These Long Running Teen Shows Are Worth Another Rewatch!
Teen dramas seem to be one of the genres that get longer tenures than most, with passionate and dedicated fans. Not all teen dramas are hits, but when an audience likes what they see, the series will last years and seasons. With new iterations with fantasy and mystery elements, these coming-of-age shows stay fresh. Pop Culture Planet contributor Jordan Bohan breaks down the best long running teen shows that are worth a rewatch.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered in 1997 and ran for seven seasons. Based off the movie starring Kristy Swanson, this fantasy teen drama follows the life of Buffy Summers who comes from a long line of women chosen to seek out and destroy vampires, demons, and other dark forces. Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in the series that set the stage for later shows like Teen Wolf and The Vampire Diaries.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming on Hulu.
Dawson’s Creek
Dawson’s Creek ran for six seasons after premiering in 1998. It chronicles the lives of wannabe filmmaker Dawson Leery and his best friend Joey, who has been in love with him since childhood. The duo is often with slacker Pacey and new girl next door Jen. As friends come and go, the group of friends bond through their growing pains and explore the world outside of their small oceanside town.
Dawson’s Creek is streaming on Hulu, Max, and Prime Video.
Degrassi
Degrassi is one of the few series that has been able to reinvent itself just enough to stay relevant to current youth, but also expand upon old storylines and characters. With five series spanning almost forty years, Degrassi was able to connect with generations of teens and young adults. They covered almost every teenage experience from relationships and friendships to alcohol and drug abuse.
In April of 2022, HBO Max announced a new Degrassi series to huge excitement. But, the following November it was shared that the reboot was canceled due to the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. Hope isn’t lost as showrunners shared plans to shop around the series and seem dedicated to a future of Degrassi.
Degrassi is streaming on Max and Prime Video.
The Fosters
Coming out in 2013, The Fosters ran for five seasons. The series follows a police officer and her partner who have a close knit family. They parent a biological son, adopted twins, and when they meet Callie, they take her in temporarily to support her transition between homes. This parenting and family show will have you sympathizing for both the children and parents, giving an unfiltered and real look at what foster parents and families go through. The successful series also launched the spinoff Good Trouble that premiered in 2019 and has run for five season, currently awaiting its sixth.
The Fosters is streaming on Hulu.
Friday Night Lights
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose. The Friday Night Lights franchise launched back in 2004 with a film based on the nonfiction book Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. The series then expanded on the original storyline of the book and film after premiering in 2006. The series follows the inner workings of a football obsessed Texas town. Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) guides the high school football team through pressure-filled seasons, small town politics, and family struggles.
Friday Night Lights is streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video.
Gilmore Girls
After airing back in 2000, Gilmore Girls was an instant hit. The small New England town of Stars Hollow, CT felt like it was pulled right out of a storybook. The series followed the close bond between Rory Gilmore, a high school bookworm, and her mother Lorelai as they grow up and navigate family, friendship, and relationships.
The original series aired for seven straight seasons and launched the careers of Alexis Bledel, Milo Ventimiglia, Melissa McCarthy and more. Netflix acquired the series back in 2016 where the show was introduced to a new generation of fans. Later, they released a four episode reboot that left fans with more questions than answers.
Gilmore Girls is streaming on Netflix.
Glee
From the mind of Ryan Murphy came Glee, which premiered in 2009 and ran for six whole seasons. The musical series follows a high school glee club through their competitions and personal struggles. The group navigates coming out, high school relationships, pursuing big dreams, and being outcasts. The hit series inspired a world tour starring the original cast and an audition spinoff show called The Glee Project. Original cast members Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz host a recap podcast, while alumni Alex Newell, Ali Stoker, and Ushkowitz have all won Tony awards.
Glee is streaming on Hulu.
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is one of the most popular teen dramas that premiered back in 2007 and has taken on a new generation of fans through streaming reruns. The series follows the lives of New York City’s elite teens through fashion, drama, and scandal. Lasting six seasons, the series is responsible for launching the careers of Blake Lively and Penn Badgley. It also got a reboot in 2021 that last two seasons with Kristen Bell returning to voice the iconic narrator.
Gossip Girl is streaming on Max.
The OC
The OC premiered in 2003 and ran for 4 seasons. It followed the lives of the wealthy upper-class teens of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It’s the beach town of your dreams with an addd layer of wealth and privilege.
The OC is streaming on Hulu, Max, and Prime Video.
One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill premiered back in 2003 and ran for nine seasons, ending in 2012. The series follows the lives of two half brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott who compete for positions on their high school’s basketball team. The series capitalizes on family drama, young relationships, and all of the trials and tribulations that come along with being a teenager.
The series’ three female leads, Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, and Bethany Joy Lenz, host a recap podcast about the show titled Drama Queens.
One Tree Hill is streaming on Hulu, Max, and Prime Video.
Pretty Little Liars
Premiering in 2010, Pretty Little Liars was on every teen girl’s watchlist. It followed group of high school students when their best friend goes missing suddenly. With seven seasons of twisted secrets and schemes, the series was a hit. There is plenty of mystery, relationship drama, and tight knight group of friends that you root for to the end.
After two failed spin-offs, Pretty Little Liars found renewed success in PLL: Original Sin, diving into the slasher horror genre. The new series has already been picked up for a second season with Bailee Madison.
Pretty Little Liars is streaming on Max.
Skins
Skins is a 2007 drama series that ran for seven series. The show follows teenagers in Bristol, England as they complete their sixth form education. They depict topics of substance abuse, sexuality, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, and mental illness. The cast was compiled of all amateur actors and were replaced every two seasons as the students graduate.
Skins is streaming on Hulu.
Smallville
Smallville premiered in 2001 and ran for ten seasons. The series is an interpretation of the Superman story that features a young Clark Kent coming to terms with his emerging superpowers. He must hide his powers from friends and family in order to protect the town of Smallville.
Smallville is streaming on Hulu.
Switched At Birth
Switched at Birth follows Bay Kennish who grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother. Fellow teen Daphne Vasquez lost her hearing at an early age and was raised by a single mother in a working class neighborhood. Bay discovers that her blood type doesn’t match her parents during a high school science class, confirming that she is not her parents’ child. The families move in together to help bridge the gap of the life they knew and the families in which they actually belong to. This 2011 Freeform series ran for five seasons.
Switched At Birth is streaming on Hulu.
Teen Wolf
Inspired by the 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox came MTV’s Teen Wolf in 2011. It ran for six seasons, really taking off thanks to the supernatural and fantasy boom of the late 2000s and early 2010s of franchises like Twilight. The series follows Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) who encounters a creature and is bitten. His life changes forever as he wonders what his new identity is. The show got its own movie and spin-off series Wolf Pack that both dropped this year.
Teen Wolf is streaming on Hulu, Paramount+, and Prime Video.
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries premiered in 2009 and ran for eight seasons. The show is based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. Elena Gilbert becomes entwined in a romance with a pair of vampire brothers, which changes her life forever.
The Vampire Diaries is streaming on Max, Peacock, and Prime Video.
