Debapriya Bhattacharya
John A Norris’ coming-of-age drama ‘Motorheads’ tells the story of a group of teenagers in Pennsylvania whose world revolves around fast cars and drag races. Twins Zac (Michael Cimino) and Caitlyn (Melissa Collazo), along with their mother Samantha (Nathalie Kelley), move in with their uncle Logan (Ryan Phillippe), a former NASCAR mechanic, in Ironwood. Their father, Christian (Deacon Phillippe), a local racing legend, disappeared 17 years ago. The twins make new friends and enemies in school and decide to repair their dad’s old Dodge Charger to win a race and make a name for themselves. The entertaining coming-of-age drama blends high school shenanigans with the thrill of high-adrenaline street racing. We’ve curated a list that explores more shows similar to ‘Motorheads’ for you to consider adding to your watch list.
10. The Crew (2021)
Created by Jeff Lowell, ‘The Crew’ revolves around a NASCAR garage staff headed by Kevin Gibson (Kevin James). Along with his team, Kevin falls out with their millionaire owner when he installs his own daughter, Catherine (Jillian Mueller), as the CEO of the company, Bobby Spencer Racing. Catherine pushes to make the company efficient and reliant on technology, which interferes with the regular, easy-going way the crew was accustomed to. While the tone of the comedy drama stands apart from the teenage angst-ridden thrill of ‘Motorheads,’ they are united by their love of fast cars and racing. Like the team in ‘The Crew,’ Zac and Caitlyn are enthusiastic about fixing cars, albeit in their uncle’s garage, and getting down to the race themselves.
9. Ballers (2015-2019)
Created by Stephen Levinson, ‘Ballers’ tells the story of former NFL star Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson), who decided to work as a financial manager for players after his retirement. Based in Miami, Spencer works with Joe Krutel (Rob Corddry) and builds up a client base of established and upcoming star footballers. The biggest challenge he faces, however, is to keep them away from falling into the traps that follow the rich. Unlike ‘Motorheads,’ Ballers does not deal with teenagers, but the drama is no less when it comes to the world of professional sports. Parallels can be drawn with the character of Harris (Josh Macqueen), the rich kid driving a Corvette and a Porsche in “Motorheads’ with the other athletes in Ballers, who step into the easy pitfalls that wealth and affluence bring.
8. Drive (2007)
Created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen, ‘Drive’ revolves around an illegal cross-country car race where the drivers are forced to participate by a powerful organization hidden in the shadows. For instance, Alex Tully (Nathan Fillion) drives to locate his missing ex-wife while being accompanied by Corinna Wiles (Kristin Lehman). While the action drama differs much from the coming-of-age theme of ‘Motorheads,’ it follows the central idea of road racing, with the participants using a variety of cars from a 1972 Dodge Challenger to a 1964 Chevrolet Impala lowrider, a Land Rover LR3 to a Dodge Grand Caravan SXT.
7. Greenhouse Academy (2017-2020)
‘Greenhouse Academy’ follows siblings Alex (Finn Roberts) and Hayley (Ariel Mortman), who get enrolled at the eponymous private boarding school for gifted students. Since losing their astronaut mother in a rocket explosion, Hayley has taken care of her younger brother. But Alex wants their dynamic to change as they get sorted into separate school houses. As the brother and sister are adjusting to their new situations, they uncover a plot that threatens the school and the world at large, and join forces with other students to stop it.
Adapted from the original Israeli television series ‘Ha-Hamama’ by Giora Chamizer, Alex and Hayley from ‘Greenhouse Academy’ present the sibling bond found between Zac and Caitlyn in ‘Motorheads.’ Both series belong to the teen drama genre, where the protagonists try to find their place in their new school. New relationships are formed and play out as industrious young minds set their minds to a productive project.
6. The Crossover (2023)
Created by Damani Johnson, ‘The Crossover’ follows twins Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan (Amir O’Neil), who struggle to balance their athletic and academic aspirations at the threshold of high school. Josh plans to make it to the NBA, whereas Jordan’s passion lies in art. This threatens to push the brothers away from each other. Meanwhile, their father, former pro-baller Chuck Bell (Derek Luke), deals with health struggles and life after retirement, while their mother, Crystal (Sabrina Revelle), becomes the principal of their middle school. Based on the eponymous novel by Kwame Alexander, ‘The Crossover’ has many similarities with ‘Motorheads,’ beginning with the fact that both teenage dramas revolve around twins who are at a crossroads in their lives. Both sets of leads embody the competitive spirit and sportsmanship, albeit the sport being basketball in one and street racing in the other.
