Teendramasare an enduring part of the television landscape and have the opportunity to blend genres into their plots for exciting results. When supernatural elements are incorporated in teen dramas, this makes for compelling TV that has elevated stakes and tension combined with the pangs of adolescence. Some of thebest fantasy TV shows for beginnersare combinations of magical storylines and high school mishaps, bringing something to the table for viewers of all ages, ascoming-of-age stories never grow old, and neither do mystical creatures.
There’s lots of overlap between mystical adolescent narratives and thebest romance TV shows based on bookssince romance is a central part of any teen drama worth its salt. The world-building within novels translates well to television, especially when fantastical narratives and love stories take center stage. However,there’s more to supernatural series than the magic systems or exciting worldsthat audiences can escape into. These shows are remembered not just for the fantasy elements but also for the depth of the characters.
Shadowhunters
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Shadowhunters is a television series based on the book series by Cassandra Clare. Premiering in 2016, it follows Clary Fray, who discovers her lineage and joins a group of demon hunters called Shadowhunters. As she navigates her new reality, she embarks on a mission to rescue her kidnapped mother.
Based on the book series by Cassandra Clare,Shadowhuntersis considered the best iteration of the storyfor the screen, as the 2013 movie was a major flop. However, the story found a new home on television, which turned out to be the perfect place for the narrative since there was more time to develop the world and character relationships. The show primarily follows Clary (Katherine McNamara), a young woman who discovers the world of the Shadowhunters and learns of her own abilities to hunt demons.
Even audiences unfamiliar with the books will be enthralled by the magical series.
EveryShadowhuntersbook seriestackles different elements of the universe, butShadowhuntersprimarily focuses onThe Mortal Instrumentsstories.Much of this revolves around the romance between Clary and her fellow Shadowhunter, Jace(Dominic Sherwood), to whom Clary feels an instant connection. Though the series brings many of the best moments from the books to life, it also distinguishes itself and presents new and exciting aspects of the world. Even audiences unfamiliar with the books will be enthralled by the magical series.
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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Based on the Archie comic series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a Netflix supernatural horror series that follows Sabrina Spellman, a young half-witch, half-human that is coming into her powers in her teenage years. To protect her friends, family, and the world itself, Sabrina will have to harness her powers and ignore the calls from her darker side to embrace her evil potential fully and instead use her powers for good. Despite the series cancellation in 2020, the show’s story was continued in The Occult World of Sabrina, a comic book serial.you may buy the seasons for just $9.99 for Prime Day.
Most audiences are familiar with the fantasy sitcomSabrina the Teenage Witchfrom 1996, which took a much lighter and relaxed tone than Netflix’s supernatural follow-up. Kiernan Shipka, best known for her role as Sally Draper inMad Men, plays the new Sabrina, who’s much more in tune with the darkest parts of her magic than the ’90s iteration. Overall,Chilling Adventure of Sabrinatakes on a much more horror-esque and gothic tone than its predecessor.
Chilling Adventure of Sabrinasees Sabrina struggle to balance the human and witch sides of herselfbut usually finds herself fighting for the side of good. Though Sabrina is often most concerned with the forces of heaven and hell, her friends and allies help ground her and provide strong side plots about the ups and downs of the typical high school experience, even when they join Sabrina on a dangerous quest after school. Sabrina’s love life is also a major part of the series and helps ground the more high fantasy elements.
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Marvel’s Runaways
Marvel’s Runaways is a live-action series based on the eponymous superhero team from the comics. The three-season Hulu series stars Virginia Gardner, Lyrica Okano, Rhenzy Feliz, Ariela Barer, Allegra Acosta, and Gregg Sulkin as a group of teenagers with special abilities who join forces to fight their supervillain parents, who belong to the secret organization “The Pride”.
