7 shows to watch after Sex Education on Netflix, Max and more

If you miss the candor, friendship, and messy growing pains of Sex Education, these seven series offer different routes back to sharp teen and young-adult comedy-drama. Streaming availability can change by country and service.

By Where Should I Learn Editorial · 2026-10-07

Finishing Sex Education can leave viewers looking for more than another school-set comedy. The appeal of the series came from its mix of awkward humor, honest conversations about identity and sex, complicated family relationships, and characters who were allowed to make mistakes. No single follow-up will recreate that exact balance, but several shows explore adjacent territory in memorable ways. Before choosing, check the current catalog in your region: rights move often between Netflix, Max, broadcast apps, and other services.

Derry Girls is a strong choice for viewers who enjoyed the rapid-fire jokes and closely bonded ensemble. Set in 1990s Northern Ireland, it follows a group of teenagers whose ordinary school and family crises unfold against a larger political backdrop. The show is much broader and sillier than Sex Education at times, but it has the same affection for young people who are dramatic, impulsive, and deeply loyal to one another. Its episodes are short, which makes it an easy change of pace after a heavier storyline.

Never Have I Ever brings a different energy to the coming-of-age format. Its central character, Devi, is ambitious, grieving, funny, and frequently her own worst enemy. The series pays close attention to family expectations, friendships that shift under pressure, romantic confusion, and the uncomfortable gap between who a teenager wants to be and how they actually behave. Viewers who liked Sex Education because its characters were imperfect rather than endlessly relatable may find a lot to enjoy here.

Heartbreak High is worth considering for people who want the heightened school setting, frank subject matter, and social friction of Sex Education. This Australian drama-comedy follows students dealing with reputation, desire, disability, class, friendship, and the fallout from a schoolwide controversy. It can be louder and more stylized than Sex Education, with a more chaotic visual identity, but it takes its young characters seriously. Expect emotional swings alongside irreverent humor rather than a gentle comfort watch.

Atypical may appeal to viewers drawn to family stories as much as teen romance. The series begins with Sam, an autistic high school student who wants greater independence and starts dating, but its scope widens to include his sister, parents, friends, and changing household dynamics. As with any show centered on disability, viewers may want to consider whose perspective is being emphasized and how the representation develops over time. Still, its interest in independence, embarrassment, and family change makes it a useful companion pick.

Everything Now is a more emotionally intense option. The show follows a teenager returning to school after treatment for an eating disorder and trying to reconnect with friends, dating, and the expectations of ordinary adolescent life. Its premise means it may not suit every mood, particularly for viewers seeking a light comedy. For those who valued Sex Education’s willingness to let difficult subjects remain difficult, however, it offers a character-focused story about recovery without treating life as neatly solved.

Big Boys shifts the setting from secondary school to university, but it shares Sex Education’s warmth about friendship and self-discovery. The comedy follows Jack as he starts university, makes an unexpected close friend, and works through grief, sexuality, and the strange pressure to reinvent oneself. Its humor can be broad, yet the emotional material is handled with care. Choose it if what you miss most is not the school corridors but the feeling of watching young people build a language for who they are.

The Sex Lives of College Girls is another post-school option, centered on roommates navigating college relationships, work, money worries, academic pressure, and friendship. It is generally more adult in setting and more openly sitcom-shaped than Sex Education, so viewers should not expect the same small-town atmosphere. Still, its ensemble structure makes room for clashing personalities and evolving loyalties. It works best for viewers who enjoyed the romantic complications and group dynamics more than the specific high-school context.

Choosing among these shows depends on what part of Sex Education stayed with you. Pick Derry Girls for a tightly knit friend group and quick comedy, Never Have I Ever for a character-driven romantic coming-of-age story, and Heartbreak High for bolder teen drama. Choose Atypical for family dynamics, Everything Now for heavier emotional material, Big Boys for university friendship and tenderness, or The Sex Lives of College Girls for a more adult ensemble comedy.

It also helps to check a series’ content notes rather than relying on genre labels. Shows about adolescence can include discussions of sex, mental health, eating disorders, bullying, grief, substance use, or discrimination, and their tone may change from episode to episode. A trailer, episode guide, or parental-content listing can help viewers decide whether they want something comforting, provocative, or emotionally demanding. The best follow-up is not necessarily the closest match; it is the one that fits the mood you want after Sex Education.