The Evolution of The Teen Show - three
By Charlotte Dekle
In our final part of this three-part series on The Evolution of the Teen Show, we look at the category of supernatural teens being superior. If you want to continue the conversation, be sure to leave a comment below.
supernatural teens being superior
I use the term supernatural both to describe other-worldly beings and hyper-intelligent beings. The former has examples like Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and Teen Wolf and the latter has Doogie Howser, MD and The Politician. Other-worldly beings refer to the more typical definition of supernatural. Buffy centers around the titular character, Buffy Summers, who has an other-worldly gift of vampire slaying. This resonated with the 90s rise of angsty teenagers who saw the slaying as an allegory for growing up. You have to fight the demons. The show is also famous for one of its most iconic lesbian duos, Tara and Willow. Teen Wolf was based on the, dare I say, terrible Michael J. Fox movie of the same name. But this one replaced the campiness of the movie with abs and that’s a recipe for success. This show was around in the 2010s and paralleled the Twilight-Esque vampire obsession with a new supernatural creature, werewolves. All of these other-worldly characters are superior to their peers but don’t like to flaunt it. That is in direct contrast to the hyper-intelligent beings subcategory. Doogie Howser, MD is a teenage doctor who is played by Neil Patrick Harris. Doogie is a child prodigy and he likes people to know it. But he doesn’t rub it in their faces. He likes casually bringing up his med school degree even though he’s 16. But you marvel at his intelligence. This show was in the in-between period of monumental medical shows. Doogie Howser, MD ran from 1989-1993. One of the most famous medical dramas of all time, St. Elsewhere, ended its run in 1988. One of the other most famous medical dramas, ER, started its run in 1994. So Doogie Howser was wedged in the middle of these two iconic shows which can be a metaphor for the two major generations of Baby Boomers and Millennials. Yes, all 3 of these shows aired during the same time but let me have my metaphor. Doogie Howser, MD was like a middle child which is exactly what Generation X (who were the right age to be watching these shows) felt like, They were wedged between the two major generations. If Doogie could succeed, so could they. But Doogie is not nearly as proud as Payton Hobart is, from the Politician. Payton is very ambitious, much like the generation he reflects. He is Gen Z. The students who are expected to stay quiet as the “adults” talk. But we’re the generation that is going to get stuff done. The Politician came at the perfect time in the political landscape in the United States. It premiered in 2019 when we were towards the end of one 4-year term for one of the most divisive Presidents in US history. Payton is the textbook entitled Gen Z with very decisive goals. He knows exactly what he wants to be and how he is going to get there. This ambition to change things resonates with the teenage audiences who are going to vote in this upcoming election cycle and encourages younger teens to get excited about voting and know that you should never be compliant in a system that can govern your way of life. More examples in this category are The Vampire Diaries and Smallville.
Okay, to recap. Teen shows function as not only entertainment to satisfy that inner-angsty teen. But it is also a mirror to how the younger generation is coping with the traumas that surround their period. Whether it be a time of political upheaval or economic prosperity, teen shows are always there to make you smile and cringe.
Note: some of my other favorite teens shows that aren’t mentioned:
Gilmore Girls
Daybreak
Opposite Sex
Glee