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10 Shows to Watch if You Love Forever (Netflix)
- Joao Nsita
- 22 hours ago
- 11 min read
You are likely staring at a blank screen after finishing that incredible final episode, feeling the sudden, lingering emptiness that comes when a beautifully crafted romantic drama finally ends. You deserve to experience a total transformation of your streaming queue that instantly cures your post-binge blues, empowers you to discover brilliant new storytelling, and heals that craving for deep, authentic depictions of modern love and identity starting today. By exploring this hand-picked list of series, you will gain a profound sense of excitement and a definitive roadmap for your next television obsession. These carefully curated shows offer far more than just background noise; they provide a lifestyle upgrade that improves your understanding of complex relationships, diverse coming-of-age experiences, and the fierce beauty of Black love on screen. Whether you crave the intense, high-stakes pressure of teen sports dramas or the minimalist luxury of mature, career-driven romance, this list is your ultimate gateway to a more inspired and emotionally fulfilling watch list. You will walk away feeling deeply connected to these dynamic characters and absolutely ready to dive into your next great binge with total confidence. Let’s start and then👇
If you love this, check out: The Best TV Couples That Define Relationship Goals
10. On My Block (Netflix)
When searching for a series that perfectly captures the essence of Black and Brown teen life in Los Angeles, On My Block is an absolute triumph. The series follows four teenagers in the neighborhood of Freeridge as they prepare to enter high school, blissfully unaware of how much their lives and relationships with one another will inevitably change. It depicts life as a teenager in modern-day Los Angeles with an unwavering unwillingness to shy away from sensitive, real-world topics.
While Forever zeroes in on the electric intimacy of one specific relationship, On My Block captures the messy, loving, and complicated world around it. It highlights the fierce friendships, the vibrant neighborhood dynamics, the unbreakable loyalty, and the underlying fear of growing up in a tough environment. Both shows treat young Los Angeles life with genuine affection and emotional honesty. The series is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes profoundly heartbreaking, making it one of the most authentic teen dramas on television.
Streaming: Netflix Genre: Coming-of-age, teen drama Seasons: 4 (complete)
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9. Friday Night Lights (Peacock / Amazon)
Friday Night Lights stands as one of the finest dramas ever made about young people living under intense community pressure. The way the series treats athletic ambition, familial tension, and young love as genuinely interlocking forces feels deeply aligned with what Forever executes so beautifully. It explores the sacrifices required to achieve greatness and the emotional toll it takes on relationships. Once you immerse yourself in the world of Dillon, Texas, you simply won't want to stop.
Streaming: Peacock / Amazon Genre: Sports drama, romance Seasons: 5 (complete)
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8. Swagger (Apple TV+)
The most significant commonality between Forever and Swagger is their unwavering focus on the intense lives of young athletes. Swagger tells the gripping story of teen basketball players and the complex, often toxic ecosystem that develops rapidly around them. The series features family members and coaches who hold the immense power to be either fiercely supportive or deeply destructive.
The show is loosely based on the real-life experiences of NBA superstar Kevin Durant as a teen athlete navigating the pressure cooker of highly competitive high school basketball. Justin Edwards' world in Forever—the immense pressure to perform, the cost of raw ambition, and the heavy weight of a parent's dreams—is essentially Swagger's entire universe. Both shows treat Black young male athleticism with remarkable complexity, emotional intelligence, and care. Swagger dives even deeper into the politics and corruption surrounding teen sports, making it a natural, compelling companion watch.
Streaming: Apple TV+ Genre: Sports drama Seasons: 2
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7. Heartbreak High (Netflix)
Many of Judy Blume's iconic young adult novels, including the original Forever, have historically drawn controversy for their frank, unapologetic approach to budding teenage sexuality. Heartbreak High, a massive Australian hit series on Netflix, features a incredibly similar tone. The show centers around a high school completely reeling from a graffitied chart that maps out everyone's secret sexual encounters.
As a result, all the students involved are forced into a special sex education course, encouraging them to exercise caution, understand consent, and behave responsibly. Heartbreak High shares Forever's deep commitment to depicting teen intimacy honestly, openly, and entirely without shame. Both series trust their young, diverse characters to navigate their sexuality with real emotional stakes. The Australian series is also visually vibrant, culturally diverse, and utterly addictive.
