# Geek Girl
**Geek Girl** is a British-Canadian young adult comedy-drama television series based on Holly Smale's best-selling novel series of the same name, following awkward, neurodivergent teenager Harriet Manners, whose life changes when a London model agent spots her on a school trip and she embarks on a journey through high fashion while balancing high school.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs) • [2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/netflix-adapts-geek-girl-series-085900050.html) Created by Smale and Jessica Ruston and starring [Emily Carey](https://www.edgepedia.org/emily-carey), the ten-episode first season premiered on Netflix on May 30, 2024, worldwide except Canada.[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source material | Six-book series by Holly Smale published by HarperCollins between 2013 and 2017: *Geek Girl* (2013), *Model Misfit* (2013), *Picture Perfect* (2014), *All That Glitters* (2015), *Head Over Heels* (2016), and *Forever Geek* (2017)[4](https://www.screenglobalproduction.com/amp/news/2023/06/07/netflixs-geek-girl-begins-production-in-the-uk) |
| Premiere | May 30, 2024 on Netflix globally except Canada; released in Canada the following November after an exclusive period with Corus[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/) |
| Format | 10 episodes of 30 minutes; TV-PG; comedy, drama, and family genres[5](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/from-geek-to-chic-corus-waterside-studios-announces-start-of-production-on-new-live-action-series-geek-girl-859970018.html) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/geek-girl/) |
| Lead cast | Emily Carey as Harriet Manners, Liam Woodrum as Nick Park, Emmanuel Imani as Wilbur Evans[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs) |
| Season 1 performance | Reached the top 10 in 90 countries, spent four weeks in the global top 10, and accumulated 94.20 million viewing hours, equivalent to 16.80 million views[7](https://www.c21media.net/news/netflix-renews-geek-girl-for-season-two-as-boat-rocker-takes-over-production-from-corus/) |
| Critical reception | 100% on Rotten Tomatoes upon release; Metascore of 73 on Metacritic based on 4 critic reviews[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/geek-girl/) |
| Season 2 | Renewed April 30, 2025; filmed in London in 2025; expected to premiere in 2026[8](https://kidscreen.com/2025/05/01/netflix-renews-geek-girl-for-season-two/) • [1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs) |
## Spoilers
### Story and characters
Sixteen-year-old Harriet Manners, a student at Hollybridge Secondary School in England, is socially awkward and often bullied. After a modeling agent spots her on a class excursion, she eagerly seizes the opportunity to remake herself, but a string of fashion mishaps gradually teaches her that genuine self-acceptance comes from somewhere other than the runway.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs) The Netflix logline describes her as an awkward, neurodiverse teenager on a life-affirming journey of self-discovery balancing high school and high fashion.[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/netflix-adapts-geek-girl-series-085900050.html)
The cast includes Emily Carey (Harriet Manners), Emmanuel Imani (Wilbur Evans, Harriet's agent and mentor), Liam Woodrum ([Nick Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-park), Harriet's love interest and fellow model), Daisy Jelley (Poppy Hepple-Cartwright), Rochelle Harrington (Nat Grey, Harriet's best friend), Tim Downie (Richard Manners, Harriet's dad), [Jemima Rooper](https://www.edgepedia.org/jemima-rooper) (Annabel Manners, Harriet's stepmother), [Zac Looker](https://www.edgepedia.org/zac-looker) (Toby Pilgrim), and Hebe Beardsall (Betty, Wilbur's assistant).[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs)
__The books draw on the author's own life.__ Smale's series pulls inspiration from her own years as a teen model, and the BBC reported that the novel, first published in 2013, is based on her real-life experience; Smale said it was a deliberate choice to make the show feel distinctive from other teen dramas by reflecting lived experience rather than a glossy TV version of it.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs) • [11](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/news/articles/cl447njkdy6o)
### Season 2
Netflix renewed Geek Girl for a second season on April 30, 2025, eleven months after the debut, despite the series initially having been billed as a limited series.[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/) The renewal came with a change behind the scenes: Toronto's Boat Rocker Media acquired the series from [Corus Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/corus-entertainment), which had been battling major economic challenges, taking over production, global distribution, and franchise management, and co-producing season two with RubyRock Pictures.[8](https://kidscreen.com/2025/05/01/netflix-renews-geek-girl-for-season-two/)
Filming took place in London in 2025 and has wrapped.[14](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/coming-soon/every-upcoming-new-and-returning-netflix-young-adult-series-in-2026-and-2027/) Emily Carey and Liam Woodrum return as Harriet Manners and Nick Park, joined by returning cast members Emmanuel Imani, Rochelle Harrington, Zac Looker, Sarah Parish, Tim Downie, Jemima Rooper, and Hebe Beardsall; [Layton Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/layton-williams) joins as Onassis.[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs) Zoë Rocha serves as showrunner, and the writing team comprises Holly Smale, Sameera Steward, Sally O'Leary, Grace Link, and Sophie Wu, with Declan O'Dwyer continuing as director.[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/) Netflix has not confirmed a release window; the season is expected in 2026, though it could slip to early 2027.[14](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/coming-soon/every-upcoming-new-and-returning-netflix-young-adult-series-in-2026-and-2027/)
