Publications
Partners
It’s been a good year for TV and while you enjoyed cozying up and watching your favourite shows after a long day at work, chances are so did your teenager. Here is our list of the top 10 best teen shows that took 2017 by storm!
1. Stranger Things
Love it or hate it, no doubt you were bombarded with images of Eleven, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Mike this year. While pop culture has gone 90s crazy, Stranger Things has managed to make the 80s cool again. Your teenager may not get all the 80s references in the show but we’re sure you will. We’re keeping tight-lipped about any spoilers, so if you want to be the cool parent, you’ll have to watch it yourself.
Also read: QUIZ: Which Stranger Things kid do you have?
2. Riverdale
Hold on tight while we try to explain the plot of this popular show based on the Archie comics:
Archie Andrews is a crazy about music, however he’s made a bit of mess by entering an illicit affair with his music teacher and now that the affair is over, he has no mentor.
His best friend Jughead (you’ll remember him from the Disney show the Suite Life of Zack and Cody) isn’t talking to him and he’s developed a crush on the new girl in town, Veronica.
Even though its love at first sight for them, Veronica is hesitant about her feelings since her best friend, Betty has a HUGE crush on Archie.
And while they have to deal with their teenage high school drama, they're also trying to solve the mystery of the death of troublemaker Cheryl’s brother.
Fun fact: South African actress Nathalie Boltt features in the show as Cheryl Blossom’s mother.
3. 13 Reasons Why
This Netflix drama got a lot of people talking. While some were against it for tackling the topic of teen suicide, possibly romantising it, teenagers were left on the edge of their seats and were absolutely raving about it! This is a heartbreaking tale of a young girl named Hannah who chooses to take her own life. Two week after the horrific act, her classmate and crush, Clay, receives 13 recordings she made in which she explains why she took her own life. Fans of the show will be happy to know that the show has been renewed for a second season, in which the other characters' stories will be told.
Also read: There's been a rise in teen suicide and it may very well be social media's fault
4. Pretty Little Liars
Many teens were sad to bid this teen thriller goodbye as it aired its seventh and final season earlier this year. Pretty Little Liars follows the lives of four friends who try to find out who killed their friend Alison. However, an anonymous person named A won’t stop texting them! It seems to know all the girls' dirty little secrets and may just know who killed Alison. The four girls have to remain close so they can find out who A is and who killed Alison before they run out time or their own secrets are exposed.
5. The Flash
This superhero show is in its fourth season and keeps growing in popularity. Well-known superhero and Justice League member, The Flash, now has his own TV show. It follows Barry Allen who develops super-speed superpowers when he is involved in an explosion that causes a freak storm. He now uses his powers to defeat evil and to try and uncover the mystery behind his mother’s death.
6. Famous in Love
Paige Townsen’s life turns upside-down when she lands a leading role in a big blockbuster film. The show is about her highs and lows as a celebrity while she tries to balance fame and college life. While she enjoys all the benefits of fame, her personal relationships become strained and it’s up to Paige to learn the importance of friendship and honesty.
7. Atypical
This show is more light hearted as it follows Sam, a teenage boy on the autism spectrum, who decides he is ready to try his hand at love and dating. We follow the hilarious misfortunes of Sam, his family and friends as they try and adjust to his independence and his want for a ‘normal’ life.
8. Haters Back Off
YouTube vloggers are the new celebrities – just ask your teenager who Jenna Marbles or Teala Dunn are. Haters Back Off capitalises on this new phenomenon as it depicts the life of fictional YouTube star Miranda Sings. The show was created, produced and stars Collen Ballinger, who does an excellent job of portraying how cringey and self-absorbed a teenage girl can be.
Also read: Young stars of YouTube and Instagram
9. Marvel's Runaways
This show is fairly new but the build-up to its premier has secured its spot on our list. The show's executive producer, Josh Schwartz, is no stranger to popular young-adult dramas with Gossip Girl and The O.C. on his long resume. The Marvel series poses the question: what if our parents really are evil? The six protagonists of the show must band together to try and stop their parents before it’s too late.
10. Skam
When Norwegian screenwriter Julie Andem created Skam she had no idea that the Norwegian drama would take the world by storm! The four seasons of the drama covered hard-hitting topics such as teen drinking and partying, homosexuality, statutory rape, religion, mental illness and eating disorders, all while never making teenagers feel like they were being lectured. The show maintains an element of realism by playing off in real time Norway and even going as far as giving the fictional characters real social media pages so fans can see what they get up to during the week. The show came to an end this year but Norwegian teens have managed to immortalise its legacy all over the net
Let us know if you watch any of these shows with your teenager or if this list piqued your interest! Email us at chatback@parent24.com or comment down below.
