OPINION: My 6 Favorite Teen Drama Shows From This Decade
Being a teenager certainly comes with a lot of drama. But, it also brings comedy, romance, and more than a dash of mystery. Before I was actually in high school, I was pretty sure it was gonna be just like the dramatic teen shows I watched religiously. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t even close to any fantasy-riddled action-filled teen drama show in this list. So, I settled on living vicariously through my favorite fictional characters and their exciting unrealistic over-the-top lives.
OPINION: My 6 Favorite Teen Drama Shows From This Decade
If you don’t see your favorite teen dramas in this list, it means I either probably haven’t watched it yet or I’ve already forgotten about it. This includes Elite, Sex Education, Skins, Teen Wolf, Dawson’s Creek, The O.C., Beverly Hills 90210, One Tree Hill, Pretty Little Liars, Degrassi: The Next Generation, On My Block, The Fosters, The End of the Fucking World, and Gossip Girl. I’m procrastinating, lol.
There are shows that I initially liked. However as time passes by, I started to feel disappointed in how the creators managed their stories and dialogues. Like, Riverdale. I liked how it started as a bunch of teenagers solving a mystery. Then, shit was thrown onto the fan and everything turned to crap. The dialogue became messy and the characters’ storylines stopped making sense.
Although Thirteen Reasons Why is a good teen drama show that circulates around a teenage girl’s suicide. When Hannah Baker takes her life, the lives of those who knew her changed forever. With my own issues regarding self-harm and suicide, I haven’t watched the show and I don’t intend to. So, I wouldn’t know whether or not the show is good or not.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by the writer of this article don’t necessarily represent those of the rest of Village Pipol Magazine.
Julie and the Phantoms
This heartwarming series circulates around a teenage girl named Julie. She starts to let music back into her life as she processes her mother’s death. Oh, and did I mention that there are three super cute guys from a band named Sunset Curve who are actually already dead but returned as ghosts? Yep. Julie and these phantoms ended up forming their own band. With Kenny Ortega helming this series, Julie and the Phantoms showcase top-notch choreographed musical performance that definitely remains fun to watch.
Never Have I Ever
When Mindy Kaling is involved in creating a series, you know it’s going to be a good one. Never Have I Ever circulates around an Indian-American girl’s teenage experiences. This provides a little bit of representation in a genre that usually lacks brown-skinned girls. The series follows Davi, a kind of nerdy high schooler who is itching to experience new things. She navigates family dynamics, friendships, and new relationships with humor and heart. You also might want to keep a tissue box handy due to the somewhat emotional scenes that slowly creeps on the screen.
Euphoria
This critically-acclaimed show follows Rue and her friends as they navigate the complexities of adolescents. The fact that the show remains a newer teen drama has a reflection on its style, wardrobe, and subject matter. Euphoria embraces controversial issues like addiction, sexuality, gender identity, and mental illness without attaching a stigma to them. Plus, there’s an added layer of depth given that it explores the impact of social media on today’s teens. The show provides an honest and gritty look at what teenagers in modern times go through while trying to find their place in this world.
Glee
This is the show that makes us want to embarrass ourselves by singing in public. Focusing on a group of Glee club students and a few of their teachers at McKinley High School, the comedy-drama follows these kids as they express their sorrows, happiness, and love for all things music by bursting into song both on and off stage. Covering many songs from a wide spectrum of genres and tastes, ranging from popular music to show tunes, this show displays how these teenagers really know how to belt it out when push comes to shove.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This fantasy-drama premiered and ran for several seasons – that fact alone makes already tells you a little bit about what you might find in the show. Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows the titular role as she fights against all kinds of evil forces while maneuvering the growing pains of being in high school. Buffy and her devoted gang didn’t only earn their network’s high ratings. But, it also had three Emmys and spawned an entire franchise.
The Vampire Diaries
With the high-school-vampire craze in full swing during the 2010s, it’s no surprise that a popular TV show like The Vampire Diaries would stand out. The show circulates around Elena who lives in a small Virginia town that boasts supernatural activity. It’s also where she meets and falls in love with Stefan Salvatore who just so happens to be a vampire. As the show progresses, the couple must deal with other bloodsuckers, siblings, and former lovers. They also find themselves in situations where they have to protect not only themselves but also the whole time in which they live – Mystic Falls.
What is your favorite teen drama show? Let us know what you think!
