Back in the good old days, long before the era of streaming,teen shows are all the rage on network television. Despite their different settings, storylines, and characters, these shows often portrayed the trials and tribulations of blooming adolescence. From the everyday pressures of academic struggles and the ups and downs of young love to heavier topics like mental health and addiction, what made these teen shows iconic pieces of pop culture wastheir willingness to push the envelope when television was on the cusp of becoming more progressive.
However, some attempts to test the boundaries of teen television didn’t sit well with audiences then, and they still don’t today. Considering how far television has come with representation and tackling weightier, more sensitive topics, some beloved teen shows might not be acceptable in this generation. While they remain memorable,these 10 classic teen shows have not aged well.
10‘Pretty Little Liars’ (2010–2017)
Developed by: I. Marlene King
Relationships come and go inPretty Little Liars, but there’s one pairing that’s left a questionable mark on the show. Folks might remember couple Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale) and Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding), a.k.a. Ezria, who are practically the show’s soulmates. By the time the series ends, the two tie the knot. But no matter how sweet their romance is depicted, there’s a problematic nature surrounding their relationship:it glamorizes the idea of student-teacher romances.Age is clearly just a number for Ezra. There’s no absolute reason for a teacher, no matter how young, to date underage girls. Not only is it creepy, but it’s downright illegal.
Much of the storyline inPretty Little Liarsrevolves around mental issues, which, unfortunately, often get trivialized. At the end of Season 2, Mona Vanderwaal (Janel Parrish)gets admitted to a mental institutecalled Radley Sanitarium for her “dissociative identity disorder.” - a “diagnosis” that’s made because Mona tends to manipulate and torment the rest of the girls. With mental health being a sensitive topic in real life, examples like thatonly further stigmatize people with mental health issues.
Pretty Little Liars
9‘Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County’ (2004–2006)
Created by: Liz Gateley
The iconic teen soapLaguna Beach: The Real Orange Countybrought everyone’s dream beach summer to life. However, the SoCal-based series has one glaring issue that became a recurring theme throughout the show. Aside from the curse words and sexual references,for a show centered around high school social life, there’s a lot of underage drinking involved.Anyone familiar with the series would notice the red plastic cups almost everyone carries, which have become a universal signifier for drinking.
Think pre-partying with Diet Coke and what looks like a water bottle filled with rum, beer bottles scattered around a party table, and taking shots of tequila in Cabo. While some argue that it’s “normal” for teens to experiment with alcohol occasionally,Laguna Beachseems to suggest that the fun only starts when someone is under the influence.This portrayal paints a problematic picture of alcohol consumption, especially with the constant presence of drunk characters causing chaos.
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
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8‘Smallville’ (2001–2017)
Developed by: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Smallvillemighthave its strange and questionable moments, from introducing new storylines that never get revisited again, struggling to maintain consistent characters, and killing off beloved characters for the sake of “the plot”. But the show’s worst moment goes to Episode 7 of Season 1. Aptly titled “Craving”, Jodi Melville (Amy Adams) plays an overweight girl who attempts to shed off a few pounds by drinking a detox juice, which, unfortunately, is infused with kryptonite. Not only does her metabolism accelerate quickly,but the only way she could survive is by feeding on the fats of living people.
Themes of body image and eating disorders are difficult subjects for anyone, especially teenagers who are learning to be comfortable with themselves. Transforming Jodi into some kind of “monster” because of her “desperation” to get thin doesn’t exactly contribute to any representation regarding the complicated nature of people dealing with their body issues. Instead, it only villainizes the victim.
Smallville
7‘Saved by the Bell’ (1989–1992)
Created by: Sam Bobrick
This classic ‘90s sitcom has its own fair share of unsavory moments. In Episode 2, Season 1 ofSaved by the Bell, Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies) freaks out when she spends way past her father’s credit card limit. Lead character Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) proposes one insane idea to help Lisa to make a quick buck: charging boys $1 to kiss Lisa without her consent, a.k.a. “Losing their Lisa cards”. Although this storyline is portrayed in a lighthearted, fun matter,unwanted assault on women is definitely no laughing matter.
Another instance is when Morrisdiscovers that he is “part Native American”in Episode 13 of Season 2. To “celebrate” his newfound heritage, he dons a stereotypical headdress for an outing, which, unsurprisingly,comes off as extremely offensive to those actually belonging to indigenous communities. These are a just a few of the numerous examples as to why Saved By the Bell has aged rather poorly in the years since the final episode aired.
Saved By the Bell
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6‘Dawson’s Creek’ (1998–2003)
Created by: Kevin Williamson
Dawson’s Creekmight have come off asone of the more progressive shows of its generation, but definitely not without its flaws. When big city new girl Jen Linley (Michelle Williams) moves to the small town,she immediately becomes a victim of constant shaming due to her “wild girl” past.When it is later revealed that she was sexually abused at just 12 years old, instead of the compassion she deserves for being taken advantage of at such a young age, she is even more scrutinized for no longer being a virgin.
