Best tv shows like My So-Called Life
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The life of a 15 year-old high school student, whose angst-ridden journey through adolescence, friendship, parents, and life teaches her what it means to grow up.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 912 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, serious, emotional, realistic, talky, teen, romantic, anime, clever
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Best tv shows and movies like My So-Called Life (1994):
Similar in 75%
Thirtysomething (1987)
Plot Summary:
Thirtysomething is an American television drama about a group of baby boomers in their late thirties. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick for MGM/UA Television Group and The Bedford Falls Company, and aired on ABC. It premiered in the U.S. on September 29, 1987. It lasted four seasons, with the last of its 85 episodes airing on May 28, 1991. The title of the show was designed as thirtysomething by Kathie Broyles, who combined the words of the original title, Thirty Something. In 1997, "The Go Between" and "Samurai Ad Man" were ranked #22 on TV Guide′s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, Thirtysomething was ranked #19 on TV Guide′s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #10 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, clever, touching, serious, realistic, talky, stylized, telenovela
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Similar in 90%
Degrassi: Next Class (2016)
Plot Summary:
Follow a group of high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Degrassi Community School, a fictional school in Toronto, Ontario, as they encounter some of the typical issues and challenges common to a teenager's life.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: realistic, sentimental, uplifting, emotional, sweet
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Similar in 85%
Merli (2015)
Plot Summary:
TV series about a high school philosophy teacher, Merlí, who teaches in an original way, and about the students of his class, including his own son, and the relationship, friendship, love, and problems between the students of the class.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Spain
Duration: 58 min
Plot tags: captivating, sincere, semi serious, realistic, thought provoking, queer cinema
Similar in 88%
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
Plot Summary:
Beverly Hills, 90210 followed the lives of a group of teenagers living in the upscale, star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California and attending the fictitious West Beverly Hills High School and, subsequently, the fictitious California University after graduation.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: romantic, sentimental, soap opera, realistic, teen, exciting, romantic drama, serious, uplifting, vintage
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Similar in 76%
Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001)
Plot Summary:
The life of a group of adolescents going through the trials and tribulations of teendom at Degrassi Community School.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: teen, sentimental, realistic, touching, serious, tense, suspenseful, captivating, suspense, disturbing
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Similar in 76%
Dawson's Creek (1998)
Plot Summary:
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series created by Kevin Williamson which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. Filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, at EUE/Screen Gems studios and on location around Wilmington, Southport, and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Many scenes were filmed at UNCW, including William Randall Library and Alderman Hall, which served as the facade of Capeside High School. Other college scenes in the fifth and sixth seasons were shot at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. It portrays the fictional lives of a close-knit group of teenagers through high school and college. The program, part of a new craze for teen-themed movies and television shows in America in the late 1990s, catapulted its leads to stardom and became a defining show for The WB. The series ended on May 14, 2003.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 44000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, realistic, teen, soap opera, light, sweet, sitcom, sex comedy, serious
Similar in 84%
Party of Five (1994)
Plot Summary:
Following his parents' tragic death, 24-year-old Charlie Salinger is back at home – and in over his head – as his siblings' legal guardian. Together, Charlie, 16-year-old Bailey, 15-year-old Julia and 11-year-old Claudia share the responsibility of taking care of 11-month-old Owen. Through it all, as they learn to run their parents' restaurant, manage disastrous relationships and school problems.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, realistic, sentimental, serious, teen, gloomy, vintage
Similar in 83%
Popular (1999)
Plot Summary:
Brooke McQueen, a popular cheerleader at Jacqueline Kennedy High School, and Sam McPherson, the editor of the school paper, are polar opposites. When their single parents unexpectedly meet and get engaged, Brooke and Sam have to deal with their new situation on top of regular teenage girl problems.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, emotional, realistic, witty, semi serious, offbeat, teen, telenovela, queer cinema, teen comedy
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Similar in 75%
Skam (2015)
Plot Summary:
The story of a young teenager group, born 1999, and a pupil on Hartvig Nissens upper secondary school in Oslo, and her friends and their life, troubles, scandals and every day life. Which of the members represented changes per season.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Norway
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: emotional, dramatic, realistic, sweet, serious, sentimental, erotic, noir, teen, uplifting
Similar in 85%
Felicity (1998)
Plot Summary:
