5 Angsty ’90s Shows That Will Resurrect Your Teen Spirit

Nostalgia is perhaps the closest thing we have to modern day time travel. Revisiting the media of our past can feel like activating the flux capacitor on an 88 mph emotional ride. If I so much as hear the phrase “one Starbucks town,” I feel the urge to put on Bif Naked and pluck my eyebrows into a thin straight line.

When this sort of memory recall happens in response to scent, it’s referred to as the Proust effect, but what do we call it when it happens in response to the theme from Dawson’s Creek (the actual theme, NOT that imposter they played in the early days of streaming)? Just because science isn’t studying it, doesn’t mean we can’t utilize the nostalgic rewatch as an opportunity to study ourselves.

Here’s a list of binge-worthy 90’s shows that bring out my inner teen AND the new wisdom I’ve discovered with each time traveling experience.

5. Felicity (1998-2002)

Yes, its a show about college, the absolute tail end of the teen experience, but since Felicity aired coinciding with my own freshman to senior years of high school, rewatching it always takes me back to that time. Putting aside the fact that introverted, awkward, and boy crazy Felicity’s brain operates exactly like mine once did, the creme de la creme of a Felicity re-binge comes from remembering what limitless possibility feels like. I get a rush of adrenaline watching Felicity anxiously wrestle with so many choices…Ben or Noel? Pre-med or Art? Cascading curls or problematic pixie? The possibilities are endless! Shouldn’t life always feel that way?

FormerTeen Takeaway: Don’t settle for less than what you want just because you’re afraid to veer off course. It’s never too late to make a complete 180.

4. Dawson’s Creek (1998-2003)

Remember when Dawson’s Creek first aired and critics panned it for forcing dialogue well beyond the average adolescent’s verbal capacity? As a teen, I scoffed at these critics. To my mind, Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Jen talked exactly like my friends and I did. As an adult rewatching, I hear it and cringe. But really, that’s the brilliance of Kevin Williamson: these characters talk the way adolescents like to think they talk. The complexity of the dialogue conveys the same jaded, know-it-all demeanor that oozes like oil from teenage pores, despite the fact that we know so very little in the moment.

FormerTeen Takeaway: Words have power. Even if you’re truly unprepared for life, you can speak yourself into an existence that seems wise beyond your years.

3. Clarissa Explains It All (1991-1994)

I’ll bet you weren’t expecting to find a Nickelodeon show in a roundup on teen angst, but really, Clarissa Explains It All has plenty of adolescent drama, just sugar coated for palatability. Despite having watched the original airing well before my teenage years, I still love this show so much that I’ve purchased all five seasons. The fact that it was groundbreaking at the time to have a female lead on television is just the cherry on a well sprinkled sundae. Clarissa taught me that computers can be cool, clashing can be fashion, and simply observing the world around you can turn you into an expert. Plus, the fact that 80-90% of the the action plays out inside Clarissa’s eclectically decorate bedroom was highly relatable for a pre-teen growing up in The Middle of Nowhere, USA.

FormerTeen Takeaway: Even time spent stuck at home (hello, quarantine!) can be an educational, fabulously fashioned, and creatively fulfilling adventure.

2. Daria (1997-2001)

If it seems like every modern teen on television feels like an outcast, Daria is their 90’s queen. My teenage self related to Daria on a level that’s frankly beyond my current understanding, but a few things from her life (having a well liked younger sister, harboring a secret crush for someone else’s older brother, and generally feeling like the smartest person in the room) translated directly to my own experience. Daria and Jane made me feel like I was in the right for feeling on the wrong side of popularity, but more importantly, they made it cool to see through other people’s bullshit without apology.

FormerTeen Takeaway: Never hesitate to call out hypocrisy of those around you. We only learn from what we have the courage to examine, even within ourselves.

1. My So-Called Life (1994-1995)

I’d trade all the 90’s reboots in the world for just one more season of this show. The second teenage staple on this list to air before I hit puberty, I can thank the gods of MTV for putting it back into rotation the winter before I turned 16. My So Called Life is angst with a capital A, but still manages to escape that cheesy, primetime soap opera territory. How? By keeping everything so damn real. Drama happens, sure, but all within the confines of each character’s logical life transitions. In my humble opinion, changing friends, family dynamics, and even iconic hair colors feels totally appropriate for an age where everything feels in between.

FormerTeen Takeaway: When life hands you big change, you might as well try something new on purpose. Redefine how you want to be seen.