Streaming: Netflix Genre: Teen drama Seasons: 2
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6. Grown-ish (Hulu)
Serving as a brilliant spinoff of Black-ish by creators Kenya Barris and Larry Wilmore, Grown-ish follows Zoey Johnson (played perfectly by Yara Shahidi) as she leaves home for college. Zoey's sudden waking up to the harsh realities of independence is highly comparable to Keisha and Justin's realization in Forever regarding what they truly want their adult lives to be. Both shows beautifully highlight the importance of embracing uncomfortable change as the ultimate stepping stone to becoming a grown-up.
If Forever is the definitive story of Keisha and Justin's last summer before everything changes, Grown-ish represents exactly what comes after. It explores the chaotic college years, the massive identity shifts, and the real emotional cost of growing up. Yara Shahidi is absolutely magnetic on screen, and the show's nuanced portrayal of young Black women navigating ambition, complicated love triangles, and self-discovery is exactly what fans will gravitate toward next.
Streaming: Hulu Genre: Coming-of-age, comedy-drama Seasons: 6 (complete)
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5. Never Have I Ever (Netflix)
Netflix's massive hit Never Have I Ever primarily focuses on Devi Vishwakumar's chaotic journey through high school after enduring profound grief from a sudden, tragic death in her family. While desperately juggling her life as a first-generation Indian-American teen, the show follows Devi as she navigates several intense romantic relationships.
This directly mirrors Forever's deep themes of lingering grief, cultural identity, and the overwhelming, all-consuming emotional experience of first love. Never Have I Ever possesses the exact same soul as Forever—it is a coming-of-age story where the romance is incredibly real but always remains secondary to who these young people are actively becoming. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's portrayal of Devi creates one of television's most lovable, infuriating, and deeply human teen protagonists.
To understand more about the impact of teen representation in modern media, check out The Evolution of the Modern Teen Drama.
Streaming: Netflix Genre: Coming-of-age comedy-drama Seasons: 4 (complete)
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4. All American (Netflix)
All American became an enormous cultural phenomenon when it started streaming on Netflix, and it continues to dominate the charts with its recent seasons. Much like Forever, the narrative strongly centers on a young Black athlete who must navigate high-stakes ambition, intense family complexity, and dramatic first love. The show masterfully places athletic identity right at the very heart of its emotional storytelling.
All American serves as the perfect companion piece to Forever for anyone who absolutely loves the compelling combination of sports pressure and romantic yearning. The series follows Spencer James, a fiercely talented South LA football player who is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High—a world completely away from everything he knows and loves. The constant will-they-won't-they romantic tension and the heavy weight of carrying an entire community's hopes will feel achingly, wonderfully familiar.
Explore the intersection of sports and mental health in The Psychological Pressure of Teen Athletics.
Streaming: Netflix Genre: Sports drama, romance Seasons: 7 (ongoing)
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3. Love Is __ (OWN / Hulu)
Love Is __ is arguably the closest spiritual successor to Forever, largely because both stunning series come directly from the brilliant mind of creator Mara Brock Akil. Like Forever, this series prominently features a beautiful Black love story, but it shifts focus away from teenagers and onto adults. The series is heavily based on the true love story of Akil and her husband Salim Akil.
Taking place in 1990s Los Angeles, the show chronicles how the pair meet and fall deeply in love while struggling to balance their personal differences, their demanding professional careers, and everything in between. If Forever made you fall completely in love with Mara Brock Akil's distinct voice, Love Is __ is the essential, undeniable next watch. It is literally the show she wrote directly from her own heart. The nostalgic 90s LA setting and the deeply felt portrayal of Black love as something worthy of a full, gorgeous narrative make it a must-watch.
Streaming: OWN / Hulu Genre: Romance drama Seasons: 1
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2. Being Mary Jane (BET / Hulu)
Mara Brock Akil created Being Mary Jane for BET, marking a historic moment as the network's very first scripted drama series. Starring the phenomenal Gabrielle Union as Mary Jane Paul, a highly successful TV news anchor, the show meticulously navigates a highly complex love life and strained family dynamics. The series bravely tackled everything from infertility and colorism to Black wealth and severe career burnout.
Being Mary Jane was incredibly raw and intimate, resonating powerfully with professional Black women trying desperately to balance ambition with authenticity. Forever shows us the beautiful innocence of where love begins, but Being Mary Jane shows us exactly where it gets complicated. It explores life a decade later, dealing with career demands, intense family expectations, and the messy, beautiful reality of loving someone when your life is already completely full. Akil's writing feels just as urgent and emotionally honest here as it does in her newer works.
