With contemporary teen TV comprising of shows like Riverdale and the new Gossip Girl reboot, I think it’s time to go back to the early 2000s, when teen shows were all about 90s fashion, classic rock, teen angst, and cute guys. If you agree, read on to find some of the best 2000s shows for teens, no matter what your favorite genre.
- Teen wolf
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If you haven’t watched Teen Wolf, it’s a real tragedy. By far my favorite teen show of probably all time, Teen Wolf is so overdone, it’s actually fantastic. I mean, what’s better than a young Tyler Posey being bitten by a werewolf and suddenly harboring a bunch of new abilities while simultaneously meeting the teenage love of his life? Not to mention, an awkward and skinny Dylan O’Brien in his teenage years to ease the angst. Teen Wolf’s crazy plot and funny dynamics are unmatched, with extensive lore and legends to go along. If you love hot guys and girls with bad-ass supernatural fighting abilities, you have to give this show a try. Plus, rumor has it Teen Wolf: The Movie will be coming out this year!
- The vampire diaries
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A classic and a real descendant of the Twilight teen-vampire craze, The Vampire Diaries is another great supernatural teen show of the 2000s. With the two vampire Salvatore brothers to choose from, it’s always unclear who our leading lady Elena is going to pick! Not only is she really pretty and has an appropriate amount of teenage angst, she also happens to be the reincarnation of the Salvatore brothers’ (slightly evil and two-timing) lover in the 1800s. That plot line, coupled with family conflicts, high school, and lots of super good looking supernaturals sums up to a perfect representation of 2000s teen shows.
- One tree hill
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Possibly lesser known names on this list, One Tree Hill is really where Chad Michael Murray made his bad boy debut. Although this show doesn’t include supernatural creatures or hot vampire brothers, it does include hot basketball playing half-brothers, and a whole lot of teenage drama. The story revolves around Lucas and Nathan, who are half-brothers sharing the same dad. While Nathan gets to live with his dad and their picture-perfect family, Lucas and his mom, who had him as a teen, are booted off to the side. Turns out, both brothers inherited their dad’s stellar basketball skills, and quickly become rivals in both basketball and dating girls. With teenage pregnancies, cheerleaders, and the lows and highs of high school (and eventually college) sports, One Tree Hill really is a masterpiece of the 2000s.
- Gilmore girls
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If you’ve ever wanted to live the aesthetic of a booksy, cute girl with lots of white privilege and an ivy league education in small-town Connecticut, Gilmore Girls is exactly that. Rory Gilmore, the main character, is cute, nerdy, and lovable all in one, being raised by her young and single mom Lorelai who had her as a teen. In this show, we follow the love life of not only Rory, but also her mom, giving us a plethora of couples to ship and horrible boyfriends to diss. With lots of cute guys, a New England charm that’ll make you want to go to Yale, and not one but two amazing leading ladies, Gilmore Girls is the ultimate teen comfort show of the 2000s.
If you haven’t watched all of the series on this list, you’re seriously missing out. Of course, there are even more classic 2000s teen shows that I simply don’t have the time to write about, but I hope that this list can help you find your new (old?) teenage TV obsession.