The heyday of teenromanceTV shows fromthe late 1990s to the early 2010s created some of the best and most influential adolescent series of all time.This was the period when teenagers and the pangs of adolescence were starting to be taken seriously by film and television, as young adults were proving themselves to be a vast and marketable audience base. While there are many other great shows about teenagers that feature love stories, not all of them share the specific tone and atmosphere that makes a teen romance TV show so unique.
There are plenty oftoxic couples in teen dramas, asmost of the relationships presented in these shows are far from perfectand often problematic. However, these are easy to spot looking back on these shows, and it’s important to remember to take most storylines and romantic interests in teen dramas with a grain of salt. Using outlandish storylines and leaning into melodrama over realism are common features of the teen soap operas that are still so popular today. This makes them stand out from the other shows on TV and provides fun escapist fantasies for all viewers to enjoy.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Cast
The Summer I Turned Pretty, released in 2022, follows a pivotal summer in the life of Belly, who turns sixteen during her family’s annual stay at the Fishers' beach house. This transformative season involves first love, heartbreak, and personal growth, marking a significant journey of self-discovery.
Amazon Prime’s teen drama based on the hit book series by Jenny Han,The Summer I Turned Pretty, is a great example of how shows about adolescence have evolved over the past several years. Following the central love triangle between Belly (Lola Tung) and the brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno),The Summer I Turned Prettyisn’t afraid to put its characters in awkward situations. Though she’s not always likable,Belly has captured the audience’s hearts with her journey of self-discovery.
Though season 1 was stronger than 2, based on the books, the next story arc will see more drama and unbelievable heartache between Belly and the Fisher boys.
The Summer I Turned Prettyseason 3 delaywill be worth the wait, as the next installment of Belly’s story will have more episodes than the previous two seasons. Though season 1 was stronger than 2, based on the books, the next story arc will see more drama and unbelievable heartache between Belly and the Fisher boys.The series is a pure romance with an undercurrent of coming-of-age drama,making it feel just as intense and unforgettable as the first pangs of love do during the teenage years.
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Teen Wolf
This supernatural drama follows a high school student in Beacon Hills who becomes a werewolf after being bitten. Alongside his best friend, he navigates newfound powers and dangers, confronting various threats while entangled in the complexities of adolescence and the supernatural world. Created by Jeff Davis.
Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien are the best friends and heartthrobs ofTeen WolfScott and Stiles. They get involved in a supernatural realm they didn’t know existed when Scott is transformed into a werewolf and must deal with the pitfalls of high school while his life is upended. Though Scott is the protagonist of the series, the love story that’s the easiest to root for is that between Stiles and Lydia (Holland Roden), who goes from seeing Stiles as a nobody to a friend to a caring and supportive romantic interest.
It’s common for teen dramas to weave in supernatural elements, andTeen Wolfstrikes a good balance between the otherworldly aspects of the plot and the everyday difficulties of being a teenager. While vampires were all the rage during the late 2000s and early 2010s,the fact thatTeen Wolffocused on werewolves set it apart from the many similar offerings on television.As Scott comes into his own as a werewolf, he struggles with balancing his loyalties to his friends and family with his duties as a protector.
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Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars is a Teen Drama and Mystery series based on the novel by Sara Shepard. The show was created by Marlene King and stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and Holly Marie Combs. The series revolves around four friends who meet back up with one another and begin to receive strange threats from an unknown source simply labeled “A.”
Full of mystery and crime drama elements,Pretty Little Liarsis one of the most outlandish teen romance TV shows of the 21st century, but this is part of the fun of watching the series. Though the young women on the show were all preoccupied with discovering who A was and the constant blackmail they faced, their day-to-day lives frequently revolved around their love interests. One of the highlights ofPLLis howit centered on LGBTQ+ love stories through Emily’s (Shay Mitchell) arcs,which was a big deal in the early 2010s.
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Despite being a show for teens,Pretty Little Liarsputs its characters in intense and terrifying situations throughout the seasons and sees them forced to give up some of their biggest love interests. While many of the plot lines are so unreasonable, they border on impossible; there was never a dull moment throughout the run ofPretty Little Liars, androoting for a favorite ship was one of the most compelling parts of the series.Even when they’re playing an evil twin or being kidnapped, the main actors bring heart and maturity to the show.
