Television series

Andi Mack

Name: Andi Mack
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Family
Released: 2017
Cast: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Lilan Bowden, Joshua Rush, Sofia Wylie, Asher Angel

Coming-of-age
Light-hearted

Andi Mack is a Disney Channel series about a 13-year-old navigating self-discovery after a family secret upends her carefully ordered life. It balances genuine emotional weight—family conflict, identity, first love—with warmth and humour, treating teenage anxieties as real without ever becoming maudlin. Aimed at young teens but genuinely watchable for adults who remember what that felt like.

TVMaze rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like gentle coming-of-age stories where the big feelings come from friendships and a close, messy family, played with a sitcom's easy warmth and a few real pangs.

Skip it if you find a bright, sweet tone wearing, or want something grittier and quicker; its pace is unhurried and it rarely undercuts its own sweetness.

What it asks of you: Short half-hour episodes that add up to 57 over three seasons, played at an easy, unhurried clip with a steady stream of small, everyday moments.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Summer I Turned Pretty2022

A similar coming-of-age ensemble where a girl's summer away forces identity questions and romantic feelings to the surface. Beautifully shot, character-driven, and unafraid of real emotional stakes beneath the swoony moments.

But It leans harder into romance and aesthetics than Andi Mack does, and if you're not invested in the love triangle, the pacing can feel slow.

Never Have I Ever2020

Devi's journey from grief-stricken to self-assured is messy, funny, and deeply felt. The writing is sharp, the ensemble is genuinely likeable, and it doesn't shy away from complicated family dynamics or real hurt.

But It's more cynical and sex-adjacent than Andi Mack, with sharper edges. If you want something gentler, this swings harder.

Atypical2017

A family comedy-drama about a teenager on the spectrum figuring out who he is beyond everyone's expectations. It's tender without being precious, and the family relationships feel lived-in and textured.

But The pacing is deliberately slow and contemplative. Some found the early seasons unfocused, and it asks patience from viewers.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Andi Mack

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Heartstopper2022

Both are contemporary coming-of-age stories where self-discovery is the real plot, and both trust that teenage emotions are as important as adult ones. The same warmth, different mirror.

A British coming-of-age series about two boys discovering they're in love with each other. It has the same DNA as Andi Mack—earnest, funny, genuinely invested in its characters' interior lives—but arrives from a different era and culture, making it fresh.

But It's sentimental in a way some find cloying. If you distrust sincerity or find twee aesthetics off-putting, the visual palette and tone won't work for you.

Anne with an E2017

A reimagining of Anne of Green Gables that keeps the heart of the original while deepening it—exploring trauma, identity, and belonging with real gravity. The production design is sumptuous and the performances are excellent.

But It's much darker than both the novel and Andi Mack, dealing with abuse and racism. The pacing is deliberate, and it was cancelled early, so closure is limited.

Ginny & Georgia2021

A mother-daughter story told with genuine complexity. The show balances comedy with real stakes—family secrets, identity, first relationships—and the cast has real chemistry and vulnerability.

But It's teen-coded in a broader, sassier way than Andi Mack. If you prefer subtlety, the tone can feel broad and sometimes the plot beats are obvious.

Outer Banks2020

A group of teenagers in search of a mystery becomes a story about loyalty, class, and finding where you belong. It's got adventure and heart, and the ensemble cast genuinely feels like a found family.

But It prioritizes plot momentum and spectacle over internal emotional work. The character beats sometimes get sacrificed for the next twist, which can feel shallow.

The Wilds2020

A smart, propulsive drama about teenagers stranded on an island, but really a story about identity, belonging, and what happens when girls are forced to rely on themselves. The cast is diverse and the writing is clever.

But It's significantly darker and more intense than Andi Mack, with violence and psychological manipulation as central elements. The mystery plot also divides viewers.

Kim's Convenience2016

A family sitcom that proves comedy and heart aren't opposites. It's about identity, generational conflict, and love without sentimentality. The writing is warm without being saccharine.

But It's quieter and less plot-driven than Andi Mack, which means it moves differently. Also only five seasons, so if you want to linger, you're done quickly.

Young Sheldon2017

A coming-of-age story about a 9-year-old genius navigating small-town Texas, family complications, and just trying to find his place. The tone is tender, the family dynamics are complex, and it earns its emotional moments.

But If you haven't watched The Big Bang Theory, some callbacks land softer. It also leans more episodic early on, which some find meandering.

PEN152019

Both centre on the particular loneliness of pre-teen and early-teen friendship, but Pen15 treats it with satire and sting where Andi Mack uses warmth. Same vulnerability, opposite registers.

A dark comedy about two middle-school friends in the 1990s navigating friendship, identity, and the arbitrary cruelty of being young. It's deeply funny and deeply felt, mining genuine pathos from the everyday embarrassments of adolescence.

But The humour is cruder and darker than Andi Mack, and it was cancelled after one season, leaving threads unresolved. The tone whiplashes between comedy and sting.

A Silent Voice: The Movie2016

Both ask whether you can outrun who you've been and whether people can grow. Both centre on characters learning that their self-understanding was limited and wrong. But A Silent Voice operates at operatic emotional scale where Andi Mack is intimate.

A Japanese animated film about a boy seeking redemption with the deaf girl he bullied years earlier. It's visually stunning and emotionally devastating, exploring shame, forgiveness, and the possibility of becoming different from who you were.

But It's a feature film, not a series, so very concentrated. It deals with attempted suicide and trauma in ways that are heavy and not softened. Requires genuine emotional stamina.