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the minds behind iconic teen dramas likeThe O.C.andGossip Girl, came together to createRunaways, one of the most human and grounded of Marvel’s projects. Following a group of unlikely teen heroes,Runawayssees them band together when they realize the one thing they have in common: their supervillain parents.While the dynamics between parents and teens in TV shows are always fraught, this is elevated to the extreme inRunaways.
As each of the teens unlocks their special abilities and powers, they start to come into themselves and face the insecurities and doubts that are plaguing them.
As each of the teens unlocks their special abilities and powers, they start to come into themselves and face the insecurities and doubts that are plaguing them. Like all superhero shows,Runawaysuses the characters' powers as a metaphor for difference and othering but demonstrates how,as a group, the teens find solace and acceptance.However,Runawaysdrives home the point that the most important person to accept them is themselves.
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School Spirits
Based on the graphic novel, School Spirits is a supernatural mystery-drama series set in a high-school setting focusing on the afterlife. When teenage Maddie finds herself in the afterlife, she spends her idle time trying to investigate why she went missing. However, her high-school sleuthing leads her down a path that only yields more questions and uncovers a more sinister plot underneath her own demise.
In the wake of her grisly murder, or so she’s told, Maddie (Peyton List) finds herself trapped in her high school as a ghost alongside the other students and teacher who tragically died there. Certain there must be an answer to her memory loss, as Maddie can’t recall her death,she embarks on a quest to solve her murderand discovers she still has a link to the land of the living. Though she’s single-minded in her pursuit of the truth, Maddie also learns how messy her life and relationships truly are.
Both in the afterlife and the living world, the people who know Maddie attempt to put together the pieces, and the audiences can’t be sure who to trust. Even in death, Maddie still manages to find plenty of teenage drama as she learns about her living boyfriend’s betrayal and starts to connect with the ghosts she meets. Through its supernatural conceit,School Spiritsgrapples with some of the most painful and true parts of adolescence.
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First Kill
In this supernatural drama, Juliette Fairmont, a teenage vampire, faces the rite of passage to make her first kill. However, things get complicated when her target turns out to be Calliope Burns, a new girl in town who hails from a renowned family of vampire hunters. As their worlds collide and feelings deepen, Juliette and Calliope must deal with conflicting family legacies and the looming threat of a violent confrontation between their families.
Canceled after just one season,First Killis an underrated addition to the supernatural teen drama genre,with a compelling forbidden romance at the story’s center. The term star-crossed lovers takes on a whole new meaning in the series as a vampire descended from supernatural royalty, Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook), falls in love with a monster hunter, Cal (Imani Lewis). Both have orders to kill each other and take their place in their respective families, but neither has the stomach to end their doomed romance.
It’s a shame thatFirst Killwas canceled so quickly, as strong LGBTQ+ representation within fantasy teen shows can be hard to come by.
The creator ofFirst Kill, Victoria Schwab, is well known for her many contributions to the YA and adult fantasy book genre, andFirst Killhas much of her trademark humor and world-building. It’s a shame thatFirst Killwas canceled so quickly, as strong LGBTQ+ representation within fantasy teen shows can be hard to come by. However,even the single season of the series packs enough angst, bloodlust, and passion to satisfyany viewer.
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Wednesday
Wednesday follows the journey of Wednesday Addams as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts. Tasked with mastering her psychic abilities, she confronts a series of town murders and a haunting family mystery from 25 years ago, all while managing new social dynamics.
Few shows are as instantly popular asWednesday, the recent Netflix TV showthat explores the characters fromThe Addams Family, particularly Wednesday. Jenna Ortega plays the titular character, who’s enrolled in her parent’s old boarding school for the supernatural and strange, where she uncovers a conspiracy. Though Wednesday herself is more interested in solving the mystery than making friends and engaging with budding romantic interests, that’s still a large part of the show.
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AsWednesdayseason 2approaches, it’s likely that even more drama and intrigue between the reluctant Wednesday and her newfound group of friends will come to light. Though there are some serious moments in the series, for the most part,Wednesdaysticks to the whimsy and fantastical elements that allowed so many viewers to connect with the show in the first place. Of all the recent teen dramas,Wednesdaydoes a good job of translating contemporary sensibilities into a fantasy world.
