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From brand new Netflix series to older network sitcoms, from teen dramas to funny cartoons, at our house, someone always has a favorite show on the go. Many of the best TV shows for tweens and teens in our household originate from what they have seen clips of on TikTok or YouTube, prompting me to search for where to stream the latest episodes. I have even had to source DVDs from the local library to find older sitcoms that are making a comeback, thanks to social media.
This summer, we (and I say ‘we’ as many of these I enjoy too!) are eagerly awaiting some new season releases, the dates of which are marked on the calendar. It’s fun to share a series with the kids and always creates common dialogue and interests among the family.
To share with readers some of the best TV shows for tweens and teens, I have polled my kids, aged 8-18, about their current favorites and compiled this list that will hopefully entertain your family all summer long.
With a diverse range of ages, my children watch shows rated from Y7 TO TV-MA. Here is the suggested age range for each rating, which can be found below.
TV-Y – All ages (suitable for all children)
TV-Y7 – Ages 7+ (may include mild fantasy violence)
TV-G – General audience (all ages, but not specifically for children)
TV-PG – Parental guidance suggested (some material may not be suitable for kids under 10)
TV-14 – Ages 14+ (may contain material unsuitable for children under 14)
TV-MA – Ages 17+ (mature audiences only)
I’ve started with shows for the youngest of tweens and ended on the more mature shows my 18-year-old is enjoying right now.
Alexa and Katie (Rated TV-Y7)
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Alexa and Katie is a family sitcom that follows the friendship of two teens in high school. When Alexa is diagnosed with cancer and has to come to terms with what going into treatment will mean, Katie vows to be there the whole way. The girls go so far as to shave both their heads before Alexa’s will eventually fall out. Katie stays by Alexa’s side to support her best friend, and viewers watch their bond deepen. The show is about typical adolescent struggles, high school life, and of course, unwavering friendship.
Alexa and Katie ran for four seasons from 2018 to 2020. The show is an excellent demonstration of resilience and overcoming challenges for kids. The girls’ trials are explored in a humorous and heartfelt way. This is a lovely show for the tween demographic. My 12-year-old introduced it to me. Alexa and Katie currently streams on Netflix.
The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants (TV-Y7)
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Another popular book series that has been adapted into a television series is the animated show Captain Underpants. Dav Pilkey, author of the Captain Underpants series ( and the Dog Man Series), truly knows his target audience. Kids and tweens go crazy for all his work, whether turning book pages, visiting the movie theatre, or watching TV. The basic plot of this series follows two best friends, George and Harold, and their adventures when their imaginary comic book superhero comes to life.
If your child has read the books and watched the movies, they will want to watch The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants. This is my 8-year-old’s current series he is working through, and it was his suggestion to add it to the list. The series is a DreamWorks production and currently streams on Netflix. There are 3 seasons available for your child to get their Dav Pilkey fix.
The Loud House (Rated TV-Y7)
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I had to include at least a couple of animated series in this list, not to disappoint my son. He, too, had input to share. One of his favorite series is The Loud House from Nickelodeon. Lincoln Loud, the main character of this animated gem, is the only boy in a house of ten girls (and my son thinks he has it bad being the only boy of four). He loves to rhyme off all the sisters’ names…Lily, Lisa, Lynn, Luna, Lucy…you get the picture. Lincoln is not only the only son but also lands right in the middle of his 10 sisters. The Loud House is a comical show about Lincoln and his big ‘loud’ family as he tries to survive in a house full of girls.
This show debuted in 2016, before my son was even born, and has 212 episodes spanning over nine years. Lots of Loud hijinks to entertain your 7 to 10-year-olds. This age-appropriate cartoon is currently streaming on Paramount Plus for those who don’t have Nick or YTV, in Canada.
The Baby-Sitters Club (Rated TV-G)
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From the wildly popular tween books series by Anne M. Martin, The Baby-Sitters Club is just as popular today as it was in the ’90s. This modern-day adaptation, like the books, is about a group of friends who start a babysitting business and the hijinks they get into. Many of the book characters also found their way into the series, including athletic Kristy, artsy Claudia, organized Mary-Anne, and boy-crazy Stacey.
The show is entertaining and shares relatable life lessons while remaining appropriate for children and tweens. My 13-year-old made sure I added this series to the list, as it’s not one I’ve watched myself. The Baby-Sitters Club surprisingly only has two seasons that stream on Netflix, spanning 2020-2021.
Win or Lose (Rated TV-PG)
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If your tween is on the younger end of the age demographic or enjoys animation more than the teen drama, consider the Pixar series Win or Lose. This cartoon follows the ‘Pickles’, a co-ed middle school softball team. Each episode follows one character’s point of view during the week leading up to their softball championships, from the love-lorn umpire, to the coach’s clumsy daughter, from the all-star pitcher to the single mom trying to hold everything together. Win or Lose creatively weaves each character’s story together.
