61 Nostalgic Teen Shows to Watch Over and Over Again

If anyone tries to tell you that the golden age of teen dramas is long gone, direct them to “All American.” The CW’s teen sports drama is loosely based on the life of NFL player Spencer Paysinger, fictionalising the experiences and people he encountered in his formative years. The centre of it all is the fictionalised Spencer James, a Black teenager who transfers to a Beverly Hills school to pursue his football dreams. It starts out as a “fish out of water” meets “living in two worlds” kind of story, but quickly develops into a rich, diverse, and nuanced world full of characters with multifaceted personalities and storylines. Balancing difficult but real topics with moments of triumph and joy, it’s the kind of teen show there should be more of.

To the folks who first thought up the idea that a true-crime satire would work as a teen show, we salute you. Netflix’s short-lived “American Vandal” skewers tropes of intrepid teen detectives and true crime investigations with a silly premise that nonetheless makes way for nuanced and realistic portrayals of teenage life. The title refers to the “crime” our heroes are investigating in the first season: over two dozen cars, all belonging to teachers, being vandalised with spray-painted obscene graffiti. Despite the necessary heightened tone of this kind of satire, it’s also a show that catches all the little details of high school life, from the archetypes we all remember to the stress of trying to keep up with unwritten “rules” of the teenage hierarchy.

If you don’t describe your teenage years as “awkward,” you’re probably lying to yourself at least a little bit. That’s what makes “Awkward” so relatable and so much fun to watch. The premise starts out with a darkly comic misunderstanding, but quickly transforms into the story of one teenage girl who tries to use her own experiences – the good and the bad alike – to show her peers that they’re not alone. As she and her circle of misfit pals go through major milestones and question their futures, the show handles it all with a very realistic balance of humor, heart, and drama.

The original, oft-imitated, never-quite-replicated: “Beverly Hills, 90210” is the icon that truly launched the “rich teens and their drama” sub-genre. In 1990, when the show premiered, the TV landscape looked very different, and aside from a few older shows that were more family shows with teen characters, “teen TV” didn’t really exist. Then, along came Kelly, Brenda, Dylan, Brandon, Donna, and all their friends, and all of a sudden, teen TV was all anyone could talk about. Over the course of 10 seasons, these teens dealt with standard-issue teen drama like love triangles and grades, along with more serious questions about addiction, sexual assault, and bigotry. It certainly had its moments of absolutely wild plotlines, but it remains a classic for a reason.

“Boy Meets World” was arguably the crown jewel of the old “TGIF” comedy lineup, and it’s probably the show that has had the longest legacy. It was a family show, a teen show, and a friends show all in one, which was part of the magic. Starting in middle school and going through college, the show followed Cory Matthews, his closest friends, and his family, as they learned lessons about growing up. Sometimes, those lessons were corny and overwrought, true. Some of them, though, resonated deeply, with immense care taken to depict things like alcoholism, abuse, poverty, bullying, sexism, and more with the attention they deserve.

In hindsight, with the knowledge of series creator Joss Whedon’s behind-the-scenes behaviors, it can be difficult to consider the legacy of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Even with that challenge, however, it’s hard to deny the enormous influence the show has had on a generation of teen TV and sci-fi/fantasy in general. Its best seasons are its high school years, with teenage Buffy trying to balance the drama of high school with the life-and-death stakes (pun intended) of her supernatural destiny as the Slayer. The fast-talking “Scooby Gang” became the template for teen TV ensembles for ages, but the real magic of the show wasn’t its witches, demons, and vampire – it was in the most human moments of intense (and intensely relatable) joy, grief, fear, and love.

Underrated and uneven, “The Carrie Diaries” nonetheless deserves a shout-out for its pure ’80s fun and its dedication to building a fizzy, creative world for the young version of “Sex and the City” protagonist Carrie Bradshaw. It’s meant as a prequel to explain how Carrie became the glamorous, fashionable relationship columnist we know and love, but it also finds ways to stand on its own as a cute teen dramedy. Packed with ’80s nostalgia (and fashion – so much fashion!), it follows Carrie and her friends as they face heavy issues like losing a parent or coming out, along with much more fun things like first loves and chasing future dreams.

What starts out as an “OMG!” worthy teen thriller slowly evolves into a knotty drama about what it means to be a teenage girl. The initial premise of “Cruel Summer” sets up its twisty plot: a popular girl is abducted, then eventually rescued, and accuses a classmate of not helping her and of taking over her life while she was gone. From there, the show dives into three separate timelines to unravel what really happened with both girls – and what parts of the truth they’re not telling. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, but it also doesn’t shy away from depicting the pressures put on teenage girls, issues of abuse and grooming, and much more.

We can debate for hours over what shows truly define teen TV dramas, but in any argument, “Dawson’s Creek” definitely has to be near the top of the list. Whip-smart teenagers Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen, and their friends defined ’90s teen TV with their brainy conversations and soapy drama. It broke new ground not just for teen dramas, but for TV altogether, by depicting TV’s first gay male kiss, and it didn’t shy away from talking about tough issues that concerned real teens, both then and now. We can’t talk about it without also pointing out its now-iconic love triangle and the writers’ decision to change their planned endgame based on how the story wound up playing out. That willingness to let a show evolve is a lesson TV writers today could still learn from.

To talk about “Degrassi” is to talk about a whole universe of shows, spanning several decades and countless cast changes. The best known version is probably “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” which ran from 2000 to 2015 and launched the careers of Drake, Nina Dobrev, and many others. The simplicity of the premise is one thing that sets it apart. It’s not about a particularly unique location or group of people, nor does anyone have superpowers or a magical destiny. It simply follows the comings and goings of teens living in a particular neighbourhood in Toronto. Along the way, the show has often broken ground in terms of addressing hot-button social issues and realistic challenges for teens of each generation.

Let’s be honest: as much as we probably all wished we had the glamorous, dramatic teenage years of our favourite teen dramas, most of us probably felt more like the characters of “Derry Girls.” Set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, the comedy follows a group of Irish girls (and one English boy) at a Catholic school. Almost everything they do spins hilariously, disastrously out of control, and no one’s dignity is intact by the end. It’s deeply relatable in the ways that they’re clearly so young and naive but also smarter than people give them credit for, and it has an enormous heart beneath all the hijinks and humiliations.

You could describe “Elite” as the Spanish version of “Gossip Girl,” but the fact is, the series long ago carved out a legacy of its own, not just in comparison to other high-powered teen dramas. Set at an elite prep school where wealthy students clash with less well-off scholarship kids, it has everything you could ever want from a teen drama, and then some. Emotional love triangles? Check. Discussions of class, faith, and gender prejudice? Check. Crimes and murder investigations? Sure, why not! It’s a thriller, a romance, a coming-of-age tale, and a melodrama all in one, and it’s that combination that makes us continue to tune in.

Set at an all-girls boarding school in the early ’80s, “The Facts of Life” is definitely a product of its time, but also a timeless classic about the bonds forged between teenage girls. Technically, the series is a spinoff of “Diff’rent Strokes,” as housekeeper Mrs. Garrett takes a job as the “house mother” for a quartet of girls at a boarding school. There’s the usual sitcom adventures, with the girls competing for grades, popularity, and boys, but the strength of the show is in the tight friendship between these young women. It’s a tribute to the power of female friendship, no matter what decade you’re in.

The premise of “Faking It” is definitely one that’s bound to raise some eyebrows. Karma and Amy, a pair of (apparently) straight teen girls, are mistaken for a lesbian couple, and they decide to go with it as a means of increasing their popularity. They quickly run into some unexpected obstacles, including Amy’s stepsister discovering their secret, Karma crushing on a popular guy, and Karma starting to realise she might have real feelings for Amy. The series came to embrace frank and diverse discussions of gender and sexuality, and it made TV history with the the first intersex main character on TV, as well as TV’s first intersex character played by an intersex actor.

Yes, it’s the show where Keri Russell cut her hair. But “Felicity” was so much more than just one of pop culture’s most infamous hairdos. True, it’s one of several shows on this list that is about college-aged characters rather than high schoolers, but the themes remain the same: young adults trying to figure out who they are and what it means to grow up. Felicity ditches all her (and her family’s) plans to impulsively follow the oh-so-charming Ben to college in New York City. She expects to kick-start their happily-ever-after, but what she doesn’t expect is that her whole life will be totally different (or that she’ll bond with resident advisor Noel). It’s a coming-of-age story that still feels relevant, even decades later.

