There’s no doubt that young adult movies and television shows have had a resurgence in the past decade, especially in the era of streaming.
Many know the feeling of sitting down, excited to binge-watch a new show, but feel lost on what to watch once it ends. Especially if you’re looking for something in the same YA genre, with all the feels of young romance, awkwardness, heartbreak, friendship drama — and sometimes, a hint of mystery.
The latest series to stream in the genre is Netflix’s teen romantic drama My Life With the Walter Boys. Based on the novel by Ali Novak, the series follows Jackie Howard (Nikki Rodriguez), a teen from Manhattan who must adapt to a new life in rural Colorado with her guardian and eight boys after the loss of her family in a tragic accident.
With the arrival of perhaps your latest binge, THR has compiled a list of top YA-skewing projects that have debuted in recent years, or are currently in production for another season or sequel.
(THR also recognizes that there are many popular YA shows and movies not included in the list, as they released or wrapped up years ago.)
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
The Prime Video series, based on Jenny Han’s book trilogy, follows a love triangle between one girl, Belly, and two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. Along the way, she navigates heartbreak, friendship and family drama, all while searching for the magic of that one perfect summer. The Han-created show stars Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Rain Spencer, Jackie Chung and Rachel Blanchard.
Season one and two are currently streaming on Prime Video. The show has also been renewed for a third season.
‘Never Have I Ever’
The Netflix series, inspired by Mindy Kaling’s childhood, follows the complicated life of a first-generation Indian-American teen girl, Devi Vishwakumar, as she takes on high school and relationships, all while grieving the death of her father. The comedy-drama stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Lee Rodriguez, Richa Moorjani, Ramona Young and Benjamin Norris.
All four seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.
‘Heartbreak High’
The Netflix series, a spinoff of the 1993 Australian film The Heartbreak Kid, follows the students and teachers of Hartley High School as they navigate racial tensions in Australia, high school romances and teenage angst. The cast includes Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Chloe Hayden, Asher Yasbincek, Thomas Weatherall, Will McDonald, Josh Heuston and Gemma Chua-Tran.
Season one of Heartbreak High, which has been renewed for a second season, is streaming on Netflix.
‘Euphoria’
The hit HBO show, created by Sam Levinson, takes a look at life for a group of high school students as they grapple with issues of drugs, sex and violence. The Emmy-winning drama stars Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney, Angus Cloud, Barbie Ferreira and Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton.
Euphoria was renewed for a third season. The first two seasons are currently streaming on Max.
‘Elite’
The Netflix show follows three working-class teens who start attending an exclusive private school in Spain. But the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder. The cast of the Spanish-language series includes Omar Ayuso, Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Bernardeau, Arón Piper, Claudia Salas, Georgina Amorós, Manu Ríos and Mina El Hammani.
Elite has been renewed for an eighth season, with the seven current seasons streaming on Netflix.
‘XO, Kitty’
The Netflix series, a spinoff of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise, sees teen Kitty Song Covey travel to South Korea to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend at the same boarding school attended by her late mom. But she quickly realizes relationships are a lot more complicated when it’s your own heart on the line. The show, created by Jenny Han, stars Anna Cathcart, Minyeong Choi, Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Anthony Keyvan, Peter Thurnwald and Jocelyn Shelfo.
XO, Kitty has been renewed for a second season, and the first season is currently streaming on Netflix. The To All the Boys film trilogy can also be watched on the streaming service.
‘Red, White & Royal Blue’
In the Prime Video movie, a feud between the U.S. president’s son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and Britain’s Prince Henry threatens to drive a wedge in the two countries’ relations. The two are then forced into a staged truce for the media but that sparks something deeper. The film, based on Casey McQuiston’s romance novel of the same name, stars Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman, Jemma Redgrave, Sarah Shahi and Bridget Benstead.
Red, White & Royal Blue is currently streaming on Prime Video.
