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| Shows Like On My Block You Must Watch. |
If On My Block worked for you because it threw friendship, romance, family problems, school drama and a suspicious amount of trouble into the same neighbourhood, there is plenty more television waiting in the wings. Netflix's coming-of-age series follows Monse, Cesar, Ruby and Jamal as their friendship is tested by complicated relationships, family expectations and the realities of growing up in Freeridge.
The appeal is not simply the teenage setting; it is the way the series lets its characters be funny, messy, loyal, impulsive and occasionally spectacularly bad at making sensible decisions. The 20 shows below take different routes to a similar destination, covering everything from school friendships and first relationships to mysteries, rivalries and secrets that refuse to stay buried. Some are lighter, some considerably darker, and a few prove that teenagers apparently have far more complicated lives than most adults.
Shows Like ON MY BLOCK
1. Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)
Freaks and Geeks is an obvious recommendation for anyone who liked the friendship at the heart of On My Block. The story follows siblings Lindsay and Sam Weir as they navigate school, awkward friendships, changing social circles and the strange business of trying to figure out who you are. The show is much quieter than On My Block, but the emotional territory is remarkably familiar. Characters are imperfect, relationships change constantly and nobody seems to have received the handbook explaining how adolescence is supposed to work. It also has the small advantage of featuring a ridiculous number of actors who later became household names, making every episode feel like an unexpected celebrity time capsule.
2. Skins (2007–2013)
For viewers who want the teenage chaos turned several notches higher, Skins is an easy next stop. The British drama follows different groups of teenagers dealing with relationships, friendship, family problems, identity and the consequences of their decisions. Like On My Block, it gives its characters plenty of personality instead of making them feel like interchangeable school pupils. The major difference is tone: Skins is considerably more raw and often much heavier, while On My Block balances serious moments with humour. Both, however, understand that teenage friendships can be wonderfully loyal one minute and completely disastrous the next.
3. My So-Called Life (1994–1995)
My So-Called Life takes a more intimate approach to teenage life, following Angela Chase as she deals with friendships, romance, family tensions and the social pressures surrounding high school. There is no sprawling mystery pulling everyone into increasingly bizarre situations, but the emotional core has plenty in common with On My Block. Angela is trying to understand herself while simultaneously trying to understand everyone around her, which is basically adolescence in one sentence. The series also captures the awkwardness of teenage relationships without making every interaction look suspiciously polished. And yes, a young Jared Leto appears, because apparently the 1990s had already decided to leave us plenty of surprises.
4. Stranger Things (2016–2025)
Stranger Things takes the close-knit teenage friendship formula and drops it into supernatural territory. A group of young friends find themselves caught up in mysteries far beyond the usual school drama, while friendships, family relationships and first romances continue developing in the background. That combination makes it surprisingly compatible with On My Block. Both series rely heavily on a tight group of young characters who face problems together, joke through stressful situations and repeatedly find themselves in circumstances that would make any responsible adult reach for a chair. The supernatural element obviously sets Stranger Things apart, but its heart remains firmly rooted in friendship.
5. 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020)
13 Reasons Why is considerably heavier in subject matter, but it shares On My Block's interest in how relationships and secrets can affect an entire school community. The story begins with Clay Jensen receiving a collection of recordings left behind by Hannah Baker, sending him into an investigation involving their classmates and the events surrounding her life. The series gradually expands beyond one character's perspective to explore the complicated relationships between students. If you liked the mystery surrounding On My Block alongside its teenage drama, this series offers another story where the past keeps resurfacing and nobody's version of events is quite as simple as it first appears.
6. Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
Boy Meets World is the considerably more cheerful cousin in this collection. Cory Matthews grows from an ordinary schoolboy into a young adult while dealing with friendship, romance, family expectations and the general confusion of growing up. His friendship with Shawn Hunter is particularly relevant for On My Block viewers because the relationship between the two boys sits at the centre of much of the story. The stakes are usually much smaller, but the emotional themes are familiar. School friendships change, romances become complicated and adults keep offering advice that teenagers are not necessarily interested in hearing. Shocking, really.
