Television has spent a long stretch turning high school into a source of gold for Hollywood. From angsty dramas to sharp satire, the genre has produced some unforgettable shows. The ranking argues each one offers a distinct take on those formative years, and it occasionally admits the shows aren’t entirely realistic. The show’s creators have even admitted the genre isn’t entirely realistic. The ranking, which names the 10 best TV shows about high school, says each one offers a distinct take on those formative years.
The list builds its argument by showing what each show captures well about the teenage years, drawing on both the fondness of memory and a careful look at the kind of show it is. Its point is that these shows should not be seen merely as a form of pleasure, but as a means of navigating a period in life that adults continue to struggle to comprehend.
Dawson’s Creek Opens The List
The ranking starts with “Dawson’s Creek,” which ran from the tail end of the ’90s and sits between a mature coming-of-age drama and overly melodramatic teen nonsense. The show is meta: its characters often spend more time deconstructing their lives as teenagers than actually living them.
“The plucky residents of picturesque Capeside are often too busy deconstructing their lives as teenagers to actually enjoy being teenagers.”
That’s the show’s best and worst trait. It was clearly written by adults too far removed from teenage life to present an entirely realistic view of high school — yet it distinguished itself from predecessors like “Beverly Hills, 90210” by giving its teenagers an unusual amount of self-awareness. Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen spend their time figuring out who they want to become.
Beverly Hills, 90210 As A Cautionary Tale
“Beverly Hills, 90210” plays it campy, yet the ranking puts it among the best shows of the ’90s. It’s about Brandon and Brenda Walsh, two ordinary kids thrown into the lavish halls of West Beverly High — only to find that the paradise they expected isn’t there.
What makes the show work is its setup: wealthy teenagers grapple with the same problems as everyone else, and their privilege makes their downfall all the more painful. The ranking points out that the show functions as a community and a kind of sanctuary, where young people bond with peers who share similar struggles.
Daria Refuses To Play Along
Daily rituals carried out by “Daria” keep her from giving in to the bulls***, ranking’s only animated entry. Daria Morgendorffer observes Lawndale High’s as she does. Her school is thick with exaggerated archetypes — dumb jocks, superficial popular kids, clueless teachers — even as the show admits there’s a modicum of truth to Daria’s a real universe underneath.
The ranking draws attention to something that often gets passed over: Daria isn’t always correct. Her cynicism acts as a shield that makes her miss larger truths. Quinn, the popular, fashion-obsessed student, turns out to be more intelligent than she lets on — and Daria discovers that cynicism doesn’t equal depth or comprehension.
Veronica Mars As A Metaphor
“Veronica Mars” takes an exaggerated view of high school and uses it as a metaphor for the real world. Veronica, a detective who fell from the upper echelons of the popular crowd after her best friend’s murder, has unique insight into exposing the corruption throughout Neptune because she has seen much of it up close.
This show examines class divisions, corruption, crime, privilege and the constant abuse of power, all seen through the eyes of a high school. The ranking places the series in a spot that affords its protagonist a particular vantage point into the adult world.
The Ranking’s Frame
The ranking admits its shows aren’t entirely realistic — and it makes that admission part of the point.
- “Dawson’s Creek” was clearly written by adults too far removed from teenage life — yet it distinguished itself from predecessors like “Beverly Hills, 90210” by giving its teenagers an unusual amount of self-awareness.
- “Beverly Hills, 90210” is about Brandon and Brenda Walsh, average kids suddenly thrust into the luxurious halls of West Beverly High — and what they find there isn’t the paradise they expected. It’s “Beverly Hills, 90210”, but that’s part of the appeal.
- “Daria” is ranking’s only animated entry — and the ranking acknowledges that Daria’s cynicism doesn’t equal depth or comprehension, even as the show admits there’s a modicum of truth to Daria’s universe.
The Ranking’s Argument
No program comes without its strengths and its weaknesses. The ranking holds that they all carry a reason to watch, as a road map for young people looking to make sense of their own early years — or for older viewers still searching for answers about those same times.
The shows themselves acknowledge they are not entirely realistic, and that admission, instead of a drawback, is what makes them succeed — even if the ranking’s framing is that these shows are worth watching because they capture something about high school, even when they aren’t entirely realistic either.
Source material: “10 Best TV Shows About High School, Ranked,” TVLine.
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