The 10 Best Teen Romance TV Shows Ever Made

The heyday of adolescence romance TV programs from from the late 1990s to the early 2010s created some of the best and most influential teen series of all time. This was the period when teenagers and teenage angst began to be taken seriously in film and television, as young adults proved to be a vast and marketable audience base. While there are many other great shows about teens that feature love stories, not all of them share the specific tone and atmosphere that make a teen romance TV show so unique.

There are a lot of toxic couples in teen dramas like most of the relationships featured on these shows are far from perfect and often problematic. However, it’s easy to spot them looking back at these shows, and it’s important to remember to take most storylines and romantic interests in teen dramas with a grain of salt. Using bizarre storylines and leaning toward melodrama rather than realism are common features of the teen soaps that are still so popular today. This sets them apart from other TV shows and provides fun escapist fantasies for all viewers to enjoy.

10

The Summer I Became Beautiful (2022 – present)

Jenny Han’s book trilogy has become an iconic part of 2020 teen TV

Amazon Prime’s teen drama based on Jenny Han’s best-selling book series, The summer I became beautifulis a great example of how shows about adolescence have evolved in recent years. Following the central love triangle between Belly (Lola Tung) and brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno), The summer I became beautiful isn’t afraid to put its characters in awkward situations. Although she is not always friendly, Belly won the hearts of the public with her journey of self-discovery.

The summer I became beautiful The third season’s delay will be worth the wait, as the next part of Belly’s story will have more episodes than the previous two seasons. While Season 1 was stronger than Season 2, based on the books, the next story arc will see more drama and unbelievable heartache between Belly and the Fisher boys. The series is a pure romance with a coming-of-age drama undercurrent, making it feel as intense and unforgettable as the first pangs of love during adolescence.

9

Teen Wolf (2011–2017)

The intense feelings of adolescence are reinforced by the supernatural elements of Teen Wolf

Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien are best friends and heartthrobs in Teen Wolf Scott and Stiles. They find themselves drawn into a supernatural realm they didn’t know existed when Scott is transformed into a werewolf and must deal with the pitfalls of high school as his life is upended. Although Scott is the series’ protagonist, the easiest love story to root for is the one between Stiles and Lydia (Holland Roden), who goes from seeing Stiles as a nobody, to a friend, to a caring, supportive romantic interest.

It is common for teen dramas to contain supernatural elements and Teen Wolf strikes a good balance between the supernatural aspects of the plot and the everyday difficulties of being a teenager. Although vampires were fashionable in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the fact that Teen Wolf focused on werewolves sets it apart from many similar offerings on television. As Scott becomes a werewolf, he struggles to balance his loyalty to friends and family with his duties as a protector.

8

Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)

This mystery series kept audiences guessing until the end

Full of mystery and crime drama elements, Pretty Little Liars is one of the weirdest teen romance TV shows of the 21st century, but that’s part of the fun of watching the series. Although the young women on the show were all preoccupied with finding out who A was and the constant blackmail they faced, their day-to-day lives often revolved around their love interests. One of the highlights PLL it’s like centered on LGBTQ+ love stories through the arcs of Emily (Shay Mitchell), which was a big deal in the early 2010s.

Despite being a show for teenagers Pretty Little Liars puts its characters in intense and terrifying situations throughout the seasons and sees them forced to give up some of their biggest love interests. Although many of the plots are so irrational, they border on the impossible; there was never a dull moment during the entire race Pretty Little Liarsand Rooting for a favorite ship was one of the most compelling parts of the series. Even when playing an evil twin or being kidnapped, the lead actors bring heart and maturity to the show.

7

One Tree Hill (2003-2012)

Even after high school, One Tree Hill offers the same level of drama

The first seasons of Hill of a tree are the best in the show, But that doesn’t mean the series stopped being compelling when the characters dropped out of high school. Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (Jame Lafferty) are half-brothers at odds. Hill of a treewith their personal lives and rivalries playing out on the basketball court. It’s not long before they too come into romantic conflict when Nathan starts dating Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz), Lucas’s best friend. Many of these complicated pairs arise in Hill of a tree.

Who Lucas should have ended up with was a heated debate during Lucas’ heyday. Hill of a treeas his relationships with Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and Brooke (Sophia Bush) created a stellar love triangle. However, Brooke soon became the series’ most enduring character, and seeing her learn to love herself was one of the series’ biggest arcs. Brooke’s story, along with Haley and Nathan’s strong relationship helped maintain Hill of a tree relevant in recent years.

6

Verônica Marte (2004–2019)

Veronica solves many mysteries, but struggles to open her heart throughout the show

Kristen Bell leads Veronica Marte as the titular teenage detective who puts Nancy Drew to shame with her expert investigative skills. A big thrust of the series is the central relationship between Veronica and Logan (Jason Dohring), who start out at odds, creating a fantastic enemies-to-lovers arc. The series takes their love story seriously, realistically chronicling the ups and downs of their lives as Veronica struggles to open up to Logan and he tries to change and be a better person.

