Top TV Series Picks for Fans of Elle

Fans of the 2001 hit “Legally Blonde” might be divided over whether a prequel is necessary, but thanks to Amazon Prime Video, we’re getting one. Entitled “Elle,” this series is set six years before we meet the vivacious Elle Woods, famously portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, as a Harvard Law student. Showrunners Laura Kittrell and Caroline Dries navigate Elle’s earlier years at the fictional California University Los Angeles (CULA). In this prequel, viewers will see Elle, played by the outstanding newcomer Lexi Minetree, navigating life as a high school student in Seattle, setting the stage for her future as the beloved lawyer.

Spanning eight episodes, the first season of “Elle” might feel somewhat superfluous, yet it’s a delightful treat for those who can’t get enough of the magnetic Elle Woods. Plus, with comedic powerhouse June Diane Raphael stepping into the role of Elle’s mother, Eva, her stellar performance alone makes the series worth watching. Upon wrapping up this short season, fans may find themselves craving similar fare. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of five engaging comedy-dramas centered on the vibrant lives of teenage girls, reminiscent of Elle Woods. Here are the shows you should dive into after finishing “Elle.”

Imagine Elle Woods amidst a summer drama involving two brothers and a coastal estate – while that would be a spectacle, it’s not the focus of Amazon Prime Video’s series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Adapted from Jenny Han’s novel series, which she also helped bring to the screen, this series follows a transformative summer for Isabel “Belly” Conklin, portrayed by Lola Tung. Each summer, Belly revisits the picturesque Cousins Beach with her mother Laurel (Jackie Chung) at the home of Laurel’s best friend, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard). There, she shares an undeniable chemistry with Susannah’s sons, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), making for a spellbinding summer saga.

Though its premise might seem light-hearted, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” offers a heartfelt and compelling coming-of-age exploration, delving deep into Belly’s personal journey and challenges. As the show progresses to its third season, a now-mature Isabel embarks on a fresh chapter in Paris. But the question remains if any ties linger with the Fisher brothers. This captivating series promises an engaging ride, perfect for a binge-worthy watch.

For those who adore “Sex and the City” but seek a less daring narrative while intrigued by Carrie Bradshaw’s origins, “The Carrie Diaries” on The CW might be just the ticket. Much like “Elle,” this series unveils the earlier life of a cherished romantic character, brought to life by Sarah Jessica Parker in the iconic series and films. In “The Carrie Diaries,” the story travels back to Carrie’s teenage years, with AnnaSophia Robb embodying a 16-year-old aspiring author stuck in a small Connecticut town. Soon enough, fans can delight in knowing young Carrie is on the cusp of embarking on her future adventures in New York City.

As Carrie struggles with grief for her late mother — and her father Tom Matt Letscher) tries to deal with Carrie’s rebellious younger sister Dorrit (Stefania LaVie Owen) — Carrie takes one day off from school a week for a law firm internship in New York City, which she manages to parlay into a job at Interview Magazine under Larissa Loughlin (Freema Agyeman). Along the way, Carrie falls hard for her handsome high school cohort Sebastian Kydd (Austin Butler — yes, that Austin Butler), complicating her dreams for her future. “The Carrie Diaries” only ran for two short seasons and 26 episodes, but if you love “Elle” — and you’re a long-time “Sex and the City” fan — you’ll definitely want to add this to your watchlist.

Looking for a funny, irreverent teen show that features a totally fresh face trying to figure things out? Don’t sleep on “Never Have I Ever.” In Mindy Kaling’s cheeky, self-referential Netflix series — which she co-created with Lang Fisher — we first meet Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s Devi Vishwakumar when she’s 15-years-old and grappling with the sudden and horrible death of her beloved father Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy in flashbacks). After briefly losing the ability to walk thanks to her all-consuming grief, Devi works with her intrepid therapist Dr. Jamie Ryan (the incomparable Niecy Nash-Betts) to recover and develop some sense of normalcy again. Also, Devi is hellbent on losing her virginity so that everyone forgets about her temporary grief-induced paralysis, so there’s that.

Alongside her loyal and endearingly dorky best friends Eleanor Wong and Fabiola Torres (Ramona Young and Lee Rodriguez), Devi decides to completely change her image at her Sherman Oaks high school — and ends up in a love triangle with her academic rival Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison) and the school heartthrob Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet). Amidst all of this, Devi also tries to repair her tense relationship with her mother Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar (Poorna Jagannathan). Oh, and did we mention that, for literally no reason whatsoever, tennis pro and noted misanthrope John McEnroe provides all of the voice-over narration on the series … except for when Gigi Hadid and Andy Samberg take over for Paxton and Ben, respectively? What more could you possibly want?

Even though Amy Sherman-Palladino’s beloved drama series “Gilmore Girls” is technically a two-hander that splits its narrative between young mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her precocious teen daughter Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), the parts that do focus on Rory’s teen years definitely feel like they match up with “Elle” — especially because both shows depict young women with significant intellect. When “Gilmore Girls” kicks things off, Lorelai and Rory are thrilled to learn that Rory has been accepted to study at the prestigious Chilton Academy for the rest of high school; unfortunately, Lorelai, who works at a local inn, doesn’t have the money to cover the hefty tuition. After making a deal with her wealthy and judgmental parents Emily and Richard Gilmore (Kelly Bishop and the late, great Edward Herrmann) to spend Friday night dinners together as a foursome, Rory is able to attend Chilton thanks to their generosity, and Lorelai is begrudgingly reunited with her estranged family.

Across seven seasons and a revival, “Gilmore Girls” gives us an in-depth look at Rory’s struggles, victories, and perhaps most importantly, her love life — giving her three significant boyfriends who affect her life in various ways throughout the entire story. “Elle” might feature a woman from a significantly wealthy and privileged background, but at the end of the day, Elle Woods and Rory Gilmore have a lot in common … and since she’s a noted cinephile, it feels reasonable to say that Rory probably loves “Legally Blonde.”

Very loosely based on the best-selling young adult novel series by the sharp satirist Cecily von Ziegesar, the deliciously campy and wild teen drama “Gossip Girl” began its run on the CW in 2007 and began its story right as teen socialite Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) returns to Manhattan’s Upper East Side after a strange and conspicuous absence. As Serena’s friends — queen bee Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Blair’s lifelong boyfriend Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), and bad boy Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) — try to figure out what happened and why she’s back, her longtime admirer Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) watches from afar, as does his social-climbing younger sister Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen). (By “afar,” we mean the borough of Brooklyn, by the by.)

Serena’s reappearance in New York, though, is just the tip of the “Gossip Girl” iceberg. This show goes extremely off the rails in the best possible ways across its six seasons, whether Blair is marrying a prince, Serena gets a random job working for director David O. Russell, or Chuck is buying a hotel. (Dan also gets published in The New Yorker as a teenager, which might be the most unrealistic thing listed here.) Still, “Gossip Girl” is a total classic, and it feels reasonable to say that Blair, always armed with quips and bon mots to take down her enemies, would either befriend or spar with someone like a teenaged Elle Woods. Whatever you do, though, don’t bother with the spin-off series; it’s utterly lifeless compared to the wonderfully bonkers original, a show where Billy Baldwin shows up (and does what can only be described as an imitation of his brother Alec’s performance on “30 Rock”) as Serena’s wayward father.

“Elle” is streaming on Amazon Prime Video now.