There were plenty of teen dramas to choose from in the 90s and no shortage of beautiful actors to fill the roles of dream boat, snob, loner and outcast.
We probably watched all of these at least once, but just how many do you actually remember? The plots were all pretty much the same, but that's why we watched them.
The writers and producers did get a little creative with the main story line: toss in some aliens, put the school on a boat, or kill off their main character in the first episode, to make it seem like we were watching something new.
How many of them do you remember?
City Guys 1997"“2001
This series was an edgier version of Saved By The Bell. Chris Anderson ( the 'Zack Morris' of this story) gets kicked out of his high society school for bad behavior. He's forced to attend a high school in Harlem where he clashes with/befriends a street kid named Jamal Grant (the 'A.C. Slater.')
Similar story lines that deal with cheating on tests, first love, peer pressure, but with less whitewashing. The series also focus on tougher issues of racism and school violence.
Breaker High 1997"“1998
The Canadian show lasted one season and featured a very young, slightly raunchy Ryan Gosling. It's pretty much exactly like every teen comedy sitcom except they're on a cruise ship. Basically, a bunch of rich kids swimming in hormones, floating around on a boat, getting into trouble.
Teen Angel 1997"“1998
This show was actually kind of cute in its slapstick, fast-talking kind of comedy. Marty dies after eating a six-month-old hamburger on a dare, but he gets sent back to Earth to be his best friend Steve's guardian angel.
Fans of the Power Rangers will appreciate the Zordon-like talking head played by Ron Glass, as he guides the bumbling Marty through his afterlife.
Weird Science 1994"“1998
A couple of dorky high school kids decide to build the perfect woman (sigh), when a freak lightening storm brings their computer simulation to life.
The genius simulation woman has magical powers which she uses to help the boys out through the rough social cesspool that is high school.
Swan's Crossing 1992
This series only lasted one year, and it's not hard to see why. Two rich teenagers of rival political families live next door to one another. They fall in love, their parents build a literal wall to separate them.
There were plenty of confusing plots that involved spies, fake birth certificates and a switched-at-birth scenario that never fully got resolved.
The season ended on a 'to be continued' cliffhanger, but was never renewed.
Malibu Shores 1996
An earthquake conveniently brings together rich students and those from "the wrong side of the tracks," forcing them to attend the same high school.
A 'bad boy' from the working class Valley falls in love with a girl from the wealthy Malibu crowd. It's a story of two white teens whose social statuses are really the only things that hold them back from true love.
Sweet Valley High 1994"“1997
Based on the Sweet Valley Twins/High book series by Francine Pascal and Kate William, the show followed the teen lives of blond beauties, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield and their gang of friends.
Hang Time 1995"“2000
Anything boys can do, girls can do better? We guess that was the idea behind an all-boys high school basketball team with one girl team mate.
It was hard to keep track because the actors kept shuffling in and out of the roles, which got kind of distracting.
Get Real 1999"“2000
We watched Anne Hathaway on the small screen before she became the tiara-wearing, musical singing, Oscar-winning, actress she is today.
Get Real centered around the dysfunctional Green family as they struggle to deal with midlife crises and teenage angst.
Ready Or Not 1993"“1997
The show focused on best friends, Amanda and Busy as they grew up from sixth grade to ninth grade. It's hard not to miss the tension between the girls as they grew into teenagers and many fans hoped that the two would eventually become more than pals.
Sadly, the show ended with Amanda moving away and Busy being left behind :(
Popular 1999"“2001
This show got its start at the end of the 90s, but it carried forward a lot of the trends we saw in our beloved series from that decade. When it first aired in 1999, the story focused on to girls from opposite sides of the popularity pool who were forced to associate after their parents get married.
Moesha 1996"“2001
This was one of UPN's biggest successes from 1996-2001. The show featured songstress, Brandy Norwood, as Moesha, a teenage girl learning life lessons. She leans on a large group of family and friends - including her love interest (young) Usher!
The show had plenty of awesome cameos including A Tribe Called Quest, Mo'Nique, Dr Dre, Mary J. Blige and Boyz II Men.
California Dreams 1992-1996
Like every single Saved By The Bell plotline and every other teen television show created by Peter Engel in the 90s, California Dreams focused on how many antics a bunch of hot teenagers can get up to in a single episode.
Sure, it was a little token at times, but there was surfing, there was romance and there was diversity. What more could a teen want?
Roswell 1999"“2002
Aliens. Hot Aliens. And Katherine Heigl before she played the other - more damaged Izzie.
The show got started in the last year of the 90s, and some might argue that it should have ended there. The plot focuses on the Romeo/Juliet style teen romance between an alien guy and a human girl and the friends who try to keep them both from getting captured/killed/heartbroken.
Secret World Of Alex Mack 1994"“1998
Finally, a teenage girl more interested in adventures than wearing heels and dating boys.
The show ran from 1994-1998 and featured a seventh-grader who gets superpowers after accidentally crashing into a truck containing a top secret chemical.