It’s not just about the teen characters, but there’s no doubt that the young siblings of “The Fosters” define the show’s appeal and target audience. An interracial, lesbian couple have a diverse blended family, comprised of biological, adopted, and foster kids. When the couple bring siblings Callie and Jude into their home, the family dynamic shifts, and everyone has some adjusting to do. The show is as much about the teen characters’ experiences with growing up and figuring out their own interests and identities as it is about the family overall, but there’s definitely more of a balance between the two than you might find in other teen shows.

Overlooked while it was on the air, “Freaks and Geeks” has since entered the pantheon of teen TV thanks to its ahead-of-its-time approach (not to mention its position as a “look, they were so young!” show for its stars who went on to recognisable careers). Over the course of just one season, the show traces how a brother and sister duo find themselves both outcasts (aka “freaks” and “geeks”) at their 1980s high school. We’ve all met (or been) someone like these characters, whether the overachiever trying to reinvent herself, the geek who just wants to be cool, or the chill slackers. Being a teen is awkward, embarrassing, and often hilarious in hindsight, and that’s the energy “Freaks and Geeks” masters.

Blending teen show tropes with the trappings of a family sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is much more than just the show that launched Will Smith’s career into the stratosphere. It’s as much about the family as it is about Will’s troubles and triumphs in high school and beyond. Some episodes focus a lot on the other characters, poignant themes of racism and gun violence, or the hilarious-in-hindsight ’90s fashions. It’s a memorable show for teens, though, because we can’t ever forget that Will, with all he’s gone through, is basically just a kid – and that’s what makes the emotional core so resonant.

“Friday Night Lights” isn’t just a great teen TV show – it’s just a great TV show, period. Set in a small town in Texas where football is everything, it has a rougher feel than other, glossier teen shows. That lends more of an authenticity to the complex teens (and their parents) who populate the town of Dillon. From the golden-boy quarterback whose life changes in an instant, to the bad boy who can’t seem to stop screwing up, to the cheerleader tired of pretending to be perfect, and many more, every character is both totally familiar and totally unique. When the show makes a big jump a few seasons in and introduces a bunch of new cast members, it could have been a disaster. Instead, it just gave us more nuanced storytelling to love. Texas forever, indeed.

Even though “Gilmore Girls” splits its focus evenly between teenage Rory and her thirty-something mother Lorelai, it still bears a lot of the hallmarks of a classic teen show. Surrounded by the quirkiest small town in New England, the Gilmores deal with all the curveballs life throws their ways – and there are a lot of them! The show’s first three seasons are set during Rory’s high school years, and there’s everything you would expect: school social politics, college applications, first (and second) loves, and friendships tested. In later seasons, Rory in particular begins to make more bad decisions that make her harder to like than when she was just a super-smart, kindhearted overachiever. In some ways, though, it also makes it feel more real – who among us doesn’t regret some impulsive choices we made in our late teens and early twenties?

Before the behind-the-scenes controversies, gossip, and tragedies, and before later seasons became a Top 40 covers parade, “Glee” was a true phenomenon and a unique voice in the pantheon of teen TV. A knife-sharp satire of high school social hierarchies, the adults who should know better but don’t, and the indignities of being 16, “Glee” combined a big voice with an even bigger heart. Even at its most melodramatic, it tried to give thoughtful consideration to messy, complicated topics like sex and sexuality, addiction, death and grief, and dreams both achieved and denied. By finally cracking the formula for making a musical TV show, “Glee” launched its stars into international-star status and finally, finally made the geeks cool.

One could argue that “Gossip Girl” defined the CW era of teen dramas, the way that shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill” defined the WB era. Despite a couple of messy and polarising later seasons, there’s no denying the pop culture phenomenon that was “Gossip Girl” at its peak. Centred on the luxe, super-dramatic lives of a group of wealthy students at an elite Upper East Side high school, the show indulged in the peak of “rich people behaving badly” TV trend. From outrageous and memorable fashions to love triangles that inspired intense debates, “Gossip Girl” was the kind of show that simply couldn’t be replicated, though many tried.

