15 TV Shows That Will Take You Right Back to School

There’s nothing quite like Back to School season, no matter if you’re still a student, you’re sending your kids back to school, or you just like the smell of fresh school supplies when they’re on display at the store.

There’s just something about late summer when you can tell the days are getting shorter again and you swear you can feel the difference one-degree cooler makes as the temperatures start to back down, that makes you nostalgic for high school classes or college dorms. And if you’re still a student, I promise you’ll know what I mean one day.

Now, just because you get nostalgic for those days, doesn’t mean anyone wants to go through high school or through college twice. Sometimes it’s better just to think back on those days fondly, then queue up a show based in high school or college to get it out of your system.

Here are a few options for the next time it happens to you.

1. Sex Education

Netflix’s Sex Education is one of those shows that you think is going to be a little off the rails until you watch an episode and then realize it’s a delight. Set at Moordale High in an indeterminable time (the fashion choices are interesting) somewhere in the UK, the series follows Otis, a self-proclaimed sex “therapist.”

It’s not completely out of left field as his mother Jean (the incredible Gillian Anderson) is an actual sex therapist, and has a wide-open lane of communication with her son about all things related to her work.

Maeve, the “scary” loner girl, quickly hones in on Otis’s talent, convincing him to start charging students for appointments with him to hash out their sex-related issues, and the pair become an unlikely duo.

Otis and Maeve have become one of the most “shipped” Netflix couples and going into Sex Education Season Three, fans (including myself) are hoping their enemies-to-friends status finally evolves into friends-to-lovers.

The entire cast of characters on Sex Education is wonderful, and true to its name, encompasses an array of sexual identities. From Ola, who identifies as pansexual to Eric who identifies as gay, and a new character in Sex Education Season 3 who is non-binary, the show is continuing to move forward and normalize these identities in a way that not many other shows have.

It also does a great job of normalizing just talking about sex, and open lines of communication between friends, potential romantic partners, and even between parents and children. Sure, it’s awkward, but in its own way, it’s groundbreaking to find this kind of representation in a show aimed towards teens.

2. Dear White People

Another Netflix original, Dear White People, found its origins in an indie movie starring Tessa Thompson and Tyler James Williams. Justin Simien, the director of the film continued on with the series, creating a cohesive voice throughout.

Though the series follows the same characters as the film, many characters were recast (though both Williams and Thompson make meta appearances throughout), and new ones were introduced.

Set at a fictional Ivy League, Winchester University, Dear White People is a dark comedy, commenting on the role of race in academia through a satirical lens. The show derives its name from the series’ radio show, in which our main character Sam hosts a weekly segment speaking directly to her white classmates and encouraging them to challenge their perspectives.

With the exception of Gabe, Sam’s secret boyfriend in Dear White People Season 1, all of the series’ main characters are black students, each discovering their own role on campus. Troy, with his stereotypical jock/class president vibes, struggles with parental expectations; his father wants him to be a lawyer while he wants to write.

Coco, a very stick-to-the-status-quo, dreams of being President and, as a foil to Sam’s laid-back character, is a sorority girl. For anyone how got sucked into Alabama Rush TikTok earlier this year, you’ll note that this is an environment historically not known for fostering many women of color.

Lionel is a queer student, observing the goings-on at Winchester with a hyper-critical eye. That eye proves beneficial when he and Sam uncover a secret society of Black scholars. You’ll have to watch to find out what happens there.

Though snarky in tone, Dear White People doesn’t stray from tackling serious, true-to-life issues, including police discrimination against people of color and the intersection of politics and academia. 

Dear White People Season 4 will be its last and premiered September 2021.

3. Glee

Okay, love it or hate it, Glee defined a generation. We make fun of it, and it certainly has a stain on its reputation after all of these years, but from 2009-2013 the New Directions absolutely ruled primetime television.

Glee is likely to have paved the way for a number of Ryan Murphy’s other projects, from Pose to American Crime Story and Scream Queens, launching the mega-producer into Hollywood’s elite. Without Glee, we probably wouldn’t even have the hit film franchise Pitch Perfect.

As a high schooler myself in the heyday of Glee it was truly incredible to see the impact one show could hold. Now, 10+ years later, it’s rare to see a network primetime show that follows high school students unless you’re watching The CW.

