100 Best Teen Dramas Part 9: Genre-Benders

Sometimes, the “high school hallway” isn’t enough. These shows take our teenage protagonists and drop them into parallel dimensions, zombie apocalypses, or space stations. These are the genre-bending masterpieces that prove teen drama works anywhere in the universe.

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81. Stranger Things (2016–Present)

The show that brought back the 80s. A group of kids (and later teenagers) in Hawkins, Indiana, encounter supernatural forces and a government conspiracy.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a perfect blend of nostalgia, horror, and heart. Watching the “kids” grow into teenagers battling inter-dimensional monsters is a highlight of modern TV.
• Best Character: Steve Harrington (The best “bully-to-babysitter” redemption ever).

82. The 100 (2014–2020)

Ninety-seven years after a nuclear apocalypse, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent back to Earth from a space station to see if it’s habitable.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It starts as a simple teen drama but quickly becomes a brutal, high-stakes political thriller about survival at any cost.
• Best Character: Clarke Griffin (The “Wanheda” of the ground).

83. Locke & Key (2020–2022)

After their father is murdered, three siblings move into their ancestral home and discover magical keys that unlock various abilities (and secrets).

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a fun, imaginative “dark fantasy” with great production design and family dynamics.
• Best Character: Bode Locke.

84. Sweet Tooth (2021–2024)

In a post-apocalyptic world where “hybrids” (part human, part animal) are born, a deer-boy named Gus goes on a journey to find his mother.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a beautiful, often emotional “fairytale” about innocence in a broken world.
• Best Character: Gus.

85. Shadow and Bone (2021–2023)

Based on the Grishaverse novels, it follows Alina Starkov, an orphan who discovers she has the power to summon light, which could be the key to saving her country from a giant shadow fold.

• Why it’s a must-watch: The world-building is rich and the “Crows” subplot is some of the best ensemble writing in YA fantasy.
• Best Character: Kaz Brekker.

86. Warrior Nun (2020–2022)

A teenage girl wakes up in a morgue with a divine artifact in her back and discovers she is now part of an ancient order of nuns who hunt demons.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It has incredible action sequences and a very deep, philosophical take on religion and power.
• Best Character: Beatrice.

87. All of Us Are Dead (2022–Present)

A high-intensity South Korean series where a zombie virus breaks out in a high school, forcing the students to fight for survival.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s “Skins” meets “The Walking Dead.” The high school setting makes the zombie action feel incredibly fresh and personal.
• Best Character: Cheong-san.

88. Alice in Borderland (2020–Present)

A group of friends find themselves in a deserted Tokyo where they are forced to compete in life-or-death games to survive.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s incredibly tense and psychological. It’s the ultimate “survival game” drama.
• Best Character: Chishiya.

89. The Wilds (2020–2022)

A group of teenage girls from different backgrounds are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash, unaware they are part of an elaborate social experiment.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a character-driven look at the trauma and resilience of teenage girls.
• Best Character: Dot Campbell.

90. Paper Girls (2022)

Four young girls delivering papers on the morning after Halloween in 1988 become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travelers.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a smart, emotional sci-fi that focuses on the girls meeting their older selves and confronting their futures.
• Best Character: Mac Coyle.

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Next: Part 10 - Modern Masterpieces: 2020 & Beyond