This Week’s Poll: Your Favourite Teen Drama

This week we’re asking you to vote for your favourite ‘teen-drama’ series. Not all of those in our poll are current ‘teen dramas’ though with some popular ones from the 1990’s and the 2000s such as Dawson’s Creek, As If and the original Melrose Place.

Brilliant teen-drama series on Channel Four than ran between 2001 and 2004 and clocked up 76 episodes. As If re-wrote the rules for the teen-drama in the UK approaching the audience with intelligence and threw aside the clichés. The drama followed the lives of six young adults, all friends, as they go through loves and adventures together. Each week the episode would be narrated by one of the characters talking directly to the audience, thereby breaking the ‘fourth wall’, and the events of the episode would be presented ‘out of order’. The episode would then jump back and fourth to reveal what happened and its consequences. One episode parodied 24 in which the episode was set within 24 minutes.

The drama also featured an openly gay character and showed his romances and one-night stands across the seasons. More importantly, perhaps, than just dealing with the romance and sex life of a young gay guy the drama also showed how utterly at ease all of his friends were with his sexuality – and how at ease he was. There was no long drawn out coming to terms with his sexuality style storyline. Amongst the cast of the drama were Paul Chequer and Jemima Rooper both of whom worked together on BBC Three drama Sinchronicity several years later from the same producers [Rooper also appeared in supernatural teen-drama Hex by the same producers, see further down]. The other regulars in the cast were Orlando Wells, Emily Corrie, Caroline Chikezie and Benjamin Waters with actors such as Callum Blue, Adam Sinclair, Anna Wilson-Jones [who also starred in Hex], Jesse Birdshall, O.T Fagbenle, James Kristian and Jemima Abey [another actress who later appeared in Hex].

Skins: E4

The critically acclaimed and award-winning E4 drama series that recently concluded its fourth season on the channel and shouldn’t need any introduction. Skins was another drama that blasted onto screens and rewrote the rule book where teen-dramas were concerned depicting teens drinking, smoking, robbing, joy-ridding, taking drugs and having sex. It won praise and awards but some, probably the readers of the Daily Mail, didn’t warm to the drama.

The “first generation” of Skins characters focused on the friends of Tony Stoneham [Nicolas Holt], a sociopath who liked to control those around him. Tony’s manipulations and controlling ways lead his girlfriend Michelle [April Pearson] to sleep with his best friend Sid [Mike Bailey] while he sleeps around with Abi [Georgina Moffatt] and later pursues gay friend Maxxie [Mitch Hewer] which causes Michelle to dump him. Other characters in the first “generation” include anorexic Cassie [Hannah Murray], druggie Chris [Joe Dempsie], sensible Jal [Larissa Wilson] and Anwar [Dev Patel] who is best friends with Maxxie but struggles to deal his friend being gay. At the end of season two the producers decided to axe the characters with them moving onto University although the character of Chris was killed off in the penultimate episode.

The third and fourth seasons of Skins focused on the “next generation” of characters lead by Effy [Kaya Scodelario], Tony’s sister, and the series main storyline across season three was the love-triangle between Effy and friends Cooke [Jack O’Connell], Freddy [Luke Pasqualino] and JJ [Ollie Barbieri]. Another storyline that spawned the third season was the lesbian romance between Emily [Kathryn Prescott] and Naomi [Lilly Loveless] and the romance between Pandora [Lisa Backwell] and immigrant Thomas [Merveille Lukeba]. The fourth season, as with the second season, took on a darker tone with the death of girl from drugs in the opening episode affecting the characters in different way. The season also saw the controversial killing-off of Freddy which prompted complaints from fans over its brutality.

At the end of season four the cast were once again written out of the series and producers are currently searching for a new set of actors for the fifth and sixth seasons of Skins.

