TV history is full of shows about teenagers. From serious dramas like Euphoria to sci-fi/fantasy like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there’s a teen show for every generation. Recently, one of the most well known and popular series in the genre, Beverly Hills 90210, made a comeback.
Beverly Hills 90210 features the original cast playing fictionalized versions of themselves as they mount a reboot of the show. It’s a dramedy that relies on nostalgia and little else to remind fans why they loved the original. This revival has us thinking about other shows we’d like to see make a comeback. Here are 10 teen shows we want a reboot of more than Beverly Hills 90210.
GOSSIP GIRL
This CW series follows the exploits of rich, spoiled teenagers on New York’s upper east side. Serena, Blair, Chuck, Nate and Dan traded partners and got involved in scandals that became fodder for the mysterious Gossip Girl.
HBO Max has announced plans to reboot the show, but we doubt we’ll see any of the original stars, as they’ve all moved on to new series and movies. While we don’t need a full time return to this world, it would be nice to check back in with the characters we already know.
ONE TREE HILL
One Tree Hill was a rare show that was able to blend teen drama with serious issues in a non cheesy way.The students at Tree Hill High School went through various traumas and disasters, but by the end of the series had finally found happiness.
We got attached to them since we spent so much time involved in every dramatic turn of their lives. While, the final episode featured a time jump that showed where the characters’ lives went, we’d still love to go back to Tree Hill and see how Brooke, Haley, Nathan and Lucas are doing.
POPULAR
The wildest, most out there show on this list is definitely Popular. Of course, now that we’ve seen all of Ryan Murphy’s other series it seems tame in comparison. Running for two seasons toward the end of The WB, it followed polar opposites Brooke and Sam as they blended their lives after their parents’ marriage.
Over the years the show has become a cult legend, as new audiences discovered it. Considering how crazy the real world has gotten, we absolutely need to see where these quirky teens ended up. Especially, Mary Cherry, because Leslie Grossman stole every scene.
KIDS INCORPORATED
Imagine a world where a group of kids form a band, then sing covers of popular songs in a cool hangout called The Place. That is basically Kids Incorporated. For nine seasons, a rotating cast of teenagers used the power of music to learn valuable lessons about divorce, peer pressure and first love.
We’re not claiming that the show wasn’t cheesy, but it was also fun. This isn’t a show producers need to re-imagine to bring back, they just need a new cast of talented kids and the rights to popular songs. Not to mention, cast members of the show such as Fergie, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Mario Lopez.were made into stars from this show.
Related: 10 Best Teen Dramas On Netflix
California Dreams
Once Saved by the Bell became a phenomenon, NBC basically made its whole Saturday morning programming block a stream of copycat shows. The one that was able to find its own audience and style was California Dreams. The show revolves around a group of friends in a band in southern California.
We haven’t checked in on the band since they went off to college, so it would be fascinating to see where their adult lives landed. Did Jake stick with music? Did Tony become an actor? Is Tiffani an environmentalist now? Time has gone by, but there’s still a huge audience that wants to see the California Dreams.
USA HIGH
Another copycat inspired by the the success of Saved by the Bell led to USA High. The show was set in an American style boarding school in Paris, where there are students from a bunch of different countries.
Yes, it features the typical teen stereotypes that most teen dramas follow, but the cast had a great chemistry that made it fun to watch. The changing landscape of the world means this concept could work even better now if they mix more real life in with the comedy.
THE O.C.
The new kid from the wrong side of the tracks is a familiar trope in teen shows. However, Fox's O.C. did it the best. Ryan Atwood moves from Chino to live with the Cohens in Newport Beach and falls in love with queen bee Marissa Cooper.
When we last saw the gang, Seth and Summer got married, while Ryan helped out a kid the same way he was once helped out. Let’s pick up 10 or 15 years later and see if they’re still in Orange County, and are still close. Obviously, we demand that Seth and Summer still be together.
21 JUMPSTREET
Sometimes awful crimes take place in high schools and the regular police aren’t equipped to investigate them. Luckily, there’s a unit full of young looking cops who can blend in, and they work for JumpStreet. This show dealt with many real issues like racism, drugs and sexual abuse.
There are also two successful comedy movie adaptations so now seems like a convenient time to launch an updated version of the original. With millennials and generation Z constantly in the news, and new technology leading to new crimes, a fresh 21 JumpStreet would be very timely.
DAWSON’S CREEK
Dawson’s Creek captivated audiences with its focus on how normal the teenagers were as they dealt with first loves and life's disappointments. Everyone of a certain age was deeply invested in whether Joey would pick Dawson or Pacey.
We know this is the biggest long shot on the list, as the four lead actors have become successful, award winning stars, but the fans have been clamoring for a return to Capeside for a while now. The finale was heartbreaking and provided closure, but that doesn’t mean a quick reunion wouldn’t be fun and obviously filled with sweet drama.
SAVED BY THE BELL
There’s no group of TV friends that we’ve spent more time hanging out with than the gang from Bayside. We followed them from middle school through college, being involved in every moment of their lives. If it sounds like we’re talking about old friends, it’s because we basically are.
We understand an actual reboot isn’t likely, so we suggest a version where Zack and Kelly’s kids now attend Bayside, with the original cast occasionally making guest appearances. At the very least, it would be nice to see Zack get a regular sized cell phone.