It’s also 10-years removed that watching Glee is sure to induce nostalgia. Though the music was brand new back then, and the covers they were performing were radio hits at the time, now it’s like listening to a throwback Thursday playlist, comforting in some strange way.

Glee had LGBT+ representation like few other shows, especially with teenage characters, did in the ’00s and ’10s, and created a loyal fanbase for its characters in a way few other shows ever achieve. It also launched a successful concert tour, selling out venues nationwide. When will we see something like that again?

If you’ve never seen Glee, there’s no time like the present. At this point there’s nothing to lose; the gleek mania craze is long gone and you can view the show through the critical lens of what’s happened to many of its stars in the last decade, while still enjoying the campiness of the plot.

I mean Gwyneth Paltrow (who has since married one of the executive producers from Glee) was a Spanish teacher who sang Cee-Lo Green’s “F*** You” and Britney Spears herself made a guest appearance. The guest star cameos are reason enough to watch.

And who knows, Glee had the level of success that just screams streaming-exclusive reboot. Maybe one day in the future we’ll see Rachel Berry or Mr. Shuester or Sue Sylvester return to the limelight, slushie in hand.

4. Gossip Girl

The original Gossip Girl had us guessing over GG’s identity for seasons, planting red herrings every year until we thought we knew who was typing those XOXOs. Jokes on us though, because the big reveal in the series finale was underwhelming and made little sense.

It’s fitting that The CW’s Gossip Girl was the series that prompted me to create a Netflix account, my first streaming service, and now years later the new GG has found its home exclusively streaming on HBO Max.

The OG GG explored many facets of growing up in New York, but six episodes in, the entire plot of this new Gossip Girl hinges on the fact that the story is set in high school. Without the student vs. teacher conflict, there would be no GG resurgence.

Spoiler Alert** if you haven’t seen the new episodes of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl, but the only reason GG is resurrected is to keep the students in line. Apparently, when you’re rich, regular school power dynamics don’t apply.

Gossip Girl is fun because it gives the audience a peek behind the curtain of the rich and famous, allowing us all to pretend we grew up in Manhattan’s Upper East Side with no money worries and with designer fashion at our fingertips.

This iteration is no different in that aspect, still presenting its characters as chic, cool kids, that everyone wants to be friends with. The issue with this new Gossip Girl is that, so far at least, there’s no through-line plot.

The most compelling episode of Gossip Girl Season 1, which is in its mid-season break right now, was the hour that brought all of the kids’ parents into the fold, giving us a bit more insight into why they are the way that they are.

Other than that, it’s really been no plot, just vibes – which is fine! For now at least. What seemed like the story’s main conflict from the beginning has been resolved and wrapped itself up in a nice tidy bow, leaving me to wonder what’s next.

And none of that’s to say we shouldn’t watch this new GG. If there’s anything dozens of iterations of The Real Housewives should have taught us, it’s that messy rich people make good TV, and Gossip Girl is nothing if not both messy AND rich.

5. Community

There’s nobody who can deny a good sitcom. From Friends to Modern Family, there’s something comforting about a show that doesn’t ask much from its viewers. There’s very little emotional turmoil at stake, and laughs are guaranteed.

Community falls into the ranks of the great shows that should be binge-watched over and over again, an episode thrown on when you’re bored and need something to fill the time, however, it’s often overlooked by some of its sister shows like The Office and New Girl.

Though Community was canceled by NBC after five seasons, it was one of the first network shows to achieve resurrection, by a streamer called Yahoo! Screen, which brought the series (and almost all of the original cast) back for a sixth and final season.

Community was stacked with comedic talent, from Gillian Jacobs and Joel McHale to Yvette Nicole Brown and Allison Brie. Particular standouts — Troy and Abed in the moooorning — were Danny Pudi and Donald Glover, though Glover left the series before its finale as his Childish Gambino career skyrocketed.

Even Saturday Night Live comedy legend Chevy Chase was a regular through Community Season 5!

Community did what all great sitcoms do — introduce you to a group of friends, and make you wish you were a part of the group. It had just enough recurring bits to give viewers something to look forward to each year and was even self-aware enough to promote the phrase “six seasons and a movie!” which gives fans hope a Community film will exist one day.

6. Elite

Elite is a Spanish language drama-thriller, and one of Netflix Spain’s biggest hits. With four seasons streaming now, and a fifth one on the way, it’s also one of the streamer’s longest-running Spanish projects – and there’s no end in sight.