If you thought high school was stressful, try going to college with the characters of “Greek.” Nerdy Rusty is a freshman at the same campus where his older sister Casey is a popular, ambitious sorority sister. In hopes of being more popular and confident, Rusty decides to rush a fraternity, winding up in a party-hard group of chill slackers instead of the clean-cut elite house he originally planned to join. The siblings and their friends (and frenemies) spend the next few years alternating between goofy Greek-system competitions and incredibly emotional love triangles, friendships, and everything in between. For a series that parodies sorority and fraternity life, it’s actually a very lovable show about how no one is as perfect as they’d like others to think.

We watched Zoey Johnson grow up on “black-ish,” and now we get to see her head to college and navigate young adulthood in “grown-ish.” Another teen show that follows its characters into early adulthood, it’s also a witty, smart comedy about what happens when you leave home and things don’t go at all according to plan. Zoey’s fashion dreams take quite a few turns, as do the plans of her friends and classmates. All the while, they’re figuring out who they are, who they love, and what their lives will be like as young Black people in 21st-century America. It’s a teen show with a big brain, heart, and voice.

Sure, it’s incredibly cheesy and even a little saccharine in hindsight. But you can’t talk about teen TV shows without talking about “Happy Days,” which combined the classic family sitcom format with a real focus on the ups and downs of its teenage characters. Perhaps it’s an overly wholesome version of teenage life, looked at through a nostalgic lens of how the 1970s remembered the 1950s. In the end, though, it’s also a charming depiction of the little moments of those high school years: the low-stakes problems that feel oh-so-important, the goofy ideas that seem like a great idea in the moment but are terrible in hindsight, and the importance of being able to lean on your friends.

If you watched The CW around 2010, you probably remember more commercials for “Hellcats” than you actually remember of the show itself. That’s a huge shame, because this low-rated and short-lived cheerleading comedy was ahead of its time, perfect for teens and full-fledged adults alike. A decade before “Cheer” got everyone obsessed with the world of competitive college cheerleading, there was this tongue-in-cheek dramedy. Our heroine is Marti, a pre-law student who loses her academic scholarship and tries out for the cheer team in a desperate attempt to get an athletic scholarship instead. Once on the team, she meets a whole new set of people and finds herself surprisingly invested in the precarious future of the cheer program.

Millennials got the original “High School Musical” franchise, and now “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” offers a tongue-in-cheek update for Gen Z. The funny, meta title actually encapsulates the idea of the show pretty well: the high school where “High School Musical” was filmed is putting on a production of “High School Musical.” Along the way, this new group of teens go on their own journeys of self-discovery. A different Disney musical is the focus of each subsequent season, but it’s really about these teens and how they learn to embrace their true selves and reject the status quo – jazz squares and all.

You probably missed this early-2010s teen drama, but if you did, you definitely missed out. Think of “Life Unexpected” as “Gilmore Girls” with a dramatic twist. Lux, a teenager who was given up at birth, is seeking emancipation. To do that, she tracks down her birth parents, who had her when they were just teens themselves. Lux’s plan backfires, however, and her newfound parents are assigned joint custody instead. Along with awkward “family” bonding, the show shines a light on difficult topics like foster care, abuse, bullying, and more. It’s not a dark and twisty slog, though; it’s also a very heartfelt show about found families and choosing your own future, and that’s something any teen (or adult) can relate to.

If we can talk about great “teen” shows that take place a year or two outside of high school, we can definitely talk about great “teen” shows that take place a year or two before high school. “Lizzie McGuire” is a beautiful, quirky time capsule of early-’00s tween and teen-dom. Lizzie stresses over the totally normal and totally awkward parts of adolescence (raise your hand if you still remember the iconic “I want! A bra!” scene), alongside her best friends Miranda and Gordo. It shifts easily between goofy, sitcom plots about picture day outfits or mean girls and serious but never preachy stories about peer pressure, religion, and eating disorders.

A teen dramedy for the 2020s, “Love, Victor” expands on the universe of the hit movie “Love, Simon” while still creating its own story. Victor, a teen boy from a Latino Catholic family, struggles not just with moving to a new state, but with his dawning realisation that he isn’t straight. As he and his friends navigate the messy ups and downs of high school, there’s just as much time spent on the joyful moments of friendship and first love as there is on the tearjerking scenes of family fights, prejudice, and emotional turmoil. It’s a well-rounded look at teenage life, with a diverse and complex group of characters to root for.