7. Everything Sucks! (2018)
Set in a 1990s high school, Everything Sucks! follows students involved in the audiovisual and drama clubs as they navigate friendships, romance and the usual teenage identity crisis. Its biggest connection to On My Block is the emphasis on a group of young outsiders trying to find their place while relationships constantly shift around them. The series also understands the comedy of teenage embarrassment particularly well. Nobody behaves quite as coolly as they imagine they do, which is probably the most accurate thing about high school television. It lasted only one season, but that short run still makes it an appealing choice for anyone after another character-driven teen comedy-drama.
8. Greenhouse Academy (2017–2020)
Greenhouse Academy mixes teenage drama with a larger mystery, making it particularly suitable for viewers who enjoyed the way On My Block gradually expands beyond school and relationships. Siblings Hayley and Alex enrol at an elite boarding school following the death of their astronaut mother and soon find themselves involved with rival student groups, friendships and a much bigger mystery. Like On My Block, the school setting is only one part of the story. Romance, rivalry and secrets all compete for attention, while the young characters repeatedly end up investigating things that adults probably should have handled themselves.
9. Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006)
If Jamal's unpredictable energy was one of your favourite parts of On My Block, Malcolm in the Middle deserves a place on the list. Malcolm is a gifted teenager surrounded by an equally chaotic family, including his brothers Francis, Reese and Dewey, along with parents Lois and Hal. The series is primarily a sitcom rather than a drama, but its teenage perspective and dysfunctional family dynamics make it an entertaining companion. Instead of dealing with neighbourhood mysteries, Malcolm is generally fighting his way through school, family arguments and his brothers' latest scheme. The problems may be different, but the general principle remains: things rarely go according to plan.
10. Glee (2009–2015)
Glee follows students at William McKinley High as they join the school's struggling show choir while dealing with romance, friendship, popularity and family issues. It shares On My Block's ensemble approach, with multiple characters receiving their own storylines and relationships constantly changing throughout the series.
The big difference is that Glee solves emotional problems with musical numbers, whereas On My Block tends to have its characters talk, argue, investigate and occasionally make matters much worse. Still, both shows understand that high school is essentially a social ecosystem where one relationship can change the entire group dynamic overnight.
11. Atypical (2017–2021)
Atypical centres on Sam Gardner, an autistic teenager who is becoming increasingly independent while navigating dating, school, family relationships and adulthood. The series shares On My Block's interest in young people figuring out relationships while their families struggle to adjust to their changing lives.
Sam's story is more personal and family-focused, but the coming-of-age structure creates plenty of overlap. His sister Casey also has her own school and relationship storylines, giving the series a wider teenage perspective. It is less concerned with mystery and adventure than On My Block, but its focus on growing up while everyone around you is also changing makes it a natural companion.
12. Marvel's Runaways (2017–2019)
Six teenagers discover that their wealthy parents are hiding a major secret and realise that their own families may not be what they thought. Naturally, the reasonable response is to investigate everything and run away.
Marvel's Runaways combines teenage relationships and friendship drama with superhero mythology, giving it a much larger plot than On My Block. The similarities are strongest in the group dynamic: former friends reconnect, secrets come to light and everyone has to decide who they can trust. There is also a dinosaur, because apparently six teenagers, mysterious parents and superpowers were not enough complications.
13. Degrassi: Next Class (2016–2017)
Degrassi: Next Class returns to Degrassi Community School with a new generation of teenagers dealing with relationships, family pressures, social media, identity and the many problems that come with growing up. Like On My Block, it uses a large ensemble rather than relying on one central character.
Different students get their own storylines, allowing the series to explore several aspects of teenage life at once. The tone is generally more grounded, but the social pressures and friendship problems will feel familiar. If what you enjoyed most about On My Block was seeing several teenagers deal with completely different problems while remaining connected, this one fits neatly into the same viewing queue.
14. Outer Banks (2020–2026)
Outer Banks is probably one of the closest modern alternatives to On My Block if you want friendship, romance, secrets and an escalating adventure. A group of teenagers on North Carolina's Outer Banks become involved in a mystery surrounding a valuable treasure while dealing with family conflicts and social divisions.
The characters' backgrounds and circumstances differ from those in On My Block, but the structure feels familiar: a close group of young friends gets pulled into something much bigger than school life. Romance complicates the friendships, family issues create additional obstacles and every discovery seems to produce another problem. At least homework is not the biggest concern anymore.
