10 More Heartstopping Romances
Heartstopper, the new Netflix series based on the first two volumes of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series, is must-watch TV. It is currently scoring highly on Rotten Tomatoes and has proven popular with both television critics and streaming audiences alike.
The show tells the story of Charlie and Nick, two British teens who fall in love while at school. It also touches upon themes of homophobia, coming out, and school bullying within its 8-episode run.
If you’ve finished this one and are looking for something similar, we’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
Love, Victor
Similarities – Romance
In Heartstopper, Nick starts to question his sexuality after becoming attracted to Charlie. While he is coming to terms with this, he begins to worry about ‘coming out’ and what this might mean for him.
A similar plotline plays out in Love, Victor, as Victor, a student at Creekwood High School, worries about coming out to his friends and family after realizing he is gay. Thankfully, Victor has Simon on his side (the character from the movie Love, Simon), and the two correspond with one another as Victor tries to adjust to life as a gay teen. This series deserves more attention than I think it has received so if you haven’t seen it yet, this one’s streaming on Hulu and Disney+. It’s definitely one to add to your watchlist.
Young Royals
Similarities – School drama & Romance
Nick and Charlie are forced to keep their relationship a secret in Heartstopper, which is as problematic as you might expect. In this Swedish series, Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and Simon Eriksson, two students at Hillerska Boarding School, also deal with the problems of hiding their relationship.
Unlike Heartstopper, an international scandal erupts when a sex tape involving the two young lovers is leaked, so these boys have more to deal with than the bullying of their peers. It’s well written and gripping from start to finish.
You can read our thoughts on Young Royals in our full season review here!
Sex Education
Similarities – Romance and drama
Schools are famously bad when it comes to sex education so thank goodness for Otis Milburn, the main protagonist of this hit Netflix show. Otis is on hand to counsel his fellow students in matters relating to puberty, sex, and relationships. His best friend Eric is an openly gay teenager who experiences his own sex and relationship problems after falling in love with school bully Adam, who hasn’t yet come out of the closet.
This show is more daring and risque than Heartstopper but it still has a lot of heart. As it deals with sexuality in all of its forms, the show is one that will resonate with many.
You can read our thoughts on Sex Education in our full season reviews here!
Skam
Similarities – Romance & LGBTQIA+ themes
This Norwegian teen drama chronicles the lives and loves of students at Hartvig Nissen School. The show deals with a lot of topics that are relevant to teens today, including mental health, relationship difficulties, and homosexuality. Not unlike Heartstopper then!
Each season of the show deals with a different character and the issues they face. In the third season, the focus was placed on Isak Valtersen, his sexuality and coming out, and his relationship with fellow student Even Bech Næsheim. The show received a lot of critical acclaim for dismantling the taboo subject that teens are often scared of talking about so this might be one to stream if you think you can relate to the themes it portrays.
It’s A Sin
Similarities – Friendships & Coming Out
Russel T.Davies’s recent Channel 4 miniseries explored subjects that we have seen on television before – homosexuality, Aids, family prejudice – but never in such a devastating and heartfelt way. The series was absolutely heartbreaking and while it features characters who are no longer in school, it still deals with the ‘coming out’ theme that is central to Heartstopper. You can actually watch this one on both Channel 4 and Netflix.
As this is a show that is aimed at older teens and adults, it is a lot bolder when it comes to sex and relationships so it isn’t one for family viewing! It’s less about young love and more about the consequences of sexual freedom in the 1980s, but while it’s not as innately sweet as Heartstopper, it is still an absolute must-watch if you are of the right age and looking for some quality TV drama.
You can read our thoughts on It’s A Sin in our full season review here!
Where Your Eyes Linger
Similarities – Romance
The more TV shows that can represent those within the LGBTQ community the better, especially in places such as South Korea where there is less acceptance than in other parts of the world. Thank goodness then for this trail-blazing K-drama that touches upon the burgeoning relationship between 18-year old high school student Han Tae Joo and his childhood friend Kang Gook. Each episode of this 8-part series is only 10 minutes long so it’s easy to binge-watch if you have access to the streaming website Viki.
It’s a simple but effective story, one that has some great editing and a really satisfying ending too.
Mr. Heart
Similarities – Romance
If you’re looking for another K-drama that deals with gay themes, this might be the show for you. It’s about two university students, Sang Ha and Jin Won, who have a passion for marathon running – and for one another. This is actually the follow-up project to Where Your Eyes Linger (listed above) so naturally, if you enjoyed that show you should definitely check this one out.
Each episode clocks in at a similar 10 minute run-time, and in many ways that’s to the detriment of the story a little as it could do with a bit more time to let our characters grow and evolve. Despite that, this one is definitely worth checking out and it’s also on Viki too.
Special
Similarities – Romance & LGBTQIA+ themes
Growing up gay is hard enough when you’re able-bodied. But what if you have cerebral palsy? That’s the premise of this 2-season charmer starring Ryan O’Connell who based the show on his real-life experiences. Unlike Heartstopper, this isn’t set in a high school but it is also streaming on Netflix.
Special effectively explores what it means to be young and gay in a refreshing and real manner, just like that aforementioned show. It’s also very funny so is a worthy antidote to those LGBTQ shows that take an overly serious approach to homosexual themes.
One Day At A Time
Similarities – Romance & friendships
Do you know what every gay teen needs? A loving family behind them. In Heartstopper, both Nick and Charlie are fortunate enough to have accepting parents in their lives and in this rebooted sitcom, Elena is able to be herself after plucking up the courage to come out to her parents. Elena’s experiences as a gay teen are realistically portrayed and the show also features a non-binary character, which is still quite rare on mainstream television. For that alone, this series can certainly be applauded for its LGBTQ+ representation.
Queer As Folk
Similarities – LGBTQIA+ romance
Long before Russel T. Davies created It’s A Sin, he brought another television series to the screens that featured the lives of three gay men. Two of the characters, Stuart and Vince, are long past school age but the third, 15-year old Nathan, is still at school and trying to come to terms with his sexuality.
Streaming on All4, Queer As Folk was controversial at the time, especially because of its taboo depiction of gay sex between Nathan and Stuart, and it might still turn heads today. However, it also offered a frank and realistic depiction of gay life and is still critically appreciated. Of course, like Davies’ later series, this isn’t one for young teens as it takes a more adult approach to young love than Heartstopper. If you’re of the right age, however, this might just blow you away.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with Heartstopper on Netflix.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!