Felicity Porter decides to follow her long time crush to college in New York City.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, talky, sex comedy, teen, telenovela
Similar in 88%
SLiDE (2011)
Plot Summary:
The exploits of five 17-year-olds smashing their way into adulthood.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 833
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sincere, captivating, psychological, humorous, serious, realistic
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Similar in 90%
One Tree Hill (2003)
Plot Summary:
Set in the fictional small town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, this teen-driven drama tells the story of two half brothers, who share a last name and nothing else. Brooding, blue-collar Lucas is a talented street-side basketball player, but his skills are appreciated only by his friends at the river court. Popular, affluent Nathan basks in the hero-worship of the town, as the star of his high school team. And both boys are the son of former college ball player, Dan Scott, whose long ago choice to abandon Lucas and his mother Karen, will haunt him long into his life with wife Deb, and their son Nathan. Until now, Dan has managed to keep his two sons far from each other. But the past and present collide sharply when Tree Hill's basketball coach recruits Lucas for his team, much to the chagrin of Nathan and Daddy Dan. And the siblings natural rivalry only intensifies when they set their sights on the same girl, Peyton Sawyer. The residue of the past lingers far into the future for the residents of Tree Hill, even as a new generation is rising. Tree Hill follows the lives and loves of these two brothers, their friends and their family as they navigate high school, marriage, and finally... adulthood.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, realistic, touching, teen, soap opera, feel good, sweet, entertaining, action adventure
Similar in 80%
Dickinson (2019)
Plot Summary:
Emily Dickinson. Poet. Daughter. Total rebel. In this coming-of-age story, Emily’s determined to become the world’s greatest poet.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: scenic, captivating, atmospheric, factual, historical drama, exciting, period piece, costume drama, inspirational, feel good
Similar in 77%
The Wonder Years (1988)
Plot Summary:
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988, following ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII. The show achieved a spot in the Nielsen Top Thirty for four of its six seasons. TV Guide named the show one of the 20 best of the 1980s. After only six episodes aired, The Wonder Years won an Emmy for best comedy series in 1988. In addition, at age 13, Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series. The show was also awarded a Peabody Award in 1989, for pushing the boundaries of the sitcom format and using new modes of storytelling. The series won 22 awards and was nominated for 54 more. In 1997, "My Father's Office" was ranked #29 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time, and in the 2009 revised list the pilot episode was ranked #43. The TV show is named after the band, The Wonder Years.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: touching, sitcom, sentimental, feel good, humorous, semi serious, realistic, atmospheric, sweet, sensitive
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Similar in 76%
The Carrie Diaries (2013)
Plot Summary:
Before she was a fashion icon, before her column in the New York Star, before Mr. Big, Carrie Bradshaw was an innocent 16-year-old girl living in suburban Connecticut.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, semi serious, humorous, erotic, teen, realistic, light, retro
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Similar in 77%
Awkward. (2011)
Plot Summary:
An irreverent look at the conflict, chaos and humor that defines teenage life through the eyes of 15-year-old Jenna Hamilton whose life begins to change when a simple accident becomes an epic misunderstanding and is blown way out of proportion. Narration in the first-person voice of Jenna's blog posts captures the humor within the struggles and experiences everyone can relate to from their formative years.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: humorous, light, realistic, sitcom, teen, funny, romantic, captivating, entertaining, independent film
Similar in 90%
The O.C. (2003)
Plot Summary:
The series centers on Ryan Atwood, a troubled youth from a broken home who is adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. Ryan and his surrogate brother Seth, a socially awkward yet quick-witted teenager, deal with life as outsiders in the high-class world of Newport Beach. Ryan and Seth spend much time navigating their relationships with girl-next-door Marissa Cooper, Seth's childhood crush Summer Roberts, and the fast-talking loner Taylor Townsend. Story lines deal with the culture clash between the idealistic Cohen family and the shallow, materialistic, and closed-minded community in which they reside. The series includes elements of postmodernism, and functions as a mixture of melodrama and comedy.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: touching, soap opera, witty, teen, exciting, entertaining, sad, anime, serious, realistic
Similar in 87%
Life As We Know It (2004)
Plot Summary:
See life through the eyes of Dino, Ben, and Jonathan -- three teens experiencing the joys and pains of growing up. Although different in many ways, these guys have one main thing in common -- women. Together, their attitudes about women are challenged, and they discover there's more to life than meets the eye.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, light, melancholic, sentimental, romantic, feel good, captivating, entertaining
Similar in 81%
Gossip Girl (2007)
Plot Summary:
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, originally ran on The CW for six seasons from September 19, 2007 to December 17, 2012. Narrated by the omniscient blogger "Gossip Girl," voiced by Kristen Bell, the series revolves around the lives of privileged young adults on Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York City.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 189000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: romantic, soap opera, talky, stylized, serious, witty, teen, erotic, sexy, intellectual