One Tree Hill
Set in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, One Tree Hill chronicles the complicated and intertwined lives of its residents. Following half-brothers and rivals Lucas and Nathan Scott as they compete both for positions on their school basketball team and for the affection of their fellow students, Tree Hill’s community is built around community spirit and the complex workings of the ever-growing Scott family.
The early seasons ofOne Tree Hillare the best of the show,but that doesn’t mean that the series stopped being compelling when the characters left high school. Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (Jame Lafferty) are the half-brothers at odds inOne Tree Hill, with their personal lives and rivalries playing out on the basketball court. It doesn’t take long for them to be at odds romantically as well when Nathan starts dating Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz), Lucas' best friend. Many of these complicated pairings arise onOne Tree Hill.
Brooke soon turned out to be the most enduring character in the series, and watching her learn to love herself was one of the greatest arcs on the show.
Who Lucas should have ended up with was a hot debate during the heyday ofOne Tree Hill, as his relationships with Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and Brooke (Sophia Bush) made for a stellar love triangle. However, Brooke soon turned out to be the most enduring character in the series, and watching her learn to love herself was one of the greatest arcs on the show. Brooke’s story, along withHaley and Nathan’s strong relationship, helped keepOne Tree Hillrelevant in the later years.
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is a drama mystery series that stars Kristen Bell as the titular teen detective who learns the ropes from her father, a California police sheriff. Following a “crime-of-the-week” episode format, each episode sees Veronica tackling new cases while carrying on her High School life, with a more significant, overarching plot carrying between episodes. Veronica’s side career begins following the death of her best friend, which sets off a chain of events leading to several smaller cases.
Kristen Bell leadsVeronica Marsas the titular teen sleuthwho puts Nancy Drew to shame with her expert investigative skills. A large thrust of the series is the central relationship between Veronica and Logan (Jason Dohring), who begin at odds, making for a fantastic enemies-to-lovers arc. The show takes their love story seriously, realistically chronicling the ups and downs of their lives as Veronica struggles to open up to Logan and he attempts to change and be a better person.
Unfortunately, whenVeronica Marsreturned for a reboot in 2019, it didn’t capture the same magic as the original series since a large part of the draw was the missteps of young adulthood.AsVeronica Marsprogressed, it struggled to maintain the momentum and originality of season 1,but this doesn’t mean it should be forgotten.Veronica Marsis as fresh, relevant, and poignant today as it was when it first premiered.
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Dawson’s Creek
In the small town of Capeside, Massachusetts, fifteen-year-old Dawson Leery and his friends — tomboy Joey, class clown Pacey, and many more — experience the highs and lows of teenage life and coming of age.
Dawson’s Creekwas a hallmark of teen TV during the transition from the ’90s to the 2000s because of its controversial and subversive storylines. Critics and audiences alike were taken aback by how willingDawson’s Creekwas to touch upon traditionally taboo subjects in a teen series. Even whenDawson’s Creekintroduced unrealistic storylines,it always treated the teen characters with respect and framed their lives and romances closer to those of adults.
Watching Pacey fall head-over-heels for Joey and witnessing them continually come back to each other is one of the best parts of the show.
Throughout the show,Dawson (James Van Der Beek) is desperate to be treated like a grownup,but he and his friends are just beginning to understand how they fit into the wider world. When the series starts, Dawson and Joey (Katie Holmes) seem like they’ll be the series' central romance, but Joey’s connection with Pacey (Joshua Jackson) proves to be much more compelling. Watching Pacey fall head-over-heels for Joey and witnessing them continually come back to each other is one of the best parts of the show.
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My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is a TV drama series that aired in 1994-1995, centered on teenager Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, as she navigates the complexities of high school life, friendships, and family relationships. The show explores themes of identity, peer pressure, and adolescence, featuring a strong ensemble cast including Jared Leto as Jordan Catalano and Bess Armstrong as Angela’s mother, Patty Chase.
