Devi’s (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) high school experience has finally come to an end after four seasons of “Never Have I Ever.” If you’re like me and most “Never Have I Ever” fans, you’ve probably already binge-watched the season finale a few days after its release. Many fans, including myself, are missing the show already.
The series follows a first-generation Indian American teenager Devi who tries to pursue happiness after her father’s death. She determines that sophomore year will be the year for her to become popular, have the perfect boyfriend and get into her dream school, Princeton. This is all while trying to cope with the recent loss of her father.
To help fill the void of finishing the series, here are five shows like “Never Have I Ever” that you will want to watch next:
1. “Freaks and Geeks”
One of the main aspects of “Never Have I Ever” is Devi trying to find herself in high school. She saw herself as the nerdy Indian girl who didn’t feel seen or liked at school and wanted to change that image of herself by dating the most popular guy in school, Paxton (Darren Barnet). Like Devi, “Freaks and Geeks” main character Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) also saw herself as the nerdy, goody-two-shoes student. In her junior year of high school, Lindsay starts hanging out with a group of burnouts to try to alter that reputation. However, while hanging out with her new friend group, Lindsay slowly starts questioning who she is and what she wants to be.
Although Devi and Lindsay both want to reinvent themselves in different ways, watching both series, you see that they are a lot alike. They both struggle to meet high school students’ expectations of fitting in while simultaneously trying to figure out who they are.
“Freaks and Geeks” is available to watch on Paramount+ and Hulu.
2. “Sex Lives of College Girls”
As the final season of “Never Have I Ever” closes Devi’s high school chapter, “Sex Lives of College Girls” is a perfect series to follow the next life chapter of college.
The series is about four very different freshman roommates, Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Bela (Amrit Kaur), Leighton (Reneé Rapp) and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), on their adventures at the fictional Essex College in Vermont. The series takes us through this group of college students’ struggles and hardships in college and adulthood.
Even though these series follow two different experiences of high school and college, they share similar qualities. For instance, they both display a strong female friend group that supports one another in the challenging times of finding oneself and growing up. These similarities are partly because the creator of “Never Have I Ever,” Mindy Kaling, also created “Sex Lives of College Girls.”
This series is available to stream on Max.
3. “Gilmore Girls”
If you have not watched “Gilmore Girls” and found “Never Have I Ever” amusing, then you will absolutely love this series.
“Gilmore Girls” centers around a single mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel), who live in the fictional small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Growing up, Lorelai was part of a wealthy family. However, after becoming pregnant at 16, Lorelai ran away from home and decided to raise her daughter in a small, quirky town. As the series begins with Rory getting accepted to a private prep school, Lorelai is forced to approach her estranged parents for a loan to pay the school’s tuition.
Although Devi’s story is slightly different from Rory’s, they share familiar qualities and goals with one another. For instance, they both deeply care about their academics and will do everything to get into the Ivy League school of their dreams. If you appreciated the presence of those ambitious traits in Devi, then you will likely find “Gilmore Girls” alluring for a similar reason.
“Gilmore Girls” is available to watch on Netflix.
4. “Emily in Paris”
If you were intrigued by the love triangle aspect of “Never Have I Ever,” you will enjoy “Emily in Paris” as well.
This series centers around Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), an American college graduate who moves from Chicago to Paris for an unexpected job opportunity. She is tasked with bringing an American point of view and social media presence to a venerable French marketing firm. Along her journey in Paris, she meets Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), a chef who lives in her apartment building that helps her find her way in Paris. This growing relationship sparks a connection between Gabriel and Emily. However, she finds out he has a girlfriend, which forces her to try to move on from Gabriel.
Like Devi’s romantic conundrum, Emily falls into her love triangle with Gabriel and her classmate from French class Alfie (Lucien Laviscount), leading her to wonder whom she truly loves. This complicated relationship dynamic between these characters leaves viewers hooked in each episode to see whom Emily chooses as her ultimate love interest.
“Emily in Paris” is available to stream on Netflix.
5. “How I Met Your Father”
For many viewers of “Never Have I Ever,” one interesting aspect of the show was the narration by pro tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe for Devi’s character. So, when thinking of a show that shared this unique quality, I had to include “How I Met Your Father.”
Inspired by the beloved sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” this spin-off series centers around Sophie (Kim Cattrall) in 2050, telling her son the story of how she met his father. Her story jumps back to 2022 when Sophie (Hilary Duff) and her close-knit group of friends try to figure out who they are, what they want out of life and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps.
Cattrall’s narration differs from McEnroe’s, as the viewers actually see the older version of Sophie rather than a voice-over. However, both narrations still add tremendous depth to the main characters’ stories and provide a unique narrative device to drive the tales forward. Along with the narration, the series shares common themes of friendship and romantic relationships, making the show a great addition to your watch list.
“How I Met Your Father” is available to watch on Hulu.