5. Kingdom (2014-2017)
Byron Balasco’s ‘Kingdom’ follows retired MMA fighter Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo), who owns and operates an MMA fighting gym with his girlfriend Lisa (Kiele Sanchez), and his sons, Nate (Nick Jonas) and Jay (Jonathan Tucker). Every member goes through personal struggles while working hard to make the business successful. However, the situation becomes more tense as Lisa’s former fiancé, MMA fighter Ryan Wheeler (Matt Lauria), gets released from prison, and Alvey wants to train him to fight again for the sake of publicity for the gym. Much like Zac and Caitlyn in ‘Motorheads,’ Nate and Jay are siblings following in their father’s footsteps in the brutal world of sports, which has its own strong subculture. Both shows involve the families’ support and commitment to street racing and MMA fighting, respectively.
4. Zero Chill (2021)
Created by Kirstie Falkous and John Regier, ‘Zero Chill’ follows siblings Mac (Dakota Taylor) and Kayla (Grace Beedie) MacBentley, who move to England from Canada along with their family. Mac is an arrogant ice hockey player who gets enrolled in a prestigious academy for the sport. However, figure skater Kayla feels left out across the Atlantic and has a hard time adapting to the separation from her skating partner. Mac and Kayla try to make their mark in a new school and social sphere, much like Zac and Caitlyn in ‘Motorheads.’ Both sets of siblings are passionate about extra-curricular activities and devote time and effort to excel in their own arenas.
3. On My Block (2018-2021)
‘On My Block’ tells the story of four teenagers, Monsé Finnie (Sierra Capri), Ruben Martinez Jr (Jason Genao), Jamal Turner (Brett Gray), and Cesar Diaz (Diego Tinoco), at the start of their high school years. Growing up together in the rough neighborhood of Freeridge in Los Angeles, they have been fast friends since childhood. However, their bonds are tested as they fast approach the threshold of adulthood. The group of four in the coming-of-age teen drama brings to mind the quartet of Zac, Caitlyn, Curtis, and Marcel in ‘Motorheads.’ The shows revolve around teenagers getting ready to face the world as they step into high school, while also coping with the changing dynamics with one another.
2. Swagger (2021-2023)
Loosely based on the early life of NBA star Kevin Durant, ‘Swagger’ follows Jace Carson (Isaiah Hill), a teenage basketball player desperately trying to make his dream of playing for the big league come true under the guidance of his coach, Ike Edwards (O’Shea Jackson Jr). The latter has not had much success with coaching and works at a home-repair superstore to pay his family’s bills. However, he is sensitive to the needs of the players he is training, and the team tries their best to turn the narrative around. The presence of Ike as a mentor figure recalls the character of Logan in ‘Motorheads,’ as both mentor figures lead young, talented individuals to achieve their goals. Both shows revolve around motivated, sporting individuals who strive to make a name for themselves in the world of sports, even at the expense of regular teenage experiences.
1. All American (2018-)
‘All American’ is a high-school sports drama created by April Blair, inspired by the life of NFL star Spencer Paysinger. The show follows Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), a rising football star from Crenshaw who gets recruited by a coach, Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), from Beverly High, in the posh Beverly Hills neighborhood. While initially hesitant about the change, Spencer takes up Bill’s offer and moves in with him. He meets Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) and Olivia (Samantha Logan) and develops a strong personal bond with the latter. The real challenge for Spencer lies in the football field, where seasoned school players are less than welcoming.
The show serves as a precursor in spirit to ‘Motorheads,’ with Spencer moving to a new city and enrolling in a different school, similar to Zac and Caitlyn. The youngsters make new friends and rivals and are pushed to excel at their choice of sport, football for one and drag racing for the other. The themes of young love and teenage rebelliousness are also explored in both shows.
Read More: Motorheads Ending Explained