For more insights into modern storytelling, read about The Rise of Black Female Showrunners.
Streaming: BET / Hulu Genre: Drama Seasons: 4 (complete)
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1. Girlfriends (Paramount+ / BET+)
Taking the absolute top spot on our list is the show that started it all: Girlfriends. Mara Brock Akil is the only African American showrunner to have a television series airing every single year of the 2000s, and Girlfriends was her first major, industry-defining creation. It launched the incredible career that led directly to Forever, firmly cementing Akil’s identity as the definitive, unrivaled voice in Black love storytelling on television.
Girlfriends is the true origin point of everything Mara Brock Akil has built over the last two decades. The series offers eight spectacular seasons following four dynamic Black women as they expertly navigate love, intense ambition, complicated friendship, and evolving identity in Los Angeles. It is told with immense warmth, sharp humor, and a profound depth of feeling that was entirely revolutionary when it first aired and still resonates powerfully today. Every single scene in Forever carries the creative DNA of this masterpiece. For any true fan of modern romantic television, Girlfriends is essential, joyful, and necessary viewing.
Streaming: Paramount+ / BET+ Genre: Comedy-drama Seasons: 8 (complete)
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Conclusion
Finding the perfect show to fill the void left by a phenomenal series can often feel like an impossible task, but this curated list guarantees that your streaming journey is far from over. From the high-stakes athletic pressure of All American to the trailblazing, career-driven romance of Being Mary Jane, television is currently rich with diverse, beautifully written narratives that celebrate the complexities of love, identity, and ambition. By exploring the legendary catalog of creators like Mara Brock Akil, or diving into the vibrant coming-of-age chaos of Heartbreak High, you are treating yourself to hours of exceptional, thought-provoking entertainment. These series do not just entertain; they serve as a powerful mirror, reflecting our deepest desires, our toughest challenges, and our most profound moments of personal growth. Grab your favorite blanket, prepare your snacks, and allow these incredible stories to sweep you off your feet all over again.
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10 FAQs
1. Is the Netflix series Forever based on the Judy Blume book? Yes, the Netflix series Forever is a modern, reimagined adaptation of Judy Blume's groundbreaking 1975 novel of the same name, updated to reflect contemporary teen experiences in Los Angeles.
2. Are all of these shows currently available on Netflix? No. While several (like On My Block, Heartbreak High, Never Have I Ever, and All American) are on Netflix, others are streaming on Hulu, Peacock, Apple TV+, or Paramount+.
3. What makes Mara Brock Akil's writing so special? Mara Brock Akil is renowned for creating incredibly authentic, multi-dimensional Black characters. Her writing explores the nuanced intersections of romance, career ambition, and cultural identity with remarkable warmth and sharp humor.
4. Which show is the most similar to Forever in terms of sports focus? All American and Swagger are the best matches. Both heavily feature the immense pressure placed on young Black male athletes, blending intense sports drama with complex personal relationships.
5. Is Heartbreak High appropriate for younger teens? Heartbreak High is rated TV-MA and deals very frankly with sexuality, drug use, and mature themes. It is best suited for older teenagers and adult audiences.
6. Do I need to watch Black-ish before starting Grown-ish? Not at all! While Grown-ish is a spinoff, it functions perfectly as a standalone series following Zoey Johnson's specific college journey.
7. Why is Girlfriends considered a classic? Girlfriends broke massive ground in the early 2000s by centering a successful, diverse group of Black women on broadcast television, paving the way for modern shows like Insecure and Forever.
8. Are these shows considered romantic comedies? Some, like Never Have I Ever, heavily blend comedy with romance. Others, like Friday Night Lights and Being Mary Jane, lean much more toward dramatic storytelling with strong romantic subplots.
9. Will there be a season 2 of Forever on Netflix? As of now, Netflix has not officially confirmed a second season, but given its popularity and cultural impact, fans remain highly optimistic for a renewal.
10. How can I dress like the characters in these shows? Check out our "Shop This Look" sections under each show recommendation! We provide direct links to Amazon products that perfectly capture the specific aesthetic of each series.
For more deep dives into the cultural impact of modern television streaming, check out this comprehensive analysis on The Future of Streaming Dramas.
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