TV shows set in universities are surprisingly hard to come by. Given how many people describe university as the best time of their lives, it seems like the perfect setting for both dramas and comedies about young people. Yet writers tend to make their characters school age or in their mid-20s. There are a few gems out there though, so whether you want to prepare yourself for uni, see characters with similar experiences to you, or even relive your glory days, here are some of the best TV shows set in universities (and a few sixth-form gems too).
Fresh Meat
A classic university sitcom, Fresh Meat follows a group of undergraduates sharing a house in Manchester. Its four seasons are full of laughs and relatable moments like trying to bluff a seminar without doing the reading, and the awkwardness of housemates sleeping together. The shows stars Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners), Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts), and Jack Whitehall in a mismatched group of very different personalities thrown together by fate (and the university’s housing department).
Peep Show fans should definitely give Fresh Meat a watch since both were created by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, who were inspired by the 1980s show The Young Ones. Fresh Meat is however, very much its own show that makes for a great watch, uni student or not.
Community
If you’re looking for an American sitcom about college, you can’t beat Community. Set in a poor-performing Community College in Colorado, there’s a reason Community has such a dedicated fan-base. The over-the-top meta humour was ahead of its time in 2009 and helped shape the sitcom landscape today.
Notable for launching the careers of stars like Alison Brie, Joel McHale, and even Donald Glover, Community is genuinely one of the funniest shows on TV. Production disputes mean that the fourth season was not as great as the other five, but the whole show is both hilarious and smart. If you like shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development, or Bojack Horseman, Community is a must-watch.
The Inbetweeners
Given the mark it has made on British culture, it’s hard to believe there are only 18 episodes of The Inbetweeners (and the two films). The iconic sitcom followers four friends through their time in sixth-form and is a breath of fresh-air compared to the glossy American shows about High School that fill our TVs. Let’s be real, most of us can relate to The Inbetweeners more than Euphoria.
If somehow you haven’t watched The Inbetweeners yet, you’ll be cringing as much as laughing. Every single episode is an absolute classic, and so many iconic memes have been birthed from the show. Don’t be a ‘bus wanker’ and just watch it!
Skins
If you’re looking for something more glamorous and dramatic, Skins is the way to go (the original UK version, obviously). The show follows a group of sixth-formers in Bristol in the mid-2000s dealing with problems like addiction, mental illness, sex, and bullying. At times it can glamourise these serious topics, so proceed with cautions, but if you love teen dramas, Skins is one of Britain’s best.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer succeeded where many High School dramas fail by managing to pull off the characters’ transition to university. The iconic ’90s show sees Buffy and her friends fight off the demons, monsters, and, of course, vampires that plague their small Californian town. Aside from the supernatural aspect, the characters deal with a lot of normal problems faced by young adults like dating, academic pressure, grief, and discovering their sexuality (which was revolutionary at the time).
Brideshead Revisited
Set between the 1920s and 1940s, Brideshead Revisited follows the lives of Charles and Sebastian, two friends who met while studying at Oxford. While Brideshead is definitely less relatable than the other shows on this list, it’s a great way to see what university life was like a century ago (a lot of things have changed but the drinking certainly hasn’t).
A lot of the show is set after Charles and Sebastian have graduated, and is a great look at how friendships strain and evolve after university. If you love watch dark academia TikToks and daydreaming about one day having a huge library full of classic literature, Brideshead Revisited is the show for you!