With its fresh twist on the teen sci-fi/fantasy genre, “Marvel’s Runaways” was one of the most underrated Marvel TV shows and a memorable teen show worth considering on its own. A group of six Los Angeles teens discover two life-changing things: they all have superpowers, and their parents are all part of a shady underground organisation. Teenage fights with parents and struggles with identity are elevated with sci-fi and superhero tropes, making them more literal and more high-stakes. Still, it’s the core characters who make this show so intriguing, each with their own stories and with a theme of “found family” that any generation can appreciate.

The iconic ’90s show not only gave Brandy Norwood her first starring role, but also gave us six memorable seasons of top-notch comedy. Moesha doesn’t just have to deal with the usual stresses of family and school life – they’re one and the same for her, since her widowed father just married her high school vice principal! As Moesha tries to navigate her new normal, the show builds up a fantastic sense of comedy while also addressing serious issues. You don’t often see a sitcom tackling racism, teen pregnancy, addiction, sexism, and mental health, but that’s just what “Moesha” did, all without losing its heart or humour.

Another short-lived show that launched careers and became beloved, “My So-Called Life” captures just how important everything feels when you’re a teenager. Sure, Angela Chase’s problems are pretty normal, from crushing on a seemingly unattainable bad boy to secrets in her friend circle or worries about a school dance. If you remember anything about being a teenager, though, you remember how every single thing truly felt like the end of the world, and how frustrating it was when the “grownups” didn’t take you seriously. That’s what makes “My So-Called Life” such a classic: It might be written by those grownups, but they don’t ever dismiss how intense and life-changing every moment feels when you’re so young.

Like a handful of other shows on this list, the “teen” characters of “Nancy Drew” are out of high school, but just barely. It’s a very different take on the famous girl detective than you’re used to. Instead of a perky, clean-cut girl solving crimes, this Nancy is deeply traumatised and only becomes more so as she uncovers supernatural conspiracies and the dark secrets of her own family and town. What makes this show great is its brilliantly balanced ensemble, with a “Drew Crew” of three-dimensional, complicated characters who all bring something unique to the show. Add to that a wickedly wry, sharp sense of humour (it’s not all hauntings and murders!) and one of the best slow-burn romances of the past several years, and you’ve got a show that goes well beyond “teen show” to something that everyone can love.

Devi is a mess, and that’s what makes “Never Have I Ever” so watchable and relatable. She’s an overachiever who never misses the chance to face off with her academic nemesis Ben, but she’s also a teen girl desperate to seem cool, especially when it comes to sex, love, and relationships. In the grand tradition of teen movies and shows everywhere, a white lie about her (nonexistent) relationship with the school’s swimming star spirals out of control. Devi and her quirky pals can sometimes be selfish, difficult, and misguided, but they’re trying so hard to get things right. In that context, their lowest moments aren’t exactly setbacks, but moments of growth, and that’s why we still love them.

“The O.C.” didn’t achieve teen-TV greatness by totally reinventing the genre, but rather by polishing its tropes to a new level and finding a cast with top-notch chemistry. Bad boy Ryan, “poor little rich girl” Marissa, geeky Seth, and popular Summer instantly became iconic characters (and romances), all while surrounded by a drama-packed world full of betrayals and murders along with the usual pressures of teen life. It became a genuine must-watch phenomenon during its time on the air, headlined the golden age of teen TV soundtracks, and was responsible for at least one truly unforgettable meme. All together now: “Mmmm, whatcha say…”

Centring the experiences of Black and Latinx teens in an inner-city neighbourhood, “On My Block” blends lighthearted stories of getting older with sharp insights into growing up amidst poverty and class struggles, racism, gang violence, and more. It focuses on these characters and these experiences rather than relegating them to background characters or “very special” episodes meant to “teach a lesson.” Instead, it’s a rich, complex, sometimes joyous, and sometimes devastating picture of teens doing the best they can to live full lives, take care of each other, and figure out what their futures can look like.

