Belly Conklin’s messy love triangle at Cousins Beach didn't just break the internet; it revived a very specific, aching kind of television. We’re talking about that "shimmering blue water and first heartbreak" vibe. It is a mood. It’s the feeling of a polaroid camera clicking in 2005 mixed with the high-stakes drama of Gen Z TikTok culture. People keep searching for tv shows like the summer i turned pretty because they aren’t just looking for romance. They want that specific ache of growing up.
Let’s be real. Jenny Han knows exactly what she’s doing. She taps into the "coming-of-age" trope but coats it in a layer of prestige aesthetic that makes you want to buy a beach house and a linen button-down immediately. Finding something that hits that same high is harder than it looks. Most teen dramas are too dark or too goofy. You need that sweet spot of earnestness and "oh my god, please just pick one brother already" tension.
The Cousins Beach Effect: What defines tv shows like the summer i turned pretty?
Before we dive into the watchlist, we have to look at what actually makes these shows work. It isn't just the beach. It’s the transition from childhood safety to adult consequences. In The Summer I Turned Pretty, the house at Cousins is a bubble. Outside that bubble, people get sick, parents divorce, and hearts break. But inside? It’s all Taylor Swift soundtracks and golden hour.
The best tv shows like the summer i turned pretty usually share three DNA markers. First, there’s the "Intergenerational Trauma-Lite." You have the moms—Susannah and Laurel—whose friendship is arguably more interesting than the kids' romances. Second, the setting is a character. Whether it’s a creek, a beach, or a small town in Georgia, the location feels like a warm hug. Third, the stakes feel life-or-death even though they are just about a prom or a first kiss. Because when you’re sixteen, they are life-or-death.
Honestly, a lot of people point to Dawson’s Creek as the blueprint. They aren’t wrong. Kevin Williamson’s late-90s hit captured that same "over-articulate teens in a coastal town" energy. If you haven't seen it, the love triangle between Joey, Dawson, and Pacey is the spiritual ancestor of Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. Pacey Witter basically walked so that the Fisher brothers could run.
My Life with the Walter Boys: The Netflix equivalent
If you finished season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty and felt a void, My Life with the Walter Boys is the most obvious rebound. It is Netflix’s direct answer to the "girl moves into a house full of boys" trope. Based on the Ali Novak novel, it follows Jackie, a New York girl who loses her family and moves to rural Colorado.
Is it high art? Not exactly. But it hits the beats. You have the brooding, "I have secrets" brother (Cole) and the reliable, "I’ll actually treat you well" brother (Alex). It swaps the beach for a ranch, which changes the aesthetic from "salty air" to "cozy flannel." The chemistry is there, though it feels a bit more "Wattpad" than Jenny Han’s more polished prose. Still, if you’re looking for tv shows like the summer i turned pretty, this is the closest structural match you'll find on streaming right now.
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The nostalgic heavyweight: One Tree Hill
We need to talk about One Tree Hill. For the first four seasons, it is the gold standard of teen angst. It has the sports element (basketball instead of volleyball), the complicated family dynamics, and a soundtrack that defined the early 2000s.
The triangle between Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke is legendary. It’s messy. It’s hurtful. It involves a lot of rain-soaked monologues. What makes it a great "Summer" alternative is the focus on the parents. Dan Scott is one of the greatest villains in TV history, and his shadow looms over his sons exactly like the expectations loom over Conrad and Jeremiah. It’s longer, it’s soapier, and it’s arguably much more dramatic, but the emotional core is identical.
Why the "Slow Burn" matters in this genre
Why do we obsess over these shows? It’s the slow burn. In a world of instant gratification, watching two characters almost kiss for three seasons is a form of emotional masochism we all seem to love.
Take Normal People. It’s a bit more adult, and definitely more "prestige," but the way it handles the passage of time is very similar to Belly’s journey. Marianne and Connell are constantly orbiting each other. You watch them age from high school through university. It’s heavier than The Summer I Turned Pretty, but if the part you liked best was the "we’ve known each other forever" history, Normal People is the masterclass in that specific feeling. It’s raw. It’s Irish. It’s heartbreaking.
Looking for the "Beach Vibe" without the brothers?
Sometimes you just want the aesthetic. If you’re less about the love triangle and more about the "teenagers having a summer that changes everything" vibe, Outer Banks is the chaotic cousin.
