Netflix’s Never Have I Ever won over a lot of people with season 1, and the search for shows like Never Have I Ever was on. While a series about the struggles of being a teenager is not a new idea, the show figures out how to explore it in unique ways. It touches on things like religion, tragedy, and traditions as a first-generation Indian-American while telling a coming-of-age story that is relatable.
From the mind of Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever follows a high-schooler dealing with the loss of her father and a desire to grow up faster than her mother wants her to. There are plenty of shows like Never Have I Ever available to stream that have similar themes, tone, or subject matter. If fans want to check out something new instead of binge-watching Never Have I Ever again there are some newer series and some older TV favorites that will keep them watching.
14 The Sex Lives Of College Girls (2021-)
Never Have I Ever finds producer Mindy Kaling and her team exploring all the awkwardness of high school, the clashing personalities, the stresses, and of course, the dating world. The Sex Lives of College Girls takes the obvious next step in exploring what comes after high school. The series follows four young women beginning their college journey, on their way to becoming mature adults but still dealing with plenty of immaturity. It is a fun college campus comedy seen from the female perspective which is rare. As a bonus, it was also co-created by Kaling.
13 Ms. Marvel (2022-)
One of the best new characters of the MCU’s Phase 4 steps into the spotlight in Ms. Marvel. The superhero story finds Kamala Khan discovering her newfound powers and facing off against dangerous enemies while she grapples with what it means to be a superhero. While an MCU show might not seem like it has much in common with Never Have I Ever, Ms. Marvel actually works best as a coming-of-age comedy following Kamala’s life in high school with her nerdy friends as well as her journey to discover her Pakistani roots.
12 The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022-)
As Never Have I Ever progressed, fans could see Devi’s status in school begin to shift, and she suddenly had attention from boys that she never did before. This results in a love triangle developing between Devi, Paxton, and Ben that fans have been entertained by. The Summer I Turned Pretty, which has season 2 on the horizon, tells a similar story of a young woman who returns to her usual summer vacation destination to reunite with her childhood friends, Conrad and Jeremiah but finds sparks unexpectedly flying with both of them.
11 My So-Called Life (1994-1995)
Never Have I Ever certainly delivers big laughs and fun, but it also isn’t afraid to look at the more dramatic aspects of the story. From Devi’s ongoing struggle with the death of her father to Fabiola trying to come out to her family, the show can put aside the comedy when appropriate. My So-Called Life is another show that is not offering a sugar-coated look at high school. It begins very similarly to shows like Never Have I Ever with an outcast girl attempting to get noticed by the popular boy. However, the show could also get intense as well.
10 The Mindy Project (2012-2017)
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Available on Netflix and Hulu
For anyone who has watched The Mindy Project, it is probably no surprise that the show’s star and creator, Mindy Kaling, serves as a producer on Never Have I Ever. Though they don’t seem very similar on the surface, there is shared humor and tone in both series and other shows like Never Have I Ever. The Mindy Project is another female-led sitcom that follows Mindy, a young doctor in New York City balancing her career, love life, and her own personal quirks. Again, it might sound like the kind of show fans have seen many times, but the characters and humor are what make it special.
9 Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)
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Available on Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+
The narration from tennis superstar John McEnroe is one of the most charming things about Never Have I Ever. While such in-your-face narration can be annoying or distracting, it works in this show as well as in the underrated sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. The show is loosely based on the childhood of comedian Chris Rock who also serves as narrator. It follows the young Chris as he tries to survive high school while being the only Black kid in his school. It is the kind of ostracizing dilemma faced by Devi in the Netflix show.
8 Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)
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Available on Hulu and Paramount+
With so many shows about being in high school, it takes a unique approach to make it feel worthwhile. Shows like Never Have I Ever have to stand out. Freaks and Geeks achieved this by focusing on the kind of real high school kids that other shows didn’t want to address. Though it was canceled after a single season, it became iconic. The series follows a girl named Lindsey who finds herself looking for a new path and begins hanging out with a group of unambitious, pot-smoking, and rebellious friends. In many ways, Devi and Lindsey’s journeys of self-discovery feel very similar even though Devi’s path focuses more on boys than Lindsey’s does.
7 Jane The Virgin (2014-2019)
Devi is forced to deal with a strict household while also trying to become more mature and experience what she thinks is typical teenage behavior. The lead character on Jane the Virgin is sort of thrust into a life of maturity after being impregnated by accident. Despite the improbable plot, Jane the Virgin tells an interesting story of a young woman dealing with a major life change that causes people to look at her differently, just as Devi finds everyone looking at her differently after her father dies. And while it focuses on this main character’s journey, Jane the Virgin has many fun characters that bring it to life. Like Devi, Jane’s home life is filled with her female relatives as her support system.
6 Ramy (2019-)
Shows like Never Have I Ever offer a more diverse comedy series than what fans could typically find on television in the past. Though it deals with high school and teen angst, it also has some interesting things to say about religion, specifically Devi’s conflicted feelings about her Hindu upbringing. Ramy is another great dramedy that deals with that subject more head-on. The A24-produced TV series follows a young Muslim man struggling to follow the teachings of his religion while also dealing with a lot of ignorance towards it.
5 Awkward. (2011-2016)
In the first episode of Never Have I Ever, fans learn that Devi recently became the subject of fascination in her school for all the wrong reasons. After facing a personal tragedy, she loses the use of her legs, only to regain them and no longer need a wheelchair. Devi’s desire to escape that reputation feels very similar to the dilemma faced by the main character in a show like Never Have I Ever, MTV’s Awkward. That series begins with Jenna suffering an embarrassing accident which leads to a lot of misconceptions about her in her school. Jenna also faces the same kind of awkward and romantic situations that Devi does.
4 Derry Girls (2018-2022)
While Never Have I Ever deals with romantic relationships and family, it is also a story about friendship. The bond shared between Devi and her best friends, Fabiola and Eleanor, is sweet and funny even with more than a few bumps along the way. Meanwhile, Derry Girls is another fantastic show about the strong yet dysfunctional friendship of high school girls. Set in a small Irish town, it follows a group of friends who struggle to find dates, become popular, and escape their dull lives while often finding themselves in trouble. Derry Girls is filled with funny characters while telling a charming coming-of-age story.
3 I Am Not Okay With This (2020)
Despite being a comedy, Never Have I Ever deals with a lot of tragedy as Devi and her family are dealing with the sudden death of her father, an event that took place before the events of the series. This is the same tragedy that Sydney is dealing with in I Am Not Okay With This. The recent death of her father weighs on the young teen as she deals with high school, relationships, and the superpowers she has just learned she possesses.
2 On My Block (2018-2021)
Another Netflix series that deals with struggles inside and outside of high school is On My Block. This is an excellent show that can be both funny and heartbreaking in the way shows like Never Have I Ever are so effective at pulling off. The coming-of-age story follows a group of friends who deal with the fear of entering high school while also trying to get one of their friends out of a dangerous gang. The dangers in On My Block are more severe than Never Have I Ever, but the humor and heart are the same.
1 Sex Education (2019-)
If there is one teen Netflix show that is really competing with Never Have I Ever as the most charming high school comedy, it is Sex Education. Both of these shows explore young high school characters coming to grips with their sexuality and all the complications that it brings. Sex Education deals with a lot of difficult and complex subject matter but does so through charming characters and a great sense of humor. It’s no wonder fans are so eager for more Sex Education and Never Have I Ever.