See, one of the best parts about foreign-language shows, no matter what your native language is, is that in order to understand what is going on you have to give your full attention to the show. There’s no space for idle scrolling through Twitter while watching, or trying to multitask and watch the show at the same time.

This is why Elite sucks you into the story so well, and why it’s almost impossible to only watch one episode at a time. Well, that and the murder mystery part of the show. Each season of Elite has introduced a cliffhanger in the first episode, and each season will keep you on your toes until it’s resolved.

When people ask me if Elite is worth getting invested in, I give them a resounding “yes.” It’s like if you combined Degrassi with Euphoria, put them in a Spanish private school, and gave them a Sunday night HBO slot. And by that I mean, there’s no telling which characters will hook up, which will die, and which will just leave.

I’ve said it before – suspend your disbelief when you watch Elite. There are some out-of-left-field plot lines but it’s all in good fun. My only word of warning — if you’re looking for a true-to-life High school story, this wouldn’t be my first choice. It’s a hard R-rating and will give you wide eyes if you try to imagine real teenagers doing what Elite characters are.

7. The Chair

The Chair Season 1 is a short Netflix binge that is worth the 3 hours. Starring Sandra Oh and Jay Duplass, The Chair gives us a different look at academia, from the perspective of the professors.

For anyone who has taken been enrolled in university, or even stepped foot on a college campus, it answers the age-old question – “what do college professors do when they aren’t teaching?” The Chair just adjusts that question to focus on “what do college professors, who are hot messes, do when they’re not teaching?”

Sandra Oh’s Ji-Yoon Kim is a newly named Chair of the English department at fictional Pembrooke University, realizing that there’s a lot of bureaucracy behind the scenes of university departments. A single mother, Ji-Yoon is struggling to juggle her new role as chair, with her daughter’s emerging individuality.

On top of that, Duplass’s Bill Dobson is a recent widow struggling with his wife’s death, his daughter’s move for college, and his attraction to Ji-Yoon. It’s Bill’s relationship with Ju Ju, Ji-Yoon’s daughter, that is the most compelling part of The Chair.

Through Ju Ju’s story, of a young girl of Hispanic descent adopted by a Korean-American woman, The Chair does a nice job of acknowledging race and heritage as part of a mixed family. The Chair also touches on how race is discussed in university settings, from the way it’s treated at the administrative level, and how its influences what is taught in classes.

Set at what seems to be a liberal arts college, in the English department no less, The Chair Season 1 certainly includes certain themes and mock-lectures that went over my head, but reminded me of exactly what college is about – adventuring out of your comfort zone and (hopefully) learning something new.

8. Euphoria

If you haven’t been watching HBO’s Euphoria, what have you been waiting for? Similar to Elite, Euphoria presents teenagers in an unfiltered way, highlighting a less-than-typical high-school experience.

With a frightening amount of drug and alcohol use, an entire subplot dedicated to a student becoming a cam girl, and a frankly terrifying violent male character, Euphoria isn’t for everyone. It is, however, one of television’s most impressive current productions.

Starring Zendaya and Hunter Schaffer, Euphoria Season 1 was released in 2019, and Euphoria Season 2 was tentatively anticipated for 2020. When the pandemic shutdown occurred, pre-production had just kicked off, which unfortunately meant no episodes had been filmed.

To bridge the gap between Euphoria Seasons 1 and 2, the creators of the show, in collaboration with both Zendaya and Hunter, were able to film two bottle episodes, highlighting their characters, Rue and Jules.

Those two hours of television are some of the most stunning pieces of work I’ve seen in a while. Zendaya’s work as Rue, having recently relapsed and talking to her sponsor (played by the effervescent Colman Domingo) plucks at your heartstring from just the dialogue itself.

The episode focused on Jules (Schaffer’s character) is set in a therapy session, cracking open the character’s psyche in a way that isn’t often explored on the screen. It’s incredible what these two young actresses are able to achieve, and a testament to the incredible talent of writers creating this world.

Euphoria Season 2 is certain to elevate the star power of the young actors and actresses involved, and I’m excited to see where the story progresses.

