Netflix’s coming-of-age young adult drama My Life with the Walter Boys is based on a novel by Ali Novak that started on WattPad, and follows the story of Jackie Howard, who tragically lost her family in a terrible accident and was taken in by her mother’s friend in Colorado. Jackie relocates from New York, and is a fish out of water, having to cope with the trauma of the accident, and having to adapt to her new life with The Walters. Things become complicated when two of the Walter boys show a romantic interest in Jackie, leading to the kind of teenage angst and soul-searching that you would expect from this kind of production. The show explores young love, coming of age, and drama, and if you like that kind of content, you might want to check out these 10 shows like My Life with the Walter Boys that are very similar in content and theme
10 TV Shows Like My Life with the Walter Boys
Heartbreak High (1994)
The quintessential young adult teen drama has over seven seasons to catch up with and covers various pressing themes like romance, LGBTQIA+, drug use, sex education, and everything else in between. An insight into a different time, this was a template for many other series.
Atypical (2017)
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Keir Gilchrist star in this series that follows 18-year-old Sam who is on the autism spectrum and decides it’s time to find a girlfriend. This sets the narrative in motion for Sam’s mother who finds herself on her life-changing path as her son seeks more independence.
Everything Now (2023)
Sophie Wilde, Lauryn Ajufo, and Harry Cadby star in Everything Now, which follows Mia Polanco, who is released from hospital after a lengthy battle with anorexia and has to find her way back into the world of sixth form, playing catch up along the way with her former friends that seem to have grown up and moved on since she was recovering.
My First First Love (2019)
This K-drama has two seasons that follow a girl’s choice between the handsome second lead and her best friend. The slow-burning first season leads to a slightly predictable choice, but in the second season, there is a bit of a rug pull that should surprise you.
Heartstopper (2022)
Joe Locke, Kit Connor and Yasmin Finney star in this young adult hit that tells the story of Charlie and Nick who discover their unlikely friendship might be something more. The pair have to cope with the rigors of school, and the everyday details of life as they make their way through their day-to-day. Heartstopper has already enjoyed two well-received seasons on Netflix.
Never Have I Ever (2020)
Mindy Kaling was at the helm of Never Have I Ever, with much of the character and series loosely based on her own childhood experience. We are introduced to Devi Vishwakumar, a teen living in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, and coping with the death of her father while trying to survive four years of high school. Expect the usual trauma of young love and self-discovery.
On My Block (2018)
Sierra Capri and Jason Genao star in this popular series that has a bit more meat on the bone, with four clever and street-smart friends finding their way through high school in a gritty South Central Los Angeles, but at the heart of the series is a subplot with the friends trying to get their friend out of a gang.
XO, Kitty (2023)
After the huge success of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, they launched a spin-off series, XO, Kitty, complementing the movies, with matchmaker Kitty off to meet her long-distance boyfriend and finding things can look different up close. Anna Cathcart does her best to hold things together in this young adult romantic drama.
High School Musical: The Musical The Series (2019)
The series version of Disney classic High School Musical, starring Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo, is a mix of comedy, romance, and drama, and became quite the phenomenon for a while. A whole generation of aspiring young performers became enthralled by the show, despite what they might tell you now.
Sex Education (2019)
Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson, and new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa star in Sex Education, a popular UK series that features a somewhat naïve teenager who lives with his sex therapist mother and forms an alliance with a street-wise high school classmate to start their underground sex therapy clinic.
Credit to IMDb for the plot synopses.
Do you have any other recommendations for TV shows like My Life with the Walter Boys? Let us know!
