Top 4 Teen Dramas On Netflix

Hey Cats, 

There’s something instantly attractive about teen dramas. Who can resist the romance and nostalgia of that time in our life where massive hormonal fluctuations dictated every little decision we made, when laughable, superficial rumours spread like wildfire, and we started getting our first tastes of all the joys and hardships that adult life would throw at us? With all the beauty and tragedy of being a teenager, it’s no wonder we crave it every now and then as grown men and women. If you’re in the market for a new Netflix series, here are four of the best teen dramas currently on the service.

Freaks and Geeks

As the title suggests, this was a hugely popular series in the late nineties, and carries the decades’ grungy teen angst with potent authenticity. Just like its perpetually gloomy and awkwardly dressed protagonists, this series is a real outcast of TV. It focusses deeply on the pain of going through adolescence, and covers subject matter and social situations that were a little too heavy for mainstream audiences. While NBC’s viewers seemed to find it a little too prickly to manage, it lives on through Netflix. Its incredibly far-sighted casting alone makes this series worth watching. Stars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Francis Daley all carry the plot forward, and play their parts in a beautiful and poignant way. Even if you tend to keep away from the gloomier series, there are pockets of joy, resilience and transcendence breaking up the misery.

13 Reasons Why

Image source: Wikimedia

You knew this was coming, right? Whether you’ve read the book or not, Netflix’s massively popular teen drama will hook you in from the first episode. Brian Yorkey’s adaptation of Jay Asher’s bestselling novel follows the story of Clay, a Liberty High student who receives seven cassette tapes unravelling the mystery behind the abrupt suicide of his crush, Hannah Baker. Though there are times when it feels a little overly dramatic, it’s very effective in its execution. If you’re a real streaming junkie and blitz through seasons a little faster than most, you’ll be pleased to hear that this series has just been confirmed for a second season, which you can read more about here: https://netflixupdate.com/13-reasons-round-two/. The story moves like a classic thriller, yet leaves room for the heavier, more tragic aspects of being a teen, such as depression, alcohol misuse, and the warped view on sex that so many teenagers unfortunately grow up with.

Friday Night Lights

Okay, opinions on Friday Night Lights tend to be a pretty mixed bag. You may have heard that the TV adaptation of the movie (itself an adaptation of a novel) frequently dips into overdone sentimentality, unapologetic social conservatism, and easy melodrama. Weirdly though, it’s these elements that make Lights a true staple of American TV. High-school football, as per usual, offers a great vessel the creators have used to explore the experience of being a teen in 21st-century America. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton deliver outstanding performances, and even if you don’t know the first thing about American football, you’ll get sucked into the story before you know it!

Pretty Little Liars

It may not be exactly canonical, but Pretty Little Liars is definitely worth a watch! After four teenage girls suffer the death of their best friend Alison, an anonymous meddler, who goes by “A”, enters the group’s lives and begins exposing their deepest, darkest secrets. The series follows the four friends as they strive to find out the identity of A, and uncover the truth of what happened to their best friend. If you’ve ever opened a bag of Maltesers, and told yourself that you’d only have five, then proceeded to polish off the whole thing, you’re going to experience something similar with this series! There’ll be a lot of camp, predictable soap-opera esque dialogue and plot devices, and just like anyone, you’ll roll your eyes at it. As the plot begins to unfold though, you’ll quickly be hooked into the dark, delicious mystery of it. Though it can be petty and laughable as a drama, the writers are masters of suspense, and will keep you yearning for the next development. This is one of those series where you know you should have been in bed half an hour ago, but simply can’t help yourself from letting the next episode play!

If you’ve been getting sick of the stability of adult life, and yearning for the erratic ups and downs of being a teenager again, check out a trailer for one of these gems!