Netflix’s New ‘Gilmore Girls Meets Off Campus’ Series Could Be Better Than Both

Image via Netflix Published Sep 9, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year. With a passion for all things books, Liz frequently attends Toronto literary events and conferences, and loves interacting with her book lover community. In addition to being an avid reader of the romance and thriller genres, Liz is a writer of several short stories, and is currently at work on a young adult witch novel. When she's not working, reading, or writing, Liz can be found seeing movies at her local cinema, attending live jazz events, or curling up on the couch to binge her favorite TV shows. You can reach her at liz.h@screenrant.com. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Fans of Gilmore Girls are constantly searching for a similar show with even a fraction of Lorelai and Rory's magic, while audiences who binged Prime Video's recent Off Campus are looking for their next young adult drama fix, and Netflix has an upcoming series that might surpass both. When Gilmore Girls premiered in 2000, it set the gold standard for female-driven, YA dramedy series, balancing its themes of mother-daughter relationships, fractured families, first romances, and economic and academic privilege with an unmatched signature wit. It's unlikely that any new teen show will come close to achieving Gilmore Girls' icon status, but the fact that Off Campus continues to stand out in an oversaturated landscape speaks volumes. The steamy college hockey romance series based on Elle Kennedy's book series of the same name premiered on May 13, 2026, and is still ranking amongst Prime Video's top 10 most-watched shows worldwide nearly four months later (via FlixPatrol). Prime Video seemingly knew they had a hit on their hands, as the streaming platform renewed Off Campus for season 2 before it even premiered. While Prime Video is hard at work filling its teen drama catalog with Off Campus and other new popular shows, Netflix has a few vacancies. Stranger Things, which is not only the streaming giant's biggest young adult show but its biggest show ever, concluded at the end of 2025, while Outer Banks aired its fifth and final season last month. While Wednesday season 3 has yet to announce a premiere date, and My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 came and went with little fanfare in August, Crew Girl has the potential to become Netflix's next big teen drama when it premieres on September 10, 2026. Crew Girl Is A Series Contender Against Prime Video's Teen Drama Dominance Image via Netflix Unlike My Life with the Walter Boys and Wednesday, Netflix's Crew Girl is not based on a beloved book or famous IP. An original series created by Vivian Lin, Crew Girl centers on Teagan Tao (Miku Martineau), a talented 16-year-old rower from Los Angeles whose entire life is upended when her father gets into serious legal hot water. Teagan and her mother, Ella (Jessica Paré), have no choice but to return to Ella's deceased parents' home on the East Coast. There, Teagan attends the elite Easton Prep, where she is devastated to learn that there is no girls' crew team. With no other options, Teagan joins the boys' team as their new coxswain, becoming the ultimate fish-out-of-water at the most precarious time in her life. With 2026 seeing the premiere of not only Off Campus but also Sterling Point, Every Year After, and Elle, Prime Video has solidified its reputation as the best streaming platform for teen drama television. However, by leaning into its Gilmore Girls elements, Crew Girl could give the Amazon streamer a run for its money. Off Campus, Sterling Point, Every Year After, and Elle have all been renewed for a second season. Those who fell in love with Gilmore Girls' fall foliage will take immediate comfort in the autumnal East Coast setting of Crew Girl. The Canadian teen sports drama also puts its protagonist in a similar position to Rory at the start of Gilmore Girls​​​​​​. Just like how Rory first struggled at Chilton, Teagan doesn't have an easy time at Easton, squeaking onto a crew team that doesn't want her there and quickly becoming the nemesis of popular queen bee Britney Garner (Sage Linder). The only difference is that Teagan doesn't have rich grandparents providing a cushy safety net. What Crew Girl Must Do To Beat Off Campus Image via Netflix Don't let the title fool you; Teagan may be the central focus of Crew Girl, but its ensemble cast is just as important. In the show, Teagan goes from a sculler to a coxswain, meaning she has to be a team player like never before. Her eight teammates on Easton's rowing team are crucial to the story both in and out of the boat, whether it's the arrogant, old-money-rich crew captain Josh Regis (Sam Braun) or the hardworking scholarship townie, Cam Dillinger (Kyle Clark) — and yes, there will be a love triangle with Teagan. In contrast, Off Campus follows a Bridgerton-style anthology format with each season set to revolve around a central romance while other subplots play out in the background. Neither approach is necessarily better, but Off Campus's is riskier because it hinges on audiences connecting with each season's core couple. That shouldn't be a problem with fan favorites Allie (Mika Abdalla) and Dean (Stephen Kalyn) in season 2, but there are no guarantees in future installments. Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE Meanwhile, as long as Crew Girl's ensemble cast can, to borrow a rowing term, find its swing, the show will be a hit and set itself up for more successful seasons to come. If the trailer is any indication, Crew Girl will be a perfect blend of complex team dynamics and heartfelt teen romance. With Off Campus currently holding the crown for most beloved YA streaming series, it's the fuel Crew Girl needs to win. Release Date September 10, 2026 Network Netflix Series Crew Girl Episodes 8