The 12 Best British Teen TV Series

Gritty council-estate realism rubs shoulders with raunchy comedy, supernatural twists, and tender coming-of-age romance. Which one captures growing up best?

1

Skins

The raw, influential E4 drama following a rotating cast of Bristol teenagers.

1000pts

2

Sex Education

Netflix's warm, candid comedy-drama about a teen running a sex-advice clinic at school.

830pts

3

Grange Hill

The pioneering long-running BBC school drama that defined British teen television.

793pts

4

My Mad Fat Diary

A heartfelt 1990s-set drama about a teenage girl navigating mental health and friendship.

793pts

5

Heartstopper

A tender Netflix romance about two schoolboys falling in love, based on the graphic novels.

726pts

6

Waterloo Road

A school-set drama following the staff and students of a struggling comprehensive.

660pts

7

Hollyoaks

The long-running Channel 4 soap centered on young people in a Chester suburb.

660pts

8

The Inbetweeners

A cringe comedy following four hopeless suburban schoolboys and their misadventures.

660pts

9

The End of the F***ing World

A darkly comic road-trip drama about two troubled teenage outsiders.

660pts

10

Misfits

A sci-fi drama about young offenders who gain superpowers during a freak storm.

581pts

11

Derry Girls

A hit comedy about a group of teens growing up in 1990s Northern Ireland.

581pts

12

Byker Grove

A beloved Newcastle-set youth drama that launched several British TV careers.

581pts