History Series / NeverHaveIEver

Fifteen-year-old Devi Vishwakumar (Ramakrishnan) thinks that sophomore year is time to rebrand. Tired of being an ostracized nerd, she encourages her best friends to join her in her pursuit of high school coolness. But friends, family, and her own feelings stand in the way. Tennis star John [=McEnroe=] narrates, AsHimself, occasionally substituted by other celebrity {{lemony narrator}}s[[note]]Creator/AndySamberg and Gigi Hadid[[/note]] for the shows' [[ADayInTheLimelight spotlight episodes]].

* AllegedlyDateless: The main trio is supposed to be "Unfuckable Nerds" and Ben doesn't fare much better, but over the course of first three season they all attract and are in relationships with several people, often popular and considered attractive [[note]]The fact they are portrayed by attractive actors as well, doesn't hurt[[/note]]. Somewhat justified as they start out pretty naive about relationships and sex, with Fabiola being more introverted and closeted, Eleanor starts out secretly dating as to not upset Devi, Devi and Ben are both ExtravertedNerd types that can turn people off.

* AllegedlyDateless: The main trio is supposed to be "Unfuckable Nerds" and Ben doesn't fare much better, but over the course of first three season they all attract and are in relationships with several people, often popular and considered attractive [[note]]The fact they are portrayed by attractive actors as well, doesn't hurt[[/note]]. Somewhat justified as they start out pretty naive about relationships and sex, with Fabiola being more introverted and closeted, Eleanor starts out secretly dating as to not upset Devi, Devi and Ben are both ExtrovertedNerd types that can turn people off.

* AllegedlyDateless: The main trio is supposed to be "Unfuckable Nerds" and Ben doesn't fare much better, but over the course of first three season they all attract and are in relationships with several people, often popular and considered attractive.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: When Devi is desperate to join her mother and cousin to spread her father's ashes with them, Ben proclaims that he'll get her there in time. But while he ''can'' drive, he's also a ''really'' awkward beginner who's really nervous about getting into an accident, so he doesn't so much dramatically race her to her destination as they nervously putter and wobble their way there. Devi [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] that he made it sound like they'd be going a lot faster.

* HollywoodDateless: The main trio is supposed to be "Unfuckable Nerds" and Ben doesn't fare much better, but over the course of first three season they all attract and are in relationships with several people, often popular and considered attractive.

* {{Fanservice}}:
** Paxton (as played by the very adult Darren Barnet) gets his share of being shirtless, showing off his fit, six-pack body.
** In-Universe, Kamala serves this unintenionally while doing yoga. See under DistractedByTheSexy.
** The last season seemed to take the opportunity to put the recent early 20 something Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Devi) and Jaren Lewison (Ben) in as much under-clothed scenes as possible. Played up in-universe where Ben has a dream about Devi being seductive, whilst in lingerie that enhance Maitreyi's shapely figure.

* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailers really play up the HormoneAddledTeenager aspect of the premise, giving it a more light tone. The show itself actually deals with more heavy issues than teen sexuality and relationships, such as serious trauma and dysfunctional family lives.

** Devi is [[spoiler:happily dating Ben at Princeton]].

* ButtMonkey: While Devi is selfish and dishonest, she gets a lot of flak. She's called "crazy Devi" by her peers, she gets [[spoiler:suspended for mishandling a moment of jealousy]], and Paxton's friends treat her pretty invisibly.

** Ben is the Betty and Paxton is the Veronica to Devi's Archie: Despite their longstanding rivalry, Ben and Devi have a lot in common and can keep up with each other intellectually. Paxton is the handsome, unattainable, popular guy with whom Devi doesn't have as much in common.

* BookEnds: The show begins with a SillyPrayer from Devi to the Hindu gods, asking them to bless her high school life with frivolous desires. The penultimate scene before the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue is [[spoiler:Devi thanking said gods for giving her a good high school life and asking them to take care of her mother]].

** Season 4 chronicles everyone's college applications. In the end Devi's class does send plenty of students to prestigious universities; the early admission day alone sees multiple acceptances to Duke, Columbia (Ben), and others. [[spoiler:Fabiola goes to Howard after turning down Princeton, while Devi is waitlisted for Princeton and eventually gets in.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: College counselor Ron states Devi doesn’t have a good chance of getting into Princeton unless she has an interesting story. Though condescending, he makes Devi realize that taking AP classes and joining multiple clubs to pad her resume won’t impress Ivy League schools. Thousands of students with the same high grades and multiple extracurriculars apply, so she won’t stand out. Due to low acceptance rates, students need significant accomplishments and intriguing life events in essays in order to be a strong applicant.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** [[spoiler:Devi is super attracted to MrFanservice Paxton and behaves like the standard HormoneAddledTeenager. However, she freezes when they actually try sex together, due to her lack of experience.]]
** When Devi is desperate to join her mother and cousin to spread her father's ashes with them, Ben proclaims that he'll get her there in time. But while he ''can'' drive, he's also a ''really'' awkward beginner who's really nervous about getting into an accident, so he doesn't so much dramatically race her to her destination as they nervously putter and wobble their way there. Devi [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] that he made it sound like they'd be going a lot faster.
** [[spoiler: Devi sneaks into the school while still suspended to give a public apology to Aneesa about the rumor she spread, only to get interrupted half-way by her English teacher, and gets sent back home. Devi finishes her interrupted apology when Aneesa visits her at her home where Devi is grounded.]]

* LoveConfession: In "...been a perfect girl", [[spoiler:Fabiola]] says she loves [[spoiler:Eve]] while they're at the dance.

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Multiple characters are mentioned to be attending prestigious schools like Stanford, Caltech, and UCLA, while Sherman Oaks High is indicated in dialogue to be an Ivy feeder school. Moreover, Ron’s counselor company gets 90% of students into Ivies, without counting Penn and Cornell.

* JerkassHasAPoint: College counselor Ron states Devi doesn’t have a good chance of getting into Princeton unless she has an interesting story. Though condescending, he makes Devi realize that taking AP classes and joining multiple clubs to pad her resume won’t impress Ivy League schools. Thousands of students with the same high grades and multiple extracurriculars apply, so she won’t stand out. Due to low acceptance rates, students need significant accomplishments and intriguing life events in essays in order to be a strong applicant.\

* RivalryAsCourtship: [[spoiler:Of the "crush stems from rivalry" variety between Devi and Ben. They start out as intense rivals, but gradually become closer over the course of the show and emotionally connect. They end up kissing in the first season's finale.]]

** Ethan is described my [=McEnroe=] as a stone-cold 10.

* JerkassHasAPoint: College counselor Ron states Devi doesn’t have a good chance of getting into Princeton unless she has an interesting story. Though condescending, he makes Devi realize that taking AP classes and joining multiple clubs to pad her resume won’t impress Ivy League schools. Thousands of students with the same high grades and multiple extracurriculars apply, so she won’t stand out. Due to low acceptance rates, students need significant accomplishments and intriguing life events in essays in order to be a strong applicant.

* TwoTeacherSchool: In the first season, the only Sherman Oaks High School staff with any importance or screentime are Principal Grubbs and Mr. Shapiro. Justified, as all the major characters are in Mr. Shapiro's history class, so it serves as the "classroom" setting, while Principal Grubbs' office serves to discipline Devi when needed. No longer the case in the second season, which introduces the school's college counselor (Ms. Warner) and an English teacher (Mr. Kulkarni).

* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Both Principal Grubbs and Nalini wonder why over Devi and Margot would have multiple public spats over ''Ben Gross'' of all people.