations) about her mother bubble to the surface. Plus, for the TATBILB fans out there... there's a little fake dating trope goodness in this series as well.
Degrassi: Next Class
Every iteration of Degrassi has taken on deeper and darker issues with respect and patience. But the four seasons that debuted on Netflix are really something special, and they're more modern! They dig into racial microaggressions, online misogyny, the gender binary and more. I also would place bets on Next Class being overall more sex-positive than The Next Generation. We tried in the '00s but we weren't quite there yet.
Skins
This British show not only had a lot of today's top talent (Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya, Kaia Scodelario, and Dev Patel to name a few), it had a reputation for shocking audiences with its depictions of teen sex and drug use. However, behind that Euphoria-esque surface the show was equally unafraid to talk about class, grief, and a variety of subjects that were dark but not, like, endlessly traumatic.
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13 Reasons Why
Now, this show could get endlessly traumatic. But I managed to find some lightness in the dark, and I bet you can too. The way that the show, once it surpassed the source material, tried to deal with the fallout (what would happen to the psyche of a student body if a girl died by suicide at their school and blamed them) is probably not realistic and definitely problematic at times, but I found it interesting! It's just like... definitely more on the grief side of all things Never Have I Ever.
Everything's Gonna Be Okay
This absolutely charming show from Australian comedian Josh Thomas kicks off when his character's dad kicks the bucket and he moves in with his half-sisters as their guardian. Matilda is autistic and eager to explore her sexuality. Genevieve is an aspiring writer and comedian. They're all just trying to figure out what life after the death of their dad looks like. It'll give you all of the laughs and heart hugs you get from Never Have I Ever.
PEN15
The middle schoolers, played for comedic effect by full-grown adults, are too young to be having sex but not too young to talk and speculate and get real weird about it. Both shows are firmly part of the "teenage girls can be horny too" movement, and I applaud that. And while it's not the same as losing a parent, the way the show treats Anna's parents getting divorced reminds me of Never Have I Ever a lot. When Anna spins out she's not exactly sure why, just like Devi.
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Marvel's Runaways
This show, based on the Marvel comic by the same name, is no Spider-Man. While Peter's superhero origin story is no walk in the park, the way this superhero team came together is somehow more traumatic. They discover that their parents are basically supervillains and run away together... which then forces all of their anxieties and crushes and teenage drama into a pressure cooker. If you like thoughtful teen drama like Never Have I Ever as well as the occasional BOOM, POW and WHAM... this one is for you!
The End Of The F***ing World
So you like shows with teenagers, love, and death. What if one of those teenagers was a serial killer? Or, at least, thought he could be one? That's the premise of this British dark comedy. It's not really as grounded in reality as Never Have I Ever, but I bet you'd like it it.The two lovers don't really spend a lot of time at school. It's about teenagers in way that Romeo and Juliet is about teenagers... right down to the body count.
I Am Not Okay With This
You know Sophia Lillis from It, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Sharp Objects. She's great at playing teenagers who are going through it. This new show is based on a graphic novel. It has big romantic feelings, superpowers, and a connection to The End Of The F***ing World... did I just give you a gift of a brand new obsession or what?
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Jane the Virgin
Devi might think that the drama in her life is like a telenovela, but Jane's life is actually based on one. This is a show about young adults with an emphasis on adults, but I think it's a quintessential piece of television about sex and femininity. It's important to know your history! Even though this show didn't come out that long ago, we wouldn't have Never Have I Ever without Jane the Virgin.
Some Girls
Before Derry Girls (and Yellowjackets, for that matter) there was this show about four friends in South London who play on the same football team and live on a housing estate together. They’re motivated by academics and sex, just like Devi. They come from a wide range of religious backgrounds, too. The show also ran for three seasons, which if you don’t mind my saying so is kind of a lot for a British series.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
You've listened to the Taylor Swift song. Have you seen the show? It’s a summer romance series, y’all! Think epic, painful crushes, stolen kisses, and debutante balls. It’s based on a book by Jenny Han, who of course brought us both To All The Boys I Loved Before and XO, Kitty. Also, if you like the show Outer Banks, this show was filmed by the actual Outer Banks in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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The Sex Lives of College Girls
The obvious next binge, in my humble opinion, is Mindy Kaling’s other coming-of-age series. The show takes place at the fictional Essex University and is just as raunchy and hilarious as Never Have I Ever. It doesn’t get as dark as Never Have I Ever can with Devi’s grief storyline, but there is plenty of drama alongside the sex-positive tone.
Sex Education
Speaking of sex-positive storylines, there’s nothing more thoughtful (while also entertaining AF) than this UK series on Netflix. If you haven’t heard of the provocative Netflix original, it’s about the son of a sex therapist who starts his own underground practice at school. All of a sudden the students become more sexually responsible and sexually adventurous—but that doesn’t mean their problems are solved.
Starstruck
It’s not a young adult drama about homecoming and college admissions, but this HBO series is about young (grown) adults and will make you swoon just as much. Starstruck follows a 30-something who hooks up with a celebrity–and I know you’ve read that fan fiction.
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On My Block
This Netflix original often errs more on the dramatic side of dramedy but can still be laugh-out-loud funny. Like on Never Have I Ever, there is a strong friend group at the center who gets tested as the ups and downs of high school get more and more intense.
Betty
Several members of the cast of this offbeat comedy series based on the 2018 independent film Skate Kitchen are playing fictionalized versions of themselves and it shows in the best way. It’s about teenage girls in New York City who kick ass in the local skating community.
Teenage Bounty Hunters
This canceled-too-soon Netflix series about two Christian private school girls who become bounty hunters is funny and packed with action. It also has one of best, and most surprising, enemies-to-lovers romances that I’ve ever seen!
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My Mad Fat Diary
Before Paxton and Ben fought (metaphorically) for Devi’s affections on Never Have I Ever, Rae and Finn were IT. They had a major Tumblr moment. Plus, any Killing Eve fans who haven’t already may want to give it a watch for Jodie Comer.
Dash & Lily
I know you love Austin Abrams from Euphoria and Midori Francis from Sex Lives of College Girls. If you haven’t already seen this charming little Christmas series, make it a TOP priority. It’s teen drama, romance, and holiday spirit rolled into one.
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