High school drama Euphoria racked up 16 nominations for the 2022 Emmy Awards (and eight wins), and it remains one of the most-watched HBO series ever. Those op-eds and boycotts are really working, moral-outrage groups.
The sex-and-drugs-and-love-and-trauma world of Euphoria is utterly unique, so how dare we suggest that there are shows out there like it? The next season probably won’t arrive until later in 2023; we just thought you’d like to have some options while you wait for your next hit of Euphoria.
1. Riverdale | Netflix
Since it’s a show from The CW, Riverdale is more on the PG-13 side than the R-rated Euphoria, but it’s still dark and weird. Unlike the Archie Comics from whence it came, this town of Riverdale is rife with murder, cult activity, and maple syrup trafficking, and its core foursome (Archie, Veronica, Jughead, and Betty) is in constant inter-romantic flux.
2. Grand Army | Netflix
Netflix’s Grand Army nearly matches Euphoria’s visceral intensity, if not its notoriety. The 2020 drama, which was canceled after one season, follows the daily lives of teens at Brooklyn’s Grand Army High School. Racism, bullying, rape culture, and sexual identity are front and center in Grand Army, brought to life by an excellent cast of young actors. It earns that TV-MA rating.
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3. Skins (UK) | Hulu
My So-Called Life may have established the Pretty Teens with Problems drama genre in the ’90s, but the British series Skins kicked it up several notches in 2007. The seven-season show tackled mental-health issues along with the usual high school pitfalls, paving the way for shows like Euphoria. MTV attempted a remake in 2011, and, fortunately, it’s now impossible to find.
4. Élite | Netflix
Ready for a smidge of humor in your teen angst? Spanish import Élite injects campiness into its high school drama, as well as a murder mystery. Élite is the fish-out-of-water story of three female friends from the poorer side of town who enroll in an upscale private school; culture clashes inevitably ensue. The five-season series takes on serious issues but with a wink.
5. High School USA! | YouTube
Bringing us full circle, the short-lived 2013 FOX animated series High School USA! was a raunchy clone of Archie Comics, right down to the character types and colorful cartooning. Bullying, teen pregnancy, drugs, sexting, guns, and transgendered Amish runaways are spotlighted through High School USA!’s gonzo lens—no wonder FOX was squeamish about airing some episodes.
6. Industry | Max
Industry follows a group of young graduates as they compete to secure permanent jobs at a prestigious London investment bank. Described as the missing link between Succession and Euphoria, the show keeps Euphoria’s tense, addictive drama, but mixes it with a high-stakes workplace setting and plenty of financial jargon. What follows is more than enough drama, drugs, and debauchery to get your Euphoria fix.