“One Tree Hill” is probably better remembered for its truly bonkers, off-the-rails moments in its later seasons, but it deserves to be remembered as one of the defining teen dramas of the 2000s. One of the anchors of the classic WB lineup, the show centres on two estranged half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan, and the friends and family around them in a small town. With polarising love triangles for one and an all-time great TV romance for the other, the brothers go through high school and way beyond with the support of their loved ones. Twisty and downright melodramatic at times, it’s a show that did its best to keep finding new angles on the relationships between its characters, and the soundtrack over the seasons just keeps getting better.

Sometimes, a teen show doesn’t need to be an immortal masterpiece – it just needs to be entertaining and get people invested. That’s one way of looking at the popularity of “Outer Banks,” Netflix’s buzzy teen drama that invokes some of the same vibes as old-school teen dramas of decades past. In a coastal town sharply divided between rich vacationers and the working-class residents, a local teen enlists the help of three others to discover what happened to his missing father. While they investigate, they uncover the legend of a famous missing treasure that might be linked to his father’s disappearance, all while also dealing with class divides, romance, friendships, and betrayals. It’s an adventure mystery made for teens, but with no less intensity.

Plenty of teen shows take on the glossy, gossipy parts of being a teenager, while others go for grit and scandal. “Party of Five” does neither, with a serious but deeply emotional take on one unusual set of teenage experiences. After the sudden death of their parents, a group of five siblings is left with only each other to count on. Their eldest brother becomes the family guardian, while the younger siblings try to manage their own storylines of hereditary alcoholism, date rape, abortion, and other tough moments. It’s definitely not a perky show, but it’s also one that doesn’t try to sensationalise its hard choices. Instead, it acknowledges that these are things that teens do face, and applauds its characters for trying, even if they fail.

Who would have guessed that a teenage satire starring two fully grown adult women as middle school students would have turned out to be one of the sharpest depictions of adolescence in recent years? Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine fictionalised their real-life teenage years, in all their awkward glory, for a show that nails the weirdness of that in-between stage of life. Junior high might be a little younger than the setting of most of the shows here, but it’s also a defining part of the teenage experience. From figuring out puberty to outgrowing old interests and developing new crushes, it’s all here in its messy, memorable glory.

It doesn’t get much more dramatic than this gasp-worthy teen thriller, which started with an eerie premise and only got more twisty from there. At the beginning of “Pretty Little Liars,” four former best friends receive mysterious text messages, threatening to reveal their dark secrets and hinting that their presumed-dead friend might not be dead after all. As the quartet try to investigate what’s going on, they’re helped and hindered by mysterious love interests, parents and teachers with their own secrets, revelations that only offer up more questions, and multiple conspiracies that turn deadly. This is teen TV at it most unashamedly bonkers, with a scandal-packed, can’t-look-away kind of storytelling.

There is truly nothing like “Riverdale.” It’s unlikely that anyone thought, years ago, that “Archie Comics, but make it dark and twisty” was a pitch that would turn into a bonafide phenomenon. Yet, somehow, it worked, transforming the clean-cut comics characters into teenagers who get involved with gangs, run speakeasies, join cults, uncover mystical happenings, and have illicit affairs (all while still going to class and football practice, of course). These days, “Riverdale” has become more of a punchline for its increasingly bizarro plots, but the go-for-broke guts of its initial storytelling will ensure that it’s always remembered among the greats of teen TV.

Take your standard high school drama and up the stakes with sci-fi secret identities, and you’ve got “Roswell.” Based on a series of YA novels, the quirky drama centers on a trio of aliens who crashed on Earth during the 1947 Roswell incident and are currently hiding as “normal” teenagers in Roswell while trying to solve the mystery of their past. When their leader, Max, impulsively uses his powers to save the life of his human crush, Liz, their secret threatens to come out. Instead, Liz and her human friends grow close to the aliens, falling in love and dealing with all the usual high school drama while also trying to help figure out where the aliens came from and why they’re on Earth in the first place.

Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” may be a darker and more modern take on Sabrina Spellman, but it can’t even come close to the gleefully silly icon that is the original “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” sitcom. On her 16th birthday, “normal” teenager Sabrina Spellman learns that she’s actually a witch and will begin learning how to use her powers. While living and training with her quirky aunts, Sabrina also has to navigate high school mean girls, chemistry tests, first crushes, and finding friends – all while having to keep one important part of her life hidden. It’s the kind of show that delights in being absolutely silly, with an endless supply of truly terrible puns and dad jokes (or, in this case, aunt jokes). Still, it’s a sweet look at what it feels like to try to fit in when you feel very, very different. (Also, we’d support Salem the cat on any world takeover, thank you very much).

This true ’90s classic may have a reputation for some of its more cloying or over-the-top moments, but to only focus on that overlooks how big a cultural impact it had. Set among a group of pals at a California high school, “Saved by the Bell” alternates between goofy teenage hijinks and attempts to address some of the more serious issues teenagers face. There are love triangles, strained friendships, family troubles, and all those staples of ever teen show ever, but “Saved by the Bell” does its best to teach a few lessons about what really matters in life. It might be a little cheesy and earnest at times, but that earnestness is also very much part of its enduring charm.

Who doesn’t love a little star-crossed drama in their teen TV? This supernatural drama was part of a big wave of YA fantasy shows, books, and movies during the early 2010s. Although it didn’t last as long as others, it’s still worth remembering as an ambitious show that tried to build a big, sweeping mythology. The premise starts out fairly simple: a teenage girl moves to a new town, only to be approached by a few classmates and told that she’s a powerful witch and the long-awaited final member of their coven. As the teens work to master their powers, they also uncover dark secrets about their own families. Of course, there’s also plenty of forbidden romance and major betrayals – what else would you expect?

“Sister, Sister” starts out with a silly premise straight out of its ’90s roots: a pair of twins, separated at birth and adopted by different people, run into each other in a goofy scene at the mall. Bookish Tia and chipper Tamara might be total opposites, but they quickly learn to love having a twin, with all the mischief and love that entails. Combine that with the heartfelt (and often hilarious) scenes with their respective parents, the blended-family hijinks, and a silly but sweet supporting cast, and you’ve got a teen show with the kinds of characters you wish you knew in real life.

“Skins” is a teen TV classic for a reason. It’s easy to just look at it as another “gritty” show that depicts teens partying hard and making a lot of bad choices – a pre-“Euphoria,” if you will. That perspective overlooks just how much ground the show broke, with thoughtful depictions of things that real teens face every day, even if we don’t like to talk about it. Rather than glamorising its characters’ antics, it allowed for the storylines to have real fallout, and it took the time to tackle things like mental health, sexuality, class divisions, and more. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that several of its stars (Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult, and Daniel Kaluuya, to name a few) have gone on to become household names!

It’s easy to forget, in our superhero-obsessed pop culture world today, that there was a time not very long ago where TV shows about superheroes could be, well, kryptonite. “Smallville” took a new tactic. Instead of the earnest, campy, crime-solving shows of decades past, the WB drama combined a superhero origin story with all the trappings of a typical teen drama. We meet Clark Kent as a dorky high school student struggling to control his out-of-this-world powers. The show’s famous rule against showing Superman in costume or in flight kept Clark’s story grounded, even as later seasons introduced a colourful cast of supporting characters straight from the pages of DC Comics. Later superhero shows have experimented with genre and gone much darker, but none of it could have happened without “Smallville.”

Perhaps not since “Buffy” and “Smallville” has a teen TV show so cleverly entwined superpowers with the ordinary struggles of being a teenager. Courtney Whitmore, the daughter of a single mom, is shocked when the “Cosmic Staff” of a dead superhero chooses her as its next bearer. When she discovers that her new stepfather worked alongside the murdered Justice League of America, she enlists his reluctant help to train her and to assemble a new league of heroes. Bringing together a misfit group of classmates who soon become a trusted family of their own, Courtney soon discovers that navigating high school extracurriculars and flirtations is a lot harder when everyone could be part of a dark and powerful history.

The premise is all right there in the title of “Switched at Birth.” Two teenage girls discover that their whole lives have been a lie, as they were accidentally switched and sent home with the wrong families on the day they were born. Upon this discovery, the two very different families are forced together, as parents try to get to know their biological daughters and the two girls, Bay and Daphne, struggle with realising their lives were all an unintentional lie. Many of the storylines are typical for a teen and family drama, but others have a groundbreaking twist: Daphne is deaf, and many storylines revolve around Deaf culture, representation, debates and issues within their community, and more.