It’s much more of an action-adventure show—think The Goonies but everyone is a model—but the "Pogue" versus "Kook" dynamic captures that same class tension we occasionally see at the Cousins Beach country club. It’s high-octane. There are boats. There’s sunken treasure. But at its heart, it’s about a group of friends who only have each other. John B and Sarah Cameron have that "us against the world" energy that Conrad and Belly fans usually crave.
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Ginny & Georgia: The "Mom" Factor
We can't ignore the mothers. A huge part of the Summer appeal is the relationship between the parents. Ginny & Georgia takes this and turns it up to eleven.
It’s less "dreamy beach" and more "suburban noir." Georgia Miller is a mother who will literally do anything (including crime) to protect her kids. The tension between her and her daughter Ginny mirrors the complicated "growing up and realizing your parents are flawed people" arc that Belly goes through with Laurel. It’s funny, it’s dark, and it’s extremely bingeable. If you liked the Susannah/Laurel friendship, the Miller family dynamics will keep you hooked.
The "International" Summer: Heartstopper and XO, Kitty
If you want something lighter, Heartstopper on Netflix is the literal definition of "joy." It’s a British coming-of-age story that feels like a warm breeze. There is no toxicity here. It’s just pure, earnest discovery. While it lacks the "brooding brother" drama, it captures the "first love" magic perfectly.
Then there’s XO, Kitty. This is actually in the "Han-verse." It’s a spin-off of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, following Lara Jean’s younger sister to Korea. It’s vibrant. It’s fast-paced. It deals with a massive "who am I actually in love with?" mystery. It’s probably the most fun you can have with a teen show right now without feeling like you need a box of tissues nearby.
The psychological grip of the "First Love" trope
There is a reason we keep coming back to these stories. Psychologists often point to "reminiscence bump," a period between ages 15 and 25 where we form our most vivid memories. Everything feels bigger then. The music sounds better. The heartbreaks feel final.
TV shows like the summer i turned pretty function as a time machine. They allow adults to revisit that intensity without the actual stakes of being a teenager again. For actual teenagers watching, it’s a roadmap—or at least a very pretty fantasy of what life could look like.
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When searching for your next watch, look for these specific elements:
- A "fish out of water" protagonist.
- A long-standing history between characters (childhood friends are a must).
- A soundtrack that feels curated for a specific mood.
- High-stakes social events (debutante balls, proms, bonfire parties).
What to watch based on your "Summer" Team
If you are Team Conrad, you probably like the brooding, intellectual type. You should watch Looking for Alaska. It’s based on the John Green novel and deals with heavy themes of grief and mystery at a boarding school. It’s poetic and devastating.
If you are Team Jeremiah, you like the "golden retriever" energy. Try The O.C. Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood represent two different sides of that "boy next door" versus "troubled outsider" coin. It’s the ultimate 2000s beach drama. It’s witty, fast, and iconic.
If you are Team Belly, and you just want to see a girl find herself, Felicity is the answer. It’s an older show, but the central question—"Who do I want to be?"—is handled with such grace. Plus, the Keri Russell haircut controversy is a piece of TV history you need to know about.
Actionable Next Steps for your Binge-Watch
Don't just randomly click on titles. To get the most out of this genre, you have to set the scene. These shows are designed to be "vibes."
- Check the platform: Most of these are scattered. The Summer I Turned Pretty is Prime Video. My Life with the Walter Boys and Ginny & Georgia are Netflix. The O.C. and One Tree Hill often rotate between Max and Hulu.
- Start with "The Prototype": If you haven't seen Dawson’s Creek, start there. It explains everything about why teen dramas are the way they are today.
- Listen to the music: The creators of these shows spend millions on licensing. If you like a show, look up the "Official Playlist" on Spotify. It’s usually a great way to find new indie-pop artists.
- Read the source material: Most of these started as books. Jenny Han, Ali Novak, and Sarah Dessen (whose book Along for the Ride is also a great Netflix movie) are the queens of this genre. The books often have internal monologues that the shows can't quite capture.
The "Summer" genre isn't going anywhere. As long as there are teenagers feeling things for the first time, we'll have shows about beach houses, complicated brothers, and the perfect Taylor Swift bridge playing in the background.