The teen years are both the best and the worst.
That means you’ll see a bit of middle school, and a bit of college on this list.
One thing you won’t see?
John O Flexor/Netflix
(Think7th HeavenandBlossom.)
Rosy Cordero
SKINS
(E4, 2007)Skinsdared to be bold.
Over three generations of characters, the British series provided a new look at the lives of teenagers.
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What that doesn’t take into consideration are the poignant story lines and how well they tackled controversial topics.
But that ambiguity cuts to the emotionally delicate core of this seventh-grade saga.
Co-creatorsAnna KonkleandMaya Erskineare grown-up performers playing fictionalized versions of their junior-high selves.
Millennials can appreciate how Konkle, Erskine, and fellow co-creator Sam Zvibleman capture every micro-detail of Y2K life.
By comparison, even some great shows on this list look like twenty-something model mixers.
Plus, it’s fun!
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(We’ll never forget the Black cotillion.)
(Which deserves full marks in its own right.)
(Hey, it was the early ’00s!)
is a lot more complicated than he thought.
ThisTeen Wolfhas teethbut also lots of heart.
How about a throuple that’s out committing felonies?"
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Oh, and one last thing: “Go home Roger!”
I have no idea.
But I love directorLuca Guadagninofor trying to find out with this eight-part drama.
It’s not all perfect; the last episode is.
HBO refuses to callWe Are Who We Area miniseries, so we can dream of more.
Plus, we can thankOne Tree Hillfor giving usGavin DeGraw.
Netflix
Sydney Bucksbaum
SMALLVILLE
(WB, 2001)“No flights, no tights.”
What does it look like when Superman is on drugs (or in this case, red Kryptonite?)
It’s just too bad they don’t all have access to advice from a dry-witted animatronic cat.
And who wouldn’t want a youngGeorge Clooneyas a neighbor?
(Even if he didn’t stay for long.)
Sarah Sprague
EVERWOOD
(WB, 2002)The beauty ofGreg Berlanti’sEverwoodis in its simplicity.
Erin Simkin/Hulu
Sure, it can be soapy, but it is always heartfelt and warm.
WatchingEverwoodis like sitting down by a crackling fire with a comforting cup of hot chocolate.
Not every comedy bit makes sense in 2021 (’80s kids cared about Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci?
Those feelings can still sting decades later.
Who can beat that?
It can be of vital help to those still forming their identities.
Netflix
This show was nasty, combining a luscious style with a mood of amoral matriarchal horniness.
The stacked ensemble featured some memorable comic turns (all hail Zuzanna Szadkowski as Dorota!)
and a revolving door of Hollywood’s moodiest young hotties (never forgetSebastian Stanas Carter Baizen.)
Darren Franich
AMERICAN VANDAL
(Netflix, 2017)American Vandalshouldn’t have worked.
The second season was somewhat flawed but more ambitious.
Shame on Netflix for canceling this gem.
MTV
!with high-stakes supernatural dilemmas and perhaps most of all, epic romance.
There hasn’t been a comedy like it since.
Oldest sibling Charlie (Matthew Fox) is chafed at his sudden parental responsibilities and battles Hodgkin’s disease.
Strong-headed younger brother Bailey (Scott Wolf) struggles with alcoholism like his father.
Well-intentioned sister Julia (Neve Campbell) wrestles with her decision to get an abortion.
Yes, college is very different from high school.
Ray Mickshaw/The CW
The pilot remains a fantastic episode of television, 20-plus years later.
However, the show’s appeal didn’t just come from its subject matter.
It was because of the characters.
The cast was usually fairly diverse before diversity became a major discussion point.
Second, it allowed the students to graduate and constantly cycled in fresh blood to keep things interesting.
Sure, they were hormonal.
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(Hey, there wasn’t much to do on the creek aside from watching movies!)
With its dreamy, thoughtful pacing and deeply felt performances,My So-Called Lifeelevated adolescence into an art form.
Audiences want to live in Stars Hollow.
Barring a few exceptionslikeAfterschool Specialcautionary tales (don’t do angel dust, kids!)
Kristen Baldwin
THE O.C.
With a near-perfect pilotand a heck of a (27 episode!)
Eric McCandless/ABC
first seasonThe O.C.became a pop culture phenomenon.
’s brilliance was its portrayal of its parents.
Samantha Highfill
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
(WB/UPN, 1997)She saved the world.
Kristen Baldwin
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
(NBC/DirecTV, 2006)NBC’s small-town drama fictionalizes H.G.
“Buzz” Bissinger’s classic book into an emotional tale of teenaged dreams and harsh realities.
ShowrunnerJason Katimshad a knack for refracting adult drama through the teenage experience.
)Friday Night Lightsisn’t just the greatest teen TV show ever.
It’s the two best teen TV shows ever, both halves as glorious as the wide Texas sky.
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Lee Norris, Antwon Tanner , Sophia Bush, Chad Michael Murray, Hilarie Burton, James Lafferty, Bethany Joy Lenz in ‘One Tree Hill’ season 5.Everett Collection
David Gray/WB Television
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The Cast of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, (Left:Right) Jenna Leigh Green (as Libby Chessler), Lindsay Sloane (as Valerie Birkhead), Martin Mull (as Principal Willard Kraft), Nate Richert (as Harvey Kinkle), Melissa Joan Hart (as Sabrina Spellman), Caroline Rhea (as Hilda Spellman), Beth Broderick (as Zelda Spellman), Alimi Ballard (as Quizmaster Albert).Bob D’Amico/ABC via Getty Images
Glee cast.FOX Image Collection via Getty
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‘That ’70s Show’ cast in 2001.Everett Collection
‘A Different World’ cast (clockwise from top): Glynn Turman, Dawnn Lewis, Lou Myers, Charnele Brown, Cree Summer, Darryl M. Bell, Jasmine Guy, and Kadeem Hardison.NBCU Photo Bank
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Matthew Rolson/United Paramount Network
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Josh Saviano, Fred Savage, and Danica McKellar on ‘The Wonder Years’.Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
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The cast of ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’.Barbara Cole/Epitome Pictures
MTV
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The Banks family in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’: Karyn Parsons as Hilary Banks, James Avery as Philip Banks, Daphne Maxwell Reid as Vivian Banks, Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey, Tatyana Ali as Ashley Banks, Will Smith as Will Smith, and Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks.Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
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The cast of ‘Freaks and Geeks.'.Chris Haston/NBC
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‘The O.C.'.Everett Collection
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