12 TV Shows Like Gossip Girl

Freeform’s newest Spring hit series, Famous in Love captures the story of Paige Townsen as she juggles her new life as the “it girl” of Hollywood, scoring a hit role in a highly-anticipated movie with a very dateable co-star, Rainer Devon, with her normal life as a college student with her two best friends/roommates Cassie and Jake. Her whole life is flipped upside down as she begins to have to choose between what she has and what she could have as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Perks of this series? No character is insignificant and there is drama between all of them. Don’t wait for it to air on TV—you can binge the whole first season online on Freeform’s website!

Airing on the CW from 2008 to 2013 and all seasons available on Netflix, 90210 is namesake for the district of California in which the show takes place. The Wilson family makes a big move from Kansas to Beverly Hills to keep an eye on father, Harry Wilson’s, mother, Tabitha. The two children of the family, Annie, and adopted brother, Dixon, attend West Beverly Hills High School, where much of the privileged drama ensues, but also, coincidentally, where their father Harry gets a job as principal. Introduce mean girl Naomi Clark and you’ve got some piping-hot drama brewing. If you want just as much privilege as Gossip Girl, drop on by Beverly Hills for 5 seasons.

The classic teen drama trope takes on a new stage as a Netflix original in Degrassi: Next Class. It claims to feature current issues in its plot as opposed to dated, stereotypical high school shows, noting “If you’re a teen, this is your life.” This fifth Degrassi installment also takes place at Degrassi Community School, a fictional high school in Toronto, Canada, and is a soap-style series that follows a variety of characters through their high school trek. The cool thing about the show is that it is very representative of all of the people within a high school, overlooking just the popular kids, as opposed to Gossip Girl which only highlighted the social elite. If you’re searching for an even more dramatic and action-packed show to watch next, Degrassi: Next Class is definitely for you.

Ryan Atwood, a troubled teen living in California, finds himself on his own, only to find a luxurious place to stay; Sandford “Sandy” Cohen has represented Ryan before as a client for his previous malfeasances, but allows him a spot to live with the Cohens in the affluent neighborhood of Newport Beach. Orange County, California is brought to life as Ryan befriends the Cohens’ son, Seth, who shows him the ropes of Newport Beach. There wouldn’t be too much of a teen drama without love interests, so see Marissa and Summer, best friends. The four act as the center of the series and, from there, both the picture-perfect and secretive aspects as life in the O.C. will be exposed.

A CW reboot of the classic Archie Comics series, Riverdale has had rave reviews in its introductory season. Archie Andrews decides that he wants to pursue music as his future, but the end of his secret relationship with his music teacher leaves him in a bad place without a mentor. He’s had a falling out with his friend Jughead Jones and while a fondness for the new girl, Veronica Lodge, takes Archie’s mind off of it, Veronica isn’t willing to risk her friendship with Betty (who has a crush on Archie) to act on their bond. Oh yeah, and there’s a murder involved. The first season is coming to Netflix very soon!

Tree Hill, North Carolina is the fictional town where One Tree Hill takes place, focusing on two half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, who dislike each other but compete in eerily similar things in a multitude of aspects in their lives, whether it be a spot on the court for their school’s basketball team or a girl who has won both of their hearts. Over the course of nine seasons and 187 episodes, the teen soap expanded from relatively stereotypical to absolutely crazy. It would be impossible to list everything that happens within the timespan of this series, but if you want something that’s over-the-top and owns it, then One Tree Hill is definitely the show for you.

A historical period piece, Reign is a teen drama that surrounds Mary, Queen of Scots, as she becomes of age and leaves the convent she was raised in for protection to marry Francis, the next-in-line for King of France, whom she was arranged to marry from birth. While Mary is excited to meet her future husband and fellow ruler when she arrives at the castle, she very quickly questions her place and if Francis has been as interested and dedicated to her during their years of separation. Explore the corruption, danger, and romantic drama that both Mary and her ladies-in-waiting experience while at the castle. You can catch the final episodes airing on the CW or watch the entire series on Netflix.

Looking for a show that encapsulates the same level of drama as Gossip Girls but also has humor written into it? Welcome to McKinley High School, where all the praise goes to the athletes of the school, most significantly, the competitive cheerleading team, the Cheerios, coached by Sue Sylvester. However, the majority of the students aren’t involved with the populars, and aspiring Broadway diva Rachel Berry thinks that the “fame” ought to be spread more realistically among the population. She joins the school acapella group, The New Directions, and the web only grows as more and more students from disparate school cliques are joined over their love of music. But where collision is involved, so is tension. The drama in this show is expertly handled through quip jokes and slushie tosses.

A prelude to the infamous Sex & The City series, The Carrie Diaries paints the picture of how Carrie Bradshaw navigated her teen years. Each member of the family suffers a tough blow when Carrie’s mom, the rock of the family, passes away. They all try to move on and make her proud in different ways; the series focuses on Carrie as she takes an internship with her dad’s firm in the big city, but ditches it secretly for an internship in her dream industry—fashion. Toss in an ultra-school-competitive friend Mouse and a dreamy wonder crush Sebastian for an enchanting series.

One family, two kids, two distinct friend groups. This 1980s piece depicts the high school experience of Lindsay Weir and her younger brother Sam. Lindsay is a high-achiever and is proud of her proficiency in the school as a mathlete but shows her teen angst when she starts hanging with a group of burnouts and letting them change her. While Lindsay’s group is the freak derivative of the title, Sam’s group make up the geeks. They act as comic relief within the show and you’ll often find them playing board games or complaining about their freshman year. This show is iconic, despite its inability to earn a second season, and is definitely worth a watch.

Meet Jessica Day. An adorably awkward and quirky school teacher who just can’t seem to find love. Her latest relationship ends badly and she moves out, finding an online ad for a group of guys searching for a roommate. After debating back-and-forth, the guys take her in and adjust to the oddities of living with a heartbroken girl. Nick is the carefree bartender that works down the block. Coach is the personal trainer that is confident, sporty, and manly. Schmidt is the metrosexual marketing man who is bold and sharp. Add on Winston, the basketball player returning from playing over in Europe, and you have the unique cast of characters that make the show so funny and endearing.

Netflix’s newest original series Cable Girls is about a group of four very different 1920’s women who are drawn together by being newly hired to work as operators for a phone company. The introductory season features the girls fighting for both love and independence. This series has definitely captured the zeitgeist of the 1920’s while highlighting new and intriguing aspects of it as well. While the characters are older, this show’s drama definitely rivals that of Gossip Girl.