The 20 best teen shows of all time

Drama, the clothes, the enduring mystery of Gossip Girl’s identity: Gossip Girl had it all (we’re talking about the original here; we don’t need to discuss the reboot). Gossip Girl is one of those shows that just gets better every time you rewatch it, and anyone who’s ever liked teen dramas is a fan of this one.

The O.C.  doesn’t get enough credit for the incredible teen show that it was. Had Mischa Barton not wanted to leave, the show could’ve run for several more seasons. Unfortunately, her absence in the fourth season was noticeable, but the first three are gold, and the show as a whole is excellent television.

There are currently only two seasons of Euphoria, and who knows when we’ll be getting a third, but it’s still one of the best teen dramas of all time. It’s gritty and dark, but we’re invested in the characters and just want them to be okay. Euphoria tackles dark subject matter, showing that teens are trying to do their best — like everybody else.

If you ask us, MTV gave up on producing original scripted content far too soon. Had Awkward aired on another network, it might’ve lasted longer, but we think the real problem is that not enough people gave this fantastic series a fair shot. It was humorous and a little dark, but it showed the realities of life when high school is not your favorite place to be every day. Or any day. 

Gilmore Girls was made for everyone, not just teens, but it’s a rare show that’s just as good when you watch it as a teenager as it is when you rewatch it as an adult. It’s comforting, witty, and will always be worth a watch, no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

Anything with Chad Michael Murray deserves to be placed on the best-of-all-time list. The cast, the storylines, and of course, the teen drama make One Tree Hill as popular today on streaming services as it was when it first aired. It’ll always be relatable to crowds and always have an enticing quality.

Not everybody who was cast in Never Have I Ever was a teenager, but they were closer to their characters’ ages than most casts of teen shows, and that automatically puts it a cut above the rest. Creator Mindy Kaling also made the decision to end after four seasons when the main characters graduate high school, making it a rare teen drama that doesn’t follow its protagonist to college. 

Pretty Little Liars is perhaps the most unrealistic of all teen dramas, but that’s kind of what we loved about it. Watching it as an adult, you realize just how unrealistic it was, but watching it as a teenager, it was intriguing and dramatic. It was a can’t-miss show for years on end.

Glee is another show that you watch as an adult only to realize just how bananas some of the plots were, but if you just take it at face value, it’s funny, and the musical performances are excellent. The cast was truly talented.

There are few traditions as time-honored by the masses as high school football, and it’s only fitting that there was a teen drama dedicated to the sport. Even if you don’t care at all about football, you can still get incredibly invested in Friday Night Lights.

See what we mean about MTV’s original scripted content? It was fantastic. The TV series adapted from the 1980s movie of the same title attracted tons of viewers and capitalized on the late 2000s obsession with werewolves. We also have Teen Wolf to thank for jumpstarting Dylan O’Brien’s career, and we will never be able to pay back that debt.

If teen shows only serve one greater purpose in pop culture, it's to jumpstart the careers of great entertainers. Degrassi served that purpose by jumpstarting Drake's career. No, he didn't continue acting, but he did gain the skills he'd later need to serve as a producer on Euphoria. 

What did we say about teen dramas jumpstarting the careers of great entertainers? Katie Holmes got her start on Dawson's Creek, a great late '90s teen drama. Had we not had Dawson's Creek , Tom Cruise might never have jumped on Oprah's couch. 

Yes, Freaks and Geeks’ one season warrants a spot on the list of the best teen dramas of all time. That’s how good its one season was. The show ended far too soon, but it’ll remain a cult classic for the rest of television history.

Sometimes teen dramas jumpstart careers, and other times, they serve as a place for child actors to regain their footing in the entertainment industry, which is what Riverdale did for Cole Sprouse. The show ended after seven seasons in 2023. 

Yes, we have mentioned just how bad many of these teen shows are in retrospect. None are as bad in retrospect as The Secret Life of the American Teenager, but that makes it so good. It was melodramatic and ultimately quite ridiculous, but that’s why we loved it.

The Vampire Diaries is a teen drama that will remain in the past. Star Paul Wesley said he wouldn't return to the series for a reboot, but we can't blame him. And in his defense, not everything needs a reboot. 

Like some other current teen dramas, we have no idea when Stranger Things will end. We're not sure anyone knows for sure. But what we do know is that it's one of the most popular teen shows of all time, and it ranks among the greats. 

The Politician did not get nearly as many seasons as it deserved. Telling the story of an over-eager teenager with political aspirations, what ended up being the final season ended with a major cliffhanger that could’ve been turned into a juicy and salacious third season. Unfortunately, we were never gifted that. We do have the memories, though. Two seasons are available in perpetuity on Netflix. 

Crime and mystery have proven to be the makings of many a great teen drama, and Outer Banks has absolutely capitalized on that. It’s still airing, but it’s continually proving that it’s a teen show worth watching.