It turns out movie stars are not the only ones who benefited from moving to television. Genres, too, can improve when adapted for the small screen. And if you miss the romantic college comedies that flooded theaters in the 1990s and shortly afterward, before being swallowed by the black hole of sequels and cinematic universes, you may want to switch platforms.
Streaming services have done a solid job transforming this charming genre into a serialized format, updating it for the times and for a new generation. The result is an eight- to 10-episode treat that delivers the same uplifting, comforting effect as a movie romantic comedy, and sometimes even more. From the interfaith “Nobody Wants This” to the LGBTQ romances “Heartstopper” and, in a different vein, “Heated Rivalry,” television has cracked the format.
The latest confection is “Off Campus,” now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and it certainly gives viewers their money’s worth. Like many romance series, it is based on a book series of the same name by Elle Kennedy, particularly the first book, “The Deal.” But unlike many current teen shows that strain to be dark or ironic, “Off Campus” does almost the opposite. It revels in its genre without apology and enjoys every minute of it.
It is not afraid to be genuinely romantic, to ride the fantasy and filter it through Gen Z sensibilities while still expanding and deepening the central pillars of the romantic comedy to fit a series format. At its core is the fervent belief that viewers deserve and are allowed to enjoy themselves — simply, dreamily, nostalgically and predictably.
Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) is a smart college student studying classical music. Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) is captain of the ice hockey team at Briar University, the northern U.S. college where she studies. Hannah is in love with Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston), the lead singer of some band at school, who is unaware of her existence. Graham, who is actually smart and disciplined, needs help in a philosophy course to keep his athletic scholarship. Hannah needs help getting the attention of the indifferent Justin.
All roads lead to one of the most beloved romantic comedy plot devices: a seemingly self-serving fake relationship that turns into deep feelings and true love. You know the drill. We have been there in “10 Things I Hate About You,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “She’s All That,” and we will be there again and again, as far as I am concerned.
“Off Campus” does not reinvent the genre. If anything, it is filled with homages and references to classics such as “When Harry Met Sally,” Elton John and “Top Gun.” That does not make it outdated. The series uses its nearly eight hours well, enriching the original formula. Graham and his hockey friends are not just dumb jocks but mature, sensitive and psychologically developed people. They give each other useful life advice and love musicals.
Hannah, in both the original book and the series, struggles with intimacy after a sexual assault, and Garrett helps her work through it. Garrett is dealing with a complicated relationship with an abusive father, and the series makes room for that as well. Of course, all the familiar beats are there — the breakup, the risk of losing everything, the insights only young love can produce. But beyond that, the direct and open treatment of issues such as sexual consent, the slow building of intimacy because there is time, the uncynical romance and the sharp, delightful dialogue — within the framework of a teen series, yes — all elevate the cliché so effectively that the viewing experience is genuinely enjoyable. So yes, it is like a 90-minute movie stretched over eight hours. But what eight hours.
Make no mistake: “Off Campus” is still selling a fantasy. Gleaming college hallways, everyone suspiciously beautiful, endless time to flirt in corridors, dorms that look like luxury apartments, money for designer clothes and even childhood trauma packaged photogenically with an indie playlist in the background. But that is the agreement between us and the genre. When both sides surrender to it, there is no reason not to lean back and give in.