TOP TEEN DRAMAS TO WATCH
IF YOU LOVE OUTER BANKS
By Lee Parham
Do you love watching actors in their mid-20s playing teenagers in unrealistic situations? If so these are the best teen dramas to binge after you finish Outer Banks.
Netflix’s teen mystery Outer Banks took the lockdown world by storm in 2020, instantly becoming one of the streamers biggest hits during the height of the pandemic.
A second season of the North Carolina coastal set drama was inevitable, reuniting John B. and the gang as they navigate adventures for missing treasure and classism in their local town.
Also set in North Carolina, the show One Tree Hill tells the story of two step brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, as they compete against each other for positions on the school basketball team.
The earliest entry on our list, Canadian drama series Degrassi and a multitude of sequel shows have enthralled teen audiences since its inception in 1979.
Considered a classic of the genre, Dawson’s Creek inspired generations of teen television and launched the careers of James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, and Michelle Williams.
Infamously cancelled after one season, Freaks and Geeks witnessed the birth of a superstar cast, headlined by Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogan, Jason Segal, Busy Phillips, and more.
Based on the movie of the same name, Friday Night Lights tells the story of the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team in Texas coached by Kyle Chandler’s legendary Eric Taylor.
Set in the Upper East Side of New York City, Gossip Girl pictures the lavish lifestyle of the students at Constance Billard St. Jude’s School, featuring famous frenemies Serena and Blair.
A modern interpretation of Gossip Girl premiered in summer 2021 on HBO MAX, presenting a new generation of Upper East Siders getting into their own soapy shenanigans.
The voice of Gossip Girl herself, Kristen Bell, was no stranger to teen drama. She played the iconic teenage detective Veronica Mars who solved mysteries in the fictional town of Neptune, California.
Continuing with the theme of teenagers investigating crimes, ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars featured a clique of high school girls searching for their friend Alison after she abruptly goes missing.
Crossing over into other genres, smash hit musical series Glee centers around a group of highschoolers competing in show choir competitions while facing important social justice issues.
Based on the famous Archie comics, Riverdale amps up the love triangles and romance between Archie, Betty, Jughead, and Veronica in a modern interpretation with a soap opera spin.
Following the footsteps of Glee, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series showcases a stage production of the Disney Channel original film of the same name and stars pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo.
Touching on serious issues in regards to abuse and addiction, Euphoria sees Zendaya at the height of her craft working her way through the complicated web of what it means to be a modern highschooler.
From scandalous soap operas to inspirational sports stories, the teen drama genre is chalk full of classics bridging across many generations and shows no sign of slowing down.