10 Best TV Shows Like Off Campus

There's no shortage of great television, both new and old, to watch on streaming, but it has become increasingly rare for a brand-new series to attract a wide audience during its first season. However, the same cannot be said for some of the best TV shows based on books, which in the past few years have become some of the biggest and most talked-about series in the entire entertainment industry. 

Based on a series of books by Elle Kennedy, "Off Campus" on Prime Video follows two students at Briar University: Hannah (Ella Bright), a musician, and Garrett (Belmont Cameli), a hockey player. The two arrange a fake romance between them to make Hannah's crush jealous, in exchange for her tutoring the struggling student. As expected, real feelings begin to develop between Hannah and Garrett over the course of the first season — a familiar formula for fans of TV romance.

Whether it's a faithful adaptation of Sally Rooney's novels or a reinterpretation of classic literature, there aren't many shows that captured audiences as quickly and as easily as "Off Campus" has in recent months. If "Off Campus" surprised you with college-aged nostalgia, thrilling sports subplots, or slow-burn romance, there are plenty of other shows on TV that offer a similar comfort, such as these ten recommendations from recent history. 

If you're an avid TV watcher and you haven't yet heard of or seen "Heated Rivalry," then you must be living under a rock. Like "Off Campus," "Heated Rivalry" is based on a series of romance novels, specifically the "Game Changers" series by Rachel Reid. Spanning several years, the first season follows the enemies-to-lovers relationship between two hockey players: Japanese-Canadian star Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian NHL transfer Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). The series also takes a single-episode detour to follow another ice hockey player, Scott (François Arnaud), and his flirtation with a smoothie shop employee, Kip (Robbie G.K.).

Though it has obvious comparisons to "Off Campus," given the importance of ice hockey, the best moments from "Heated Rivalry" revolve around the dysfunctional, albeit sweet, on-and-off relationship between Shane and Ilya. Particularly in an era of TV where LGBTQ+ representation is on the decline, having a show that depicts a queer romance without over-glorifying it or trying to make it palatable for a potentially homophobic audience is truly remarkable. It's no wonder this series and "Off Campus" have broken records for HBO Max and Prime Video, respectively, given TV audiences are probably starved for authentic romance on their screens. 

"Love, Victor" is another landmark in queer TV, though its connections to a series of books are a little more indirect than "Off Campus." The 2018 film "Love, Simon," based on a book by Becky Albertalli, followed a closeted teenager who anonymously falls in love with a classmate online, and was groundbreaking for being the first major studio release centered on a teen gay romance. Spinning off from that, "Love, Victor" debuted on Hulu in 2020, existing in the same world as the film but following a different character: Michael Cimino's Victor Salazar, who begins corresponding with a now-college-aged Simon while struggling with his own sexuality. 

Though early reviews felt "Love, Victor" played it a little too safe as a feel-good sequel series, subsequent seasons garnered acclaim for their more mature themes and growing distance from the 2018 film. It nevertheless uses plenty of familiar teen romance tropes you might recognize from either "Love, Simon" or a John Hughes movie, but for three seasons, it provided some of the most smile-inducing comfort TV around. 

IIf the previous series on this list makes you clutch your heart in sheer adoration, "Normal People" is the first one that'll make you weep uncontrollably. Based on Sally Rooney's 2018 novel, "Normal People" follows two teenagers who weave in and out of each other's lives, starting with a secretive romance in secondary school and continuing on and off through their college years. Most notably, "Normal People" served as many viewers' introduction to two future stars: Paul Mescal, who plays the anxious Connell Waldron, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays social outcast Marianne Sheridan. 

Though its release during the COVID-19 pandemic may have greatly influenced its standing as one of the best drama series of 2020, the chemistry between Mescal and Edgar-Jones shines on screen, even as Connell and Marianne struggle to connect and be honest with one another. Aside from exploring the complicated, steamy romance between the two, the series also offers gripping examinations of class, mental health, and abuse. With only twelve episodes to its first and only season, "Normal People" surprisingly flies by in pace, giving you plenty of motivation to rewatch it for the feel-good moments, despite the very prevalent feel-bad moments throughout. 

It's a shame that "The Sex Lives of College Girls" was cancelled at HBO Max after its third season, given that it was one of the funniest and most unique shows on TV in recent years. The series centers on four freshman-year college roommates navigating their first real brushes with sexuality and romance: Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), an overachiever from a poor family; Leighton (Reneé Rapp), a wealthy lesbian; Bela (Amrit Kaur), a sex-positive aspiring comedian; and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), a star athlete. 

Though it's much more of an ensemble sitcom than a straightforward teen romance like "Off Campus," the college setting and relatable, modern take on dating make it an easy recommendation for fans of the Prime Video series. Sadly, the show suffers a decline in quality for its third season with the departure of Rapp, but watching the whole thing in one binge will make you wish it were the kind of show that lasts much, much longer. 

"The Summer I Turned Pretty" is a rare example of a book series adapted to television by the author herself, with Jenny Han turning her trilogy of novels released between 2009 and 2011 into a series for Prime Video, the same streaming service as "Off Campus." Lola Tung stars in the coming-of-age romance as Belly, a teenager who finds herself part of a love triangle with two brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), over the course of several summers. 

