13 Reasons Why is an American series based on the book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
Adapted by Brian Yorkey for Netflix and receiving worldwide critical acclaim, the series revolves around student Clay Jensen and the consequences of the suicide of his student friend, Hannah Baker, after a series of culminating failures triggered by specific individuals within his school.
One day, returning home from school, Clay finds a mysterious box left on his balcony. Inside the box, he sees seven two-sided cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his schoolmate and unrequited love, who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On the tapes, Hannah develops an emotional audio diary detailing the thirteen reasons she decided to commit suicide. Each video includes a reason for several people, including Clay himself.
With several clear instructions, each person who receives the box is one of the reasons she killed herself. Also, after each person finishes listening to the tapes, they must pass the box to the next person.
If someone decides to break the chain, another set of videos will be leaked to the public. Each tape addresses a specific person in the school and details their involvement in your suicide.
Through its different stories, the show explores and portrays a wide range of social issues affecting modern youth, including suicide, bullying, mental health, sexual assault, domestic violence, racism, homophobia, abortion, school shootings and more.
If you have seen every single reason for this series and are now looking for a new drama to entertain yourself, you've come to the right place!
We have compiled a list of eight shows like 13 Reasons Why that you won't want to miss.
Follow a teenager with autistic traits who decides to get a girlfriend, and where his quest for independence sets the whole family on an adventure of self-discovery. Or indulge yourself with a group of friends who realise they need to enjoy life more when one of them dies suddenly. On the way, they see that friendship might be the only way to save them from themselves.
Check out our list; we guarantee the hard part will be where to start watching. Please leave us any other suggestions in the comments below.
OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE 13 REASONS WHY
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How Many Seasons Of 13 Reasons Why?
The first season of 13 Reasons Why was released on Netflix in March 2017 with thirteen episodes.
It received several positive reviews from critics and audiences, who complimented its themes, storylines and acting, especially the main characters' performances.
For her performance, Katherine Langford (Knives Out) received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
However, her graphic portrayal of issues such as suicide, bullying and sexual assault raised concerns from mental health professionals. In response, Netflix added a warning, and, from March 2018, one plays a video at the start of each season alerting viewers to the season's themes.
With all its success, Netflix renewed 13 Reasons Why for a second season in May 2017, released a year later, receiving mixed to negative reviews.
Coinciding with the release of the second season, Netflix also released a video featuring the cast alerting viewers to some of the topics covered in the series and provided a crisis number for people affected by depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
In August 2019, the third season was released, and in the same month, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered in June 2020. The series ended with four seasons and a total of 49 episodes.
What Age Is Recommended To Watch 13 Reasons Why?
13 Reasons Why is an intense and dark drama that caused controversy among parents and medical professionals. Besides the central theme of suicide, the series deals with issues such as bullying, sexual assault and other traumatic events in a teenager's life.
The young girl's suicide is a detailed show in the original series, despite being edited out in 2019 on expert advice, as is more than one graphic rape scene.
In the show, you also hear plenty of less appropriate language and drinking among teenagers. In addition, 13 Reasons Why also cover more sensitive and impressionable topics such as self-mutilation, gun violence, abortion, steroid use, psychological pressure, mental health issues, and more.
Although this challenging story can help families start helpful conversations about issues such as bullying and depression, the way these issues are approached runs counter to the advice of many mental health experts and can be confusing for some viewers, especially younger ones.
Despite Netflix having posted explicit warnings about the intense content of the series, and parents are responsible for what content they allow their children to view, we do not recommend the series to children under 16.
Q&A: Clay 13 Reasons Why
Q: Who is the actor who plays Clay?
A: The character of Clay Jensen is played by Dylan Minnette. Not only is he an actor but he is also the singer/rhythm guitarist in the band Wallows.
Q: Who got the tapes after Clay?
A: Justin Foley is the next person to get the tapes after Clay. He comes from an abusive family and is responsible for setting the events of the series into motion by being the first person to humiliate Hannah after their first date.
Q: How old is Clay in 13 Reasons Why?
A: At the time of writing, Dylan Minette is 25 years old, turning 26 on December 29, 1996. When he started play Clay Jensen in 2017 he was 20 years old.