10 Teen Dramas That Are Actually Good Television Shows

5. The Wonder Years

Never underestimate the power of nostalgia. Watching Fred Savage navigate his way through puberty set against a backdrop of the rapidly becoming less wholesome 1960s is so unbelievably comforting and relatable, no matter what generation you happen to be from. He was just an average kid, and the show covered him from the ages of 12 to 17, so if you were a young teen or preteen watching the show when it aired, you felt like you grew up with him. The Wonder Years followed him, his best friend Paul, and his on again off again girlfriend Winnie, dealing with normal teen issues as well as the changing world at large. It was an interesting show, because unlike a lot of other teen dramas, it didn't feel like it existed in a vacuum. There was a real sense of the events of the show occurring in a specific place and time. In the pilot episode, for example, we learn that Winnie's older brother has just died in action in Vietnam, and there are frequent reminders of the outside world throughout the series.