19 Groundbreaking Moments from Teen TV

For most teens and young adults, television is a way to escape the real world for just a little while. However, sometimes the same television that creates an escape also gives them a voice, an image of themselves reflected.

The following list looks at all the best groundbreaking moments from Teen TV.

These may not be the first time these issues are depicted on our screens, but they were definitely the most impactful ones. Some shows even had a number of these moments, but all in all, no important issue was left unrecognized or unloved.

Also, it is safe to say that there are major spoilers for these shows, so tread carefully.

1. School Shooting – Degrassi: The Next Generation

Let’s start this list off with a moment that shocked us to our core when it first aired and is still shocking us years later. While Degrassi: The Next Generation isn’t the only teen show to cover this hot-button issue, it definitely covered it most thoroughly and with the most care.

In the early 2000s, school shootings weren’t as commonplace as they are now. However, Degrassi: The Next Generation made them very real for us by having one happen in their seemingly tranquil school.

For Degrassi: The Next Generation, this issue isn’t just a two-part episode issue.

It is one that spans many episodes. They look at the lead up to such an act, the immediate aftermath, and then the recovery for ALL the characters involved.

It isn’t just about Rick and Jimmy. It’s also about Emma, Sean, Toby, and Spinner. The care they took in showing how people deal with tragedy in different ways is one of the many reasons this show stands the test of time.

2. LGBTQ Homelessness – My So-Called Life

The 90s and early 2000s had many shows covering the subject of LGBTQ+ characters coming out in high school and living their lives post coming out. The show that really covered what can, and still does, happen to many of these teens is My So-Called Life.

The character of Rickie Vasquez paved the way for other shows on this list covering the LGBTQ+ issues that they covered.

In one episode, My So-Called Life Season 1 Episode 15, “So Called Angels,” this show gave the world a real look at how many teens who come out end up. Rickie is beaten by his father for being gay and then thrown out of the family home, on Christmas no less.

He ends up at Angela’s house and while she is welcoming and understanding, her parents are not. By the end of the episode, all of Angela’s hard work in helping her friend changes the heart of her parents and they welcome him into their hearts with open arms.

To show not only a gay teen being out and proud but also being forced into homelessness because of that is a ballsy move for 1994. However, it works out because now audiences want to see a realistic and positive look at what it’s like for LGBTQ youth.

3. Gay Conversion Therapy – Riverdale

Another side to gay youth are the kids who are forced into therapy when they come out to their parents. While that’s been shown a few times in film, it’s never before been a part of television.

That is until this year when Riverdale, Season 2 Episode 17, “The Noose Tightens,” aired chronicling Cheryl’s experiences with it. They didn’t shy away either.

They showed first hand what goes on with therapy of this kind. Audiences who were never aware of it suddenly became aware, and those who lived it now have a voice.

It’s our hope that therapy of this kind ceases to exist. Who knows? Maybe giving more focus to the negative effects it has on people will change the course forever.

4. Death – Teen Wolf

Death is once again an issue that is covered on many teen shows, some of them many times. However, Teen Wolf does a great job of showing not just adult death but also teen death.

Let’s start with the death of a parent. One of the most emotionally centered episodes in teen television history is Teen Wolf Season 2 Episode 9, “Party Guessed,” when Alison is told that her mother has died. The amount of raw anguish that Allison displays break anyone’s heart who watches it.

Even more emotional is watching how this death changes Alison.

She goes from a spirited, hopeful teen to this closed off, angry hunter. Her friends never give up on her and eventually, they are able to help her see the light and find her new normal.

Next, the band of teens in Beacon Hills have to deal with the death of Allison herself on Teen Wolf Season 3 Episode 23, “Insatiable.”

While this show has dealt with quite a few dark issues up to this point, her death tops them all. Not only does the show continue to feel her death years later, but it also shows how the death of someone so young affects everyone.