Hex: Sky One

Supernatural teen-drama series on Sky between 2004 and 2005 and focused on a small group of students at the private school Medenham Hall and a group of fallen angels, the Nephilim who are lead by Azazeal [Michael Fassbender]. The first season focused on student Cassie Hughes [Christina Cole] who is something of a loner at the school being friends with just her room mate Thelma [Jemima Rooper] who is a lesbian and as such is the source of rumour and gossip amongst the other students. Cassie begins to discover she has magical powers but is being stalked by a mysterious man who she has visions off – Azazeal. Cassie investigates and discovers that Azazeal is the leader of the fallen angels, Nephilim. Azazeal sacrifices Thelma for strength his powers although she returns in the form of a ghost. At the end of the first season Cassie discovers she is pregnant with Azazeal’s child and tries to have an abortion…

Season two saw the introduction of Ella [Laura Pyper] the new main character of the series as Christina Cole decided only to return for a few episodes. Also gone were Zoe Tapper and Joseph Morgan who also didn’t return but new additions to the cast included Sam Troughton as another Nephilim and Jemima Abey and Tom Wright as new students. In the second episode Cassie was killed off and Michael Fassbender was written out of the series as Azazeal later on as a teenage Malachi, his son, was introduced played by Joseph Beatie. Also amongst the cast of the series were Anna Wilson-Jones, Colin Salmon, Laura Donnelly, Ronan Vibert, Amber Sainsburys and Jamie Davies. As well as dealing with the supernatural storyline of good versus evil and the battle to prevent the “end of days’ the series also covered more typical teen-drama storylines such as lesbian/gay romances, affairs, drug taking, pregnancy, abortion, bullying and rape all be it with a supernatural spin on them.

  Beverly Hills 90210/90210: The CW/E4

The original series launched on Fox in October 1990 and followed the Walsh family as they move to California and settle into their new life. The teen-drama was created by Darren Star and the early seasons focused on Brandon [Jason Priestley] and Brenda [Shannen Doherty] as they adjust to life in Beverly Hills and make new friends. The teen-drama covered many issues during its ten years on air such as date rape, teenage pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, alcoholism and drug addiction and although episodes tended to be self contained to begin with slowly it took on a more soap feel with longer running storylines – such as the various romances and live triangles of the teenagers.

The series ran for ten seasons and nearly 300 episodes and was the starting ground for many house hold names such as Luke Perry, Tori Spelling, Jennie Grath and Shannen Doherty. Ratings for the teen-drama reached a peak during its third and fourth seasons when over 20 million viewers regularly tuned in. Over the course of the series the teen-drama attracted a number of high profile guest-stars such as former Dynasty actress Stephanie Beacham, Emma Samms and Heather Locklear would both appear in the spin-offs from Beverly Hills. The series was revived, in sorts, in the 2000’s ‘spin-off’ series 90210 on broadcaster The CW. The new series has several of the original stars mixed in with new characters and has so far run for two seasons with a third one ordered by The CW. It has been something of a success for the broadcaster unlike the revival of Melrose Place which has struggled with ratings.  

Melrose Place: The CW/Fiver

The original Melrose Place was a spin-off from fellow Fox drama Beverly Hills 90210 and was launched in 1992. The current series of Melrose Place is a revival of the series and although it is set in the same “universe” as 90210 there has yet been no crossover storylines between the two dramas and it hasn’t been marketed as spin-off so its exact relationship with 90210 is unclear. However, in 1992 when it launched for the first time around it was a spin-off with several Beverly Hill’s characters crossing over for the earlier episodes of the series. Amongst those to crossover were Jennie Grath, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering.. Melrose Place was set in a small apartment complex inhabited by young adults and its storylines mirrored those covered by Beverly Hills 90210 – typical soapy storylines.

Amongst the original cast of Melrose Place were Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett, Andrew Shue, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Grant Show, Doug Savant, Vanessa A Williams and Amy Locane. Former Dynasty actress Heather Locklear appeared during the first season as Amanda Woodward but Spelling decided to make the character a regular from the second season onwards in order to boost the series popularity – Locklear remained on Melrose Place until its finale. The recent revival of Melrose Place by broadcasters The CW hasn’t been successful with ratings disappointing low and many predicting it will be axed. A revamp of the series has been ordered to “lighten” up its image but its unlikely this will have any real impact. Amongst those to reprise their roles on the revival are Laura Leighton and Heather Locklear.