Though it's much more teen-friendly than some of the steamier shows on this list, like "Off Campus," "The Summer I Turned Pretty" still doesn't shy away from heavy subject matter and real emotional stakes. Thankfully, the third and final season isn't the end of the story either, as a "The Summer I Turned Pretty" movie is set at Prime Video. It may not make your heart race as much as "Off Campus," but you'll no doubt find yourself falling for Belly and rooting for her to make the right choice. 

"Tell Me Lies" is closer in raciness to the likes of "Normal People" than "Off Campus," given that it chronicles a relationship that's far more dysfunctional than adorable. However, the nuance and depth depicted in this Hulu series will probably feel like a breath of fresh air for "Off Campus" fans looking for something a little darker and more dramatic in a romance series. Over three seasons on the streamer, "Tell Me Lies" established itself as one of the best Hulu original series, albeit maybe not the easiest one to watch if you've ever been in a toxic relationship yourself. 

The series mainly follows Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten), a young college student whose on-and-off relationship with an older student, Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), results in both fraught emotions and turmoil over the next eight years of the characters' lives. Though some of this turmoil falls into familiar romance tropes (as you'd expect, given the series is once again based on a novel, this time by Carola Lovering), the performances — especially from Van Patten and White — are leagues above most romance shows on TV. 

"Sex Education" may tread into absurdist humor at times, but it also has some of the most relatable and realistic depictions of teen intimacy on television. The Netflix series debuted in 2019 and is set in a secondary school where Otis (Asa Butterfield), an awkward teenager and the son of noted sex therapist Jean (Gillian Anderson), is convinced by sardonic classmate Maeve (Emma Mackey) to start an illicit sex therapy clinic for their classmates. As the series goes on, it follows the sexual misadventures of many of Otis and Maeve's classmates, including the bubbly Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood), outgoing Eric (Ncuti Gatwa), and abrasive Adam (Connor Swindells). 

As an ensemble comedy, "Sex Education" somehow finds a way to keep all of its characters endearing and surprising, even as their choices are less than perfect. Even up to the "Sex Education" series finale, it doesn't give characters any easy answers in discovering who they are or where their futures are heading, which is maybe the most true-to-life aspect of any show we've covered thus far in this list. At the very least, "Sex Education" is the kind of show that'll make you laugh out loud about all the same things "Off Campus" tugs at your heartstrings with. 

Although Netflix's college comedy "Dear White People" certainly alludes to addressing serious topics surrounding race in its title alone, the content of the series itself is a lot more concerned with interpersonal dynamics than it is with making a black-and-white political statement. Adapted from the 2014 indie comedy film, "Dear White People" stars Logan Browning as Sam, a Black Ivy League student whose radio show and reputation are shaken when the Black student body discovers she's dating Gabe (John Patrick Amedori), a white teaching assistant. 

Playing out almost like an anthology, the series follows several POV characters and their roles in the lead-up to and aftermath of a party thrown by an all-white magazine group that directs racist rhetoric toward Black students. Over four seasons, "Dear White People" obviously covers a lot of extremely relevant territory, especially for a series that began airing in 2017, of all years. However, like "Off Campus," it feels incredibly true-to-life of what the college experience is for a lot of people in this day and age, and how the cultural climate can have severe impacts on our relationships and self-image.  

After several recommended shows covering the entire spectrum of human romance and modern university life, "Spinning Out" takes us back to the ice rink. The sports drama series, which premiered in 2020, stars Kaya Scodelario as Kat, a figure skater who suffers a breakdown after an injury sidelines her career. Although "Spinning Out" was cancelled at Netflix after only one season, that lone season offered a fascinating exploration of how competitive figure skating can be just as cutthroat as the skates its athletes lace up. 

In addition to its musings on mental health and the price of perfection, "Spinning Out" has a deeply beautiful love story at the center of it all as Kat must re-learn to skate in a pair with Justin (Evan Roderick), whose skating reputation is a lot slicker than his romantic reputation. Sadly, the romance ends on a somewhat sour note, given that the first season goes out on a cliffhanger. If only "Spinning Out" had been based on a popular romance novel, maybe it would've found the audience needed to warrant a second season. For now, though, "Off Campus" fans can at least enjoy some much-needed focus on figure skating instead of ice hockey for one underrated season of TV. 

Bonnie Garmus's 2022 novel "Lessons in Chemistry" is a bit different from most romance stories, given that its lead character spends much of it alone rather than with her love interest. However, it lent itself perfectly to adaptation with Apple TV+'s 2023 miniseries, starring Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant-but-underestimated chemist in the 1950s who is recruited by a television network to host a cooking show aimed at a predominantly female audience. 

Though as a period piece, "Lessons in Chemistry" covers subject matter such as gender equality, racial violence, and sexual assault, without a doubt, the standout part of the series is the romance between Zott and tortured researcher Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman). Whereas most TV miniseries based on books like "Lessons in Chemistry" lean into feel-good wish fulfillment, this series instead argues that it's more true-to-life to make do with what you have, whether that's societal pressure, grief, or unexpected romance in strange places.