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Teen Wolf
This supernatural drama follows a high school student in Beacon Hills who becomes a werewolf after being bitten. Alongside his best friend, he navigates newfound powers and dangers, confronting various threats while entangled in the complexities of adolescence and the supernatural world. Created by Jeff Davis.
ThoughTeen Wolfpremiered after similar works likeThe Vampire Diaries, the show worked hard to distinguish itself from the many fantasy series hitting the small screen in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien star as Scott and Stiles, two best friends who become entangled in the supernatural underbelly of their town when Scott is turned into a werewolf. ThoughTeen Wolfdoes grapple with many different monsters and creatures from folk tales,it wisely omits vampires, setting the story apart.
The writers and creators ofTeen Wolfunderstood the niche it filled and the role it played on television, allowing the series to play with form and audience expectations as the seasons progressed.
For the most part,Teen Wolffollows the familiar pangs of adolescence and doesn’t stray from the typical romance plotsthat define so many shows within its genre. However, the writers and creators ofTeen Wolfunderstood the niche it filled and the role it played on television, allowing the series to play with form and audience expectations as the seasons progressed. The chemistry between Posey and O’Brien as best friends was a consistent mark in the series' favor.
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Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
As the final season ofStranger Thingsdraws closer, it’s fun to look back at the beginning of the nostalgic and thrilling TV series. Since its premiere in 2016,Stranger Thingshas been one of the biggest hits for its streaming service, Netflix, and it’s not hard to see why.The first season is the most cohesive and well-paced of the series,but every successive installment has grappled with the characters growing up and the fact that they’ve changed so much while facing similar threats.
Stranger Thingsseason 5 will be its last, and it’s certain that the series will go out with a bang,revealing more about the Upside Down and the mysterious forces at work than ever before. SomethingStranger Thingsdoes better than many supernatural teen dramas is incorporate a strong sense of mystery that it sustains across multiple seasons. The audience patiently awaits the answers to the questions the show poses, as the journey to get there is just as compelling as the destination.
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The Vampire Diaries
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
ThoughThe Vampire Diarieslost steam as the seasons progressed, there’s no denying that the first several seasons of the show perfectly encapsulate the best of the supernatural and teen genres. Unafraid to lean into melodrama and unbelievable plot twists,The Vampire Diarieskept audiences guessing and engaged.Vampires, witches, werewolves, and almost every other conceivable supernatural creature grace the screeninThe Vampire Diaries, but the series works hard not to feel overwhelming.
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While popularity doesn’t necessarily determine quality,the fact thatThe Vampire Diariesreceived two spinoff series demonstrates the story’s longevity.With plenty of gore and romance to draw viewers in,The Vampire Diariesmakes them stay through the moving platonic love that drives so much of the narrative, as well as the incredible character development. While it’s easy to laugh at some of the campy aspects ofThe Vampire Diaries, the series is well aware of its tone, ensuring the viewer is laughing with it.
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
Not only thebest vampire TV show of all time,Buffy The Vampire Slayeris the blueprint for all modern supernatural teen dramas.Few audiences and critics would have considered the supernatural teen drama a serious and interrogative genre beforeBuffy, but the series changed minds and proved that there’s room for complex and nuanced discussions about life and love within a show about teens. From the beginning, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is no ordinary teenager, and the story never treats her like one.
Throughout its seven-season run,Buffyevolved a lot,as the series left high school and adolescence behind after season 3. However, this doesn’t mean that the characters stopped learning, growing, and coming of age in the show. Many of the major beats and lessons throughoutBuffy The Vampire Slayerare universal and connect with viewers of all ages, no matter where the characters are in their lives. It’s difficult to imagine that any new TV show will come along that can achieve whatBuffy The Vampire Slayerdid.
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