Any discussion of teen fantasy and sci-fi TV shows wouldn’t be complete without “Teen Wolf,” MTV’s revisiting of a cult-favourite 1985 movie. As the title suggests, Scott, a teenage werewolf is at the centre of the story, defending his hometown from supernatural threats while also trying to navigate things like homework, parents, school crushes, and other normal teenage things. Surrounded by a crew of fellow werewolves, hunters, and other supernatural creatures, Scott battles the forces of darkness and learns more about his place in the world. Like the best teen fantasy shows, it’s often a story where the supernatural elements are a clear metaphor for the angst of growing up.

The delicious silliness of mid-2000s Disney Channel is on full display with this funny teen comedy. “That’s So Raven” focuses on Raven Baxter, a seemingly normal teenage girl with a secret: She gets psychic visions of the future. A standard episode revolves around Raven getting a vision, misinterpreting or trying to prevent it from coming true, and then the future unravelling in unexpected and funny ways. It’s a goofy premise, but the show itself is sweet, funny, and takes things seriously when need be. Even under its Disney Channel shine, it still found time to address racism, body image, and more, all in a way that its tween and teen audience could connect with.

The late ’00’s and early ’10s truly was the era of teen vampire stories, and “The Vampire Diaries” was one of the greats. Like the best supernatural dramas, the teen series started out by using its fantasy elements to reflect the very human parts of life for its characters. It’s no coincidence then, that high school student Elena encounters a pair of 150-year old vampire brothers right after losing her parents in a shocking accident. Nor is it unexpected to watch her friends and classmates discover their own destinies as witches, hunters, and werewolves just as they’re starting to consider what the future might hold for all of them. Like so many shows, the later seasons start to introduce a few too many elements that try to one-up what came before, but the epic romance and twisty mythology ensure that the legacy of “The Vampire Diaries” is anything but undead.

Set aside the swift and loud backlash over parts of the Hulu revival, and “Veronica Mars” sits as a smart, sharp series that layered the noir detective genre with mid-2000s teen drama tropes. Its early brilliance lies in the sharp contrast of the bright frivolity of Veronica’s Southern California high school with her own dark backstory and her determination to solve her best friend’s brutal murder. Along the way, Veronica and company deal with issues of police and government corruption, date rape, mental illness, violence, sexism, and other topics that teen shows don’t always cover but that real teens face every day. Oh, and it wouldn’t be a teen TV show without a truly iconic ship to root for, and “Veronica Mars” pulls that off with one of the most memorable TV couples of all time.

One part teen comedy, one part clash of opposite sisters, “What I Like About You” is one of the less-talked about WB shows, but still one worth remembering. Impulsive, perky teenager Holly moves in with her responsible older sister Val, turning both of their lives upside down. A little lighter and goofier than many of its contemporaries, it’s more of a look at the bonds between sisters than a classic high school comedy. With so many teen shows focusing on high drama, sobfests, and the most intense moments, though, it’s also kind of refreshing to have something like “What I Like About You” in the mix: sweet, fluffy fun.

Is there any comedy quite as nostalgic as “The Wonder Years”? With a brand-new reboot on ABC, it’s the perfect time to revisit this ’80s classic. An older version of young teen Kevin narrates the awkward era of his life. Set in the late ’60s and early ’70s, there’s a double dose of nostalgia for more modern viewers, but it’s not nearly as dated as you might think. Instead, it proves its worth as a timeless classic, from the familiar conversations and arguments within a family to the, yes, wonder of first crushes and first love. Sweet without being saccharine, it’s the kind of show that gets on every best-of list.

It’s tough to reboot something as iconic as “Beverly Hills, 90210,” but the 2010s edition of “90210” does its best to capture the spirit of the original while updating it with new characters and a new era. Like the original, “90210” focuses on the lives of students at a wealthy Beverly Hills high school, although not all the students come from super-rich backgrounds. Although the show isn’t precisely a “sequel” to the original series, it does create one major connection by making one of its main characters the half-sister of an original character. For the most part, it tries to stand on its own and creates its own, very 2010s brand of teen drama, messy romance, and outright disastrous teenage choices.