15. All American (2018–2024)
All American follows Spencer James, a talented young American football player whose life changes when he moves from South Los Angeles to attend Beverly Hills High. The series combines school, sport, friendship, romance and family drama, while also examining differences between communities and social backgrounds.
That gives it a strong connection to On My Block, particularly in its depiction of teenagers moving between different environments and trying to balance personal ambitions with family expectations. The show gradually expands its ensemble, giving supporting characters their own relationships and problems. It is more sports-focused, but the coming-of-age element remains central throughout.
16. The Society (2019)
The Society takes the teenage ensemble formula and gives it a rather inconvenient problem: the adults have disappeared. Students from a wealthy Connecticut town return from a school trip to discover that their town is mysteriously cut off from the outside world.
What follows is a mixture of friendship, romance, rivalries, leadership struggles and mystery. Like On My Block, the series works because the characters have to deal with major problems while still behaving like teenagers. The setting may be dramatically different, but the combination of young characters, shifting friendships and a mystery that keeps getting bigger makes the two shows surprisingly compatible.
17. Never Have I Ever (2020–2023)
Never Have I Ever follows Devi Vishwakumar as she attempts to survive high school while dealing with friendships, romance, family expectations and grief. The series has a much lighter tone than some entries here, but its central appeal is similar to On My Block: teenagers make questionable decisions while trying desperately to understand themselves and everyone around them.
Devi's friendships frequently become complicated by romantic feelings, misunderstandings and competing loyalties. The family storyline also gives the show more emotional depth than a straightforward school comedy. It is funny, awkward and occasionally painful in the way only a teenage decision made with complete confidence can be.
18. Cruel Summer (2021–2023)
Cruel Summer takes the familiar high-school drama and turns it into a mystery told across different periods. The story follows Kate Wallis and Jeanette Turner as their lives become increasingly connected through a series of events that change how everyone sees them.
Like On My Block, the series uses secrets and changing perspectives to keep its characters moving through complicated situations. Friendship, romance and social reputation all become important parts of the story. The structure is darker and more mystery-driven, but viewers who enjoyed trying to work out what was really happening beneath the surface of On My Block should find plenty to chew on here.
19. One of Us Is Lying (2021–2022)
Five students walk into detention, but only four leave alive. That premise immediately pushes One of Us Is Lying into mystery territory, yet the series remains firmly rooted in teenage friendships, relationships and school politics. The surviving students become suspects and are forced to investigate what happened while discovering that almost everyone around them has something to hide.
Like On My Block, it relies on an ensemble of very different teenagers whose personal lives gradually become connected. The mystery is obviously more central here, but the mixture of romance, friendship, secrets and school drama makes it an easy recommendation for viewers who enjoy teenage stories with an extra layer of intrigue.
20. All Night (2018)
All Night takes place during one long graduation-night party where a group of teenagers try to make the most of their final hours together before heading into adulthood. The series explores friendships, romance, old grudges and the uncertainty that comes with leaving school behind.
It has the same ensemble-driven spirit found in On My Block, particularly in the way different characters bring their own problems into a shared environment. There is no elaborate neighbourhood mystery here, but there is plenty of teenage decision-making, which can be its own form of chaos. It is a useful choice if you want something shorter and more focused on relationships rather than a sprawling storyline.
My take is that the biggest reason On My Block remains such an easy show to recommend is not any single plot element. It is the combination. You get four friends with completely different personalities, complicated families, romance that refuses to stay simple, school problems and a larger mystery constantly pulling them into situations they probably should avoid.
That mixture gives the series a rhythm that many teen dramas struggle to recreate. Freaks and Geeks captures the awkward friendships, Skins goes darker, Outer Banks leans harder into adventure, while Never Have I Ever focuses more closely on romance and family.
Stranger Things takes the friendship formula into supernatural territory, and All American swaps mystery for sport and social pressures. So if what you really want is another series where teenagers somehow manage to turn ordinary growing pains into an entire saga, there are plenty of options here. The only difficult part is deciding which group of fictional teenagers you want to worry about next. Which one would you put at the top of your watchlist