Teen drama

A teen drama is a television drama series that centers on teenage characters. The genre is relatively new, first appearing in the late 1980s. The shows are usually serial, starting when the characters are well into their teenage years (usually between 13 to 19 years of age) and if they have a long run, end when the characters are in their twenties. They typically deal with teen issues such as relationships, coming out, pregnancy, suicide, abortion, bereavement, child abuse, homelessness, male rape/date rape, alcohol addiction and drug abuse. Teen dramas generally appeal to teen audiences. The most popular teen dramas are set in upper-class locales (ie. Beverly Hills 90210, The O.C., "Gossip Girl".), or if set in another type of town setting (ie. Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill), feature attractive actors whose cast members are in their late teens (age 15) at the youngest. Shows that depict teen life in a more realistic manner with a cast of actual teenagers tend not to do nearly as... full article at wikipedia