10 best TV shows about school and teenagers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The difficult life of these schoolboys must be empathized.

1. Adolescents from Degrassi Street

• Canada, 1987-1991.
• Teenage drama, melodrama, family.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The sequel to the popular Canadian TV series Children from Degrassi Street tells the story of the growing up of ordinary American schoolchildren. Grown up "children" enter adulthood and face non-childish problems: early pregnancy, drug addiction, alcoholism.

Quite progressive for its time, the series explores teenage sexuality and answers questions that worry the vast majority of teenagers: for example, how to use a condom, choose the first bra, or cope with complexes.

2. Daria

• USA, 1997-2002.
• Sitcom, satire.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The series tells about the cynical schoolgirl Daria Morgendorffer, who lives with her parents and younger sister in the small town of Lawndale. Daria's only friend is the artist Jane Lane with a similar view of the world. Among their superficial and not the smartest classmates, Daria and Jane are almost the only ones who care about self-determination.

The show caustically pokes fun at the pop culture stereotypes of the 90s, including adolescent conformity, universal obsession with fashion, and the overwhelming superiority of sports over intelligence and creativity.

3. Hooligans and nerds

• USA, 1999-2000.
• Teenage drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 8.

The plot is centered on the difficult attempts of high school student Sam Vier and his company of nerds to change their place in the ossified school hierarchy. Meanwhile, Sam's older sister Lindsay is experiencing internal changes under the influence of a company of freaks, in whose informal leader - the charming Daniel Desario - she is seriously in love.

The creator of The Forty Years Old Virgin and The Pineapple Express, Jude Apatow directed one of the best teen TV series ever. And he was helped in this by a brilliant team of his favorite actors: Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jason Siegel.

4. Skins

• UK, 2007-2013.
• Teenage drama.
• Duration: 7 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The series follows the life of a group of high school students from Bristol and tackles sensitive topics such as sexual identity, family problems, mental illness and death. Three generations of adolescents appear in Skins, each with two seasons dedicated to them.

The final seventh season tells about the adult life of the most beloved characters of the audience. Although Skins began as a caustic satire on the pressing problems of teenagers, over time the series has become more of a teenage drama.

5. Chorus

• USA, 2009-2015.
• Musical, tragicomedy, satire.
• Duration: 6 seasons.
• IMDb: 6, 8.

The series takes place in the usual American school with a stereotypical caste hierarchy of popular and losers. Spanish teacher Will Schuster starts a music club made up of nerds and losers. But when the choir is replenished with a star of the football team, the local elite also come there.

Series creator Ryan Murphy dreamed of making a postmodern satirical musical. And he succeeded. The local school is nothing more than a miniature model of the USA. Gender and racial issues, the problem of attitudes towards people with disabilities - in general, everything that worries modern America is reflected in the "Choir".

6.13 reasons why

• USA, 2017 - present.
• Teenage drama.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The main character, high school student Clay Jensen, finds a shoebox with audio tapes that his girlfriend Hannah Baker recorded before committing suicide. In them, she talks about 13 reasons that pushed her to commit suicide, and Clay is one of them.

After listening to the tapes, the hero learns what hell high school can become and what is worse than the cruelty of his peers is only the indifference of adults.

13 episodes of the first season fully revealed the plot of the novel of the same name by Jay Asher. However, the project was extended for a second season, and later for a third.

7. Riverdale

• USA, 2017 - present.
• Teenage drama, detective.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

The plot tells the story of the life of schoolchildren in the small town of Riverdale. Football star Archie Andrews finds himself caught in a love triangle between his best friend Betty Cooper and the newly arrived daughter of a wealthy businessman, Veronica Lodge.

Meanwhile, under mysterious circumstances, young Jason Blossom is killed. Investigating this case, the guys are increasingly immersed in the dark secrets of Riverdale.

Based on classic Archie comics, Riverdale is often compared to Twin Peaks and other iconic 90s projects, Beverly Hills 90210 and Gossip Girl.

8. In the area

• USA, 2018 - present.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The action takes place in the Latin American quarter of Los Angeles. Four American teens face typical growing up difficulties.

Gradually, they realize that the difficult period of high school is much easier to get through if you stick together, and real friendship does not care about any differences, including racial prejudice.

9. It sucks

• USA, 2018.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The action takes place in a high school in a provincial American town in the mid-1990s. Shy Luke comes to the school video club, meets the director's pretty daughter Kate and instantly falls in love. After Luke's unsuccessful attempt to win the heart of his beloved, Chekhov's production is thwarted. The offended guys from the theatrical circle declare a real war on the video club.

Another good teen show in Netflix's vast collection of high school stories. The main characters - typical losers and nerds - will have to learn to take responsibility for their actions and realize that the opinions of others should not affect self-esteem.

10. Sex education

• UK, 2019 - present.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Sixteen-year-old Otis Milburn, an introverted shy guy, goes to a regular high school. Somehow, out of the kindness of his soul, he helps the school bully Adam solve a very delicate problem.

Otis's "ability" is noticed by the adventurous lover Maeve. Armed with the techniques of a sexologist mom, Milburn, together with Maeve, organizes an underground psychological office, where she solves the sexual problems of classmates for money.

The bed theme is far from the primary theme in Sex Education. The series considers sex primarily as a way to understand oneself: during the first season, the characters manage to face many serious problems, equally relevant for any age.