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The O.C. poster

Shows that feel likeThe O.C. (2003–2007)

Ryan Atwood, a teen from the wrong side of the tracks, moves in with a wealthy family willing to give him a chance. But Ryan's arrival disturbs the status quo of the affluent, privileged community of Newport Beach, California.

If you loved The O.C., the closest series we have are Gossip Girl (2007), Looking for Alaska (2019) and Skins (2007). All three share The O.C.'s contemplative and romantic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023).

★ 7.6 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗4 seasons · FOXcreated by Josh Schwartzcontemplativeromantic
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video

If The O.C. hit the spot, these will too

Gossip Girl poster
Gossip Girl
2007–2012 · 6 seasons · The CW
★ 7.5dramaNetflixMax

Two things both keep coming back to: teenage romance and teen drama

An exclusive group of privileged teens from a posh prep school on Manhattan's Upper East Side whose lives revolve around the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive Gossip Girl.

Looking for Alaska poster
Looking for Alaska
2019 · 1 season · Hulu
★ 8drama

Josh Schwartz working the same nerve twice

Miles enrolls in a new boarding school seeking adventure. There, he befriends a group of quirky students led by the captivating and troubled Alaska. As they pull pranks and explore dark secrets, a night of celebration takes a tragic turn, forcing the group to grapple with loss and the complexities of growing up.

Skins poster
Skins
2007–2013 · 7 seasons · E4
★ 8.2drama · comedyHulu

The same preoccupation in both: teenage romance

The difference: Sits closer to comedy than The O.C. does

Irreverent comedy drama which follows the messy lives, loves, delirious highs and inevitable lows of a group of raucous teenage friends in Bristol.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story poster
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
2023 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 7.6dramaNetflix

Both land stillness and romance at once

The difference: 20 years apart, and the 2020s show

Young Queen Charlotte's marriage to King George of England sparks an epic love story and transforms high society in this "Bridgerton" universe prequel.

Stairway to Heaven poster
Stairway to Heaven
2003–2004 · 1 season · SBS
★ 7.9drama

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

Song Ju and Jeong Seo who have lost a father and a mother respectively spend their childhood together like real siblings. Song Ju is there for Jeong Seo whenever she feels lonely and has a hard time, and Jeong Seo also relies a lot on Song Ju. However, after Jeong Seo's father gets married to Tae Mi Ra, Mi Ra and her daughter Yu Ri keep harassing Jeong Seo out of jealousy. Tae Hwa, Yu Ri's rough and wild older brother, has a crush on Jeong Seo who is pure and kind unlike him.

Off Campus poster
Off Campus
2026– · 1 season · Prime Video
★ 7.8dramaPrime Video

Both lean on romance more than on drama

Hannah Wells tutors hockey captain Garrett Graham to win over her crush. Their deal becomes real connection as they face their pasts. Friends Logan, Dean, Tucker, and Allie navigate college life and love.

Beverly Hills, 90210 poster
Beverly Hills, 90210
1990–2000 · 10 seasons · FOX
★ 6.6dramaParamount+

One thread runs through both: california

Follow 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.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo poster
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
2022 · 1 season · ENA
★ 8.5dramaNetflix

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

With a genius-level IQ, Woo Young-woo learns to embrace her extraordinary self while forming a tight-knit community of friends and allies.

The Summer I Turned Pretty poster
The Summer I Turned Pretty
2022–2025 · 3 seasons · Prime Video
★ 7.2dramaPrime Video

Common ground: teen drama

Every summer, Belly and her family head to the Fishers’ beach house in Cousins. Every summer is the same ... until Belly turns sixteen. Relationships will be tested, painful truths will be revealed, and Belly will be forever changed. It’s a summer of first love, first heartbreak and growing up — it's the summer she turns pretty.

Bridgerton poster
Bridgerton
2020– · 5 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.5dramaNetflix

Both run romantic where it counts

Wealth, lust, and betrayal set in the backdrop of Regency era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.

My Holo Love poster
My Holo Love
2020 · 1 season · Netflix
★ 7.6drama · sci-fi & fantasyNetflix

Both play drama straight

Unexpected love finds a lonely woman when she forms a connection with a humanlike hologram who looks exactly like his prickly creator.

The King: Eternal Monarch poster
The King: Eternal Monarch
2020 · 1 season · SBS
★ 8.1sci-fi & fantasy · dramaNetflix

Drama approached the same way

Korean emperor Lee Gon tries to close the doors to a parallel world which was opened by demons; a detective tries to protect the people and the one she loves.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative shows →

The best-reviewed series that share The O.C.’s defining feeling.