Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Teen TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

1. Dance Academy - Could it be anything else? As everyone knows, this absolutely destroyed me when I discovered it earlier this year, with season 2 being perhaps the saddest thing I've ever seen. Heartbreakingly beautiful. Also, Abi's character arc over the entire 3 seasons is utter perfection - almost certainly my favourite ever character.

2. Gilmore Girls - I love the Lorelei/Rory, Rory/Paris, and Lorelei/Emily relationships so, so much. And Stars Hollow is my all-time favourite setting.

3. The OC - Just rewatching this now, and it's so good, even third time around! I think the adult characters here are better than in perhaps any other teen drama. And woot, Jim Robinson!

4. Buffy The Vampire Slayer - I loved Buffy but found it ever so slightly hit and miss at times. At its best, though, it was AMAZING.

5. Byker Grove - I think I started watching BG when most other people stopped - after Ant, Dec and Donna Air. In the late 90s, though, this was compelling viewing, with brilliant characters and some great plots.

6. Beverly Hills, 90210 - I've only ever seen the first 4 seasons or so but still live in hope of completing it one day. Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Shannon Doherty - all fab. And as it was being filmed when I was a teen, instant nostalgia for my own teen years, even if I did have less wild parties and rich friends!

7. My So-Called Life - Claire Danes is amazing. Jared Leto as Jordan and Wilson Cruz as Ricky are breathtaking. It also dealt with some really hard-hitting issues with great tact.   

8. See How They Run - Little-remembered, this witness protection thriller on the BBC was awesome. Great performances, particularly Australian actor Peter O'Brien as the father, and a fantastic script with some excellent twists.

9. Head Over Heels - This Carlton show, set in a Fifties boarding school, is one of the first things I ever remember watching by myself - at the time there was a TV in my mum and dad's room but not in mine, and I'd go and lie on their bed and watch while they were downstairs watching LA Law or Cheers. I would have been 11 at the time, I think. I've never seen it repeated, although owned the fabulous rock 'n' roll soundtrack on cassette. Book link here, with show creator Jane Prowse going on to write the excellent Hattori Hachi books.

10. Saved By The Bell - I haven't seen SBTB for years and doubt it holds up particularly well, but I was hooked at the time. Partly because Screech was perhaps the only person I'd ever seen LESS cool than me as a teen.

11. Neighbours - Sneaking it in here as it's not really a teen show, but they play an important part in the life of Ramsay Street. I still quite like Neighbours when I catch it today - although I haven't for a while because Paul's constant flipping between evil and nice annoys me due to making everyone else look like idiots for giving him so many chances! - but the golden era for me will always be the late 90s. With great teen characters like Amy, Anne, Billy, Lance, and Toadie, this was a must watch.


Honourable mentions:

Children's Ward - from what I remember, it was staggeringly good, but my memory's not quite good enough for it to get in the top 10.
Dawson's Creek - hit and miss at times but very entertaining on its best days.
Grange Hill - went downhill badly towards in the last series or two, but a real British institution with some memorable storylines and characters.
Press Gang - all about Spike and Linda, but what a fabulous pairing!
Roswell - great 1st season, good 3rd season, hated the middle one.