Win or Lose is another one of my son’s picks. The series teaches children valuable lessons about seeing things from others’ perspectives. One of my favorite aspects of the show is how the creators depict anxiety through animation in a way that kids can understand how it feels to ‘carry’ your worries. Highly recommend for anyone dealing with anxiety in their child. Win or Lose streams on Disney+ and has eight episodes.
Gilmore Girls (Rated TV-PG)
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Lorelai and Rory Gilmore are not only mother and daughter but also best friends. Lorelai, a single mother, and Rory, an academically minded teen, each have dreams of their own. Living in a quaint town in Connecticut, Lorelai owns an aspiring B&B, while Rory is working towards acceptance at Harvard. Gilmore Girls is a witty and heartwarming sitcom about life…love, work, school and family relationships.
Gilmore Girls is loved for its intergenerational appeal and ability to mix drama and humor. It aired in 2000 and ran for seven successful years, but remains popular with tweens today. My two oldest girls went through a Gilmore Girls phase when they were 12, and neither was even born when it originally aired. This would be a great series to watch with your daughter. You can find it still streaming on Netflix.
Young Sheldon (Rated TV-PG)
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A spin-off of The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon chronicles the upbringing of Sheldon in suburban Texas. Sheldon is a child genius growing up in a middle-class working family with his twin sister, Missy, and older brother, Georgie. His mother, a devout churchgoer, his dad, the football coach at the high school, and his straight-talking me-maw all struggle to navigate raising a nine-year-old intellect already in high school. The original Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons, narrates the show.
It was my 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son who first became interested in watching Young Sheldon. They had seen some funny clips on YouTube and asked if we could watch it together as a family. My husband and I were ‘big’ Big Bang Theory fans, so it didn’t take much to join them in watching this series. This is a great family-friendly series that is both fun for kids and has smart humor for adults. Netflix is currently streaming all seven seasons of Young Sheldon. The TV-PG rating makes this a solid chice among the best TV shows for tweens, teens, and even the adults in your household.
The Middle (Rated TV-PG)
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Another family-friendly sitcom, The Middle, was released on ABC in 2009. It ran for 9 seasons, ending in 2018. The series, set in Orson, Indiana, follows the Heck family as they face the day-to-day struggles of home life, work, and raising children. Patricia Heaton, from Everybody Loves Raymond fame, stars as neurotic Frankie Heck. Heaton narrates the trials and tribulations of lower-middle-class life with three kids…Axel, the too-cool teenager; Sue, the nerdy tween; and Brick, the book-obsessed fourth grader.
The Middle is another older sitcom that I enjoyed when my kids were very small. My youngest recently discovered clips of the quirky youngest Heck child, Brick, on YouTube. Brick is known for constantly repeating what he says out loud in a whisper. Due to his difficulty in connecting with his peers, Brick attends social skills class at his elementary school. Anyways, my son found him quite endearing and asked me where we could watch The Middle. It wasn’t streaming on any of our platforms, but I was able to source out the DVDs at our library. We are currently on season 5 and loving it.
Surviving Summer (TV-PG)
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New York teen Summer Torres loves skateboarding and causing trouble. It’s when she takes things too far and is expelled from school that her workaholic mother ships her off to her best friend’s home in Australia. Down under, Summer befriends her new guardian’s son, Ari, and his group of pro surfer friends. Her connection with Ari also inspires Summer to relearn how to surf, and she eventually makes the surf team. Summer’s rebellious spirit collides with her new friend group and the seriousness of their competitive sport.
My two middle girls quite enjoyed watching Surviving Summer together. The surf scenes are dramatic, and as in any good teen drama, there are lots of love triangles. The show is family-friendly and showcases the sport as much as the teen angst. Unfortunately, this series only has two seasons on Netflix; it was not picked up for a third.
Anne with an ‘E’ (Rated TV-PG)
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How could I not include a piece of revered ‘Canadiana’ by adding the Anne with an ‘ E’ series? Loosely based on the period classic Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the series follows loveable and quirky Anne as she arrives as an orphan at her new home in Prince Edward Island. Taking place in 1896, Anne is acquired by a farmstead to help the aging owners with their chores. Thinking they were receiving a boy, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert are shocked to meet the talkative, quizzical 13-year-old Anne. By being herself and sticking up for herself, Anne wins their hearts and that of her new town, but it is not without making some outlandish mistakes.
Most of us who grew up in the 1980s and ’90s are well-versed in the stories of Anne of Green Gables, even more so if you grew up in Canada (like me). This series has been critically acclaimed and successfully transitioned from the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) to Netflix in 2017. 3 seasons are streaming on Netflix, and I’d bet the CBC is still airing reruns. If you want a beautiful story that’s family-friendly and forever classic, you will want to check out Anne with an E.
