The high school TV show is having another moment.
With the success of series like “Pretty Little Liars” and “Riverdale,” and CW’s new entrant, “All American,” those of us who love teen drama are getting more than we could ask for.
Of course, while many of the new shows are great, they haven’t quite cracked our list of the top high school shows of all time. Here are our five favorites (that are available to stream) to keep you happy and drama-filled all weekend long.
If you want the all-time great: ‘Friday Night Lights’
The cast of "Friday Night Lights."
No TV show before or since “FNL” has been able to capture life in high school with such artistic prowess. The series was about a football team in small-town Texas, but it was also about race, class, growing up and so much more. The show was anchored by career-best performances from Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, and served as an incubator for now-famous faces like Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemmons and Taylor Kitsch.
Stream it on Amazon.
If you like your high school with a splash of the supernatural: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
Only have time for one episode with your mom? Try "Band Candy," from season 3 of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' It's like 'Freaky Friday,' but with more snake demons. (Photo: The WB)
Although the cult classic series only spent its first three years in high school, it remains one of the best portrayals of that adolescent period, monsters and all. One of the show’s big strengths was its central metaphor that high school is hell – Buffy’s high school, Sunnydale High, literally sat on top of the mouth of Hell.It also used other mystical metaphors to give voice to teen concerns, addressing topics from abusive relationships to popularity to school shootings without a whiff of insincerity. And it wasn’t all message. Its romantic drama, mean principal and action adventure was all up to snuff, too.
Stream it on Hulu.
If you don’t mind a lack of resolution: ‘My So-Called Life’
Claire Danes and Jared Leto in "My So-Called Life." (Photo: Mark Seliger, ABC)
Like it’s spiritual cousin “Freaks and Geeks” (which is unfortunately not streaming right now, otherwise it would be on this list), “My So-Called Life” is a ’90s gem of a high school series that was canceled far too soon, but still became a cult favorite even with its few episodes. Long before “Homeland” and the Joker, Claire Danes and Jared Leto were simply Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano. Angela was the awkward, unsure heroine that made “Life” so relatable, and not just because of her crush on the moody Jordan.
Stream it on Hulu.
If you love the early 2000s era of high school TV: ‘The O.C.’
An underprivileged kid moved into wealthy Orange County, California on Fox's "The O.C." (Photo: FOX)
During the 2000s, we got a host of high school dramas with similar themes and looks, including “The O.C.,” “One Tree Hill” and “Gossip Girl.” The best of the bunch was the California-set Fox drama, which saw a boy from the wrong side of the tracks enter into the glittery world of the SoCal elite. From its pitch-perfect soundtrack to the infamous death scene to its self-aware jokes, “The O.C.” was the pinnacle of this era of high school TV.
Stream it on Hulu.
If you want something British: ‘Skins’
“Skins” is different from every other show on this list, and not just because it takes place in the U.K. Rather than a more serialized, multi-season drama with the same cast, “Skins” focuses on individual characters in each episode and has swapped casts in new seasons. The format makes it a rather intense, emotional drama that takes a raw, unvarnished look at the lives of teens, including drug use, sex, mental health problems and more. It may be hard to watch at times, but it’s also one of the most honest shows about teenagers to have ever been made.
Stream it on Netflix.
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