By introducing titles like Heartbreak High to its ever-expanding list of content, Netflix has once again proved that it hears us all for the act of destabilizing the potency of heteronormative storylines. With a brand new brilliant cast including Ayesha Madon, Chloe Hayden, James Majoos, Thomas Weatherall, Asher Yasbincek, and more, the latest Netflix teen series has rebooted the classic 1994 Australian TV show of the same name.
You’ve most likely just finished watching this series, which has what brought you here on the lookout for more similar content. Fear not, we’re ready to unleash our fury with this well-curated list of series available on the various OTT platforms for you to devour. Read ahead to find a list of 9 shows like Heartbreak High that delve into the grave saga of teenage adolescence when the whole world presents itself as a bitter foe endlessly plotting against you.
9 Shows Like Heartbreak High
1. Heartbreak High (1994)
The original deal that birthed the idea in the first place has to be at the top without a doubt. Created by Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon, this breakthrough Aussie drama had a long run in its time from 1994-1996 and then ABC picked it up again from 1997-1999. Although dealing with a different set of characters back in the day, the series still went on to unravel the teen lives of students as well as their teachers at Hartley High. At the time, this series was an eye-opener and one of a kind in its genre.
The ’94 OG show is also streaming on Netflix.
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2. Sex Education
Many viewers may mark a ton of similarities between Netflix’s Sex Education and Heartbreak High, and it might even feel like the only difference therein is that of the high school names. Despite that, unlike the latest Netflix release, Sex Education actually employs the involvement of a licensed professional for the students to speak openly about their sexual needs and wants. Even though Asa Butterfield’s Otis is the first to initiate these discussions in the form of a guidance interaction taking place in hiding, his mother eventually picks up the pieces thereafter to make way for proper and methodical sex therapy for the youth.
3. Never Have I Ever
Right off the bat, the first similarity shared between Never Have I Ever and Heartbreak High is their female-led storylines empowered by actresses who share their ancestry with the Indian subcontinent. Mindy Kaling’s show is yet again situated in a coming-of-age narrative within a high school. Both these shows play their own part in establishing South Asian and Australian representation respectively within the mainstream. Relationships are the driving force for both of them, ultimately spanning the extreme adolescent rush into good teen comedies.
All three seasons of the show are now available on Netflix.
4. Everything Sucks!
Here’s another original Netflix idea that works in a satirizing portrayal of teen culture in high schools, specifically centered around the ’90s. The very fact that it has to do with the ’90s automatically links it to Heartbreak High which finds its inspiration in another show of the contemporary era. Everything Sucks measures up to the stark reality of teenage, which adolescents find to be a perturbing phase of their lives, hence the title. Meanwhile, everyone is too busy figuring out their true selves in a world that feels quite suffocating despite all their attempts to make do with what they’ve got.
5. Euphoria
As opposed to the bright and charming visuals of Heartbreak High, HBO’s Euphoria pulls its cinematographic aesthetic to the grave depth of darkness, which falls in line with the emotions held in by its teenagers. It takes up the issue of drug overdose and its fatality as felt by not only the ones consuming them but also by their family. Keeping up social appearances to avoid tanking popularity status is yet again a common theme of both the shows that also break down the friendships and betrayals along the way.
The first two seasons of Euphoria can be watched on Disney+ Hotstar.
6. Thirteen Reasons Why
Heartbreak High‘s final resolution is a clear reminder of the dark themes adopted by Netflix’s Thirteen Reasons Why. Based on Jay Asher’s novel which goes by the same name, the series dives into the lives of students at Liberty High after Hannah Baker’s suicide. The event has a direct association with every character and it ultimately links them together whether they like it or not. There’s a lot of negative opposition that has been raised against this show due to various personal and subjective views, nevertheless one can’t deny the common forbidding threads that bring it closer to the latest release on Netflix.
7. Elite
Elite is a Spanish teen drama on Netflix that has to do with students of a private school, where a clashing rivalry between three working-class teens and their richer analogs takes a bloody turn. Like Heartbreak High, it also involves the dynamics of high school cliques colliding with each other. Despite the ‘teenage’ outlook, the show easily falls into more mature and adult themes with the developing mystery, hence the ‘Adult’ rating as well.
8. Heartstopper
This is probably one of the sweetest and most heartfelt addition to this list. Inspired by the LGBTQIA+ graphic novels created by Alice Oseman, this show opens up about the challenges of finding yourself as a teenager. Friendships often develop into love, while presumed love arcs mature into respectable friendships but you can only find out the truth if you put yourself out there. Heartstopper is once again a coming-of-age story in the mix and much like Heartbreak High, it also has a very vibrant and lively color palette.
You can find the first season of the show on Netflix.
9. Young Royals
Another non-English entry is Netflix’s Swedish Young Royals. With the elite boarding school Hillerska as its setting, this show is another ‘Adult’ rated narrative wherein Prince Wilhelm must adjust to his new surroundings. His meeting with Simon Eriksson strikes up a new challenge at the school. The LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in the show brings it a lot closer to Heartbreak High‘s plot than one can imagine.
We hope you like our picks for this list of coming-of-age teen dramas that positively acknowledge and include LGBTQ+ characters in their roster. They’re not there for mere tokenism but rather lead an inherently normalized and humane existence.
Which title among these is your current favorite? What are you planning to binge-watch next? Let us know in the comments section.
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