My Life With The Walter Boys (Rated TV-14)
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When Jackie’s family tragically passes away in a car accident, she is uprooted from her Manhattan home and moved out to her guardian’s ranch. My Life with the Walter Boys follows 15-year-old Jackie as she tries to fit into her new town, new school, and new family. Her guardian, Dr. Katherine Walter, is Jackie’s mom’s best friend and also the mother to seven boys. Jackie is thrust into a new life that includes sharing a bathroom with a house full of boys. Living in the Walter house gets even more complicated when two of the brothers take an interest in their new housemate.
My Life with the Walter Boys is based on the book of the same name by Ali Novak. It’s a light tween/teen drama set in rural Colorado. My tween girls enjoyed the first season, comparing it to The Summer I Turned Pretty for its coming-of-age story. The series premiered just recently in December 2023. Netflix is set to release the second season in August 2025, and the show has been renewed for a third season.
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Rated TV-14)
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This summery fun romance series launched in 2022, based on the book series by Jenny Han. Two seasons in, fans of this show are locked into the love life of Belly as she comes of age at the family’s beach house in Cousins, a coastal town in Massachusetts. The love triangle of Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad has its young viewers launching into ‘Team Jeremiah’ or ‘Team Conrad’. The parallel story to the love triangle is the friendship of the teens’ parents, Laurel and Susannah, and navigating Susannah’s cancer diagnosis.
Han knew what she was doing when adding the musical score to this series, defining moments are serenaded by the likes of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. She hit her target audience with the soundtrack. We used this series as the theme for my daughter’s birthday party this year, “The Summer I Turned 13.” Season 3 is due to be released on July 16, 2025. My three girls will have their popcorn ready.
Wednesday (Rated TV-14)
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It is indeed ‘creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky’. Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega (Yes Day, Beetlejuice) and Emma Myers (Minecraft Movie, Family Switch) is one of our favorite shows to watch as a family (because there are scary scenes). Based on, you guessed it, The Addams Family, Wednesday is the story of, well, Wednesday as she lands herself at Nevermore Academy school for outcast species (think vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters). Dark and gloomy Wednesday is roomed with bright and spunky Enid (Myers) when she arrives at the Academy. Things start to get frightening for viewers when Wednesday’s psychic visions show students going missing at the hands of a monstrous creature living in the woods.
Wednesday was born from the incredible mind of Tim Burton. My kids are huge Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Beetlejuice fans, so this series is right up their alley. Although admittedly, there are some scenes in the first season that sent them hiding under the covers. Wednesday streams on Netflix, we are looking forward to season two coming out this summer, in August 2025.
Cobra Kai (Rated TV-14)
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Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence are back in this Karate Kid movie franchise reboot. The series picks up thirty years after the duo’s final match at the 1984 karate tournament. Daniel is a successful business and family man, while Johnny is an unemployed handyman who has just hit rock bottom. The two men’s lives intertwine unexpectedly in the first episode after Johnny’s car needs repair, and he finds himself at Daniel’s dealership. When Johnny witnesses a teenager being bullied, he is inspired to reopen the Kobra Chai dojo, and as the story continues, the rivalry between the two old nemesis is reignited.
Kobra Chai is rated TV-14 due to some strong language and violence. It has had tremendous success on both YouTube and Netflix over its 6 seasons spanning 2018-2025. Admittedly, I did not get far in this series, but my husband and son did enjoy it. Because of its ratin,g we did need to skim over some scenes.
Outer Banks (Rating TV-MA)
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Definitely one of the hottest teen series these last few years. Set on the banks of North Carolina, the story follows an adventurous group of teens as they search for treasure. John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, Cleo, and J.J. make up the ‘Pogues’, basically the kids from the ‘other side of the tracks’. Their nemesis, the rich ‘Kooks’, Rafe, Topper, Kelce, and Ruthie, can be found at the yacht club or throwing beach parties. It’s a Pogues vs Kooks world in the Outer Banks, throw in some long-lost fathers, diabolical millionaires, and cut-throat treasure hunters, and you have a fast-paced, twisting and turning storyline.
My older two kids love this series for not only the adventure but the romances that build between several of the characters. Think teen heartthrobs when you hear J.J., Rafe, and Sarah from Outer Banks. OBX (as the cool kids call it) launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020…it was an instant hit with locked-down teens. There have been three more seasons since, each taking viewers on a new wild treasure hunting ride. The final season, Season 5, is set to release sometime in 2026. We are patiently waiting.
Summer break is upon us, and while the kids will be off to the splash pad and the soccer field, they will also be looking for a comfort show to enjoy in their downtime. With summer comes new season releases on streaming platforms, and perhaps one of the best TV shows for tweens and teens, chosen by my kids, will become a favorite of your children and maybe even you. A reminder: visit your local library this summer to pick up the latest Baby Sitters Club or Dog Man book, and check out the DVD collection. Often, you can find series that are no longer streaming or are only available for free from the library. Happy channel surfing.