5. Cheating with a Married Man – Gilmore Girls

To this day, the subject of cheating is kind of taboo for a teen show.

Sure many shows cover some kind of cheating storyline, whether it be emotional or physical. However, no show has really covered the idea of a teen/young adult character being the cause of a married man cheating except for Gilmore Girls.

Even if you’ve never watched Gilmore Girls Season 4 Episode 22, “Raincoats and Recipes,” you’ve heard about Rory having sex with her ex-boyfriend Dean while he is married to another woman. It’s just that groundbreaking and memorable.

The more interesting part are Rory, Dean, and her mother’s reactions to it. Rory and Dean stand by the belief that they didn’t do anything wrong. All because they love each other. Meanwhile, Lorelei has a more extreme reaction, she can’t figure out why they did it.

Showing both extremes of the issue is good because it gave audiences both sides of the story and a more complete view of how it is seen by others. Young audiences need to see this type of story fleshed out because they need to see that even if you love someone you can still hurt them.

6. Teacher/Student relationship – Pretty Little Liars

While shows such as Degrassi: The Next Generation have already touched upon this taboo subject, none did it quite like Pretty Little Liars.

From the beginning of Pretty Little Liars, Aria has a relationship with her teacher Mr. Fitz. While having a secretive “A” making things in Rosewood super complicated, the relationship between the two is still portrayed in a realistic light.

They try to just be together and not let others influence what they should do. However, roadblock after roadblock keeps happening.

It shows that keeping a relationship secret isn’t the easiest route, especially if the reason for secrecy is because the relationship shouldn’t be happening.

In the end, the relationship proves disastrous for both of them and they break up. Sure they eventually get back together multiple times, but not while he is her teacher.

7. LGBTQ+ Family – The Fosters

As mentioned before, shows like My So-Called Life paved the way for other fantastic LGBTQ+ stories to be told, stories such as the central one on The Fosters.

It’s a show completely centered on a family headed by an LGBTQ+ couple. Steff and Lena are a loving couple who have a mix of biological, adopted, and foster children in their home.

This show allowed audiences to see that LGBTQ+ members can have all the things heteronormative families have too. They struggle with the same things such as marital problems, child rearing issues, financial problems, and even health problems.

In essence, we are all equal.

8. Absent Father – The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

In what is probably the most emotionally talked about teen television moment, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Season 4 Episode 24, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse,” captured the hurt and confusion that comes with being abandoned by a parent.

Will is a happy, go-lucky teen who normally doesn’t let anything bother him too much. He rarely shows any kind of weakness or negative emotion. However, when his father comes back into his life and gets his hopes up just to dash them once again, he can’t hold back the anguish he feels.

In one of the rawest moments of the time, Will begs with his uncle to explain why his dad doesn’t want him.

Any child who has ever been disappointed, abandoned, or rejected by a parent knows how hard that is. This gave an image and a voice to all those silent sufferers.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air validated all their viewers by saying they loved them and appreciated them even if their parents didn’t.

9. Deaf Community – Switched at Birth

Switched at Birth is another one of those shows that changed television for the better. Before this show, deaf characters were only on the periphery of our focus, never the main characters.

It opened our eyes to the struggles and triumphs of a beautiful, unified community. Characters like Emmett and Daphne taught us the importance of making the world just as accessible to deaf individuals as it is to us, hearing people.

They taught us their language and their view of the world. Through their eyes, we saw the hurt and confusion that can happen when shoved into strictly hearing situations with no means to understand or communicate.

Issues like police brutality as a result of not knowing what was happening (Switched at Birth Season 1 Episode 13, “Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear”) and lesser health care due to a communication barrier, causing Daphne to pursue a career in medicine, took the forefront alongside other major issues of the day.

It broke down the wall between two worlds that don’t really come together and united them.

10. Poor vs. Rich – The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Bringing together people from two totally different socioeconomic backgrounds is what made The Fresh Prince of Bel Air a top show of the 90s. That and the fact that it brought into focus all the issues African-Americans faced as a result of these socioeconomic differences.

