With every new generation of teenagers coming of age comes a brand new group of television series for teens to obsesses over. While the shows are created to be entertaining, they're also hoping to replicate the real-life experiences so many teenagers are going through within each generation. This is why teen shows from twenty years ago are so different from the ones that were released in the 2010s. Even teenage shows that focus on the supernatural still try to stay true to the adolescent experience.
The 2010s were a complicated decade and the teen shows that were created didn't stray away from focusing on these complications. From the rise of social media to an increase in mental health awareness, these ten teen shows are not only a product of the 2010s but they also give viewers an idea of just how difficult being a teenager was in the 2010s.
Glee - 6.7
While Glee premiered in 2009, the remaining five seasons took place in the 2010s and thus it lands itself as the tenth best teen show of the decade. The series centers around the McKinley High School's glee club which is run by Will Schuester.
Make no mistake; Glee might feature singing and dancing episode to episode but it also dealt with heavy issues more times than not. From teen pregnancy and cyberbullying to figuring out and accepting one's sexuality, there is next to nothing that Glee didn't cover.
Pretty Little Liars - 7.4
ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars kicked off the 2010s and helped set the tone for teen shows for the rest of the decade. Based on the best selling book series written by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars followed the lives of four best friends after their clique's leader goes missing.
When the four remaining girls start receiving anonymous text messages, they are determined to find out who is behind them. Not only was Pretty Little Liars a massive success but it also encouraged Sara Shepard to write more books for her novel series.
Awkward - 7.5
As MTV continued to move away from showing music videos, they started creating their own original scripted programming. Awkward was one of the network's most successful scripted comedy series and ran for five seasons. The show centered on Jenna Hamilton, who also narrated the series through her blog posts.
Awkward quickly became a fan favorite amongst teenagers everywhere and regularly ranks on several critics top ten lists for best teen series of all time.
Teen Wolf - 7.6
While Awkward was MTV's best comedy series at the time, Teen Wolf was winning fans over with its supernatural teen drama. The series was loosely inspired on a 1985 film of the same name but brought the drama into the 21st century. Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) is the main character who gets bitten by a mysterious creature that transforms him into a werewolf.
Teen Wolf ran for six seasons on MTV and earned nine of its stars several Teen Choice Awards over the years. It was also named the best Summer TV Series four different times.
The Vampire Diaries - 7.7
With vampires and werewolves dominating the teen movie landscape, teen television soon started following suit. Premiering in 2009 and wrapping up in 2017, The Vampire Diaries was a supernatural teen drama that aired on The CW. Like several of the shows on this list, the show was based on a book series of the same name and focused on Elena Gilbert, a newly orphaned teenager who falls in love with a vampire in her town.
The Vampire Diaries was a huge hit for The CW with its pilot episode becoming the most-watched premiere in the network's history. It remained the most-watched CW series for several years.
13 Reasons Why - 7.7
No teen show has stirred up quite as much controversy as the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why. The series was originally inspired by the Jay Asher novel of the same name but created a world of its own for the subsequent three seasons. While the first season centers on the life and death of teenager Hannah Baker, the remaining seasons deal with the aftermath of her death as the rest of the school struggles with their new reality.
13 Reasons Why has carved out space in the teen world as a show that never shies away from the harsh realities that some teenagers undergo. Though it was criticized greatly for glorifying teen suicide and drug use amongst other things, the creators hold steady that their show raised more awareness than it caused harm.
The 100 - 7.7
Supernatural and sci-fi shows were certainly all the rage for the 2010s, so it should come as no surprises that The CW's The 100 has landed as the fourth-best teen series of the decades. The series focuses on 100 teenagers who are sent back to Earth 97 years after it was destroyed.
The 100 ran for seven seasons on The CW with its seventh and final season airing in May of 2020. The series was not only loved by teenagers but its first season also earned critical acclaim, earning an Emmy nomination for Oustanding Special Visual Effects.
The Fosters - 7.9
The Fosters is arguably one of the best series to come out of ABC Family/Freeform, so it should come as no surprise that it ranks highly on the list of best teen shows of the 2010s. This drama series focused on the Adams Fosters family as they juggled the happiness and complications that arose with being a blended family.
The Fosters was regularly hailed for its diversity, especially with its constant LGBT themes and storylines. In addition, the show dealt with various hard-to-talk about issues like adoption, substance abuse, and teenage criminal activity.
On My Block - 8.1
Premiering in 2018, Netflix's On My Block is the latest teen show to make the list of the best 2010 teen shows and yet it managed to land itself in the number two spot. Set in a fictional South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, the series follows four best friends who are attempting to have a "normal" high school experience while dealing with the challenges their neighborhood causes them.
The series currently has three seasons with a fourth possibly on the horizon. On My Block has been hailed for its diversity in its cast and storytelling which has allowed even more teenagers to connect and identify with these characters.
Stranger Things - 8.8
Taking home the number one spot for best teen shows of the 2010s is none other than Netflix's Stranger Things. Set in the 1980s, this sci-fi horror series follows a group of young kids who uncover a supernatural force in their town which is tied to secret government experiments.
Stranger Things burst onto the scene in 2016 and quickly took the world by storm. Over the last three seasons, the series has earned 39 Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe nominations. The fourth season is in production.