#20. Gossip Girl
Are we even surprised that this one is on the list? Either you’ve watched the entire season and loved it, and then rewatched it again… and again… and again… Or maybe you’ve watched a few episodes, decided that it wasn’t for you, but cannot deny that the dramatic lives Serena and Blair are somewhat entertaining.
Seeing the Upper East Side of NYC from the eyes of ultra-rich high school kids is like having a look of what it’s like to be a modern-day prince/princess. And we cannot forget about the name of the show itself, because what could possibly be better than an evil whisperer eager to turn the lives of these high schoolers upside down?
#19. The O.C
Aah, the O.C! This one is probably the original of the teen dramas. Unsurprisingly, its creator was Josh Schwartz, the exact same one that came up with Gossip Girl. The O.C (and in case you didn’t know O.C. stands for Orange County), centers around the main character Ryan Atwood, who is adopted by a wealthy family.
Soon after you meet the rest of the amazing cast, including girl-next-door Marissa Cooper (because you just need a girl-next-door for a good teen drama); Seth Cohen, Ryan’s foster brother; and Summer Roberts, Seth’s childhood crush. Could it get any more cliche and any more fun than this?
#18. Pretty Little Liars
If you aren’t about that rich-kid high-school drama, here is something that can spice things up. Yes, we still have some pretty well off characters, but this TV teen drama comes with a lot of mystery and suspense. Somewhat based on Sara Shepard’s novels, Pretty Little Liars is about how 4 best friends deal with the disappearance of their leader.
The creepy part begins when it seems that some mysterious text messages they are getting might be from their missing friend… that many have already presumed to be dead. While the 4 girls try to carry on with their lives, it seems that their darkest secrets are about to be exposed by whoever signs the messages with “-A”.
#17. Friday Night Lights
Inspired by the 1990’s non-fiction book Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream, this teen drama revolves around a high school football team in a small town somewhere in rural Texas. Kyle Chandler plays football coach Eric Taylor while Connie Britton plays Tami Taylor, the coach’s wife.
If you want a raw performance you need to watch this teen drama and take an extra close look at Matt Saracen. If you’ve always had a thing for older men… well let’s just say that Eric Taylor is a very attractive coach… Do you want a powerful female figure? Tami Taylor does an amazing job!
#16. Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
Were you looking for some girl power? Are you a sucker for the supernatural, specifically anything vampire-related? Then Buffy, the Vampire Slayer is probably the show for you. Even though Buffy Summers is just 16 years old, that doesn’t stop her from being the fearless agile vampire slayer she is.
The series revolves around the life of Buffy after she realizes that she is a “Slayer”, basically somebody that fights all the evil supernatural creatures… you name it: vampires, demons and any sort of dark force. On top of this, she has two awesome best friends, Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris, and together they form the “Scooby Gang”
#15. The Vampire Diaries
While in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer vampires might have been the enemy… the situation is a lot more complicated in our next favorite vampire teen drama, The Vampire Diaries. Nothing is more entertaining and heart-wrenching than the love triangle between Elena, Matt, and Damon, the two latter of whom are brothers.
It’s been about two and a half years since we haven’t had any more Vampire Diaries episodes to look forward to, since the show finished in March 2017 after some eight amazing seasons. Who knows? Maybe there is a ninth season stuck in between life and death and CW is just going to release it when we need it the most.
#14. Beverly Hills, 90210
While you might think that rich and beautiful is all you need in life… think again. This TV drama shows us the ups and very downs of some uber-rich kids from West Beverly Hills High. Maybe you thought that just because it is called Beverly Hills then it’s all light and airy?
Be ready for some real drama because, for 10 seasons, this show gets into heavy topics such as drug abuse, domestic abuse, alcoholism… Not just that but Beverly Hills, 90210 somehow delves into deep social issues such as suicide, racism, and AIDS.
#13. Dawson’s Creek
You want to know who was the first teenager to climb through a window and then do it while delivering a very long speech with many complicated words? Go watch Dawson’s Creek if you wanna see Joey Potter do this. This spectacular scene can be attributed to writer Kevin Williamson.
Dawson’s Creek revolves around the fictional town of Capeside. This town was the perfect escape for people like you and me, for those just trying to get their life together, understand what’s next, what we really want in life and all that jazz. On top of that, you have the typical drama of crushes, BFFs and crazy families.
#12. My So-Called Life
Maybe the shows above were not exactly what you were looking for? What about some teen angst? Because this show is all about that crazy drama. Created by Winnie Holzman, this show aired back in 1994 on ABC, but just because it’s an older show doesn’t mean it lacks any drama.
The series is set on Liberty High School, in a suburb somewhere in Pittsburgh. The show is all about the emotional growth all teenagers go through, and this is portrayed by Angela Chase’s social circle. The show had a focus particularly on issues surrounding the mid-1990’s, such as homophobia, homelessness, and adultery.
#11. Party of Five
This is a show where there is something for everybody. Party of Five is about these five siblings (surprise surprise) that are left without parents after a terrible car accident. Bailey, Charlie, Julia, Claudia and baby Owen all try to deal with growing up without their parental figures.
