10 Best Coming-of-Age Shows of All Time, Ranked

There have been a number of fantastic teen shows in recent years, including Heartstopper, Maxton Hall, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. There is something about that stage of life that lends itself to television that is both relatable and over-the-top, balancing the many emotions and experiences associated with those ages. From teen dramas like Yellowjackets and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, to teen comedies like Never Have I Ever and Derry Girls, the intensity and amount of change during those years makes for great television.

The coming-of-age tale is a classic story that never gets old. When characters come of age, they are naturally put on the path towards a great deal of character development and changes that they will have to adapt to in order to grow. There have been a number of incredible television shows that fall into this category, and that have cemented this TV subgenre as something really special. These are the best coming-of-age shows of all time, ranked.

10 'Glee' (2009–2015)

Created by Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Falchuk

Glee is one of the more fundamental coming-of-age shows, following various members of the McKinley High Glee Club over the course of six seasons. The show began with Spanish teacher and former Glee Club member, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), taking over the Glee Club and doing anything he can to make it great, which started with framing the school quarterback (Cory Monteith) for drug use and blackmailing him into joining the club.

Through the framing of the Glee Club, Glee covered a number of topics that affect teens, including bullying, coming out, and adjusting to major life and family changes. Glee showed each of the main characters navigating these problems both inside and outside of school, while singing about them in elaborate music numbers. Balancing over-the-top humor and more serious drama, Glee may be far from perfect and hasn't aged the best, but there's no denying that the show is a coming-of-age staple.

9 'Skins' (2007–2013)

Created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain

Before Euphoria, there was Skins, the teen drama that pushed a number of boundaries and launched the careers of many actors, including Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel, and Daniel Kaluuya. The show followed three groups of friends living in Bristol, giving them each two seasons, as they dealt with growing up and all that it entails. Skins never shied away from more serious issues and included a number of brutal scenes and emotional moments.

Skins was the coming-of-age show that took a number of risks and put its characters through some truly gut-wrenching plotlines. No character was safe from a shocking and untimely death, and the show didn't sugarcoat or neatly tie up any of its storylines. Skins was both painfully realistic and darkly funny, and it has influenced a number of its successors.

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8 'My So-Called Life' (1994–1995)

Created by Winnie Holzman

Although it was sadly canceled after only one season, My So-Called Life is a legendary teen drama. It remains a cult classic three decades after it aired, and it has gone on to influence a number of coming-of-age shows that have since followed it. The show centered on Angela Chase (Claire Danes), a fifteen-year-old girl who shakes things up during her sophomore year in order to have a better high school experience.

Whereas some coming-of-age shows glamorize and romanticize the teenage years, My So-Called Life did not. It was honest and thoughtful in its portrayal of Angela's high school experience, and it touched on a number of issues in nuanced and realistic ways. My So-Called Life paved the way for many other teen shows that have since followed, cementing its legacy as one of the best coming-of-age shows of all time.

7 'One Tree Hill' (2003–2012)

Created by Mark Schwahn

One Tree Hill is one of those shows that is defined by its setting. While the series initially started with the rivalry between the Scott brothers when Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) joined the basketball team, it evolved into a much larger and more complex story about the town of Tree Hill, North Carolina. The show painted an interesting backstory of the parents' time in high school that had ripple effects on the main characters for years to come.

There is a lot about One Tree Hill that makes it such an essential coming-of-age show. It had fantastic romantic plotlines, from its central love triangle, to Nathan (James Lafferty) and Haley's (Bethany Joy Lenz) sweet marriage. One Tree Hill also had a number of shocking and tragic storylines, and it always kept its viewers guessing. At its core, though, it was a story about growing up in a small town.

6 'Dawson's Creek' (1998–2003)

Created by Kevin Williamson

Another phenomenal small-town coming-of-age drama was Dawson's Creek, which followed Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) and his friends as they grew up in Capeside, Massachusetts. With sharp writing and a great deal of pop culture references, Dawson's Creek is still an amazing watch, even multiple decades later. The show had complex and likable characters, and it always took them seriously.

