Set In Sherman Oaks, ‘Never Have I Ever’ Hits Number One On Netflix

SHERMAN OAKS, Cal. (Aug. 19, 2022) — Warm up the presses, Sherman Oaks Tootler: “Never Have I Ever” is number one on Netflix. A week after its third season premiere, the endearing series is holding its own as the most-watched show on the global streaming platform. Executive producer Mindy Kaling tweeted that it was watched for a collective 55 million hours over a three-day period.

“Never Have I Ever” follows Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a junior at the fictional Sherman Oaks High School. A straight-A student with a tight circle of friends and a much-contested love life, she is healing from the sudden loss of her father in season one. Narrated hilariously by tennis great John McEnroe, season three only deepens the show’s roots, firmly planting its place in the teen comedy canon.

As a streaming show, it’s only right that tremendous enthusiasm for the series stems from the internet; online fans have created two camps centered around Devi’s romantic prospects. A central love triangle finds Paxton (Darren Barnet), who is voted “most likely to succeed at hotness” in the senior yearbook, up against Devi’s longtime honors student rival Ben (Jaren Lewison). Though the series has always been careful to develop characters outside of their romantic relationships, this season takes a particularly heartfelt turn for the individual journeys of both Paxton and Ben. And whichever “team” you’re on, Barnet and Lewison continue to be perfect foils to Ramakrishnan, along with an excellent supporting cast including Lee Rodriguez, Ramona Young and season three standout Benjamin Norris.

Ten new episodes dropped Aug. 12, days after the cast's first in-person premiere event in Westwood. Because it first aired in 2020, the beloved comedy had never had a formal premiere due to the pandemic. The event’s turnout made it clear that the love for this story transcends its online community.

Despite its TikTok-crazed fan base and seamless nods to the current young adult culture, Devi’s story also harkens back to shows like “Felicity” and “Dawson’s Creek.” While these are often remembered for love triangle tropes, infamous haircuts and misunderstood crying scenes, they’re rarely acknowledged for delving deeper into the lives of teenagers, giving them credit for the difficulties they face in adolescence. The central message that always seems to be forgotten about popular “teen” shows is that friendship and family are at their core, focusing on who characters choose to spend their time with as they move through those challenges. “Never Have I Ever” has taken that WB-era tradition and run with it, adding healthy doses of updated humor, family dynamics and representation.

Unlike other more shallow young adult offerings, these writers take the time to develop the characters and respect the depth of their choices. The choices we all had to make at some point: where to go to college, when to have sex, how to move forward after loss. It offers a time machine, perspective and much-need laughter in a weary pandemic world.

The Universal Studios back lot stands in for Devi’s street in Sherman Oaks, where she lives with her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) and grandmother Nirmala (Ranjita Chakravarty). This is just one reason to love the series: three generations of Indian women under one roof, each with unique goals, senses of humor and hopes for the future.

Being set in the valley, the show gives occasional reference to the culture of growing up in Los Angeles. The Burbank “Pinewood” apartments make for a funny subplot for Kamala, and Ben dad’s job as an entertainment lawyer is good for many a punchline. A new love interest introduced this season attends a private school, offering even more fodder for the disparities in the lives of southern California high schoolers.

But Sherman Oaks could really be any of our neighborhoods, any of our experiences. (It is filmed at Universal, after all.) In addition to being funny and smart, “Never Have I Ever” takes the time to acknowledge the pain of adolescence: not in the typical ways, but in real ways. This was never quite perfected by those 1990s hits, which were at the mercy of Nielsen ratings and 22-episode orders. Kaling, showrunner Lang Fisher and a staff of talented writers address academic challenges, internet trolls, college applications. But they also seamlessly acknowledge grief, mental health and hard work. References to current high school culture make it relevant to today’s young audiences, but it also feels timeless. These kids actually care about their classes. They care about each other. And sure, they care what other people think about them, but this new season is all about growing out of that - a refreshing lesson for audiences of ever age.

The show will return for a fourth and final season, which has already been filmed. Netflix has not yet announced a release date for the concluding episodes. A major plot line in the third season finale revolves around Devi’s decision to either attend a prestigious prep school in Colorado, or to stay in Sherman Oaks to finish high school with her friends. Her therapist (played by Emmy nominee Niecy Nash) beautifully reminds her, and viewers, that dreams evolve.

So do television shows.