Similar in 87%
Faking It (2014)
Plot Summary:
A romantic comedy about two best friends who love each other -- in slightly different ways. After numerous failed attempts to become popular, the girls are mistakenly outed as lesbians, which launches them to instant celebrity status. Seduced by their newfound fame, Karma and Amy decide to keep up their romantic ruse.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 21 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, sitcom, teen, light, disturbing, not serious, teen comedy, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
Daria (1997)
Plot Summary:
Daria Morgendorffer lives with her stressed-out, career-fixated parents, Helen and Jake, and her relentlessly cute and popular little sister, Quinn. Daria and her fellow outcast and best friend, Jane Lane, attend Lawndale High School where they are surrounded by shallow and stupid people. With her sharp intellect —and even sharper tongue—Daria dissected anyone she deemed superficial, which is just about everyone.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: clever, adult cartoon, witty, cynical, adult animation, intellectual, humorous, semi serious, gothic, anime
Similar in 75%
Gilmore Girls (2000)
Plot Summary:
Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who have a relationship most people only dream of.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 143000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: realistic, feel good, humorous, witty, talky, semi serious, light, satirical, deep, comedy drama
Similar in 82%
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Plot Summary:
Andie is an outcast, hanging out either with her older boss, who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky high school classmate Duckie, who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane, asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realize that dating someone from a different social sphere is not easy.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 87000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: romantic, teen, sexy, melancholic, romantic comedy, funny, entertaining, feel good, colorful, retro
Similar in 79%
Freaks and Geeks (1999)
Plot Summary:
High school mathlete Lindsay Weir rebels and begins hanging out with a crowd of burnouts (the "freaks"), while her brother Sam Weir navigates a different part of the social universe with his nerdy friends (the "geeks").
IMDB Rating: 8.8
IMDB Votes: 151000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: humorous, light, semi serious, sitcom, dark comedy, teen, captivating, retro, cliffhanger, funny
Similar in 84%
My Mad Fat Diary (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1996 in Lincolnshire, the show tells the tragic and humorous story of a very troubled young girl Rae, who has just left a psychiatric hospital, where she has spent four months after attempting suicide, begins to reconnect with her best friend Chloe and her group, who are unaware of Rae's mental health and body image problems, believing she was in France for the past four months.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 47 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, sentimental, emotional, semi serious, dark comedy, funny, controversial, sitcom, light hearted
Similar in 85%
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Plot Summary:
A teenage girls deals with her parents forgetting her birthday and a crush on her high school's heartthrob.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 124000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: feel good, touching, sweet, teen, humorous, romantic, sentimental, funny, romantic comedy, light
Similar in 86%
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008)
Plot Summary:
Georgia Nicolson is fourteen, lives with nosey parents who don't understand her, an annoying three year old sister and has to wear a beret to school. She would, however, rather be blonde, have a smaller nose and a boyfriend. Revolving around her hilarious journal entries, prepare to be engulfed in the world of the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Germany, UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: touching, teen, feel good, romantic, romantic comedy, humorous, sexy, realistic, heartbreaking, cute
Similar in 81%
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age story based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, which follows 15-year-old freshman Charlie, an endearing and naive outsider who is taken under the wings of two seniors. A moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope - and the unforgettable friends that help us through life.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 539000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, teen, melancholic, romantic, emotional, realistic, feel good, heartbreaking, independent film
Similar in 77%
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Plot Summary:
Bianca, a tenth grader, has never gone on a date, but she isn't allowed to go out with boys until her older sister Kat gets a boyfriend. The problem is, Kat rubs nearly everyone the wrong way. But Bianca and the guy she has her eye on, Joey, are eager, so Joey fixes Kat up with Patrick, a new kid in town just bitter enough for Kat.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 373000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: romantic, teen, entertaining, light, humorous, witty, romantic comedy, funny, cute, sexy
Similar in 82%
Never Have I Ever (2020)
Plot Summary:
After a traumatic year, all an Indian-American teen wants is to go from pariah to popular -- but friends, family and feeling won't make it easy on her.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 77000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: funny, light, humorous, sweet, captivating, entertaining, psychological, saga, scenic, teen comedy