The series also sets unhealthy, toxic standards in teen relationships.Instances include Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) stalking Jen using his binoculars, dating a sweet, unsuspecting girl to make Jen jealous, and dumping someone over voicemail. But nothing is as downright creepy, and morally wrong, as Dawson secretly recording himself and Jen kissing. Case in point, these plotlines won’t nearly be accepted in today’s TV landscape.
Dawson’s Creek
5‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000–2007)
Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino
It’s no secret thatGilmore Girlsfollows a predominantly white cast, so much so thatthe series sometimes gets a bit too comfortable portraying other races in a stereotypical and unserious light.Michel Gerard (Yanic Truesdale) is the only Black character who is part of the show’s principal ensemble. However, he mainly serves as the French-accent speaking concierge of the Independence Inn who’s all sarcasm and snappy remarks with no memorable storyline.
Some other more concerning matters with the show’s diversity is its portrayal of Mrs. Kim (Emily Kuroda), the mother of Lane Kim (Keiko Agena). Despite her hard work and resilience as a working single mother, Mrs. Kim is often associated with the “tiger mom” cliché often found in Asian stereotypes.Another more obvious instance of its cultural tone-deafness is when Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) pokes at Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) for ordering Indian food, saying that the smell would stink up the house.
Gilmore Girls
4‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ (1990–2000)
Created by: Darren Star
Beverly Hills has, in subtle ways, been a universal symbol for all things new and modern progressive, especially in the ‘90s.Beverly Hills, 90210strives to open up conversations about topics that were still considered huge taboos during its time, including substance abuse, domestic abuse, AIDS racism, and more. However, the show has had its mishandling. One episode that left a sour taste for its viewers is Episode 14 of Season 2,which deals with one of the show’s heavier topics: gun control.
An episodeso controversial that it’s no longer on streaming, Episode 14 follows West Beverly High School celebrating the opening of a time capsule from fifty years prior. While the initial storyline is all fun and laughter, it takes a deeply dark twist when Scott Scanlon (Douglas Emerson), a friend of David Silver (Brian Austin Green)accidentally shoots himself with his father’s in front of David. While the episode premiered in 1991, the incident still serves as a stark reminder of gun violence and mass shootings rampant today, most of which are attributed to the scarily easy access to guns.
Beverly Hills, 90210
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3‘The OC’ (2003–2007)
Created by: Josh Schwartz
Much likePretty Little LiarsandDawson’s Creek,The OCalso shares some unfavorable moments that are strikingly similar. Like the former, the series paints mental health and therapy in this scary, intimidating light. When troubled teen Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) shows obvious signs of depression and substance abuse, it becomes clear that Marissa requires therapy, which she eventually goes to. However, the depiction of the show’s therapy sessions tends to be overdramatized for creative liabilities. Instead of portraying it as a safe space, therapy becomes some sort of interrogative session.
Like the latter,the series is guilty of shaming women, especially with Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson) and Marissa having no qualms whipping out derogatory remarks out of possessiveness for their boyfriends (ironically, the two are sexually active). On top of that, the show also glorifies stalking when the ever-so-quirky Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser) stalks Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) by spying on him using binoculars.
2‘One Tree Hill’ (2003–2012)
Created by: Mark Schwahn
One Tree Hillisguilty of pitting women against each other.Yet at the same time, the shows portray dudes as fun bros who love each other. It’s as if the show can’t decide if it wants to empower its female characters or tear them down. Every time they get close to showing some real growth, they end up back in the same toxic catfight and emotional turmoil.
Some notable instances include Brooke Davis’s (Sophia Bush) and Peyton Sawyer’s (Hilarie Burton) never-ending feud over Lucas. Meanwhile, Nathan and Lucas, who have every reason to throw down, settle their issues with a quick fist bump. Another example is Deb’s wild spiral into addiction, causing her to lose her grip, while Dan Scott,despite being a literal murderer, stays calm, collected, and somehow still cunning.One Tree Hillportrayswomen as if they’re unnecessarily crazy and overtly emotional, while men are more forgiving and rational–thinking.
One Tree Hill
1‘Gossip Girl’ (2007–2012)
Developed by: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage
WhenGossip Girlfirst premiered on The CW, it didn’t take long until the ultra-glamorous teen soap was heavily criticized by parents for its overtly sexual nature. But underneath the excess debauchery and hedonism lies dangerously explicit portrayals of sex and relationships, especially when the show itself revolves around teen characters.Chuck Bass’s (Ed Westwick) behavior consistently crosses lines that should never be blurred, especially when it comes to his treatment of women.From his assault on Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) to his casual involvement in what appears to be human trafficking,Chuck’s actions are appallingly normalized as privileged rich men’s behavior.
There’s also the matter of Nate Archibald’s (Chace Crawford) affair with the grown Duchess Catherine. Not only is the duchess married,but she’s essentially sleeping with an underage teenage boy. The affair itself is included in the storyline to amp upGossip Girl’s already salacious and scandalous nature, but these portrayals are also harmful due to their moral and legal implications.
Gossip Girl
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