Friday Top 5: Teen Dramas

Through the years there have been television programs geared towards teenagers of the moment, whether it be teens of the ’70s (Welcome Back, Kotter), teens of the ’80s (Head of the Class), teens of the ’90s (Saved By the Bell), or teens of the ’00s (The O.C.). The lure of these shows is that teenagers definitely watched, either because they identified with the characters, or because they enjoyed making fun of the language they used. And they still watch. The problems arise when the shows move beyond the teen years. It becomes harder to keep the viewers they had, and most teen shows fade after three or four seasons because of it. Here is my ode to the teen dramas that have affected me the most.

5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer –

I’ve worked hard to make my peace with the lack of a comma in the title of this series, but otherwise the show was perfect. It had everything you could possibly look for in a teen drama: the romantic entanglements (remember Angel? Spike?), the constant issues, the friend conundrum, and the evil vampires that HAD TO GET SLAYED! What? You don’t remember the evil vampires in your high school? That was the true glory of the show, that it mixed the mundane and the supernatural, and while it was hokey at times, it filled that niche that had never been filled before. Or since.

4. Beverly Hills, 90210 –

This was the rare teen drama that actually got better after the teenagers “grew up,” (they were all in their 20s when the show started except for Tori Spelling) but it was still amazingly poignant when they were still in high school too. It was the first teen drama to truly tackle huge issues like gay rights, abortion, and eating disorders. But what I will always remember about that most amazing of zip codes is that it gave us the Brenda debate (was she or was she not a bitch?) and it gave us Luke Perry’s hair. Those two things were more than enough to put them at number four on my list.

3. Gossip Girl –

Read the books first. Yes, I know there are sixteen of them, and yes, I know the show deviates greatly from them, but you get a real feel for the characters and their motivations before you see the first episode, which I think is very helpful if you’re going to watch the entire series all the way through. Casting was perfect for this show, too, with Leighton Meester and Blake Lively taking the seminal roles of Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen, the divas that make the whole thing worthwhile. The show is slick, fast-paced, and truly centers on the young people and the intrigue that accompanies the rich and well-fed.

2. Glee –

There’s singing. There’s dancing. And there are even credible story lines. When your main characters can break into song at any moment, it is quite a wild ride, and Glee has taken us on that wild ride for four seasons now. The show could easily be corny, but it maintains its cred because of the amazing writing staff, the choice of songs (I adore the show tunes) and its heavy-handed treatment of complex issues. Glee doesn’t apologize for bringing up those issues, like body image, homophobia, and whether or not to wait to have sex. And that is what we should get from our shows, if they want to be realistic anyway, or as realistic as you can be when your characters might break into song at any time.

1. Dawson’s Creek –

What can I say? This show was as dynamic as any quality soap opera during its “good” years. It was “Dynasty” for teenagers. The writing was amazing, and the chemistry between the three main characters was perfect. Even when they weren’t speaking to each other, they spoke volumes. Plus, Dawson reminds me of myself, and I couldn’t help rooting for him in every aspect of his life all the way through the show. It’s an emotional roller coaster from the premier episode until the very last moment we see Dawson, Joey, and Pacey. I won’t spoil the ending for those of you have never watched it, but the show was a class act.

Sam

Friday Top 5 Archive