When Will moves in with his upper-crust cousins, he gets a harsh look at how differently they live. They not only have more money but also more privilege.

Will has spent his whole life prejudiced against because of his skin and there are people who look just like him, are the same age as him, and yet know nothing of life’s harsh realities.

Will ends up showing white audiences what life in Philly was like for him. It opened us up to be more aware, and it’s a message that I think needs revisiting.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air also revealed that it isn’t just whites who have privilege. Sometimes, people of color get to have privilege because of career or situations they are born into. Privilege isn’t exclusionary.

11. Interracial Relationships – Boy Meets World

One of the first times we ever got to see an African-American date someone of Caucasian descent was on Boy Meets World.

Angela and Shawn were together for many seasons and became fan favorites very quickly. Their relationship wasn’t without its issues, but ultimately their story was one that made interracial relationships less taboo.

By giving a normalcy to Shawn and Angela, Boy Meets World sent out the message that when love is involved the color of your skin doesn’t matter. For the ’90s, that was some pretty radical thinking.

It gave all teens a voice saying their love, feelings, and desires are valid.

12. Stable, Healthy Gay Relationship – Shadowhunters

While LGBTQ+ relationships have come a long way since the ’90s, they still have a long way to go. The story of Magnus and Alec on Shadowhunters is a giant leap in that journey.

There aren’t many stable gay relationships depicted on TV, which is really disheartening for fans. Then when we do get a stable one, it’s often taken away by a death or a character leaving.

Such is not the case for Magnus and Alec.

They remain together through all the ups and downs of being from different worlds. They work through all their issues as they come along.

Their story is told with care and grace. Something which isn’t lost on the fans. In fact, Malec — as they are called in fandom — inspires many teens to live their truth and lead more honest, happy lives.

13. Feminism – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Ahead of its time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer gave us a strong teenage female lead. Buffy was tough while still remaining feminine.

Buffy was one of the first feminists. She encouraged us all to see the full potential of all females. She could hold her own among “the boys.”

Buffy the Vampire Slayer stands the test of time because its message is ageless. Strength and dedication aren’t gender specific. Girls can run the world just as easily as boys.

In the age of feminism and #MeToo, Buffy adds her voice to the battle. She makes the world seem a little less harsh at times.

She takes down the patriarchy one vampire at a time.

14. Slut Shaming – Veronica Mars

One of the worst parts of our current culture is centered on women and sexual assault. Girls who come forward and tell their story are often blamed for what happens to them.

A prime example of this on network television is the backstory on Veronica Mars. Veronica was a girl in the midst of the “in crowd” at her high school when her best friend dies and moves her out of their favor.

When she comes forward about being drugged and raped, most everyone blames her behavior at the time for it happening. She works tirelessly to prove her innocence in it all.

Ultimately, she reveals the dark side to rape reporting. Veronica isn’t taken seriously, much like most women who come forward.

Her reaction to it all is what is most inspiring.

She doesn’t give up. She keeps working at it until her attacker is brought to light. Then on Veronica Mars Season 2 Episode 22, “Not Pictured,” she faces her attacker and lets him know that she knows it was him.

Veronica gives hope to those females who will never get that opportunity. Veronica speaks for the voiceless.

15. Substance Abuse – Saved by the Bell

Before Saved by the Bell Season 2 Episode 9, “Jessie’s Song,” its episode about Jessie’s addiction to caffeine pills, no one had ever broached the subject of substance abuse before. Since then, TV shows have been able to approach addiction on a deeper level.

While there are more serious addictions, Jessie’s struggle did bring to light the pressures teens face to fit in, succeed, and perform. This can sometimes lead to addictive personalities.

Jessie Spano was one of our first faces of teen addiction, and to this day she continues to impact our lives. Through her, we see just how much we can change when we use pills or other drugs to help us along.

