24 Iconic Teen Shows That Defined the 80s and 90s
Ever since the days of Donna Reed and Dobie Gillis, television has had a fascination with adolescents.
But to people of a certain age, teen TV hit its peak in the 1980s and 1990s. During those two decades, a range of television shows directed at teens flooded the airwaves. These shows included everything from comedies to dramas to horror series, capturing the full range of the adolescent experience.
Find any group of Gen Xers and Millennials, and these shows will always come up.
1. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990 – 1996)
In almost any other circumstance, going from rapper to sitcom star would be the epitome of uncoolness. But when that rapper is Will Smith, he somehow gets even better.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air stars Smith as a Philadelphia teen who moves in with his rich family in the famous California neighborhood. Paling around with his nerdy cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), Will learned that there are many different types of cool.
2. My So-Called Life (1994)
Every teen feels misunderstood and alone, but even the most disaffected kids deserve their own TV shows. For Gen Xers, that show came in the form of My So-Called Life.
Created by Winnie Holzman, My So-Called Life portrayed the days of Pennsylvania teen Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes. The series lasted just one 19-episode season but won fans with its grounded portrayal of everyday issues.
3. Freaks and Geeks (1999 – 2000)
Another one-season wonder, Freaks and Geeks just makes the list because it launched in 1999. However, Freaks and Geeks took place in 1981, following a group of junior high nerds and high school troublemakers.
Despite its short life, Freaks and Geeks launched many careers, including those of Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Busy Philipps, Jason Segel, James Franco, and Martin Starr.
4. Saved By the Bell (1989 – 1993)
Not many people consider Saved by the Bell the best teen show of the era, but everyone has seen at least one, if not more, episodes of the show. The series, which began life as Good Morning, Miss Bliss, defined the teen shows of the era.
Back then, kids didn’t care that Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) was a jerk or that Screech’s actor Dustin Diamond would go on to infamy. They just wanted to watch good-looking people be cool, something that Saved By the Bell provided.
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003)
Few creatives in the 1990s had more influence than Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon’s zippy dialogue mixed with big-stakes stories remains the defining aesthetic of countless genre shows and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It all began with the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sarah Michelle Gellar played Buffy Summers, a California teen who discovers she’s the latest in a long line of women who hunt bloodsuckers.
6. Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990 – 2000)
Given the two lackluster remakes that followed, some might not realize just what a massive hit Beverly Hills, 90210 was. Creator Darren Star took the model of TV soap operas such as Falcon Crest and Dallas and applied it to a group of good-looking adolescents in the most famous zip code.
The show’s mixture of trash and beauty took the country by storm, and people of all ages checked in for the latest scandals of siblings Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and their friends.
7. Dawson’s Creek (1998 – 2003)
It may take place in a very different part of the U.S., but Dawson’s Creek is very much the spiritual successor to Beverly Hills, 90210. Created by Kevin Williamson, who also wrote the mega-hit Scream movies, Dawson’s Creek reveals the tensions among a quartet of pals.
For all of its soapy storylines, Dawson’s Creek had a wholesomeness that set it apart from 90210. No wonder the series made stars of its leads, particularly Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams.
8. A Different World (1987 – 1993)
A Different World skews a bit older, as it takes place at Historically Black school Hillman College. However, its actors are no younger than those who play high schoolers in other shows, and it counted many teens among its audience, so it counts.
A Different World first spun off from The Cosby Show, following daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet) to college. But when Bonet left the series, it refocused on a group of academics, including rich girl Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and cool kid Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison).
9. Daria (1997 – 2002)
Daria is the animated equivalent of My So-Called Life. Like its predecessor, Daria was an MTV show about a disaffected young woman who critiques the banalities of high school life.
However, Daria spun off not from My So-Called Life but another MTV animated show about teens, taking snarky neighbor Daria Morgendorffer (Tracy Grandstaff) into her own world. Creators Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn keep the same satirical edge of the source show, making it a hit among cool kids of the ‘90s.
10. Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991)
Most think of Twin Peaks, the phenomenal TV series created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, as a crime show about FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). However, the series crossed into several different genres, devoting a lot of time to its teen characters.
In addition to Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), whose murder sets off the show, much of Twin Peaks features her best friend Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) and her boyfriends Bobby (Dana Ashbrook) and James (James Marshall), wringing surreal drama from high school tensions.
11. Degrassi Junior High (1987 – 1989)
Americans may not know much about it, but Canadian teens rushed to the television to watch Degrassi Junior High and its spin-offs throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. Like its parent show Degrassi, Degrassi Junior High comes from creators Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler.
The series existed to teach moral and social lessons to adolescent viewers. For most fans, however, the soap opera tales drown out any preachiness the show might have, leading to multiple spin-offs and reboots that continue to this day.
12. The Facts of Life (1979 – 1988)
Sitcom The Facts of Life takes a different approach to teen life, dealing less with classroom business and more with the everyday life of girls attending the fictional private boarding school Eastland School.
The main cast changed throughout the series’ nine seasons, but until the final set of episodes, housemother Mrs. Garrett (Eastland School) stood at the center, guiding the sweet Tootie (Kim Fields) and tough kid Jo (Nancy McKeon) to adulthood.
