16 Throwback TV Shows From the 2000s to Re-Watch With Your Teen

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31-03-2025

Fact checked by Sarah Scott
In the '80s, there was Square Pegs and A Different World. In the '90s, teens watched Beverly Hills 90210, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Saved by the Bell. But ask any millennial and they'll tell you that the 2000s was the golden age of TV. Whether you were a Disney Channel kid or wished you lived in Newport with the cast of The O.C., there was a 2000s TV show made for you.
Teen and tween television isn't just entertainment; it's a way for young people to see themselves represented onscreen. Some shows are more relatable and realistic than others (cough cough Gossip Girl), but watching characters go through ups and downs with friends, family, school, or dating can help kids deal with those same issues in their real life.
While some aspects of 2000s TV shows haven't aged all that well, there's many great options to revisit with your kids. You can talk about the problematic moments and point out how things have changed, using the shows as a jumping-off point for important conversations. On the flipside, you can also discuss how those big life experiences of one's teenage years are universal, no matter the decade. Ahead, check out some of the best 2000s TV shows for tweens and teens.
Ask any millennial about their favorite Friday night ABC show and they'll probably mention Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. In the series, which ran from the late '90s to the early 2000s, Melissa Joan Hart played Sabrina Spellman, who discovers she's a witch and has to navigate high school.
Where to stream or buy: Paramount Plus, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu
Who it's best for: Tweens who love magic and fantasy
Catch Keke Palmer in one of her earliest roles as True Jackson, a teenager who becomes vice president of a clothing company. What's more difficult to deal with: school or a high-powered corporate job? And how do you balance the two?
Where to stream or buy: Paramount Plus, Prime Video
Who it's best for: Aspiring fashionistas
There's a reason fans were clamoring for a grown-up sequel to Lizzie McGuire. The series made Hilary Duff a superstar and its original fans still think fondly of the Disney sitcom, which was all about the junior high struggles of Lizzie and her friends (and her animated conscience). While the sequel got canned, you and your tween will love hanging out in Lizzie's world today.
Where to stream or buy: Disney+
Who it's best for: Junior high-aged tweens, aspiring fashionistas
The show that made Selena Gomez a superstar, Wizards of Waverly Place was a beloved Disney Channel sitcom about—you guessed it—a family of wizards living in New York City. In 2024, a sequel called Wizards Beyond Waverly Place hit Disney+, with David Henrie and Selena Gomez reprising their roles as the Russo siblings.
Where to stream or buy: Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu
Who it's best for: Tweens who wish they had magical powers and siblings
That's So Raven, which ran on Disney Channel from 2003 to 2007, centered on Raven Baxter, a teenage girl who loved fashion and could see the future. Raven-Symoné is amazing in the titular role and the costumes are so much fun, but the show also dealt with big issues in a relatable and often humorous and thoughtful way.
Where to stream or buy: Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video
Who it's best for: Everyone!
The breakout stars of Nick's All That starred in a movie together—the iconic millennial classic Good Burger—but they also had their own TV show, where they played fictional versions of themselves. It's fun to look back and see how funny both were at such a young age. Kids who only know Kenan as an SNL cast member can see where he got his start.
Where to stream or buy: Paramount Plus, Prime Video
Who it's best for: Young comedians
Every modern generation has their version of Degrassi, the Canadian teen drama that has been airing in some format since 1987. (Never forget that Drake starred as Jimmy back in the mid-aughts!) It's about a group of high schoolers dealing with all the things that come with teenagerhood: friendships, romance, family struggles, and so much more. While some subjects may be a bit mature for tweens, it's a great launchpad for conversations about what they might encounter in a few years.
Where to stream or buy: Tubi, Prime Video, Hulu, Max
Who it's best for: Younger teens just beginning their high school journey
OK, so Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired mostly throughout the late '90s, but it ended in 2003, so we say it counts! In the TV series, a revamped imagining of an '80s movie, Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the brave Buffy Summers, who saves the world from vampires and other supernatural creatures while also attending high school.
Where to stream or buy: Tubi, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video
Who it's best for: Teens who love supernatural tales and scary movies
One of the most popular teen shows of the 2000s, The O.C. was basically an overnight smash hit and defined a generation. Sure, it's soapy, but that's part of the fun! Plus, teen-centric soaps are a rite of passage, so revisit Ryan, Marissa, Seth, and Summer alongside your teenager.
Where to stream or buy: Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Max
Who it's best for: Teens who love Gossip Girl
Another very popular teen soap, One Tree Hill aired for over a decade. Though the storylines changed over the years, it started as the story of two half-brothers in a small town in North Carolina. Like all teen dramas of the '00s, it got pretty dramatic, but once again—that's part of the fun! Underneath the melodrama, there are nuggets of relatability for your teen to connect with.
Where to stream or buy: Hulu, Prime Video, Max, Disney+
Who it's best for: Teen athletes, teens who enjoyed The O.C.
When Gossip Girl premiered in the late 2000s, everything changed. The NYC-set show was perfect for the era and became a classic for teens and twentysomethings. Though it ended in 2012, Gossip Girl is more beloved than ever for its dramatic plotlines, catty characters, and over-the-top wardrobe.
Where to stream or buy: Max, Tubi, Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video
Who it's best for: Super-connected social media fans
Friday Night Lights is set in a small Texas town where football is everything. Yes, on the surface it's a sports show, but it's so much more than that. You'll get to love Coach Taylor and his wife Tami, the players, and the people of Dillon right from episode one.
Where to stream or buy: Prime Video, Apple TV
Who it's best for: Teen athletes
In her first big role, Kristen Bell starred as the teen detective Veronica Mars. Teens will love her voice and sense of humor, as well as watching her investigate and crack mysteries in her California town.
Where to stream or buy: Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+
Who it's best for: Future journalists or investigators
Ah, the classic mother-daughter dramedy. Gilmore Girls is one of the most beloved 2000s TV shows and one many fans return to year after year, especially in the fall. Lorelai and Rory are mother and daughter, but they couldn't be more different; Lorelai is a free spirit and Rory is a straightlaced straight-A student. The show is about their relationship, but also about their friends and neighbors in the adorably cozy Stars Hollow.
Where to stream or buy: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video
Who it's best for: Moms and daughters, cozy nights in
Don't you wanna be on top? A whole generation of reality TV fans did on this Tyra Banks-led competition show about aspiring models. Watching Top Model can also open up dialogue about body acceptance and how things have changed (for the better!) since the show aired.
Where to stream or buy: Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+
Who it's best for: Reality TV fans, aspiring models
Ryan Murphy's Glee snuck in right at the tail end of the 2000s, premiering in 2009, but we'll let it sneak by for this list. It's still just as popular today, even though it ended in 2015! The students of McKinley High School deal with all the issues of teenagerhood—first love, breakups, body image—but they do it through their glee club and covers of some of the biggest songs ever. Just don't blame us if your kids start playing the soundtrack 24/7.
Where to stream or buy: Hulu, Disney+
Who it's best for: Theater kids
Read the original article on Parents