TV Shows Teens are Watching

Summer – especially during a global pandemic - is a great time to catch up on TV shows and start new ones.  Here are some recommendations from local high school and college students: 

Catherine Dang, a rising senior at St. John’s School, likes Good Trouble (2019-present), an American drama and a spin-off of The Fosters (2013-18), because “it’s pretty funny at times, but it’s also super relevant in the issues it discusses” like black lives matter and gender inequality in the workplace. 

Nicholas Fenouil, a rising senior at St. John’s School, recommends Breaking Bad (2008-2013), a crime drama in which a high school teacher diagnosed with cancer turns to selling methamphetamine to make money for his family. He says he likes how the show “always manages to raise the stakes without seeming excessive or relying on tired tropes.”

Natalie Mafrige, a rising senior at Lamar, likes Midnight Gospel (2020), an animated series which follows Clancy, a video podcaster in space who lives in a dimension called "The Chromatic Ribbon." “It explores deep topics but makes them interesting to watch, and it’s a nice break from all the drama in most shows,” she says. 

Sarah Fiedorek, a rising senior at St. John’s School, has been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) recently, another animated series which follows Aang as he tries to end the war with the Fire Nation. She says, “Zuko’s redemption arc is a beautiful story about human ability to grow and learn and also the value of found family.”

Here are a few of my personal recommendations: 

• Brooklyn 99 (2013-present), a police comedy, follows detective Jake Peralta and his colleagues as they try to solve crimes in NYPD’s 99th precinct. I like it because it is funny and engaging while not afraid to tackle real-world issues.
• The 100 (2014-present) is a post-apocalyptic science fiction drama about 100 teen criminals who are sent down to the Earth almost 100 years after the apocalypse in order to see if it is livable yet. I enjoy this show because it keeps me interested and focuses on the concept of humanity and how no one is completely good or evil. 
• Killing Eve (2018-present), a spy-action thriller follows Eve Polastri, a member of British intelligence and Villanelle, a female assassin, as they develop a mutual obsession. I like this show because the characters are interesting and well-developed.
• The Politician (2019-present) is a comedy-drama that follows Payton Hobart, who is running for Student Body President because he wants to become President of the United States one day. I enjoy this show because there is never a dull moment.

Buzz interns Savannah Kuchar and Steffi Halow have been recently binging:  

• Money Heist (2017-present): a crime drama in which a group of robbers as they try to pull off the perfect heist.
• Queer Eye (2018-present): a reality show in which the Fab Five help people in need of lifestyle makeovers.
• Dead to Me (2019-present): a dark comedy series that revolves around the friendship that forms between two grieving women, one of which is hiding a dark secret.
• Elite (2018-present): a teen thriller and drama in which three working class teenagers attend an exclusive private school, but the dislike between them and the rich students eventually leads to murder.
• The Crown (2016-present): a historical drama that follows Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
• Black Mirror (2011-present): a dystopian science fiction series in a multiverse where innovation meets humanity’s darkest instincts.
• New Girl (2011-2018): a sitcom that follows Jess Day as she moves into an apartment with three guys after a bad breakup.
• Hollywood (2020): a drama that follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in Hollywood post-World War II as they try to make it big.
• Jane the Virgin (2014-2019): a comedy in which a devout Catholic woman is artificially inseminated by accident.
• Living with Yourself (2019): an existential comedy that follows a man who undergoes a treatment to become a better person but is instead replaced by an improved version of himself.
• Lucifer (2015-present): an urban fantasy series in which the Devil leaves Hell to run a nightclub in Los Angeles.
• Love is Blind (2020): a reality show that matches single people in an unconventional way - they talk but cannot see or touch each other.
• Mindhunter (2017-2019): a crime thriller series in which two FBI agents have to interview serial killers in order to try and solve open cases.
• The Assassination of Gianni Versace (2018): a crime drama that follows Andrew Cunanan, leading up to his five-person murder spree that killed Gianni Versace.
• The Stranger (2020): a mystery thriller series that follows suburban families as their secrets are made public by a stranger.
• The Good Place (2016-2020): a fantasy comedy show that revolves around the afterlife of four humans as they try to define what it means to be good.
• Never Have I Ever (2020): a coming of age comedy-drama that is about the life of an Indian American teenage girl dealing with the death of her father.
• The Bold Type (2017-present): a comedy-drama show inspired by the life of "Cosmopolitan" editor in chief, which shows the outrageous lives of the people in charge of a global women’s magazine.
• Reign (2013-2017): a historical drama following the exploits of Mary, Queen of Scots.
• Gilmore Girls (2000-2007): a comedy-drama that revolves around the relationship between a single mother and her teenage daughter.

Editor's note: For more TV recommendations, see this list of comedic shows. Also, find out how to have a virtual movie night with friends plus a list of movie recommendations.