What is the best coming-of-age TV series of all time?

Awkward firsts, identity crises, and friendships that shape a lifetime — these shows captured growing up better than anything else on TV. Which one defined a generation?

1

Euphoria

HBO's raw, visually stunning portrait of high school students navigating addiction, identity, and trauma.

2

Skins

E4's British teen drama that ran from 2007 to 2013, shocking audiences with its unflinching portrayal of youth culture.

3

Freaks and Geeks

Judd Apatow and Paul Feig's cult NBC series that launched the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Linda Cardellini.

4

My So-Called Life

The 1994 ABC cult classic starring Claire Danes as Angela Chase, capturing teenage angst with extraordinary honesty.

5

Stranger Things

Netflix's supernatural 80s-set coming-of-age phenomenon following a group of kids in Hawkins, Indiana.

6

Sex Education

Netflix's warm, frank comedy-drama set in a fictional British school following a teen who runs a sex therapy clinic.

7

The O.C.

Fox's 2003 teen drama about a kid from the wrong side of the tracks entering the wealthy world of Newport Beach, California.

8

Friday Night Lights

NBC's critically acclaimed drama about a Texas high school football team — one of the most human shows ever made.

9

Never Have I Ever

Mindy Kaling's Netflix comedy-drama following a first-generation Indian-American teen navigating high school in California.

10

Heartstopper

Netflix's warmhearted LGBTQ+ coming-of-age series based on Alice Oseman's graphic novel — a love story between two British schoolboys.