There were many details that have made Dawson's Creek feel so timeless and magical, like Joey (Katie Holmes) regularly taking a boat across the water to climb through Dawson's window, and the friends all participating in Dawson's short films. The show also spoofed a number of classic films and told a number of compelling love stories, like the romantic one between Joey and Pacey (Joshua Jackson), as well as the platonic one between Jen (Michelle Williams) and Jack (Kerr Smith).

5 'Veronica Mars' (2004–2019)

Created by Rob Thomas

Before shows like Wednesday and Riverdale sent its central teens off to solve crimes, there was Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), the legendary teen detective who led her show of the same name, Veronica Mars. After the murder of her best friend, Lily (Amanda Seyfried), Veronica's entire life was ruined in a number of ways. This set in motion the events of the series as Veronica dealt with being an outcast while solving murders.

To this day, Veronica Mars remains one of the most fundamental and influential coming-of-age shows. The show expertly balanced the fast-paced crime-solving plot with Veronica's personal struggles. It was a sharp and honest show that told the story of an extraordinary teenage girl dealing with both ordinary and overwhelmingly tragic obstacles that forced her to grow up before she was ready.

4 'Stranger Things' (2016–)

Created by The Duffer Brothers

Set to drop its fifth and final season this year, Stranger Things has been a true triumph of a series. With a high-stakes supernatural plot at its center, the show tells the story of a group of kids growing up in Hawkins, Indiana during the '80s. In between scenes of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) using her powers to fight off supernatural evils, the main characters go to school, play Dungeons & Dragons, and work part-time jobs.

Stranger Things is certainly an excellent science fiction show, but at its core, it is about a group of kids growing up amidst unforeseen circumstances and trying to support their friends as best as they can. With shocking character deaths each season and clever humor that uses '80s references, Stranger Things is the perfect coming-of-age show for those looking for a combination of historical and science fiction.

3 'Freaks and Geeks' (1999–2000)

Created by Paul Feig

Freaks and Geeks is another iconic coming-of-age show that was canceled far too soon. The show followed Lindsay (Linda Cardellini) and Sam Weir (John Francis Daley), two siblings who wound up in wildly different friend groups while attending high school together in the '80s. With a balance of clever humor and more realistic drama, Freaks and Geeks made a significant impact in just one season.

While some coming-of-age shows lean towards the more extravagant and exciting, Freaks and Geeks showcased normal teenagers living decidedly unglamorous lives. The series could and should have gone on for many more seasons, but it has still gone on to have quite a legacy, both influencing shows that have since come, as well as continuing to gain more viewers in the decades since it ended.

2 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997–2003)

Created by Joss Whedon

No coming-of-age show balanced extraordinary life circumstances with the ordinary experiences of being a teenager quite like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was an incredibly compelling protagonist who had to put her own life aside due to her destiny as a slayer. Although the show played with the supernatural quite a bit, Buffy's character arc is very relatable, and her being a teenage girl is integral to the story.

When it comes to teen dramas, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is truly one of the greats. It had many incredible and experimental episodes, including a silent installment and a musical installment. For those looking to watch a more high-concept teen show with a strong emotional throughline (and who somehow haven't seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer yet), this is the perfect choice.

1 'Degrassi: The Next Generation' (2001–2015)

Created by Yan Moore and Linda Schuyler

The greatest coming-of-age show of all time is none other than Degrassi: The Next Generation, the fourth and best installment in the legendary Degrassi franchise. Many teen shows hit a snag when the characters age out of high school, but Degrassi figured out around Season 8 that the best way to avoid this was by moving onto a new group of characters every few seasons. As such, the school was at the center of it all, and the show managed to stay compelling and timely for all fourteen seasons.

With the slogan of "It goes there," there is no topic that teens have dealt with that hasn't been covered on Degrassi. It showed the heavier and more painful parts of growing up while also prioritizing strong character development, close friendships, and smart storytelling. Most notable are its fourth and twelfth seasons, each of which built up to a truly devastating tragedy that went on to shape the seasons to come. There's a reason Degrassi went on for fourteen seasons and got yet another spin-off series that went on for four more: it is just that great.

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NEXT: The Best Coming-of-Age Movies of All Time, Ranked