10 best shows to catch if you liked Geek Girl on Netflix

Geek Girl, a British-Canadian comedy drama series, recently arrived on Netflix. It is based on Holly Smale's 2013 novel of the same name, with Declan O'Dwyer at the helm as the director.

Geek Girl premiered with 10 30-minute episodes on May 30, 2024. The show has received widespread acclaim from critics as well as the audience. The cast features Emily Carey, Emmanuel Imani, Liam Woodrum, Tim Downie, and others in pivotal roles.

Geek Girl revolves around Harriet Manners, a neurodivergent and socially awkward teenager who unexpectedly becomes a model. However, the fashion industry is a challenging place and Harriet has to balance it while navigating through high school, which is already a gargantuan task by itself. The show delves into themes of self-discovery, growth, and acceptance.

Insatiable, Never Have I Ever, and 8 more shows to watch if you loved Geek Girl

1) Insatiable

Insatiable is a dark comedy drama series from the house of Netflix. Created by Lauren Gussis, the series has its roots in an article written by Jeff Chu for The New York Times Magazine in 2014, The Pageant King of Alabama. The series streamed two seasons between 2018 and 2019, before getting cancelled.

The cast featured Debby Ryan, Dallas Roberts, Christopher Gorham, Kimmy Shields, and others in pivotal roles. While the show received flak from critics for its edgy social commentary and unsuccessful attempt at wokeism, Insatiable received a positive response from the audience.

While they are not cut out of the same cloth, both shows, Geek Girl and Insatiable, focus on the fashion industry. While Geek Girl has a teenage protagonist who accidentally enters the world of fashion, Insatiable revolves around a teenage-turned-adult who enters the fashion industry for revenge. However, both titles explore themes of self-identity and societal expectations.

2) We Are Lady Parts

We Are Lady Parts is a British-origin music-themed sitcom originally from the house of Channel 4, and streaming on Peacock in the US. The series is a Nida Manzoor brainchild, as she created, wrote, and directed it. After premiering in 2018 with a pilot episode, the series has aired two seasons since 2021.

The cast features Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, Faith Omole, Juliette Motamed, Lucie Shorthouse, and others in pivotal roles. The series received widespread praise for a progressive storyline as well as its humor, with Manzoor receiving the Rose d'Or.

While We Are Lady Parts does not revolve around the fashion industry, it focuses on a group of all-Muslim women's punk band trying to make it big in the music scene. Similar to Geek Girl, the show explores themes of self-identity, friendship, and challenging social stereotypes.

3) Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever is a coming-of-age comedy drama series from the house of Netflix. Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, the series arrived on the streaming platform in 2020 and streamed four seasons before concluding in 2023.

The cast features Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Darren Barnet, Richa Moorjani, Jaren Lewinson, Lee Rodriguez, and John McEnroe among others in pivotal roles.

Both Geek Girl and Never Have I Ever are set in the chaotic background of high school, and have a nervous teenager navigating her life through tumultuous times. Although portrayed through different socio-cultural backgrounds, both shows somehow evoke similar feelings of self-discovery in the audience.

4) XO, Kitty

XO, Kitty is an American comedy drama from the house of Netflix. A spin-off of the To All the Boys film series, XO, Kitty is created by Jenny Han, the author of the young-adult romance novel trilogy of the same name that inspired the franchise.

The series cast Anna Cathcart, Choi Minyeong, Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Anthony Keyvan, and others in pivotal roles. The series premiered in 2023 with a 10-episode season and is currently greenlit for a second season.

If you're all about young-adult drama, then you will feel right at home with XO, Kitty.

5) As We See It

As We See It is a comedy drama series from the house of Prime Video. Jason Katims developed the project with inspiration from the 2018 Israeli series, On the Spectrum, by Dana Idisis and Yuval Shafferman.

The show stars Rick Glassman, Sue Ann Pien, Albert Rutecki, Chris Pang, Sosie Bacon, and others in pivotal roles. Although being a critics' favorite, As We See It was eventually cancelled after just one season for its low viewership.

Both Geek Girl and As We See It feature neurodivergent protagonists in a challenging setting of their own. And just like every other title on this list, As We See It also explores themes of self-discovery and social acceptance.

6) Ugly Betty

Ugly Betty is a romantic comedy drama show from the house of ABC. Silvio Horta developed the series for the TV, taking inspiration from Fernando Gaitán's late 90s telenovela, Yo soy Betty, la fea. Premiering in 2006, the series aired four seasons till 2010.

The show starred America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, Tony Plana, Alan Dale, Ana Ortiz, Becki Newton, Michael Urie, and others in pivotal roles. Although Ugly Betty got cancelled for low ratings towards the end, the show has gained a cult following since and is considered among the iconic shows of the 2000s.

Similar to Geek Girl, Ugly Betty also dives into the fashion industry and its nuances. In both shows, the protagonists go against social norms and prejudices to discover themselves anew.

7) Emily in Paris

Emily in Paris is a rom-com drama from the house of Netflix. Developed by Darren Star, the series premiered on Netflix in 2020 and has since streamed three seasons with a fourth season set to arrive in two five-episode parts in August and September 2024.

The series stars Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Samuel Arnold, Lucas Bravo, Camille Razat and others in pivotal roles.

Both Emily in Paris and Geek Girl throws their protagonists in high-stake situations they are not ready for. While one focuses on adult life, the other one focuses on teenage years, but both women move out of their comfort zone in their quest for growth.

8) Heartbreak High

Heartbreak High is an Australian teenage drama series from the house of Netflix. The series is a revamped version of Ben Gannon and Michael Jenkins' 90s teen drama series of the same name. Since premiering in 2022, the series has streamed two seasons with a third and final season currently under the works.

The cast features Ayesha Madon, Thomas Weatherall, Bryn Chapman Parish, Asher Yasbincek, Chloé Hayden and James Majoos among others in pivotal roles. Heartbreak High was a critical and commercial success, even receiving numerous accolades.

While both Geek Girl and Heartbreak High are set in the highschool background, they deal with mostly different themes.

Geek Girl delves into themes of self-discovery, whereas Heartbreak High makes a harsher social commentary and explores themes of discrimination, substance abuse, and similar problems.

9) Girlboss

Girlboss is a comedy series from the house of Netflix. Kay Cannon created the show, basing it on Sophia Amoruso's 2014 autobiography, #Girlboss.

The show dropped on Netflix in 2017 with a 13-episode season. But it was cancelled after just the one season for not being able to pull an audience.

The series starred Britt Robertson, Ellie Reed, Johhny Simmons, and Alphonso McAuley, among others in pivotal roles. While Girlboss may not have been a huge success, it still finds itself on this list for its similarity to Geek Girl.

Both shows feature a strong female protagonist who goes against all odds to become the best versions of themselves.

10) Heartstopper

Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age rom-com drama from the house of Netflix. Created by Alice Oseman and directed by Euros Lyn, the show is based on Oseman's very own graphic novel of the same name. Since premiering in 2022, the show has already streamed two seasons, with a third season set to release on October 3, 2024.

The cast features Joe Locke, Kit Connor, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Tobie Donovan and others in pivotal roles. Heartstopper received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences for its portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ community.

While Geek Girl focuses on the neurodivergent community, Heartstopper focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community. Although revolving around two very distinct communities, both shows portray the challenges that each group may have to face in the society to achieve success, be it romantic or work-related.

These were our picks of shows that we think would be right up your alley since you loved Geek Girl on Netflix. Incidentally, most of these titles are already on Netflix, so you can add them to your watchlist and binge one show after the other.

Edited by Prem Deshpande