5 Reasons Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is The Best Teen Show Of The ’90s (& 5 Why Beverly Hills 90210 Is) – Screen Rant

While there have been some great teen shows in the past few years, there was really nothing like the 1990s. This time period had a plethora of entertainment featuring high schoolers feeling that everything was the end of the world while wearing plaid, high-waisted jeans and rocking some questionable hairstyles. Two of the most talked-about series from that decade are definitelyBuffy the Vampire SlayerandBeverly Hills, 90210. While they both take place in California, one is about a girl dealing with the supernatural while she fights vampires and the other is about rich kids in Beverly Hills, so they do have some key differences.

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Which '90s teen series reigns supreme? Here are five reasonsBuffy the Vampire Slayeris the best teen show of the '90s, and five thatBeverly Hills, 90210is.

People always talk about how Joss Whedon sawBuffy The Vampire Slayeras a social commentary on what it's really like to be a teenager. Fans and critics often say that "high school is hell" is the overall theme of the series.For example, in the first season alone, there's an episode called "Witch" where Buffy learns that a cheerleader named Amy has a witch for a mother who switches bodies with her daughter to relive her high school glory days. That's definitely a commentary on being popular, liked, and young.

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Buffyhas a lot to say, and it seems much more clever than90210 when the two are compared.

AlthoughBuffyis great at showing tons of teen angst, it's definitely true that those problems are often within the context of Buffy having to save the world, or being in a complicated relationship with her vampire boyfriend Angel. It's not exactly like Buffy and her friends are sitting around talking about breast cancer or cheating partners, the way that they do onBeverly Hills, 90210.

90210is the better '90s teen show because it dealt with more teen problems. Everything was fair game, and while some episodes suffered from a cheesy tone, especially in the first two seasons, the series was still trying its best to realistically portray what that age group goes through.

While Brenda Walsh and Kelly Taylor have their moments of strength and confidence, it's fair to argue that Buffy Summers has got them both beat. Sarah Michelle Gellar's character is beloved because she's just so tough.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayeris the better '90s teen show because it was so great for teens to see someone taking care of herself, looking out for her family and friends, and believing that she could do anything. While regular high schoolers aren't exactly looking over their shoulder to check for vampires or demons, they can still be inspired.

Buffyfans ship Angel and Buffy...or Spike and Buffy...and it's true that these romances are epic. But they're not realistic and they would never actually occur since the world of the show is that of the supernatural.

90210hasBuffybeat when it comes to realistic relationships. When Brenda falls for Dylan in Season 1, viewers feel her anguish over their dramatic love story, and when Kelly dates Dylan, and later Brandon, it feels likea natural progression. A true teen TV show needs to have reallyjuicy romance or it's not worth its salt, and this one delivers.

Did anyone know that there would be another slayer named Kendra Young? Or that there would be a slayer named Faith who would become a pretty big part of the show? What about Buffy's sister, Dawn, suddenly appearing?

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SinceBuffytells supernatural stories, it always kept fans guessing, and that isof utmost importance in the sometimes crowded field of teen dramas. Instead of feeling like every episode was something that had been seen before (a character goes on a date, fights with a friend, etc.), the experience of watchingBuffywas always thrilling.

Sure, Buffy has a sister named Dawn and a mother named Joyce, and Joyce gets a major storyline when she tragically passes away in the Season 5 episode "The Body."

And yet it always feels like Buffy is really going it alone and doesn't need her family. In that sense,90210is the better teen show because the characters had family backgrounds that were much more explained. Brenda and Brandon have the perfect nuclear family with caring parents Jim and Cindy; Kelly and Steve have mothers who have their own problems and can't parent; and Donna's parents have a complicated marriage.

If90210has one flaw, it would be the tendency for some episodes to teach very corny lessons and there was sometimes a little bit of an "after school special" feeling. This was necessary as it was the type of show that it was, but itcould be grating at times.

In contrast, Buffyisn't like that at all. Even when Buffy gets her heart broken by Angel and is dealing with all of those emotions, there is never an obvious lesson or a preachy quality.

Beverly Hills, 90210premiered in October 1990 and there have been countless teen dramas since then, such asOne Tree Hill,Dawson's Creek,My So-Called Life,Roswell,Freaks and Geeks, andParty Of Five, just to name a few.

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90210could definitely be considered the best '90s teen show because it laid the groundwork for these future teen dramas. It handled every possible teenage storyline, from first love to cheating to family issues to drinking to feeling pressure to be popular, and it did it all so well.

While90210was pretty groundbreaking in terms of the stories that it aired and it proved what was possible in the teen drama space,Buffy the Vampire Slayeris ultimately the better '90s teen show because it feels so unique.

There has really been nothing like it since. WhileCharmedfeatures three sisters who are witches and are dealing with demons, it's not as clever asBuffyand doesn't hold up in the same way as it feels dated. The fact that Buffy Summers has this destiny and is also figuring out who she is and where she fits in the world is always going to be powerful. The mix of fantasy and reality is what makes the show hold up over twenty years later.

A teen show always faces a dilemma when the characters have aged out of high school. If the show is successful and the network wants more seasons, do they show the characters in college or fast-forward five years to when they're in their twenties?

Neither is the best idea since college seasons aren't generally as good as the preceding ones and if the characters are in their twenties, it doesn't have the feel of a classic teen series anymore. In Season 4, Buffy goes to college at UC Sunnydale, and it's not as much fun as watching her in high school.Beverly Hills, 90210had somefantastic college years as the characters had always acted so old and grown-up that it just worked.

NEXT:Beverly Hills, 90210: 5 Best Friendships (& 5 Worst)

NextThe Vampire Diaries: 10 Reasons Why Elena And Bonnie Aren't Real Friends

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance lifestyle writer who loves coffee, pop culture, avocados, and barre classes.

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5 Reasons Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is The Best Teen Show Of The '90s (& 5 Why Beverly Hills 90210 Is) - Screen Rant