Anybody else love a good teen drama? From Gossip Girl to Pretty Little Liars, there have been tons of TV shows throughout the years that are about teenagers but make for totally intriguing viewing. Let's be honest: In a lot of these shows, the teens act a whole lot more like adults than they do kids, and it's often easy to forget that we're watching the made-up stories of underage people. Most of us were teens ourselves in the heyday of teen dramas, and that makes them even more fun to watch.
Those shows of the early aughts may have ended long ago, but the genre has experienced a resurgence in recent years, and we are totally here for it. Not only that, but the drama in these newer teen series has ramped up even more. From risqué scenes to tough topics like drug addiction and major crime, these shows are bringing the heat. But there are also lighthearted series that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between.
Many of these shows may be about teenagers, but they've obviously been created for a much wider audience, including us adults. So there's absolutely no shame in watching these shows with your own kids or indulging in them all by yourself. Keep reading to see which new and new-ish teen TV dramas all the kids — uh, we mean adults — can't stop talking about right now.
'Hanna'
The Amazon Prime series Hanna is part action thriller, part coming-of-age drama about a teen girl who was raised in the forest but now finds herself on the run from the CIA while she tries to figure out her own origins. It's dark and dramatic and completely different from anything else on TV right now.
'Cruel Summer'
The new Freeform mystery show Cruel Summer, which debuted in April 2021, has been a bit of a runaway hit. It's about an unassuming, slightly awkward teen who suddenly becomes the most popular girl in school after the previous queen bee is mysteriously abducted. It takes place in the 1990s, and since everything '90s is trending right now, we're sure that's added to the show's appeal. It's definitely fun to watch and reminisce about the fashions and fads of that decade.
'All American'
All American is a drama that examines race, class, and socioeconomic status, while still tackling the everyday concerns of teen life. It's about a high school football player from downtrodden South Central Los Angeles who is recruited to play for the ritzy Beverly Hills High School.
'Stargirl'
Starring celebs including Amy Smart and Luke Wilson, it's no surprise that adults are totally into CW's Stargirl. The show, based on a DC Comics story, is about a teen girl who joins the Justice Society of America after finding the gear of the original superhero, the Star-Spangled Kid. She then teams up with her stepdad and fellow hero, who fights crime in an exosuit. This one's fun to watch right along with your own kids.
'Shadow and Bone'
The Netflix series Shadow and Bone is both a period drama and a teen series. It's about an orphaned "mapmaker" whose powers are accidentally unleashed, leading her to discover that she may have the ability to bring light to her desperate, war-torn world — if only she can get past the dark forces working against her.
'Grand Army'
Season 1 of Grand Army quietly premiered on Netflix in October 2020 and became something of a sleeper hit, making it into the streamer's top 10 for the month. The show follows a group of teens from Brooklyn, New York, as they grapple with race, sex, and socioeconomic issues. The show hasn't been picked up for a second season yet, but we're anxiously awaiting the announcement.
'Grown-ish'
A spin-off of the hit show Black-ish, starring Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, it follows the character Zoey as she embarks on her college career. It's a drama with quite a bit of comedy mixed in, and it's one of those shows that manages to deal with real-life themes while still being totally entertaining.
'The Wilds'
An Amazon original series, the Wilds tells the story of a group of teen girls who end up stranded on a remote island after an accident. It eventually becomes apparent that they didn't end up there by chance at all, but rather they've been secretly recruited to take part in a social experiment.
'Euphoria'
Starring Zendaya, HBO's Euphoria is definitely one of those shows that's about teenagers but is more suited to an adult audience. It chronicles the lives of a group of high school students who find themselves struggling with drugs, sex, and violence. The main character, Rue, is a recovering young drug addict, while her friend Jules is new in town and trying to find her place.
'Riverdale'
Enthusiasm for Riverdale has died down a bit the past couple of seasons, but it's still a series that's worth watching from the beginning. And considering that it's based on the Archie and Betty & Veronica comics of our own childhoods, it's a show that's long captured the attention of adults. It is full of drama and themes that often seem inappropriate for teens, but it is so darn good.
'Good Trouble'
A spin-off of the popular Freeform series the Fosters, Good Trouble stars Cierra Ramirez and Maia Mitchell as their characters leave home and embark on their lives as young adults. The sisters move to Los Angeles and soon realize that growing up is a lot harder than they imagined.
'Never Have I Ever'
The new series Never Have I Ever comes from the comedic mind of Mindy Kaling, and while it's definitely a comedy, it's laced with loads of teen drama. The show is inspired by Mindy's own upbringing and follows the life of a first-generation teen girl from India as she learns how to balance her Indian culture and her American life.
'Outer Banks'
The Netflix series Outer Banks debuted in 2020 and quickly captured the attention of a wide audience. It's the story of a group of teenagers from a bad neighborhood who find a hidden treasure map that one believes will help him solve the mystery of his father's disappearance.
'Atypical'
Another Netflix hit, Atypical is a quirky teen dramedy about a high schooler on the autism spectrum who decides he's ready to start looking for love. His mom, who has long been his protector and advocate, must learn to let go as he learns to navigate the confusing world of teenage romance.
'Love, Victor'
The Hulu original series Love, Victor will return for a second season in June 2021. The adorable show is about a boy who starts at a new school while he's dealing with a difficult home life and grappling with his own sexuality. It's a slightly different take on the classic coming-of-age story, and we love that it features a Latinx main character.
'Stranger Things'
By the time the much-anticipated season four of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things premieres (likely sometime in 2022), all of the major characters will be firmly planted in their teen years, and we can only imagine what that's going to add to the plot lines. Since it's set in the 1980s, this show captured the hearts of adults right from the very beginning.
'Sex Education'
The UK-based series Sex Education is a fun teen dramedy centered around the son of a sex therapist who decides to take his friends' sex education into his own hands. He recruits a group of his classmates to help him set up a secret sex therapy clinic at school, turning the once shy teen into everyone's go-to sex expert.
'On My Block'
The fourth and final season of Netflix's On My Block is set to come out in the summer of 2021. While billed as a comedy, the series — which is about a group of four teens from South Central Los Angeles trying to ward off the dangers of their inner-city neighborhood and make it through high school — deals with some really serious topics, making it at once great for a good laugh and a gripping drama.
'The A-List'
In this dramatic thriller, a teenager arrives at summer camp with the best hopes for her school break, but when a mysterious new girl shows up, she comes to believe that something sinister is at play. Slowly, she starts losing friends and her summer soon turns into a real-life nightmare.
'Legacies'
Nobody does teen dramas like CW, so it's no surprise that Legacies, which is a spin-off the Vampire Diaries, is a total hit. It sees the children of some of that show's main characters off at boarding school, where they will learn to hone their skills and abilities and stave off the impulses they struggle with as witches, werewolves, and vampires.
