Guest Post: Bring Back Teen Dramas!

Today I have the lovely Laura of Dating Advice for TV Characters with a post for you. Laura and I were freshman floor mates back in college and now both live in LA with our hubbies. Laura is a great writer who just graduated graduate school and is seriously one of the funniest people I know. You may remember her from a blogger interview we did a few months back. Without further ado, I give you Laura!

via PopSugar

I’m sure looking at that title you think that I’m insane because teen drama is obviously alive and well.  Yes, I’m quite aware, but what I mean is teen drama on television.  I’m guest blogging today for the lovely Liz so I guess I should start by introducing myself: I am an aspiring TV writer and I’m obsessed with teen dramas (and of course, the relationships).  Pacey and Joey, Chuck and Blair, Summer and Seth…I could go on forever (but I won’t put you through that). 

I think the exciting part about writing for teens/young audiences is remembering what you obsessed over at that age.  Everything seems so incredibly important when you’re a teenager – you’re convinced that your BF is your soul mate, that your academic career will be ruined forever if you get a C on a test, and that your social life will define the rest of your life.  Now doesn’t that make for some great drama?

Unfortunately, it seems that teen dramas are starting to become a thing of the past.  Why?  Are teens growing up faster than we did?  Are the stories becoming clichéd?  Are the show concepts flawed?  I don’t know why but I hope that they will return because I can’t imagine having gone through that period in my life without seeing Dawson go through similar issues with his parents or Rory struggle with leaving her mom to go to college or Ryan figure out how to find into a world in which he doesn’t belong.  And yeah, watching Summer and Seth’s Spiderman kiss was pretty spectacular too.

So please join me in keeping your fingers crossed that TV networks continue to see the value in teen dramas – the sentiments that still speak to us a decade later.  Tonight -- kick back, drink a glass of wine, and enjoy re-watching an episode of that show that you couldn’t wait to tune into every week when you were a teenager.

Oh, and if you need a little reminder of the best part of those shows (read: relationship drama!), check out my blog: Dating Advice For TV Characters.