You watch big brother Charlie try to take care of his own life while also balancing the lives of his younger brothers and sisters. With this show, you learn to love each character: Julia’s changing hair, Bailey’s charming personality, Claudia’s leadership skills, and baby Owen’s adorableness.
#10. Gilmore Girls
I’d be surprised if you’ve never heard of this show before. Gilmore Girls is more of a comedy-drama than just an ordinary teenage drama series. It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and it aired in 2000. For seven seasons, we saw the relationship of single mother Lorelai Gilmore and daughter Rory go through ups and downs.
Rory was the embodiment of somebody that works extra hard to reach their dreams while also dealing with the inconvenient drama of a long lineup of boyfriends. Gilmore Girls explores all issues regarding family, friendship, ambition, disappointment and a lot of romance.
#9. Smallville
Way before the famous superhero shows you see nowadays all over your TV, there was Smallville. Basically, the story was about Clark Kent and his young days in Kansas where he lived on a farm with his adoptive parents. Unsurprisingly, this teen drama had exactly what you needed: the nerdy outcast, a one-way love, and best friends you wish you had.
Throughout the TV show, you see the life of Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. For the first few seasons, the focus is mainly Clark and his ordinary life in high school but soon after the focus shifts to a more adult setting, where more superheroes and villains are introduced.
#8. One Tree Hill
Like Smallville, One Tree Hill takes place in a fictional town, which as its name suggests is called Tree Hill and is located in North Carolina. The show follows the story of two half-brothers that try to beat each other in a basketball team.
One Tree Hill is all about capturing those youthful days. While the brother rivalry is ongoing, you also see the ups and downs of their romantic lives. Is there anything more relatable than siblings trying to compete against each other while also handling those seemingly stressful situations in high school?
#7. Veronica Mars
This teen drama definitely adds something special to the list. Veronica Mars is a noir drama television series. In case you didn’t know, “noir” just refers to stylish Hollywood crime dramas, normally quite melodramatic. The show stars Kristen Bell as a high schooler and then college student who is actually a secret investigator.
If Kristen Bell didn’t convince you yet to go watch this show right now, maybe the fact that this series is filled with mystery and drama will call your attention. In each episode, Veronica addresses a different stand-alone case, which means you aren’t necessarily completely lost when you miss out on an episode!
#6. Glee
I don’t know about you but Glee was just next level for me. It was one of those shows that felt so refreshing, I just had to rewatch the whole first two seasons. The musical numbers are just out of this world and the singers there are just phenomenal.
If you aren’t into the teenage drama, we can’t make any promises that Glee doesn’t have a few of those. You’ll encounter your typical love triangle as well as teenage pregnancy, but you cannot beat Lea Michelle’s voice nor deny that Glee’s covers of oldies are addicting.
#5. Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi is probably the definition of teenage drama. The show follows the different stories of high schoolers from the Degrassi Community School. Almost any taboo topic is included in it, you name it: teen pregnancy, bullying, homosexuality, self-injury, abortion, and the list goes on.
The show starts with the reintroduction of Emma Nelson. Throughout the series, we see Emma and her friends transitioning to high school, where they face issues that somewhat resemble the ones they had in the previous series of Degrassi. Now though, with the current technology, they need to deal with other themes revolving around cyberspace.
#4. Roswell
Now this one is definitely out of the ordinary. Roswell is based on Roswell High, which is a YA book series about the adventures of three aliens that are friends with humans from Ulysses Roswell High. The show takes place in New Mexico, at the site of the Roswell UFO incident.
To give you a better idea of the site, the Roswell UFO incident took place in 1947, when a US Army Air Force balloon crashed into a ranch by Roswell, New Mexico. The media went wild and referred to the balloon as a flying disc, but the US military was quick to say it was just a weather balloon. However, ever since then, several conspiracy theories have been popping up.
#3. Skins
If you are into Degrassi, you’ll definitely be a big fan of this next one. Skins is just as controversial as Degrassi; however, it has a deeper focus on themes like mental illness, sexuality, and drug abuse. The show was, not surprisingly, written by teenagers, who happen to have quite successful careers in the present day.
Nicholas Hoult? Dev Patel? Kaya Scodelario? Yup, they were all involved in the production of Skins. The edgy show was born from a conversion between Bryan Elsley and his son Jamie Brittain, where the latter corrected his father’s ideas of what being a teenager was like.
#2. The Fosters
The Fosters is that type of TV show that makes you feel really, really, really included. Created by Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg, this series is a family drama that revolves around the members of the Foster Family. The parents are Stef and Lena, a lesbian couple played by Teri Polo and Sherri Saum.
Stef plays a cop while Lena a school vice principal, and together they raise one biological kid and four adopted children in San Diego. The diversity of this show garnered two GLAAD Media Awards and one Teen Choice Award, specifically because The Fosters does an amazing job at fostering inclusion.
#1. Daria
While at first glance you might think that Daria is meant for kids, you’d be surprised to know that it actually is an adult animation. The show revolves around the life of Daria Morgendorffer, an audacious and sharp girl that has an interesting perspective of this world.
The show is set in the suburbs, where Daria goes to Lawndale High School, a public education institution. The show itself is a satire of the typical American high school life. It’s basically a critique of social classes and pop culture. Definitely a must-watch!