From 'Stranger Things' to 'Riverdale': 17 Best High School Series to Watch on Netflix - Collider
Ah, the classic high school series. With characters and storylines that attempt to relate to the average teenage experience, the best high school series makes an effort to connect with their audience. From the 90s cheese of Beverly Hills, 90210, and Dawson's Creek to the more broody The O.C. in the early 2000s, teen shows have dominated the screen for decades.
The rise of streaming hasn't derailed this trend, and Netflix appears keen to capitalize on this market. Offering more unique takes on the genre, going beyond teen issues to horror and science-fiction elements, Netflix is the home of high school drama series. Here are the best ones available on the streaming service.
17 'Boo, Bitch' (2022)
Created by Tim Schauer, Kuba Soltysiak, Erin Ehrlich, and Lauren Iungerich
After spending most of her high school journey living under the radar, senior Erika Vu (Lana Condor) decides to cut loose and make the most of her remaining teenage years. Unfortunately, she wakes up the next morning as a ghost, and with the help of her best friend, Erika is forced to make up for lost time beyond the grave.
Boo, Bitch puts a fresh spin on the high school formula by making its lead one of the undead, and while most teens cannot relate to being a ghost, it still allows for some funny scenarios. While the script does veer a bit too close to other, better high school-set stories, the performances from Condor and the rest of the cast make it worth watching.
Watch on Netflix
16 'Riverdale' (2017 - 2023)
Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
A throwback to the schlocky teen shows of the 1990s, Riverdale is a teen show that's nothing like high school, as it finds its cast dealing with regular teenage issues such as solving a murder. Based on the famous Archie comics, Riverdale has become a phenomenon since its release in 2017, with each new season regularly rating among the most watched on Netflix.
Despite how campy the show has been across its six seasons, sometimes veering into melodrama, it has remained self-aware, acknowledging that it knows just how ridiculous it can be. The show's success has led to spin-offs, including Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Katy Keene.
Riverdale
- Release Date
- January 26, 2017
- Main Genre
- Drama
Watch on Netflix
15 'Élite' (2018 - )
Created by Carlos Montero and Dario Madrona
The Spanish mystery drama Élite is among Netflix's best guilty pleasures. Set at a prestigious Spanish private high school, the show follows a different mystery each season, with the students of Las Encinas Academy becoming reluctant participants in crimes that go from kidnapping to murder.
Overblown, melodramatic, and highly addictive, Élite is a provocative and underrated high school series on Netflix that deliberately challenges the teen genre's established rules. Criticism about its highly-sexualized plots is rampant, but the show remains a guilty pleasure for its loyal audience. Most original cast members are gone, but somehow Élite keeps reinventing itself, and its loyal audience couldn't be more thankful.
Elite
- Release Date
- October 5, 2018
- Cast
- Omar Ayuso , Itzan Escamilla , Miguel Bernardeau , Aron Piper
- Main Genre
- Drama
Watch on Netflix
14 'Ginny & Georgia' (2021 - )
Created by Sarah Lampert
After years spent on the run trying to escape her deadly past, young mother Georgia (Brianne Howey) is looking to settle down with her teenage daughter Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and 9-year-old son Austin (Diesel La Torraca). The family soon learns that some secrets can not stay buried, however, as shadows from the past threaten to tear them apart.
While Ginny & Georgia is mostly a drama series, it does include some elements of comedy to balance out its sometimes dark subject matter. While its frequent flashbacks may be too much for some, those intrigued by Georgia's past will find themselves compulsively watching Ginny & Georgia in search of answers.
Ginny & Georgia
- Release Date
- 2021-02-00
- Cast
- Jennifer Robertson , Scott Porter , Katie Douglas , Sabrina Grdevich
- Main Genre
- Drama
Watch on Netflix
13 'Outer Banks' (2020 - )
Created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke
Blending action and adventure with classic teen tropes, Outer Banks is a unique entry into a well-known genre. The show stars Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes and centers on a group of teenagers searching for their leader's missing father and stumbling to a legendary treasure along the way.
Outer Banks uses its setting to explore issues of class struggle and social divide. Although the dramatic antics often get the best of it, the show remains an occasionally insightful and exciting teen effort, mostly thanks to its talented cast and stellar action/adventure storylines. Outer Banks will return for a fourth season, proving how strong and crucial the show is for Netflix's teen library.
Outer Banks
- Release Date
- April 15, 2020
- Cast
- Chase Stokes , Madelyn Cline , Madison Bailey , Rudy Pankow
- Main Genre
- Drama
Watch on Netflix
12 'I Am Not Okay with This' (2020)
Created by Jonathan Entwhistle and Christy Hall
Being a teenager is tough, but it's even harder when you discover you possess superpowers. This is the reality faced by 17-year-old Sydney Novak, who has enough on her plate without her developing talent for telekinesis. Aided by her friend Stan, Sydney attempts to control her powers while navigating high school.
The series is grounded by the great performances of its two leads, Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, who also starred in the recent IT films. Despite positive reviews, Netflix canceled I Am Not Okay with This after one season, making it another one to add to the pile of shows that died far too young.
Watch on Netflix
11 'All of Us Are Dead' (2022 - )
Created by Chun Sung-il, Lee Jae-kyoo, and Kim Nam-su
Navigating all the social norms of high school is hard enough, but it's even harder when the halls are filled with bloodthirsty zombies. A recent release from South Korea, All of Us Are Dead follows a group of teenage survivors trapped within their high school during a zombie outbreak.
Melding horror with teenage drama, the South Korean zombie series takes the time to develop its characters, revealing their backstories and dreams for the future. It makes the show compulsive viewing and causes each death to hit harder in the feels across its twelve episodes.
All Of Us Are Dead
A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out or turn into one of the rabid infected.
- Release Date
- January 28, 2022
- Cast
- Park Ji-hu , Chan-Young Yoon , Yi-Hyun Cho , Park Solomon
Watch on Netflix