2026 is a huge year for movies and television. It feels as though every week there is a new book adaptation announced, my favorite type of news, and streaming services have made television more accessible than ever. It would make sense for me to become excited about new shows coming out with popular actors and compelling press tours, but I have repeatedly found myself obsessing over one genre of show in particular, early 2000s teen dramas. As I scroll through my options on Netflix, my eyes skip over the Netflix originals as though they barely register to me. My algorithm has figured me out and recently recommended my new obsession: Veronica Mars. I have successfully lured my roommate into my addiction, and we now spend hours of our busy week waiting to see who committed what crime in 2008, and how Veronica will solve the mystery while attending Neptune High. Â
The more I consume, the more I question my taste. Why do I love corny, over the top shows that began releasing in 2004? How am I constantly roped into small town mysteries that end up killing off a fan favorite character every single time? Will I ever be able to enthusiastically recommend a show to a friend that has been released within the last decade? After enough contemplation over Coke slushies on my living room couch, I believe I’ve finally figured it out.
The predictability of the early 2000s teen drama is unmatched. The character archetypes are consistent whether the show is set in North Carolina or California, and they never stray from the exact same pilot episode format. The main protagonist is a bit of an outcast. The audience is introduced to their “sidekick,” typically a childhood best friend or a fellow “loser.” The love interest is popular and likely dating the antagonist, who, of course, will later be revealed to have a heart of gold. Someone has clearly wonderful parents, someone has parents who are never home. The character with absent parents is always throwing parties. Even with varying plots and settings, I never have to question what type of show I’m getting when I press play. I know that plot lines that gradually increase in ridiculousness and cheesy love stories are coming my way.
The comfort this predictability provides is undeniable and addictive. In a world where we are constantly living in unprecedented times, early 2000s shows never change. Frozen in time with flip phones and low rise jeans, the shows offer a space where I never have to stress over cringey internet references or Top 40 needle drops. Instead, I and every other teen drama fan can escape to a world that is relatively analog, a world where characters can be stuck in a flaming wooden chest on Thursday and attend a school dance on Saturday with ease. All of the characters prioritize talking face to face rather than texting, and there’s always some beautiful third space where they can create more insane drama.Maybe these cliche teen dramas are objectively not the highest quality media, but so what? The genre has kept people like me, shameless bad television lovers, entertained for decades, and there’s only more to come. I can only use myself awareness of my love for comically repetitive 2000s television to say: please watch Veronica Mars if life is ever feeling heavy, and you’ll begin to understand the inexplicable joy that comes with immersion in an over the top small town romance mystery with side plots that never seem to end.