For the last installment introducing TV shows that teens are obsessed with, let’s look at shows that didn’t really fit within the comedies, supernatural and crime drama genres but still hold a very large fan base. Some of them have a wide-ranging demographic, so look out for the shows that have been around for a while now!
Doctor Who
Who doesn’t know Doctor Who? Currently on the eleventh regeneration of the Doctor, this show has proved to be a must watch for the now teenage population. Decades later the show is still a continuation of the adventures of a time traveling alien explorer, The Doctor (also a Time Lord) and his companions travel through space and time battling evil as they go.
From the first screening of the show in the 1960s, this show has gathered fans from all over the globe over the decades. Today there are fans that have watched the starting seasons in their childhood and grown up watching regeneration of The Doctor.
Both teens and adults follow this show fervently, fascinated by The Doctor and his eccentricities, following his adventures through time and space in his “TARDIS” (outer appearance is a blue British police box from the 1960s), a sentient time-travelling spaceship. This show is an important part of British popular culture, and elsewhere it is a cult television favorite.
Orphan Black
An exploration into one of the most controversial fields of science; this show follows Sarah, an orphaned outsider, discovers she is a clone after trying to clean out a dead woman’s bank account. The dead woman looked exactly like Sarah, and had committed suicide.
Complications arise as Sarah realized she and the dead woman weren’t the only clones. She is caught in a spiral of a deadly conspiracy, running from assassins set out to take them out one by one while trying to figure out who she is and what is going on. This series explores the moral and ethical implications of cloning as Sarah searches for her identity while faced with danger.
A rather new series, this show has been renewed for a second season to be aired in 2014.
Grey’s Anatomy
Medical dramas are not uncommon; this one focuses on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors, residents at the Grey Sloan Memorial formerly known as Seattle Grace Hospital.
Packed with sassy banter and drama, Grey’s Anatomy is a fun and interesting look into the medical community and how these residents juggle their demanding medical training and personal lives. The show varies; it has sad moments, funny moments, serious moments, and not-so-serious moments.
Grey’s Anatomy is the highest-rated drama in the 18-49 demographic. The realness of the characters and drama and intriguing storyline draw viewers in and grab their attention throughout the seasons. Be warned: there are character departures and deaths at the end of seasons, so prepare for some tear jerking heartbreak!
Hannibal
Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a classic character from Thomas Harris’ horror novels, has been once again revived on screen. This time, however, much less emphasis is placed on this renowned psychiatrist’s cannibalistic tendencies, and chooses to focus on the relationship forming between him and his patient Will Graham, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is disturbed and haunted by his inclination to empathizing with serial killers.
Hannibal’s aloof and suave exterior along with his brilliant mind still draws us to him despite the actual monster he is, and Will’s compassion and humanity creates an easy tension between them. In a slow, mind-twisting exercise of control and dominance, the interaction between Will and Hannibal is both fascinating and fear-inducing.
This show is not for the faint-hearted, for there are huge amounts of blood pumping gruesome scenes, but it is a wonderful pick for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.
Mad Men
Focusing on Donald Draper and the people in his life, this show explores the business of the fictional advertising agency Sterling Cooper & Partners (formerly known as Sterling Cooper then Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce) and the personal lives of the characters through the changing moods and social customs in the United States during the 1960s.
Don Draper is a mysterious man with a secret past, but when the advertising game becomes more and more competitive, his past and present threaten to topple his careful balance between work and family life.
This is an excellent show which highlights the daily lives of office members in an ad agency that is true to life and presents a rather accurate depiction of office life back in the mid 20th century. Mostly a favorite of adults, some teens also enjoy the tension and drama “Mad Men” provides.
This is the last of our introduction to the television obsessions of the teenage population today, so we hope that these four blogs have given you a good idea of what’s running through those crazy heads some of the time. Maybe try out some of these shows if you haven’t already; many of them are just as suitable for adults as they are for teens!
Photos courtesy of Alkonium of deviantART, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, pidublu of Flick, and cesar-a of deviantART.
Freda Zhao is a beijingkids intern (of the month) currently studying at the Western Academy of Beijing. She is one year from graduating high school. Outside of school work, she enjoys reading, painting, and mimicking cat sounds in her backyard (to draw strays to her house and feed them)
