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Forever, based on Judy Blume’s 1975 novel, is reimagined as a 2025 Netflix teen drama by showrunner Mara Brock Akil. Set in 2018 in Los Angeles, the series follows Keisha and Justin—two ambitious Black teens navigating first love, identity, and pressure from overbearing parents pushing them toward college athletic scholarships.
Forever captures not just the emotional highs and lows of young love, but also the realities of growing up Black in today’s America, as characters navigate expectations, self-discovery, and the struggle to stay true to themselves in a demanding world.
If viewers love watching Forever on Netflix for its themes of first love, self-discovery, and cultural identity, then here are seven other dramas like Forever that explore similar emotional journeys.
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Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
On the Verge and 6 other shows to watch if you liked Netflix’s Forever
1) The Afterparty
The Afterparty is an anthology comedy murder mystery television series by Christopher Miller released on Apple TV+ in 2022 for two seasons. Both seasons take place at a party where someone is murdered, and the tale is told from the perspective of different characters, each of whom is scripted in a distinct film style or genre type.
The series focuses on how events like a high school reunion or a wedding aftermath allow the characters to reinvent themselves and break free from their usual routines.
Similar to Forever, The Afterparty explores intimate reinvention and emotional transformation through mystery and comedy to see how characters change due to unexpected circumstances.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video,
2) Based on a True Story
Based on the True Story is a black comedy thriller developed by Craig Rosenberg featuring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina.
The series follows true-crime aficionado and realtor Ava and her husband Nathan as they fight to make ends meet and await the arrival of their new baby. When a serial killer is terrorizing their neighborhood, Ava imagines that she can profit from society's true-crime fixation. But once they get closer to the killer, their lives become deadly and unsettled.
Like Forever's search for life's surprise twists, Based on a True Story joins dark humor and suspense as people deal with the outcomes of their behavior.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Apple TV+
3) Surface
Surface is a psychological thriller television series written by Veronica West where Sophie Ellis, whose memories start disappearing after a possible su*cide attempt.
As she makes efforts to put together pieces of her San Francisco life with her husband, she starts questioning what reality truly is concerning the past and everyone surrounding her.
Surface also shares Forever's emphasis on individual discovery and transformation, with the main character being rent asunder by fragmented memories and seeking reality.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
4) On the Verge
On the Verge is a French television comedy-drama series developed by and featuring Julie Delpy, along with Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Jones, Alexia Landeau, and others.
The series follows four women in their forties navigating the challenges of midlife while trying to reconnect with the passions and freedom they had before careers, families, and responsibilities took over. Offering a fresh take on the midlife crisis, it explores the emotional and personal shifts women face as they approach or pass the age of fifty.
On the Verge reflects Forever's self-discovery, tracing the lives of four women as they cope with their midlife crises and attempt to recapture their youth.
Where to watch: Netflix
5) Dead to Me
Dead to Me is a dark comedy-drama series that features Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini as two women who are connected by grief.
The series takes its cue from Jen, a sassy widow struggling to come to terms after her husband's untimely death, when she meets Judy, a cheerful but troubled woman, in a grief support group.
In spite of their diametrically opposing personalities, the two women hit it off as complicated and intimate friends. With secrets revealed, the series explores ideas of loss, forgiveness, and the messy, unplanned way toward healing.
Like Forever, Dead to Me intertwines humor with emotional depth as two women navigate loss and bereavement and develop a multifaceted friendship.
Where to watch: Netflix, Apple TV+
6) The Upshaws
The Upshaws is a Netflix series developed by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes, who also feature alongside Mike Epps, Kim Fields, and others.
Based in Indiana, the show revolves around a working-class African American family and their ability to make ends meet via the tribulations of everyday life. The Upshaws delves into the complexities of family, love, and ambition, as they try to find stability and success in the face of setbacks, twists, and turns of contemporary life.
Upshaws recreates Forever's search into family life and relationships, using the vehicle of humor to address the ups and downs of life in search of personal improvement.
Where to watch: Netflix
7) Ginny & Georgia
Ginny & Georgia is a comedy-drama television created by Anya Adams. The show is centered around 15-year-old Ginny Miller, who generally feels older than her 30-year-old, bohemian mother. After living for years on the road from town to town, Georgia is ready to put down roots in a quaint New England town and give her children a stable home.
For Ginny, this translates to adapting to a new school, establishing herself in social circles, and managing teen romance amidst her mother's dark past hanging over their new beginning.
As with Forever themes, Ginny & Georgia also illustrate the tension between identity and independence that is at the heart of the coming-of-age experience.
Where to watch: Netflix, Apple TV+
Interested viewers can watch season one of Forever on Netflix.