‘Riverdale’
The CW series, based on the Archie Comics characters, follows a group of friends who become entangled in dark mysteries within the town of Riverdale following the mysterious death of a popular high school student. At the same time, the group is also navigating young love, school and family. The show’s cast includes Lili Reinhart, K.J. Apa, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch and Casey Cott.
Riverdale, including the newly released seventh and final season, is streaming on Netflix.
‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’
The series, created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, follows four freshman college roommates as they navigate hormones, their sexual orientation and sex life amid their newfound freedom on campus. The show stars Pauline Chalamet, Reneé Rapp, Amrit Kaur and Alyah Chanelle Scott.
The first two seasons of The Sex Lives of College Girls are currently streaming on Max, and the show has been renewed for a third season.
‘My Fault’
Prime Video’s My Fault (Culpa Mía) is based on the book trilogy of the same name by Mercedes Ron. In the Spanish-language film, Noah (Nicole Wallace) has to leave her life in her hometown behind to move into the mansion, owned by her mother’s new husband. It’s there that she meets her new stepbrother Nick (Gabriel Guevara). While they initially clash, an irresistible attraction forms between them, but they must work to keep their relationship secret. The movie also stars Marta Hazas, Iván Sánchez, Eva Ruiz, Victor Varona and Ivan Massagué.
My Fault is currently streaming on Prime Video and has been renewed for two more installments.
‘Outer Banks’
The Netflix series follows a group of teens who work to figure out what happened to John B’s missing father. Along the way, they discover a legendary treasure linked to his father’s disappearance and go to great lengths to keep it. The show stars Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, J.D., Rudy Pankow, Drew Starkey, Charles Esten, Austin North and Carlacia Grant.
The first three seasons of Outer Banks are currently streaming on Netflix. The series has also been renewed for a fourth season.
‘Gossip Girl’
The revived series of the original Gossip Girl centers on a new generation of New York private school teens who use social media to spread gossip, leading to drama and turmoil among friends, relationships and family. The remake stars Jordan Alexander, Whitney Peak, Tavi Gevinson, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Johnathan Fernandez and Adam Chanler-Berat.
Gossip Girl‘s two seasons are streaming on Max. The original series, which aired from 2007 to 2012, is also on the streamer.
‘Sex Education’
The Netflix series is about a teen boy with a sex therapist mom who teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school. The show stars Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Aimee Lou Wood, Alistair Petrie and Mimi Keene.
The four seasons of Sex Education are streaming on Netflix.
‘He’s All That’
The Netflix movie, a gender-swapped remake of the 1999 film She’s All That, follows a teen girl who takes on a bet to give an unpopular classmate the ultimate high school makeover, but a romantic connection ends up forming between them. The film stars Addison Rae, Tanner Buchanan, Madison Pettis, Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard and Peyton Meyer.
He’s All That is streaming on Netflix.
‘After Everything’
The fifth installment in the After franchise, based on Anna Todd’s book series, follows a college student, Tessa Young, who falls for a guy, Hardin Scott, with a dark secret, leading to a rocky relationship. As for After Everything, the final movie in the film series, it sees Hardin travel to Portugal after breaking up with his true love to try and find himself as well as to attempt to make amends for his past behavior. The movie stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Josephine Langford, Mimi Keene and Stephen Moyer.
The first four films, After, After We Collided, After We Fell and After Every Happy, are streaming on Netflix. The fifth film, After Everything, got a limited theatrical release in September and is expected to arrive on the streamer later this year.
‘Love, Victor’
The series, inspired by the 2018 film Love, Simon, follows Victor, a new student a Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, challenges, new city adjustments and struggles with his sexual orientation. The cast includes Michael Cimino, Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, Mason Gooding, George Sear, Isabella Ferreira and Mateo Fernandez.
Love, Victor‘s three seasons can be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu.
‘Wednesday’
The Netflix series sees Wednesday Addams during her years as a student at Nevermore Academy. While there, she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago, all while navigating news friendships and relationships. The show stars Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Percy Hynes White, Christina Ricci and Victor Dorobantu.
