Missing 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'? These TV Shows Will Fill The Void
From Benny Drama’s college-set comedy, 'Overcompensating', to Jenny Han’s rom-com spin-off 'XO, Kitty', and even another brother-shaped love triangle in 'My Life with the Walter Boys', these ten shows will tide you over until the 'TSITP' movie hits screens.
Has this past month felt particularly long to you? You’re not alone. But before you go blaming a summer solstice or daylight savings change for these elongated hours, think about what was taken from us on September 17. That’s right, it’s been just over four long weeks since The Summer I Turned Pretty finale, and the YA-sized void it left in its wake is vast. Our mid-week mental holiday to Cousins Beach has been revoked, leaving us to face life’s real-world problems without the soft, soothing embrace of escapism. Should we all flee to Paris? Seemed to have worked for Belly.
As we await the release of the surprise TSITP film and in lieu of a last-minute life-change abroad, here are 10 series that promise to fill the void The Summer I Turned Pretty left in your life (and group chat).
1. Emily in Paris
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
We were robbed of a Belly in Paris spinoff, and as per, it’s all Conrad’s fault. Just when Belly was becoming Belle, old mate had to show up unannounced and cut the self-discovery short. If you want to know how life might’ve turned out sans Fisher interruption, Netflix’s five-season strong Emily in Paris is your answer. Starring Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, an American who moves to the city of love for a marketing job, the highly stylised series puts the très in chic. If you miss the way Belly and Taylor saw every episode as their personal catwalk, allow Emily’s wardrobe to do the honours.
2. Heartbreak High
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
When it’s not Conrad’s fault, it’s Amerie’s. The star of Australia’s iconic TV reboot, Amerie Wadia (played by the incred Ayesha Madon) is, as Cardi would say, the drama. Set in Hartley High, season 1 broke all sorts of streaming records, fuelled by a secret sex map that turned the school and its students upside down upon discovery. A second season upped the ante with a psychedelic school trip to the woods, the search for ‘bird psycho’, and a fiery finale that made for one unforgettable school dance. With the third and final season imminent, coming-of-age doesn’t get much more chaotic than this.
3. Heartstopper
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
Prepare to be immeasurably charmed by Heartstopper, a book-to-screen adaptation of Alice Oseman’s LGBTQ+ young adult graphic novels. Over three seasons (two of which boast a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score), follow the budding romance between bookish boy Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and rugby lad Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) as they text their way through their tumultuous teens. This YA series has everything you’d expect – parties, university planning, and plenty of snogging, but it also extensively explores themes of mental health in a thoughtful and sensitive way. And in similar TSITP form, the series finale will arrive in the shape of a feature film next year, promising to tie up all loose ends.
4. My Life with the Walter Boys
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
Swap your kitten heels for cowboy boots, 'cause we’re headin’ to Colorado. Following a suspiciously similar plotline to TSITP, My Life with the Walter Boys sees NY teen Jackie Howard fall in love with two brothers, Alex and Cole Walter, the sons of her mum’s best friend. Will they? Won’t they? Do they? Don’t they? You know the score. The main difference here (aside from being set on a ranch instead of a beach) is that instead of two siblings, there are actually eight. Don’t have the bandwidth for a love octagon? Don’t worry, she only has heart eyes for two. And that we can handle.
5. Never Have I Ever
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
Another day, another triad. In Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever series, Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) spends four seasons pining and puking over her two teen loves. The back and forth is enough to give you emotional whiplash, but underneath all the love, lust, and awkward relatability is a stirring portrait of a first-generation Indian-American girl coming to terms with her father’s death. It’s got everything from first kisses to last words and serves as a beautiful and complex exploration of cultural expectations alongside the messy reality of growing up.
6. Normal People
Where Can I Watch it? BBC iPlayer
Nothing hurts quite like your first love, and my God does Normal People do a good job of reminding you. The pain is palpable. Before Paul Mescal was Aftersun’s Calum or Gladiator’s Lucius, he was Marianne’s Connell. Also starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, this adaptation of Sally Rooney’s hit novel of the same name follows the on-again off-again relationship between two teenagers in Ireland (and one unforgettable trip to Italy). Over 12 half-hour eps, we’re taken on an intimate journey through Marianne and Connell’s four-year relationship, battered by bullying and betrayal and laden with lust, loyalty, and an unwavering love. 5 stars, no notes.
7. Overcompensating
Where can I watch it? On Prime
Benito Skinner really debuted with a bang when he dropped Overcompensating, his first foray into TV which immediately landed a second season. Better known by his internet ID Benny Drama (or IYKYK, Anarchy Kourtney), the series is loosely based on Benny’s own college experience as a closeted football player slash homecoming king whose BFF, Carmen, is so uncool it’s actually cool. Over eight episodes there’s everything from Grindr fails to secret society rituals and of course, a classic coming-of-age tale of unrequited love. Throw in an iconic Charlie XCX cameo and the realist love-hate sibling relationship ever shown on screen and you’ve got yourself the most binge-worthy series of the year.
8. Sex Education
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
Despite its name, British series Sex Education is about so much more than just sex. Sure, there’s heaps of that too – in all its forms – but this incredible show is also about friendship, identity, and family, in all its forms. Led by DIY sex therapist Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his muse Maeve (Emma Mackey), the spectacular cast also includes Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee Lou Wood and Connor Swindells in their breakout roles. Over four seasons, these teens fall in and out of lust and love, make plenty of mistakes, and, in the end, make us proud as punch. Watch for the first time or watch again, either way you’ll learn something new from this motley crew.
9. To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
Okay technically it’s not a series, but with three movies under its belt this trilogy plays just like one and without it this list wouldn’t be complete. Written and created by none other than The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Jenny Han, the To All the Boys trilogy has that special sauce of which only Han holds the recipe. Beginning with To All the Boys I've Loved Before, then To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, and finally, To All the Boys: Always and Forever, the story begins with a (not so) secret love letter turning Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) into unlikely high school sweethearts. That is, until, in true Jenny Han fashion, a third opponent enters the arena and a tussle for the title of Boyfriend ensues. Fight!
10. XO, Kitty
Where Can I Watch it? On Netflix
Life can be cruel but not cruel enough to leave you in a lurch post To All the Boys binge. Jenny Han may have put us through the absolute wringer while Belly nah-ed and yeah-ed between Conrad and Jere, but with XO, Kitty, she gives us the spinoff we deserve. The series follows Kitty, the youngest Song-Covey sister, as she moves to Seoul to study and discover her Korean roots. Sounds wholesome and trouble-free, right? Alas, her long-distance boyfriend has other plans. Typical. Part K-drama, part coming-of-age, XO, Kitty promises to fill the void left by Han’s previous works – and the best part? No need to worry about what to watch next, season 3 is already on the way.
Curl Up in Comfort
Enjoyed This?
Discover more film and TV recommendations.
