10 Shows Like Forever You Must See

Created by Mara Brock Akil, Netflix’s ‘Forever‘ follows childhood friends Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) who reunite as teenagers. Falling deeply in love, they get into a relationship and explore their many firsts with each other, including having sex for the first time. As aspiring pro-athletes, with Justin playing basketball and Keisha running track, the two face challenges as they prepare to face their future beyond high school, with their career tracks seemingly diverging. Adapted from the eponymous book by Judy Blume, the romantic teen drama series shows how the youngsters embrace individual growth while staying in love with and committed to each other. If you’re hungry for more coming-of-age romances, the following shows similar to ‘Forever’ will satiate your cravings.

10. Never Have I Ever (2020-2023)

Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, ‘Never Have I Ever’ follows Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), an Indian-American teenager who is obsessed with becoming popular and losing her virginity. She swoons over her high school senior, Paxton Hall-Yoshida, and has conflicted feelings about Ben Gross, her academic competitor. However, she also struggles with processing her father’s death and goes to therapy for her erratic behaviour. Devi’s journey to find herself closely resembles that of Keisha and Justin in ‘Forever.’

9. Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)

‘Friday Night Lights’ follows a high school football team based in the fictional town of Dillon in West Texas. Led by coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), the team faces extreme pressure to win state championships, which is treasured by the local people above all else. Eric is also struggling at home, living with his wife and school faculty member Tami Taylor. Based on H. G. Bissinger’s book ‘Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream,’ the sports teen drama created by Peter Berg uses high school football as a backdrop to discuss contemporary issues such as family values, school funding, racism, substance use, abortion, and lack of economic opportunities, bringing to mind the handling of similar grave subjects in ‘Forever.’

8. The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022-2025)

Jenny Han’s ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ is based on her novel series of the same name. It follows Isabel Conklin, a teenager who has been friends with the brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) since forever. She faces the trouble of reverting to their old group dynamic after the brothers turn rivals while vying to be her romantic interest. Realizing that change is inevitable, Isabel becomes more open to taking chances, in the show that mirrors the self-explorations of the two lead characters in ‘Forever.’

7. The O.C. (2003-2007)

Created by Josh Schwartz, ‘The O.C.’ follows Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), a gifted young man who is adopted by a wealthy, philanthropic family. He meets and instantly befriends his adoptive brother Seth (Adam Brody), and the two spend their time exploring the uptight neighborhood of Newport Beach, while also developing relationships with the girls Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson), and Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser). While lacking the commitment that Keisha and Justin demonstrate in ‘Forever,’ ‘The O.C.’ outlines Ryan’s personal growth and his exploration of love in a similar manner.

6. Skins (2007-2013)

‘Skins’ is a British anthology show from the minds of Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain about a group of teenagers growing up in Bristol. Each episode focuses on an individual, along with some associated characters, going through a particular issue in their lives. The themes explored in the show include grave subjects such as dysfunctional families, mental health struggles such as depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, adolescent sexuality, gender, substance abuse, death, and bullying. Much like ‘Forever,’ ‘Skins’ dives deep into the challenges faced by teenagers as they try to find their place in the world around them.

5. My So-Called Life (1994-1995)

Created by Winnie Holzman, ‘My So-Called Life’ follows teenagers attending the fictional high school, Three Rivers, in rural Pennsylvania. Angela Chase (Claire Danes) is one of the primary characters in the show who also serves as the narrator. She hangs around with Rickie Vasquez (Wilson Cruz) and Rayanne Graff (AJ Langer), has a crush on Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto), and is not prone to making good decisions which in turn drives the narrative forward. The subjects of child abuse, homophobia, teenage alcoholism, homelessness, adultery, school violence, censorship, and drug use are touched upon over the episodes. Much like ‘Moreover,’ the teenagers in ‘My So-Called Life’ come face-to-face with the harsh reality of life as a responsible adult.

4. Grown-ish (2018-2024)

A spin-off show for ‘Black-ish’, ‘Grown-ish’ by Kenya Barris and Larry Wilmore follows Zoey (Yara Shahidi), the eldest child in the Johnson family. Enrolling herself at the California University of Liberal Arts, she discovers that the reality of becoming an adult is much less enjoyable than she expected. Following Zoey’s graduation from the fictional institute in season 5, her younger brother Junior (Marcus Scribner). Zoey’s waking up to reality is comparable to Keisha and Justin’s realization in ‘Forever’ of what they want their life to be. Both shows highlight the importance of embracing change as the stepping stone to being a grown-up.

3. Looking for Alaska (2019)

Created by Josh Schwartz based on the eponymous book by John Green, ‘Looking for Alaska’ follows Miles Halter, a teenage boy with an old soul. Obsessed with famous last words, he seeks ‘the Great Perhaps’ and enrolls at Culver Creek Academy in Alabama. Hoping to be pushed out of his comfort zone to get a better understanding of life, Miles becomes friends with his roommate Chip Martin, who introduces him to Alaska Young and Takumi Hikohito. Miles falls for Alaska and learns his first lessons about the joys and heartaches of life and love, mirroring the experiences of Keisha and Justin in ‘Forever.’

2. Love Is (2018)

Prior to ‘Forever,’ Mara Brock Akil, along with her husband, Salim Akil, wrote ‘Love Is,’ a story inspired by their real-life relationship. Nuri Summers (Michele Weaver) is a sitcom staff writer who falls for Yasir Omar (William Catlett), an aspiring writer and director. The couple goes through triumphs and tribulations to become a power couple in Hollywood, staying together for more than three decades. Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Forever’ and ‘Love Is,’ coming from the mind of the same creator. Muri and Yasir, like Keisha and Justin, are united by similar passions but embrace individual growth, all the while staying steadfast in support of each other.

1. Normal People (2020)

Created by Sally Rooney based on her novel of the same name, ‘Normal People’ tells the story of Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) in their final years in high school and their time as undergraduate students at Trinity College Dublin. Marianne is an academically bright student who is awkward at socializing, coming from a family that refuses to celebrate her. On the other hand, the athletic and high-achieving Connell is very popular in school but never comes to Marianne’s aid when she gets bullied. This creates tension between the two characters, who struggle to trust each other.

However, once in college, they get drawn to each other as their paths cross in a different setting. Over the years, their bond strengthens as they explore intimacy and vulnerability, while seeking to establish their self-identity at the cusp of adulthood. ‘Normal People’ is the spiritual precursor to ‘Forever’, with Marianne and Connell going through the ups and downs of their relationship and journey to self-discovery like Keisha and Justin. While their commitment to each other never wavers, both couples refuse to shy away from individual growth and allow for the evolution of their shared dynamics.