My So-Called Lifeis one of theworst TV show cancelations after just one season, as the series had the potential to do so much more. Starring a youngClaire Danes as Angela, the protagonist who’s more self-aware and nuanced than most teens on television,the series follows her navigating the parts of adolescence that would normally be swept under the rug. In the mid-90s, most serious topics would be covered in a single episode of the season, but this wasn’t the case withMy So-Called Life. Every episode of the show saw Angela and her friends struggle to fit in and understand themselves.
The only reasonMy So-Called Lifedoesn’t rank higher is because it never got the chance to fully develop over multiple seasons. Additionally, the show might revolve around Angela’s obsession with Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto), but it’s much more than a romance. Despite receiving enormous critical acclaim,My So-Called Lifenever got to come into its own and continue pushing boundaries. However,it paved the way for even more subversive teen dramas in the years to come.
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Gossip Girl
Set in New York, 2021’s Gossip Girl chronicles the lives of a new generation of private school teenagers who navigate social dynamics and scandals. Through the pervasive influence of social media, their secrets are exposed, while the anonymous titular blogger reveals the complexities of their intertwined relationships.
Gossip Girlbegins as a reverse Cinderella story,with the young and unknown Dan (Penn Badgley) falling in love with well-connected it-girl Serena (Blake Lively). This leads to Dan entering a world unlike anything he’s ever known, and the audience watches the characters fall in and out of love with each other as they climb the social ladder. While Dan and Serena have plenty of drama, Blair (Leighton Meester) and Chuck (Ed Westwick) provide the best will-they-won’t-they dynamic.
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ThoughGossip Girlwas rebooted in 2021, the contemporary series lacked the drama and, for lack of a better term, the messiness of the original series.The firstGossip Girlis unafraid to be just as scandalous as its characters,which makes for great drama. There’s no question that the series sometimes went too far and strayed into problematic territory, but this was becauseGossip Girlhad fun with its characters and premise. The sexual content and inappropriate relationships made it the subject of heated debate throughout its run, but this has cemented its iconic status.
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The O.C.
When troubled teen Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) is taken in by his public defender (Peter Gallagher), he suddenly finds himself on the right side of the tracks. The O.C. follows as Ryan tries his best to fit into the affluent California community while navigating the relentless drama of teen life, but his new home of Newport Beach is a town filled to the brim with secrets and scandal.
It’s impossible to forget the moment when Ryan (Ben McKenzie) first meets Marissa (Mischa Barton),and the events ofThe O.C.and their doomed romance are set in motion. Ryan is the perfect protagonist, as he’s the audience’s window into the lives of the elite and impossibly privileged residents of Newport Beach in the series. However, just because they’re wealthy, that doesn’t mean the characters are short on drama, as the tangled love lives and betrayals of the high schoolers and parents alike make for great television.
Though Ryan and Marissa were the most dramatic, Seth and Summer (Rachel Bilson) are the sleeper hit couple of the show.
The O.C.is one ofAdam Brody’s best TV shows, and his turn asSeth Cohen inspired a renaissance of the “nerd” archetype,cementing Brody as one of the early 2000s most synonymous heartthrobs. Though Ryan and Marissa were the most dramatic, Seth and Summer (Rachel Bilson) are the sleeper hit couple of the show. Their relationship grows into something stable, healthy, and worth rooting for. The same can’t be said for many series likeThe O.C.
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The Vampire Diaries
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
As one of thebest vampire TV shows of all time, in addition to being an enduring romance series,The Vampire Diarieshas something for everyone. Thoughthe series begins with the love triangle of Elena (Nina Dobrev), Stefan (Paul Wesley), and Damon (Ian Somerhalder),it soon expands to include great romances for all the characters. From fan-favorite couples like Caroline (Candice King) and Klaus (Joesph Morgan) to later relationships like Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey), almost every romantic pairing was explored.
Like any good supernaturalromanceseries,The Vampire Diariesmakes the stakes as high as possible, putting the lives of the characters on the line many times to test how they feel about each other. The two spinoffs,The OriginalsandLegacies, expanded upon the lore and intrigue of the first show, but none could live up to the bar set byThe Vampire Diaries. The lines between good and evil are blurred throughout the show, withcharacters constantly changing allegiances and romantic partners, making for enthralling drama.
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