Above all this story arc started a conversation, which is what all television aspires to do.

16. Bipolar Disorder – Degrassi: The Next Generation

One of the first, and best, depictions of mental health issues was on Degrassi: The Next Generation. When Craig Manning was first diagnosed as bipolar, there wasn’t much known about the disease.

Now it is more common for characters on TV shows to be classified under that diagnosis. However, many of them are romanticized or done a disservice. There is only a handful of them that are depicted accurately.

The greatest example on teen television is Craig Manning. The diagnosis isn’t one that is created and then forgotten. It carries over throughout Craig’s time on the show.

He consistently struggles with the two extremes of his disease. He goes through periods where he even abandons his medication. All are classic and accurate signs of Bipolar Disorder.

By being harshly realistic, Degrassi: The Next Generation has allowed the stigma around mental illness to diminish just a little bit. It paved the way for mental illness to be seen and heard instead of shoved away.

17. Anxiety – Teen Wolf

Anxiety is just one of many mental illnesses that television addresses now thanks to shows like Degrassi: The Next Generation. However, most of the time, television dramatize it and makes it more extreme than it realistically is.

On Teen Wolf, anxiety takes a forefront at times because it is something Stiles, a main character, deals with. Most of the time the signs of it are barely noticeable.

In fact, I personally found myself gravitating towards his character because they portrayed his anxiety in a way that my own presents. It’s not flashy; it’s not all panic attacks.

Stiles’ anxiety presents as the fear of loss, especially his friends, and emotional outbursts. He even on occasion has to resort to checking out for a bit to count his fingers or focus on other coping methods in order to reassure himself that he is real and that the monsters in his head are not.

The other part about anxiety presented on Teen Wolf that is stellar is the come and go of it. The show is really great at showing how anxiety can go away for a while until something new triggers it.

18. Online Stalker – One Tree Hill

In the world of technology that we live in, young teens often don’t realize just how dangerous their online presence can be. They don’t always know that what they are posting on social media or YouTube could catch the attention of the wrong kind of people.

In the early 2000s, One Tree Hill Season 4 Episode 5, “I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness,” tackled that subject in the craziest way, but it got the point across. While the storyline comes to a head on this episode, it actually spans a few episodes throughout season 4.

Sure, the crazy stalker plotline is seen as ridiculous by some, but, to me, it’s one of the best depictions of the dangers of the internet.

Peyton spends all of the first few seasons of One Tree Hill posting live feeds of herself in her room. While she thinks it is expressing herself — in the best way she knows how — it is actually gaining her a stalker.

This stalker is a very dark, but real, reality to social media.

When you put your life out there for anyone to read, you risk your life. While it sounds extreme, and 9/10 probably won’t happen, there is still a slight risk of it coming to light.

One Tree Hill is a cautionary tale about how much you should share online. Anyone can find it and you so be careful what you post.

19. Teen Marriage – One Tree Hill

To round out our list, let’s look at a positive groundbreaking moment.

On One Tree Hill, the biggest ship is Nathan and Haley and for good reason. These two get married in high school, realize it’s hard, break up for a time, renew their vows, and have a kid. All before graduation.

The best part about them is that no matter what obstacle comes their way they face it together. Sure, at times their feelings and emotions get in the way. But in the end, they always come back to each other.

Even better is that their issues aren’t ridiculously, over-dramatized events. It’s usually small things that affect any relationship. Things like jealousy, miscommunication, selfishness, and bad decisions.

The craziest thing they face has to be the crazy nanny they hire when their son is 4. Sure, that kind of stuff really does happen, and by stuff, I mean the possible cheating.

However, the show did take it a level further with the kidnapping. In the end, Nathan and Haley realize they are each other’s soulmate and work through it all.

Not all love is doomed, just look at the Scott’s.

—

A fan of Teen TV? What moments wowed or impacted you the most? Let us know in the comments!

Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 Must-See Episodes of ‘The Originals’