While children were featured on television in the mid-20th Century, they became a hot topic (and advertising demographic) by the 1990s. And thus the explosion in teen-centered programming began, with a specific growth in the teen drama series! Many covered the soapy realities of high-school and college, others had more high concepts, including undercover cops, teen detectives, and vampire slaying. But they all had beautiful teenagers (or 20something actors PLAYING teenagers) feeling all of the feels on our TV set, week after week. Now the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to determine the Best Teen Drama Series that aired between 1990 and 2009, and we want YOUR opinions!
Below find a list of every major American teen drama series we could think of that aired between 1990 and 2009. Go through and select as many favorites as you like. (If you’re taking this on a mobile device, we recommend clicking here for ease of use.) If a series started prior to 1990 but were still airing into the decade, it was included; likewise, if a show started in the 2000s and ceased airing in the 2010s, we also considered it. Note that we did not include teen shows that debuted in the 2010s onwards, or that concluded prior to 1990; we may tackle those in a future debate. We also focused explicitly on dramas, not comedies.
Did we miss your favorite teen show from 1990-2009? Add it in the space provided below and we may discuss it in the episode! Then make sure to send the poll to your friends, your family, and even that girl with with the RBF in your homeroom and have them pick their favorites. The more votes we get, the better balanced the bracket will be!
The poll will run until January 1, 2024. Make sure to submit your answer by then!
The 32 top vote-getters will be discussed on Season 9 of the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast. Find out more at greatpopculturedebate.com.