Megan Park’s “Sterling Point” is just about as perfect as a YA show debuting in the height of summer could be, embracing all the complications of a growing up story alongside a group of friends, all by the picturesque lakes in Canada’s Muskoka region.
If “Sterling Point” feels like the teen dramas from the 2000s and 2010s, that’s by design. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the duo behind classic YA hits like “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl,” served as executive producers on the series, guiding Park through her first try at a TV project.
But, unlike the teen dramas of yore, “Sterling Point” Season 1 told its story in just eight episodes, prime for a weekend binge. So if you’re longing for more of the love triangles, family drama and coming-of-age stories while you wait for Season 2, we’ve selected some of our YA favorites to keep you occupied.
“The O.C.”
Here’s an example of how good “The O.C.” is. In its first season of 27 (!) episodes, it runs through at least three seasons’ worth of storylines for its teen characters trying to navigate love, family and high school in the southern California city. And then it’s still an addictive, at times even legitimately great, watch for three more seasons. By his own admission, Schwartz was incredibly young when he sold the show and didn’t know how to make television, which is what makes the bold storytelling choices throughout this series so exciting. It feels like it’s breaking the rules. And on top of that, it just gets what it’s like to be a teenager with your heart on your sleeve. Throw in an iconic soundtrack and some incredible performances, and you can see why “The O.C.” is the Rosetta Stone for the teen TV boom we’re living through right now.
Where to stream: Hulu, HBO Max
“Looking for Alaska”
Schwartz and Savage were also behind the TV adaptation of John Green’s “Looking for Alaska,” which we rank pretty highly among book-to-series adaptations. Like the kids of Muskoka running around creating trouble on the island, “Looking for Alaska” follows the teenage shenanigans that come with boarding school life. But most poignant in “Looking for Alaska” is the love Charlie Plummer’s Miles “Pudge” Halter has for Kristine Froseth’s Alaska.
Where to stream: Hulu
“Gilmore Girls”
If you’re feeling a little oversaturated by summer YA series between “Sterling Point” and “Every Year After,” can we interest you in some “Gilmore Girls” fall? Alexis Bledel’s Rory Gilmore isn’t too far off from Ella Rubin’s Annie Jacobson — Rory’s bedroom has been plastered with Harvard memorabilia for years — and like Annie, Rory is forced to deal with what happens when everything in her five-year plan doesn’t quite happen how she expects. And just like how both Annie and her mom (from the past) weigh love interests on opposite ends of the spectrum of high society, both Rory and Lorelai struggle with being pulled in two directions in their own romantic lives.
Where to stream: Hulu, Disney+
“Off Campus”
If you feel a bit cried-out from that “Sterling Point” finale, Prime Video sensation “Off Campus” might be the best next watch for you. That’s not to say that the hockey romance doesn’t get emotional — there are certainly some tumultuous turns in the final few episodes — but overall, “Off Campus” is a fun, steamy binge full of romance tropes that will have you hooked from the jump. Ella Bright’s Hannah Wells and Mika Abdalla’s Allie Hayes navigate ambition and dating alongside one another, especially when Hannah’s fake romance with Belmont Cameli’s Garrett Graham gets a bit too real. If you haven’t already watched “Off Campus,” it’s a good investment to get into it now, with Season 2 already on the way.
Where to stream: Prime Video
“Never Have I Ever”
While it takes nearly a whole summer for Annie to admit to herself and to others that she doesn’t know what she’s doing, “Never Have I Ever’s” Devi Vishwakumar will tell you that upfront. Devi’s self-awareness — and sometimes lack thereof — is what makes “Never Have I Ever” so fun; she doesn’t care about being a messy teenager as she navigates friendships and her own love triangle. But beneath the high school antics is an all-too-relatable push-and-pull relationship between Devi and her mom (Poorna Jagannathan), which sets up for some pretty sweet moments.
Where to stream: Netflix
“The Summer I Turned Pretty”
While “Sterling Point” sees Annie reckon with a whole new side of life and herself over the summer, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” asks, what happens when you grow up and see the people who grew up alongside you differently? — and what happens when they fail to see you differently? Jenny Han‘s adaptation of her beloved book series uncovers all the messy parts of growing up, from drunk calls to Belly’s mom to friendship clashes with childhood besties to the paralyzing fear of screwing up a dynamic that’s been built over the course of 20-some years. But while the whole point of Annie’s journey was to realize not everything is as high stakes as it seems when you’re on the precipice of adulthood, Belly’s love triangle heightens to a new level when marriage gets involved.
Where to stream: Prime Video
“My Old Ass”
We know this one isn’t a TV show, but we have to give credit where credits due. And that’s Park’s second film, “My Old Ass,” which Schwartz and Savage pointed to as a “proof of concept” for what “Sterling Point” could be. Also set in Muskoka, “My Old Ass” embraces the same summertime nostalgia as Maisy Stella’s Elliott spends one last summer in her hometown before heading off to college. The tinge of nostalgia threaded throughout the movie comes from Elliott’s older self (Aubrey Plaza), who reminds her to treasure the time with her family and friends while giving her an ominous warning.
Where to stream: Prime Video
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