9. One Tree Hill

If you were like I was during college, you filled your downtime binge-watching shows. It was almost a tradition for me to pick a long-running series and pick my way through it over the course of a semester, rewarding myself for finishing Chemistry homework with one episode of a show. In my case, that show was One Tree Hill.

OTH has a very loyal fanbase (as it should!), hosting a regular convention in Wilmington, North Carolina, where the series was filmed. Just this year, nine years after the finale aired, the three main female stars launched a podcast to revisit each episode and tell anecdotes about filming.

And if you’re thinking “man, that’s some dedication to the show,” you’re right — there are NINE seasons for Hilarie Burton, Joy Lenz, and Sophia Bush to get through. With an episode a week, the podcast about One Tree Hill will probably last roughly as long as the tv show aired.

When I say One Tree Hill is a quintessential high-school drama I mean it, even though technically only the first four seasons are set in school. Honestly, kudos to OTH for not trying to convince America that Chad Michael Murray was a pubescent boy by the time he was almost 30!

The beauty of One Tree Hill was in its characters and their relationships, and I’m hard-pressed to name any comparable teen/YA shows since it went off-air that has the same spirit that it did. Sure, there was some soap-opera-y drama (Dan Scott’s heart transplant-to-be gets eaten by a dog running through a hospital), but the backbone of the series was in its people.

It also had a stellar soundtrack. Music played a huge part in the series, and the title itself is a song by the band U2. It’s the perfect show to throw on when you’re looking for a little 00s alt-rock or just want to watch Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz play himself.

10. Friday Night Lights

Okay, so growing up in Texas, I feel uniquely qualified to tell you to watch Friday Night Lights. Even if you’re not sporty and even if you don’t necessarily like football, FNL is one of those shows that will make you nostalgic for high school. It’ll also prompt a crush on Kyle Chandler, Coach Taylor himself.

The series was developed after the film of the same name, which itself was adapted from a book detailing a true story of a small-town Texas football team. Part Remember the Titans and part The Blind Side, FNL’s main storyline is built from the injury of the team’s star quarterback.

The cast of supporting characters is (obviously) highly dramatized, with some plot points that are less than likely, but the caliber of talent in the series’ five seasons. From Connie Britton and Jessie Plemons to Michael B. Jordan and Jurnee Smollett, the series regulars and guest stars have an impressive resume of talent.

There’s nothing that says high school quite like the high stakes of high school football, which makes Friday Night Lights a quintessential pick for a list of top school shows. Through the lens of football, the show was able to explore more serious themes.

The characters deal with alcoholism, poverty, sexual harassment, racism, and life-changing injury. Like any good high-school-based series, we’re able to watch the characters grow up to their graduation date, and even some beyond.

Recommended time of year for viewing? Fall football season of course! The last few seasons were only 13 episodes each, so while FNL had five seasons in total, it’s a manageable binge.

11. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Okay, so as an original High School Musical fan (I remember the premiere weekends for both HSM1 and HSM2, and seeing HSM in theaters), when I heard Disney+’s description of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series I was… weary.

And then, Olivia Rodrigo got her Drivers License. HSMTMS is a fun show and one that I truly believe Ryan Evans would have been a fan of. Is it a little meta for my taste? Yeah. But that’s part of the entertainment.

It’s one of the more true-to-life shows compared to some of the others on this list, where the storylines aren’t dramatized for the sake of being dramatized, and its cast is actually of the high school age, rather than almost 30-year-olds playing 16.

Fans of the original Disney Channel Original Movies (or DCOMs as real ones will know) will appreciate the spirit of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which is reminiscent of the films – cheesy but full of heart, with great musical numbers.

The young stars have bright futures ahead of them, just like Zac, Vanessa, Ashley, Corbin, and the OG crew did, and even without the Olivia/Josh drama that erupted in early 2021, I’m sure their music careers would have taken off regardless.

Since it’s focused on the theater kids, HSMTMTS has the opportunity to explore new musicals each season, something I would be interested to see, assuming it has a long run. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season 3 was confirmed in early September 2021.

12. PEN15

Pen15 is one of the most creative shows currently streaming, and possibly also one of the strangest. The concept was probably borne from an errant thought, “I wish I was a kid again, being an adult sucks,” but then if your wish came true and you returned to childhood as an adult.

Not following? Basically, Pen15 is a middle-school set story, but two grown women play middle-schoolers. The result is a hilariously awkward cringe-fest, so… not unlike middle school itself.