Season one of Wednesday is currently streaming on Netflix, and it has been renewed for a second season.
‘Ginny & Georgia’
The Netflix show is about Ginny Miller, an angsty teen, who is trying to navigate high school, friendships and relationships, all while trying to deal with her irresistible and dynamic Georgia Miller, whom she often feels more mature than. But as they work to get settled into a new town, Georgia’s past threatens their family’s new life. The cast includes Brianne Howey, Antonia Gentry, Felix Mallard, Sara Waisglass, Katie Douglas, Chelsea Clark, Diesel La Torraca, Scott Porter and Raymond Ablack.
The first two seasons of Ginny & Georgia are streaming on Netflix, and the series has been renewed for two more seasons.
‘Good Trouble’
The show, a spinoff of The Fosters, follows Callie and Mariana Foster as they move to Los Angeles and begin their lives as young adults, navigating new jobs, friendships and relationships. The series stars Cierra Ramirez, Maia Mitchell, Zuri Adele, Sherry Cola, Emma Hunton, Tommy Martinez and Josh Pence.
Good Trouble‘s five seasons are currently streaming on Hulu, with the second part of Good Trouble’s fifth season airing in 2024.
‘Grown-ish’
A spinoff of ABC’s Black-ish, the series follows Zoey Johnson as she heads off to college and must live outside the nest for the first time. Along the way, she finds herself navigating drugs, sex and relationships. The show stars Trevor Jackson, Yara Shahidi, Diggy Simmons, Francia Raisa, Emily Arlook, Jordan Buhat, Chloe Bailey, Luka Sabbat and Halle Bailey.
The first six seasons of Grown-ish are streaming on Hulu.
‘All American’
The CW show, inspired by the life of pro football player Spencer Paysinger, follows a rising high school football player from South L.A. who is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School. But the wins, losses and struggles of two families from vastly different worlds begin to collide. The cast includes Daniel Ezra, Samantha Logan, Michael Evans Behling, Greta Onieogou, Bre-Z, Cody Christian, Taye Diggs and Karimah Westbrook.
All American‘s first five seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, and the series has been renewed for a sixth season.
‘Heartstopper’
In the Netflix show, Charlie and Nick, two British teen schoolboys, discover that their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school drama and new, young relationships. The series stars Joe Locke, Kit Connor, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Tobie Donovan, Cormac Hyde-Corrin and Rhea Norwood.
The first two seasons of Heartstopper are currently streaming on Netflix, and the series has been renewed for a third season.
‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’
In the movie, based on the novel by Judy Blume, 11-year-old Margaret must maneuver her way through the beginning of adolescence in a new school after her family moves from the city to the suburbs. The film stars Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie and Elle Graham.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret can be streamed on Apple TV+.
‘My Life with the Walter Boys’
The Netflix show, based on the novel of the same name by Ali Novak, follows Jackie Howard, a 15-year-old Manhattanite who has to adapt to a new life in rural Colorado with her guardian and eight rowdy boys after losing her family in a tragic accident. The cast includes Nikki Rodriguez, Sarah Rafferty, Marc Blucas, Noah LaLonde, Ashby Gentry, Connor Stanhope, Johnny Link, Corey Fogelmanis, Dean Petriw, Lennix James, Alix West Lefler, Isaac Arellanes and Myles Perez.
Season one of My Life with the Walter Boys premieres on Netflix Dec. 7.
‘It Ends with Us’
Though it hasn’t been released yet, the highly anticipated movie, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name, will follow a young woman, Lily, who gets into a relationship with Ryle, who she believes is her true love. But when a painful incident triggers past trauma, she must decide if love is enough to keep the marriage alive. Along the way, her first love, Atlas, also returns to her life to make things more complicated. The film’s cast includes Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni (who is also directing), Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Alex Neustaedter and Isabela Ferrer.
It Ends with Us is set to be released in early 2024.
