Entertainment
10 Shows Like Gossip Girl To Stream, From Elite To NYC Prep
From rich kids behaving badly to teens being terrorized by omniscient stalkers, these shows capture the essential essence of ‘Gossip Girl.’
It didn’t take long for HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot to take its predecessor’s crown as the show on everyone’s lips — and just as it was with the original mid-aughts teen drama, viewers are finding it harder and harder to wait a week in between new episodes. Luckily, there are plenty of other teen shows that capture some of Gossip Girl’s essential essence. So whether you want to see more rich kids behaving badly or are thirsty for more stories about teens being terrorized by omniscient stalkers, we have you covered with ten shows like Gossip Girl that are worth your time.
All American (Netflix)
Following a promising Black football player who leaves his South L.A. hometown to play amongst the rich white kids of Beverly Hills High, All American shares Gossip Girl’s outsider-looking-in ethos while also being noticeably more diverse and realistic in its depiction of teen life.
Control Z (Netflix)
With its tale of a student body descending into chaos when an anonymous hacker starts leaking everyone’s darkest secrets, the Spanish-language Control Z is the perfect hybrid of Gossip Girl and Sam Levinson’s Assasination Nation. (It will also quench your thirst for more Zión Moreno.)
Elite (Netflix)
One of Netflix’s biggest foreign-language hits, Elite follows the rich kids and scholarship students of Spain’s prestigious Las Encinas High as they deal with jealousy, scandal, and...murder? Tackling issues of class, race, gender, and sexuality, Elite covers all the bases.
Looking for Alaska (Hulu)
An impeccable book-to-TV adaptation, Looking for Alaska actually improves on its John Green source material while still maintaining its fascinating exploration of grief through the eyes of two very different groups (one rich, one poor) both enrolled at the same boarding school.
NYC Prep (Hulu)
If the crazy exploits of Gossip Girl’s teens seemed unrealistic to you, it’s clear you’ve never seen NYC Prep. Tracking real teens as they balance school with parties, fashion shows, and charity events, this Bravo classic proves that, yes, some minors really do live like that.
The O.C. (HBO Max)
Gossip Girl has New York’s bright city lights. The O.C. has beautiful beach sands. Centered on a brilliant but troubled teen who gets adopted by a wealthy family from Newport Beach, this early-aughts Fox drama paved the way for many similar shows about rich kids behaving badly.
Pretty Little Liars (HBO Max)
While it doesn’t feature Gossip Girl’s token glitz and glamour, Pretty Little Liars shares a lot with that CW hit thanks to its story of four girls being stalked and blackmailed by an anonymous source who knows everything about their lives. (Also, “A” is much more ruthless than GG.)
Saved by the Bell (Peacock)
In a world full of reboots, few feel more needed than Peacock’s Saved by the Bell. Hinging on the tension between the usual Bayside High suspects and a new crop of working-class transfers, this reboot is smarter, cooler, and much more socially-conscious than its predecessor.
Veronica Mars (Hulu)
Before The Good Place, Kristen Bell was Veronica Mars, a high school aspiring detective determined to solve the mystery of her best friend’s murder. Yet another show that pits rich kids against their less fortunate peers, this teen noir never shirked on astute class commentary.
Young Royals (Netflix)
The newest show on this list, Young Royals follows a prince as he enrolls at a boarding school and immediately becomes enmeshed with its upper-crust. But after falling for a male scholarship classmate, he must decide whether his reputation is worth more than his heart’s desires.