## Origin and development
Netflix bought the dramatic rights to Smale's teen books in January 2023 with the plan to develop them into a ten-episode series.[9](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/netflix-buys-dramatic-rights-to-smales-geek-girl-series) The project was set up as a Canada-UK treaty co-production. Waterside Studios, an IP and production venture from writer and producer Jeff Norton backed by Canada's Corus Entertainment, announced the start of production in June 2023, with UK-based RubyRock Pictures, founded by producer Zoë Rocha, and Canada's Aircraft Pictures as co-producers, and distribution by Corus's Nelvana.[5](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/from-geek-to-chic-corus-waterside-studios-announces-start-of-production-on-new-live-action-series-geek-girl-859970018.html) • [2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/netflix-adapts-geek-girl-series-085900050.html) Filming began in London in June 2023 and ran to September 11, 2023, with additional locations in Toronto and Ontario; post-production and sound work took place in Toronto through late 2023 and early 2024.[4](https://www.screenglobalproduction.com/amp/news/2023/06/07/netflixs-geek-girl-begins-production-in-the-uk) • [10](https://jeffnorton.com/geek-girl-gets-a-launch-date-may-30th-2024/)
The screen adaptation was written by lead writer Jessica Ruston with Sameera Steward, Holly Smale, and Sarah Morgan.[5](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/from-geek-to-chic-corus-waterside-studios-announces-start-of-production-on-new-live-action-series-geek-girl-859970018.html) Declan O'Dwyer directed all episodes of the first season.[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/)
## Reception and performance
The first season entered the Netflix top 10 in 90 countries in the weeks following its release, performing best in countries such as Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. It spent four weeks in the global top 10, accumulating 94.20 million viewing hours, equivalent to 16.80 million views; across the whole of 2024 the series garnered 158.30 million hours watched, equivalent to 28.10 million views.[3](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/) Playback named it its Scripted Series of the Year for 2024, noting that the co-production defied expectations with a massive audience in its international launch.[12](https://home.turangga.workers.dev/read-https-playbackonline.ca/2024/12/16/scripted-series-of-the-year-2024-geek-girl/)
Critics responded favorably. The series scored 73 on Metacritic, with three of four reviews positive; The Guardian praised the adaptation for retaining the joyful essence of the books and singled out Emily Carey's performance, while [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter) called it a likably wholesome, generally low-stakes YA fairy tale.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/geek-girl/) The series also drew attention for its portrayal of neurodivergence; viewers in autistic communities discussed the representation of Harriet and her classmate Toby, and the show sparked conversations about neurodiversity and casting choices.[13](https://latestnetflix.com/series/252605)
## References
1. [Geek Girl: Season 2, Cast, Season 1, Book, Plot – Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/geek-girl-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs)
2. [Netflix Adapts 'Geek Girl' Into Series About Neurodivergent Teenager Who Becomes Model, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/netflix-adapts-geek-girl-series-085900050.html)
3. ['Geek Girl' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Will Return in 2026, What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/geek-girl-renewed-for-season-2-at-netflix-will-return-in-2026/)
4. [Netflix's Geek Girl begins production in the UK, Screen Global Production](https://www.screenglobalproduction.com/amp/news/2023/06/07/netflixs-geek-girl-begins-production-in-the-uk)
5. [From Geek to Chic: Corus' Waterside Studios Announces Start of Production on New Live-Action Series Geek Girl, CNW Newswire](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/from-geek-to-chic-corus-waterside-studios-announces-start-of-production-on-new-live-action-series-geek-girl-859970018.html)
6. [Geek Girl Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/geek-girl/)
7. [Netflix renews Geek Girl for S2 as Boat Rocker takes over production from Corus, C21Media](https://www.c21media.net/news/netflix-renews-geek-girl-for-season-two-as-boat-rocker-takes-over-production-from-corus/)
8. [Netflix renews Geek Girl for season two, Kidscreen](https://kidscreen.com/2025/05/01/netflix-renews-geek-girl-for-season-two/)
9. [Netflix buys dramatic rights to Smale's Geek Girl series, The Bookseller](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/netflix-buys-dramatic-rights-to-smales-geek-girl-series)
10. [Geek Girl gets a launch date, May 30th, 2024, Jeff Norton](https://jeffnorton.com/geek-girl-gets-a-launch-date-may-30th-2024/)
11. [Geek Girl: The teen drama tackling neurodiversity and bullying, BBC](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/news/articles/cl447njkdy6o)
12. [Scripted Series of the Year 2024: Geek Girl, Playback](https://home.turangga.workers.dev/read-https-playbackonline.ca/2024/12/16/scripted-series-of-the-year-2024-geek-girl/)
13. [Geek Girl (2024), Latest Netflix](https://latestnetflix.com/series/252605)
14. [Every Upcoming New and Returning Netflix YA Series in 2026 and 2027, What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/coming-soon/every-upcoming-new-and-returning-netflix-young-adult-series-in-2026-and-2027/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Adapted and franchise screen series › Literary and classic serial adaptations › Romance and comedy-drama adaptations*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license