The Resurgence of Teen Dramas

by Leighton Curless

The teen soaps of the 90s and 2000s changed network television forever. Beverly Hills 90210 was the blueprint; though I would venture to say that Dawson’s Creek took what 90210 had and perfected it, seeing that it was able to stand the test of time. These shows pushed the boundaries and described teens as they wanted to be seen and heard, and however cringe or untimely they may seem now, they created a dynasty–one that’s still trying to be maintained today. 

I started watching Dawson’s Creek out of morbid curiosity: I had heard the name thrown around, as well as the mention of specific plots, specifically the love triangle between the titular characters. I knew, since so many people recommended and raved about the show, that it had to have been somewhat well done, but I still had my drawbacks. Having watched my fair share of older shows and quitting a few seasons in, I didn’t have much hope for Dawson’s Creek, but boy, was I wrong. 

There is a reason that this show is in everyone's mouths. Though it’s often boisterous and agitating (I find myself hating quite a few characters throughout the six-season run), it does one thing right: it makes me feel understood. Even with the two decades of distance, I still feel as though they describe the teenage experience accurately, and even if I can’t see myself in the characters, they seem real. They’re messy and deluded, and although that might just be the result of poor writing, I feel for these characters, particularly Pacey and Joey–the couple that started it all. 

Shows today are still trying to mimic what those two had. It’s the second love trope done with the utmost of care. I believe that these characters work together, not just because we’re told so–looking at you, Dawson and Joey–but because the series proved it throughout seasons 3 and 4. It makes it all more worthwhile when, spoiler alert, they end up together against all odds. I find myself going back to rewatch their story, dedicating my time to seasons worth of TV-watching so I don’t miss a beat. It’s unfortunate, then, that I feel as though nothing has measured up since. 

There seemed to be a drop, somewhere in the 2010s, of this network formula teen series. Shows like The O.C. and One Tree Hill tried to profit off of the newfound success

of this form of series, but, in my opinion, never seemed to measure up throughout the seasons. A bit later, there were mainstays like Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and the Vampire Diaries, but these don’t have the same magic to me. They are larger than life spectacles that focus more on plot than characters, which is where Dawson’s Creek shined. I have begun to notice recently though, with the smash hit of The Summer I Turned Pretty, no matter how wonderful or awful you think it may be, a sense of the teen drama spirit coming back. This is a show that focuses on relationships above all else, for better or for worse, and you can catch many people arguing on Twitter about who the Pacey and Joey of it all are. 

This isn’t the only series I’ve spotted making a teen drama comeback, however. Though it may be more aimed towards younger teens, the final series of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, of which showrunner Tim Federle was greatly inspired by Dawson’s, relies on the found family and second love tropes of teen drama’s past. Other shows like Sex Education and even Riverdale (surprising, I know) have undertones of their predecessors. 

I’ve been seeing a bit of a shift in other shows nowadays as well. Though teen soaps of the past were gritty in their own ways, shows like Euphoria (whether you clarify this as a teen drama is your opinion) and On My Block depict more diverse casts in urban settings. And yes, they are very gritty. Heartstopper, a charming story featuring two queer characters (amongst others), is also pushing the boundaries about who these kinds of shows are about, and they have Jack McPhee from Dawson’s to thank for that. 

Whether these shows employ their tactics well or not is pretty irrelevant. I think it says more about where we are in society, just coming out of a pandemic with waves of nostalgia picking us up like riptides. If we’ve learned anything from the 2020s so far it’s that teenagers matter. Not just their likes, but also their ideas, beliefs, and spirit. Teens are the future, so it’s today that we need to start caring about them, whether it’s as large

as mental health resources and getting them involved in politics, or as small as creating fun, if not good, shows that remind them that who they are is enough. 

If your interested in a further deep dive, a very interesting one I might add, into the ship that changed it all, I would suggest reading this article by Constance Grady: https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/1/25/16911234/dawsons-creek-20-years-love-triangle-jo ey-pacey 

If you are suddenly feeling nostalgic to high school, here’s a list of the “best” teen dramas, featuring many I discussed above: 

https://www.glamour.com/story/best-teen-dramas

Edited by Anna Taché & Elisabeth Kay