Unfortunately, when Veronica Marte returned for a reboot in 2019, it didn’t capture the same magic as the original series, as much of the draw was the mistakes of young adulthood. As Veronica Marte progressed, struggled to maintain the momentum and originality of Season 1, But that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten. Veronica Marte is as fresh, relevant and moving today as it was when it debuted.

5

Dawson’s Creek (1998–2003)

Dawson and his friends navigate their coming of age in this seminal series

Dawson Creek was a staple of teen TV during the transition from the ’90s to the ’00s because of its controversial and subversive storylines. Critics and audiences were surprised by the provision Dawson Creek was to address traditionally taboo subjects in a teen series. Even when Dawson Creek introduced unrealistic stories, always treated the teenage characters with respect and framed their lives and romances closer to adults.

Throughout the show, Dawson (James Van Der Beek) is desperate to be treated like an adult, But he and his friends are just beginning to understand how they fit into the wider world. When the series begins, Dawson and Joey (Katie Holmes) seem to be the series’ central romance, but Joey’s connection to Pacey (Joshua Jackson) proves to be much more compelling. Watching Pacey fall in love with Joey and witnessing them continually go back to each other is one of the best parts of the show.

4

My So-Called Life (1994–1995)

A short-lived teen drama series that changed the genre forever

My so called life is one of the worst TV show cancellations after just one season, as the series had the potential to do so much more. Starring a young man Claire Danes as Angela, the protagonist who is more self-aware and nuanced than most teenagers on television, the series follows her navigating the parts of adolescence that would normally be swept under the rug. In the mid-90s, the most serious topics would be covered in a single episode of the season, but that wasn’t the case with My so called life. Each episode of the show saw Angela and her friends struggling to fit in and understand each other.

The only reason Mand the so-called life It doesn’t rank higher because it never had the chance to fully develop over several seasons. Additionally, the show may revolve around Angela’s obsession with Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto), but it’s much more than a romance. Despite receiving enormous critical acclaim, My so called life he never managed to establish himself and continue pushing limits. However, paved the way for even more subversive teen dramas in the years that followed.

3

Gossip Girl (2007–2012)

Betrayal and betrayal are the beginning of great romances on Gossip Girl

gossip Girl begins as a reverse Cinderella story, with young, unknown Dan (Penn Badgley) falling in love with well-connected It-girl Serena (Blake Lively). This leads Dan into a world unlike anything he’s ever known, and the audience watches the characters fall in love and fall in love with each other as they climb the social ladder. While Dan and Serena have a lot of drama, Blair (Leighton Meester) and Chuck (Ed Westwick) provide the best will-they-won’t-they dynamic.

However gossip Girl was rebooted in 2021, the contemporary series lacked the drama and, for lack of a better term, the messiness of the original series. The first gossip Girl isn’t afraid to be as scandalous as its characters, which makes for great drama. There’s no doubt that the series sometimes went too far and veered into problematic territory, but that was because gossip Girl I had fun with its characters and premise. The sexual content and inappropriate relationships made it the subject of heated debate throughout its run, but this cemented its iconic status.

2

The CO (2003–2007)

Although the setting may be idyllic, the characters in The OC face many problems

It’s impossible to forget the moment Ryan (Ben McKenzie) met Marissa (Mischa Barton), and the events of The CO and their doomed romance is set in motion. Ryan is the perfect protagonist as he is the audience’s window into the lives of the elite and incredibly privileged residents of Newport Beach in the series. However, just because they’re rich doesn’t mean the characters have little drama, as the complicated love lives and betrayals of high school students and parents make for great television.

The CO is one of Adam Brody’s best TV shows, and his turn as Seth Cohen has inspired a revival of the “nerd” archetype, cementing Brody as one of the most synonymous heartthrobs of the early 2000s. Although Ryan and Marissa have been the most dramatic, Seth and Summer (Rachel Bilson) are the show’s most successful couple. Their relationship turns into something stable, healthy, and worth rooting for. The same cannot be said for many series like The CO

1

The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)

An iconic supernatural romance for the ages

As one of the best vampire TV shows of all time, as well as being an enduring romance series, the Vampire Diaries has something for everyone. However the series begins with the love triangle of Elena (Nina Dobrev), Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder), it soon expands to include major romances for all the characters. From fan-favorite couples like Caroline (Candice King) and Klaus (Joesph Morgan) to later relationships like Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey), almost every romantic pairing has been explored.

Like any good supernatural romance series, the Vampire Diaries makes the stakes as high as possible, putting the characters’ lives on the line often to test how they feel about each other. The two spin-offs, The Originals and Legaciesexpanded on the lore and intrigue of the first show, but none managed to live up to the standard set by the Vampire Diaries. The lines between good and evil become blurred throughout the show, with characters constantly changing alliances and romantic partners, creating fascinating drama.