13. Boy Meets World (1993 – 2000)
When Boy Meets World launched in 1993, network ABC advertised lead Ben Savage as the little brother of Fred Savage, star of The Wonder Years. However, Ben and Boy Meets World soon found its own audience, thanks to Millennials who wanted to see their own trials depicted on screen.
Savage played Cory Matthews, a standard smart-alecky kid with a cool best friend (Rider Strong) and sweet crush (Danielle Fishel). The show’s main draw came from clashes between Cory and Mr. Feeny, a stern but caring teacher played by William Daniels.
14. Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989 – 1993)
These days, people know Neil Patrick Harris as a multitalented star of the stage and screen. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he was Doogie Howser, a boy genius who became a licensed doctor at age 14.
Despite that absurd premise, creator Steven Bochco used Doogie Howser, M.D. to address a range of social issues, making it more of a sober drama than a goofy comedy.
15. That ‘70s Show (1998 – 2006)
Thanks to the grunge movement, ‘70s culture came back into vogue in the 1990s. For that reason, the sitcom That ‘70s Show felt less like a nostalgia play to Boomers and more like a show pitched at young people of the era.
While That ‘70s Show did have fun adult characters in parents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), the most popular aspects involved their son Eric (Topher Grace) and his pals, especially in sequences in which they participate in a certain popular pastime.
16. The Wonder Years (1988 – 1993)
Unlike That ‘70s Show, The Wonder Years courted Boomer audiences. Presented as the memories of teen Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) growing up in late-‘60s suburbia, The Wonder Years drips with nostalgia.
Despite that intended audience, creators Neal Marlens and Carol Black tell stories that appeal to kids of any generation, including Kevin’s romance with lifelong friend Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar).
17. Square Pegs (1982 – 1983)
Given that Square Pegs star Sarah Jessica Parker went on to become a glamorous movie star, it’s a bit surprising to learn that the series focused on awkward teens. Parker appeared alongside Amy Linker as Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, who do what they can to fit in with cool kids.
For modern viewers, there’s something hopeful about watching Square Pegs. After all, Patty seemed to figure it out, finding a good life for herself.
18. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 – 2003)
For generations, teens have enjoyed the adventures of Archie Andrews and his pals from Riverdale, whether in comic books or on the recent soap opera Riverdale. One of the more popular adaptations came in the 1990s in the form of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Despite being the magic user at the center of the series, Sabrina retained the wholesome spirit of the original comics. Melissa Joan Hart played Sabrina like any other girl who wrestles with the high expectations her family puts upon her.
19. Hey Dude (1989 – 1991)
Nickelodeon became the premier cable network for young children. But in the ‘80s, the network tried to keep its audience by commissioning shows for teens, such as the sitcom Hey Dude.
Hey Dude took place on a dude ranch, where a cast of good-looking volunteers embarks on various misadventures. Hey Dude isn’t the most daring work of all time, but it set the stage for the Disney Channel’s hit line of teen sitcoms.
20. Moesha (1996 – 2001)
When the new network UPN, a forerunner of the CW, launched in 1995, it needed a show to court the teen demographic. It found that series in the form of Moesha, which starred R&B star Brandy.
On the surface, there’s nothing unique about Moesha’s plots about the life of a middle-class family outside of Los Angeles. However, the fact that it comes from a Black American perspective makes Moesha a unique entry on the classic teen show list.
21. Charles in Charge (1984 – 1990)
In addition to boasting one of the most infectious theme songs ever written, Charles in Charge also appealed to two generations of young viewers, thanks to its central conceit. Happy Days breakout Scott Baio played Charles, an affable college student who serves as a live-in caretaker for a family and their adolescent kids.
Even after the show changed families after the first season, Charles in Charge managed to portray both the problems facing high schoolers and also became more mature with storylines about college-aged characters.
22. The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994 – 1998)
Few of the Nickelodeon sitcoms were content to play it safe as straightforward sitcoms. Most threw in some sort of twist to spice things up, as in The Secret World of Alex Mack, created by Ken Lipman and Thomas W. Lynch.
Much of The Secret World of Alex Mack involves the title character’s day-to-day family life. But there’s also the fact that a chemical accident gave Alex (Larisa Oleynik) a host of strange abilities, including telekinesis and shape-shifting.
23. Clarissa Explains It All (1991 – 1994)
Before she was Sabrina the teenage witch, Melissa Joan Hart was Clarissa, the coolest Junior High kid who ever lived. One of the first hit sitcoms from Nickelodeon, Clarissa Explains It All dealt with issues not often seen on television, including the trials of adolescence.
However, the changes never scared viewers, thanks to Clarissa talking directly to the audience and walking them through it.
24. Head of the Class (1986 – 1991)
The reputation of Head of the Class has tarnished quite a bit, thanks to the involvement of Dan Schneider, whose run as creator of kids shows on Nickelodeon is marked with scandal. However, back then, Schneider was just Blunden, one of the kids in Mr. Moore’s (Howard Hesseman) history class.
Head of the Class reinvented the Welcome Back, Kotter format for a new generation, forcing an understanding teacher to deal with a class full of characters.