The 10 Best Shows Like The Fosters (& Where To Watch Them)
The Fosters was popular for many reasons but the driving force behind its popularity was its ability to tell authentically raw stories that aren't usually told on television or in the media. It truly set the bar high for Freeform shows and the network has yet to exceed the expectations that were set thanks to The Fosters.
And while the show is unmatched, there are several shows that offer similar themes and characters. Here is a list of shows similar to The Fosters and where you can find them.
10 Good Trouble
Not ready to say goodbye to everyone in the Adams-Foster family, the creative team created a spin-off for sister Calli (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramierez) titled Good Trouble. The series is set in the future where Callie and Mariana have both finished college and are ready to start their adult lives by moving to Los Angeles.
Unlike The Fosters, which is grounded in the family's lives and drama, Good Trouble focuses on the girl's professional careers, relationships, and friendships as they navigate the world as two young adults trying to figure out what to make of their lives.
Available on: Freefrom, Google Play, Hulu, Sling TV, and Youtube.
9 Parenthood
While Parenthood does not target the same Gen-Z and young adult audience, it is a must-see show if you miss The Fosters. Parenthood follows the Braverman family whose children have all reached adulthood and are grabbing with their own family successes and setbacks. Inspired by the 1989 film of the same name, the series brings the family into the 2010s with modern characters and storylines.
Like The Fosters, Parenthood never shied away from serious storylines and strived to be diverse on screen. In fact, one of the main characters of the series is a young boy who is diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in the first season. In addition, the series features storylines about divorce, finding out you're a parent to a young child, adoption, and, of course, the trials and tribulations that come with raising children.
Available on: Amazon, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Vudu, and Youtube.
8 Party Of Five
Unlike its '90s predecessor, the 2020 version of Party of Five centers on the Mexican-American Acosta family whose parents are abruptly deported after living in the United States for several decades. Without their parents to help them, eldest sibling Emilio (Brandon Larracuente) must step in to make sure his siblings stay together and strive.
Just like The Fosters, Party of Five deals with heavy subject material. In addition to showcasing the harsh realities of deportation and how it affects families, among other important topics like identity and other social politics.
Available on: Freeform, Sling TV, and Youtube.
7 Modern Family
One might think that Modern Family and The Fosters have nothing in common since one is a comedy and one is a teen drama but that's farthest from the truth. The series, which just wrapped its final season this year, follows the adult Pritchett siblings as they deal with their own families and interact with one another.
Available on: ABC, Hulu, iTunes, Vudu, and Youtube.
6 The OC
The OC was a modern teen soap opera that aired from 2003 to 2007. The series followed the lives of three families as their lives intertwine in Orange County, California. However, the series really focuses on the lives of the teenagers who all attended the wealthy high school in Newport Beach.
Similar to The Fosters, The OC focused on a troubled teen who is adopted by a loving and wealthy family. In addition, the series regularly commented on the differing in family values between the "perfect" Cohen family and the materialistic families who live in their neighborhood.
Available on: Amazon, HBO Max, iTunes, Vudu, and Youtube.
5 Switched At Birth
Airing alongside The Fosters for most of its run, Switched at Birth centered on the Kennish and Vasquez family who find out that their teenage daughters have been switched at birth. The series ran for 5 seasons and its premiere marked then ABC Family's highest-rated premiere ever.
The series was groundbreaking for its inclusive of deaf and hard-of-hearing cast members and storylines.
Available on: Freeform, iTunes, Sling TV, and Youtube.
4 This Is Us
NBC's critically acclaimed drama series This Is Us is not only an amazing show but its a great counterpart to people who miss The Fosters.
Similar to The Fosters, This Is Us deals heavily on the topics of adoption and challenges traditional family norms. In addition, the show deals with topics of mental health, weight-related issues, and the harsh realities that stem from losing a parent in your adolescents.
Available on: fubo TV, Hulu, NBC, Sling TV, and Youtube.
3 On My Block
On My Block is arguably one of their best series that cater to a young demographic. The series follows four best friends from the fictional Freeridge neighborhood located in the inner-city of Los Angeles. Together these teens must navigate the everyday lives of high school while also trying to survive in their neighborhood.
On My Block is similar to The Fosters in that it showcases a diverse group of teenagers who constantly disprove the stereotypes that are often thrown at them. In addition, it balances hard-hitting issues like gangs in the neighborhood with everyday high school struggles like who has a crush on who.
Available on: Netflix.
2 Degrassi: The Next Generation
The Candian teen drama series premiered back in 2001 and ran for an impressive 14 seasons.
Like The Fosters, the series dealt with real and sometimes hard issues that teenagers across the world were going through. From questioning sexual and gender identities and teenage relationships to drug use, teen pregnancies, suicide, and even school shootings there is nothing that Degrassi: The Next Generation didn't touch.
Available on: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Pluto TV, and Tubi.
1 One Tree Hill
Much like the Fosters set the bar high for Freeform, One Tree Hill set the bar high for teen dramas on the CW. The series followed a group of high school students from Tree Hill, North Carolina who was constantly dealing with some kind of issue with themselves and each other.
Like The Fosters, One Tree Hill dealt with complicated family dynamics thanks to the reality that two Tree Hill students are half brothers who hate each other. In addition, the show deals with drug abuse, abandonment, school shootings, and complicated teenage relationships.
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