Another teen-drama on The CW which is popular both here and in America. The drama is set on the Upper East Side and follows the privileged students of wealthy parents. The series is based on a series of novels of the same name but has established its own identity and has moved away from the plots featured within the novels. The drama covers such typical storylines such as affairs, drug taking, alcoholism, eating disorders, homosexuality, betrayals but throws in a new twist in that the ups and downs of the characters are reported on an internet website, Gossip Girl.

The characters personal lives are revealed for all to read about in regular updates as Gossip Girl’s informants keep her up to date with the scandalous goings on. Gossip Girl isn’t just something to be weary of though for the characters – it’s a weapon to use as well. Countless times have the characters used Gossip Girl to spread damaging gossip and lies about their rivals. The drama uses the rise of Social Networking sites to its advantage and is more on the ball than other dramas when it comes to the use of technology within its storylines. So far there have been three seasons but a fourth has been ordered by The CW. Amongst the stars of the series are Blake Lively, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Penn Badgley, Leighton Meester, Jessica Szohr, Taylor Momsen and narrated by the ‘voice of Gossip Girl’, Kristen Bell.

Dawson ’s Creek: WB/Channel Four

The teen drama that gave us James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes who rose to stardom because of their roles in the series. The drama focused on the lives and loves of four friends in the small seaside town of Capeside and was praised for its intelligent dialogue and pop culture references. Dawson’s Creek has influenced the dramas that have followed such as The O.C, One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl.  The drama dealt with all your typical teen subjects but with more intelligence than melo-drama with underage sex, homosexuality, affairs and the such line amongst the storylines covered over the six seasons. Unsurprisingly conservative America hated the programme but who gives a flying fuck what a bunch of bible bashers think anyway? There idea of a good drama is The Waltons! Despite the backlash from conservative America the series proved to be popular with its core audience at home and abroad, such as the UK, and it won rave reviews.

The main focus of the series in its early days was around Ryan Atwood and his group of friends; Ryan was from a poor and broken home but was adopted into a wealthy family and became friends with Seth, his new family’s son. The drama revolved around the lives, romances and troubles of Seth and Ryna’s friends and family. The series was developed by Josh Schwartz who would later develop Gossip Girl and help bring it to screen. Amongst the stars of the series were Benjamin McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, Melinda Clarke and in the first two seasons Alan Dale who’ll Neighbours fans of the 90’s will remember as Jim Robinson in the Aussie soap.

At the end of the third season actress Mischa Barton decided to leave and was killed off with the fourth season introducing some newer characters to interest audiences. However, ratings for The OC had been declining from season two and when they dropped below an average of 5 million for the fourth series Fox decided to pull the plug.

One Tree Hill: The CW/E4

Launched around the same time as The OC the two teen-dramas were often painted by some as being in competition with each other and some sections of the press were only too pleased to big up that notion. As such One Tree Hill was seen by some as the poor man’s version of The OC and was dogged by cancellation rumours in its early seasons. However, while The OC was dropped by Fox after four seasons broadcasters The CW showed more faith in One Tree Hill and kept it on air. The cancellation of The OC saw a boost in ratings for the series and perhaps a much needed life line for the series.

The drama is now in its 7^th season and has moved on from its original high-school setting and has followed the characters into adult life – a “jump forward” in time allowed the series to skip ahead a few years and show the characters a few years on. The series has featured some dramatic and high profile storylines over its seasons such as a shooting at a school which is needless to say a daring subject to cover in America – the country has had some notorious high-school shooting incidents over the past 20 years. One Tree Hill is still running on The CW and is expected to be renewed for a 8^th season.