Aside from Maya and Anna, who actually created the series and star in it, almost the entirety of the rest of the cast is actual middle-school-aged actors. Though Pen15 is set in 2000, the awkwardness and some of the props will be relevant for anyone.

Featuring gel pens and walkmans, and awkward scenes of kissing practice, Pen15 transports you back to those awful preteen years, when your hormones are driving you crazy and you’re convinced you’re the only one who has ever gone through what you were going through then.

In hindsight, and with the help of Anna and Maya poking fun at the experience, maybe middle school wasn’t so bad. But I think we can all agree — we wouldn’t want to live it again!

13. All American

One of the only currently running high-school dramas that doesn’t have supernatural elements and isn’t rated-R, The CW’s All American is the modern offering for fans of OTH or FNL. It also has elements of the Bring it On film franchise, if that’s more your thing.

Loosley based on the life of former NFL player, Spencer Paysinger, All American follows the life of a talented high school athlete who must decide to move away from his community to pursue his dream of playing football for a more lauded organization.

From the Southside of LA, Spencer transfers to Beverly Hills High School to try and better make a name for himself. The abrupt change, and the optics of going to school in a primarily white, rich neighborhood as opposed to Crenshaw High School, in a less affluent, more diverse area, causes strife in Spencer’s personal life.

When I say All American is similar to Bring it On, I mean the one that stars Hayden Panettiere and Solange (with a Rihanna cameo!), it would just be if Solange’s character moved to Hayden’s character’s school instead of vice-versa.

I won’t spoil how All American changes throughout the seasons, but just know that the supporting cast of characters makes the YA drama more than just a “sports show,” so much so that beginning in the ’21-’22 television season, the All American universe is expanding with a spinoff show.

14. A.P. Bio

Another NBC show that was axed in primetime but then saved by streaming (this time NBC’s Peacock service), A.P. Bio takes place in a, you guessed it, Advanced Placement Biology class. 

A sister series in spirit to the aforementioned Community, A.P. Bio has a similar set-up. A self-professed “big-shot,” Jack Griffin, has a fall from grace and must humble himself in a “lesser” academic situation. 

Rather than a college story focusing on all adults, A.P. Bio twists the premise and returns to high school, following an ex-Harvard professor who loses out on his dream job to the worst possible person — his nemesis. 

While Jack’s upset that he’s forced to return to Ohio and has to surround himself with high schoolers, he quickly realizes that honor students are the perfect accomplices for revenge (and other high jinks).

The series stars Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt and features a slew of comedy greats as guests. With short seasons, it’s a perfect binge for when you’re looking for a new comfort comedy.

15. Saved By the Bell

It would be a travesty to leave off one of *the* original high school shows. An early 90s staple, Saved By the Bell existed in one of the golden ages of television, keeping the company with Full House and Boy Meets World. And like those two shows, it has also successfully re-emerged back into the limelight with a 21st-century revival/spinoff.

Saved By the Bell was to the early 90’s that Glee was to the early ’10’s — a cultural phenomenon. The original Saved By the Bell helped launch the careers of plenty of current television stars, from Mario Lopez to Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and the main crew (sans Dustin Diamond who has sadly passed) have all appeared in the 2020 revival.

While it wasn’t a Disney Channel show, it has the same energy that many of the channel’s programs do, and probably many of your favorite shows from when you were a kid; simple storylines, feel-good friendships, and the comfortable je ne sais quoi of youth.

Let’s be real, it also had every 80’s/90’s kid’s celebrity crush!

If you’ve never seen an episode of Saved by the Bell but spent afternoons watching Full House reruns on ABC Family, it’s time to give it a try. All seasons are streaming and are often syndicated these days. 

Also, it provides great inspo for fashion in the 90’s! Almost 30 years later, there are many 90’s trends making their way back into public’s eye. There’s no better place to look than the source!

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Whether you’re still in high school, in college, or are years removed, there are always those days when we look back fondly on that time, no matter how much it seemed to drag in the moment. When that happens, instead of spontaneously researching grad school programs to go back, watch a school show instead!

There are plenty more that could have been included on this list; some from recent TV seasons and some from years ago, and this list could go on and on forever, just like your high school Calculus class seemed to.

Did I miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments which school show is your favorite, now and when you were in school!

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