Best Back-to-School TV Shows to Binge Now

Strap on the backpacks and get ready for a year full of new experiences, new classes, and the dreaded H-word: homework! It can be an overwhelming time, but don’t let it fill you with dread. There’s still plenty of time for some comedic entertainment in your academic days.

When you need to lift those back-to-school spirits, dive into any of these 12 TV shows to help get you in the mood. From dramas and sitcoms to animated series, you’ll find yourself laughing and feeling understood as you relate to their themes, characters, experiences, and lessons.

These shows are personal selections chosen because they fully encapsulate the high school experience and are great picks for students and teachers alike. They are in no particular order.

12

My So-Called Life (1994)

What do teenagers feel more than anything else? Angst and insecurity, and My So-Called Life is riddled with both. Its accurate portrayal of teenagedom makes it one of the best teen TV shows ever made.

Claire Danes stars as Angela Chase, a neurotic high schooler in constant turmoil over her exposure to boys, friends, drugs, and sex while wrestling with her own self-discovery—you know, the cornerstones of ’90s teenage trappings. The show’s plot revolves mostly around her evolution, stemming from a mad crush on heartthrob Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto).

My So-Called Life is all about being yourself and exploring love in a way that pulls you deeper into yourself, closer to your truth.

11

Freaks and Geeks (1999)

Freaks and Geeks is another excellent back-to-school TV show that was canceled before it ever got the chance to flesh out its cult-classic narrative. No sweat, though; it still made a huge impact.

Set in a suburban Detroit high school in the ’80s, the show follows the exploits of members of two titular groups: the Freaks—i.e., the stoners, rockers, hippies, etc.—and the Geeks. Each is headed up by a member of the Weir family.

This charming, lovably retro series depicts one of the most realistic portrayals of teenage life, delivering the type of comedic moments you’d expect from a Judd Apatow production. The show’s surprisingly poignant look at high school life features break-out performances from Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, Jason Segel, James Franco, and Busy Philipps, and that’s pretty cool to see given how far they’ve come.

10

Friday Night Lights (2006)

I live in the south—born and raised–and down here in the fall, Friday nights revolve around one thing: high school football. Saturdays are the same but focus on college ball. SEC, baby!

Friday Night Lights offers a fresh take on America’s high school football phenomenon and delivers in every way: acting, moral lessons, heartbreaks, and triumphs. It also delivers on the nostalgia with its depiction of the dependable coziness that comes with being part of a team, and that all great teen shows exude. It gets a gold star for its depiction of the pressures of football and the complexities around growing up and finding your identity outside of family dynamics.

Friday Night Lights is one of the most binge-worthy TV shows on the planet, and once you start it, you won’t be able to stop. Currently, however the series is only available to rent or buy on services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, and others.

9

The Wonder Years (1988)

The Wonder Years was the first TV show to capture the essence of childhood with such eloquence, breadth, and nostalgia that it laid the foundation for every coming-of-age series that followed.

This OG coming-of-age story isn’t just about being a kid and growing up in school in the white suburbs of the late ’60s. It’s also about having to stick with family to get through hard times, despite their annoying tendencies. Featuring a 12-year-old boy (Fred Savage) as the relatable audience hook, The Wonder Years introduced a new kind of comedy focused on every child’s first big moment.

The original show was such a success that in 2021, ABC released a reimagining focused on what life was like for a Black family in 1968 Birmingham, Alabama. The Wonder Years’ reimagining, which is also available on Hulu, is just as heartwarming and brilliant, making it one of the funniest sitcoms streaming on Hulu.

8

Daria (1997)

Teenage angst abounds in this animated spinoff of Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head. Daria is a great animated show for adults that chronicles the titular character’s life on the fringe as she makes her way through high school. Daria isn’t insecure. She just has low esteem for everyone else around her, and it’s palpable.

This animated TV show features the perfect blend of sarcasm, cynicism, and character growth, poking holes in the challenges of high schools in everywhere suburbia throughout its five-season run.

7

AP Bio (2018)

“Everybody start to shut up!” That’s Advanced Placement Biology teacher Jack Griffin’s favorite way to start class. It’s also how I like to enter a room these days.

A.P. Bio follows disgruntled, snarky Harvard philosophy professor Jack Griffin as he loses out on his dream job and winds up teaching A.P. Bio to high schoolers in Toledo. He doesn’t want to be there, and through his sardonic wit, he lets everyone know it. He will not be teaching his kids but will instead use them to help plot revenge and achieve his personal goals.

Real, raw, and utterly hysterical, A.P. Bio captures every new teacher’s initial reluctance in heading back to high school, as well as the effects of students and teachers on one another.

6

Abbott Elementary (2021)

Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary sitcom focusing on a dedicated, passionate group of elementary school teachers—and their slightly selfish, tone-deaf principal—as they navigate the predominantly Black, underfunded Philadelphia public school system. This show is renowned for presenting audiences with an engaging and thought-provoking perspective of teachers we might’ve otherwise ignored: their dedication to you, their craft, and their community.

It also features a hysterically surprising crossover with the beloved It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which you can also stream on Hulu, too.

5

Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001)

Degrassi: The Next Generation is but one of multiple installments in the uber-popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi franchise, which is all about facing real life and the drama that comes with it. From fights, breakups, and fallouts to make-ups, friendships, and mishaps, this TV show covers it all, even STDs, drugs, and school shootings.

The show is acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of teen life and its no-fear approach to covering serious, sensitive teen topics. Degrassi Junior High started this Canadian party in 1987 with three seasons, then continued it with two seasons of Degrassi High in 1989, Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2001 (starring Aubrey “Drake” Graham as wheelchair user Jimmy Brooks), and four seasons of Degrassi: Next Class in 2016.

4

Atypical (2017)

If you’re not on the spectrum but have ever wondered what attending school and navigating life is like for autistic teens, this show is a must-watch.

Atypical follows autistic teen Sam (Keir Gilchrist) as he ventures into high school and finds his way in life and romance among the neuro-normals. Keep in mind, Sam is not representative of all spectrum types, but the show does offer a unique window through which to view and understand autism and neurodiversity, as well as the stereotypes that go with them. Its relatable themes help foster empathy and sensitivity.

3

Boy Meets World (1993)

I do not care what you say, the ’90s were awesome, and there’s no better sitcom that better depicts the plights of a middle-schooler during that time than Boy Meets World.

The show follows Cory Matthews (Ben Savage, younger brother to The Wonder Years’ Fred Savage), a lovably neurotic kid navigating the pitfalls not just of middle school but also of high school and college. It’s relatably funny with the added bonus of having all the feels. Continue Cory’s journey from a fatherly perspective with Girl Meets World, which focuses on his daughter with his BMW sweetheart, Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel).