Whether you are looking for some serious me time distractions or just a great binge-worthy teen drama, I’ve got you covered.
Here’s the real deal. When I have me time, I often spend it deep cleaning the house, rearranging furniture, or accomplishing simple mundane household tasks. My 20s self would have been cranking the 80s rock and dancing for some serious motivation. My 30s self, however, loves a good binge-worthy series playing in the background for entertainment.
The funny thing is that as I age, I find that any time I’m seeking encouragement or company, I put one of these shows on in the background. Writing, cleaning, and making to-do lists are all a part of my me time and all are improved with the chatter from these binge-worthy shows.
My list may not include shows that you love, and it certainly doesn’t include any of the newer series that have been really fantastic. When I need lighthearted TV company to do whatever I need to do in the time that my husband has ventured out of the house with the kids, I always turn to these shows.
These binge-worthy shows are absolutely teen dramas, but for me, they’ve stood the test of time:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996 – 2003)
How many times have I watched the entire series? Twice. Do you know how many episodes that is? 144 episodes.
Before vampires were cool, there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show was before the time of True Blood, Vampire Diaries and Twilight which is where everyone seems to think the obsession with vampires came from. The special effects are awful when you watch it today, but they were also awful when you watched the series in 1996. The kitchy special effects make the show just that much more entertaining.
Charmed (1998 – 2006)
How many times have I watched the series? Twice. 178 charming episodes.
I vividly remember the first episode thinking these snarky ladies with big attitudes don’t fit together at all, how in the world is this show going to work? Fast forward 42 minutes and I was hooked for life.
Dawson’s Creek (1998 – 2003)
How many times have I watched the series? I am still watching it for the first time. I haven’t quite made it through 128 episodes yet.
I must admit I don’t have a lot to write about this show, as I’m in the early part of Season 1 which I started this week. It has already become a nighttime binge-watching series though when I’m working on things like writing. You might even say Dawson’s Creek inspired this blog post.
Roswell (1999 – 2002)
How many times have I watched the series? Three times. There are only 61 episodes.
Roswell is different from the rest of my favorites. Similar because the main characters aren’t of this earth, but different from all the witch, vampire and werewolf shows. When you watch Roswell, you’ll fall in love with the perfect, wholesome main characters that are the cliche boy next door / girl next door personalities.
Gilmore Girls (2000 – 2007)
How many times have I watched the series? Let’s not talk about how many times I’ve watched this. 154 episodes of bliss.
This is my show. I love all of these shows, but if I had to watch and rewatch only one over and over, this would be it. It’s possible that my love for coffee is almost equal to my love for Lorelai and Rory (and their love for coffee). And I totally have a have a soft spot for Luke Danes.
Everwood (2002 – 2006)
How many times have I watched the series? Once, but only because I just discovered it during the later part of 2018. 89 sweet, sweet episodes.
This show shocked me actually. When I initially looked at the series, I thought there was no way I was going to like it. I was wrong. Really wrong. I’m at the age where I actually find that Dr. Andy Brown is the handsome leading man (clearly I’m no longer in my teens and 20s), and the fun surprise is a young Chris Pratt when his career was really starting.
One Tree Hill (2003 – 2012)
How many times have I watched the series? Three times. 187 episodes.
Of all my shows, this was the only one that I attempted to watch when it was actually airing. I didn’t like it and shut it off during the first episode and vowed to never watch it again. Turns out, I just needed time. What drew me back in was realizing the mom was the main character from a favorite movie of mine (The Cutting Edge). This show manages to bring out so many emotions within one short episode. A show that evokes that many emotions so quickly has my seal of approval for sure.
Gossip Girl (2007 – 2012)
How many times have I watched the series? Twice. All 121 episodes.
We don’t want drama in our day-to-day life, but when I want to watch drama, this is my go-to show. This is even a show that I would find my husband chuckling at when I would binge watch in bed during my last few months of pregnancy with our son. It’s a guilty pleasure show for sure, possibly because their world couldn’t be more different than mine.
What might shock you about all these shows is that I never watched them when they were actually airing. I remember my friends talking about a lot of them, but they never interested me at the time. I never felt like I was missing out.
We didn’t have cable when I was growing up, and even into college, I was more of a movie fan, except for Sex and the City (which I don’t know why I didn’t include, but I don’t circle back to this show quite as often). I watched Charmed and Buffy when I was pregnant with our daughter, and continued watching during our late night feedings. Those two shows started my love for the teen dramas that I missed when I was younger.
Each of these shows is a feel-good show for me as well. They make me laugh, cry, fall in love with characters, and for a moment forget that I don’t actually know them (because hello, they aren’t real.) Each show allows me to do what I need around the house, or to simply pamper myself with a skincare routine and relax since free time is few and far between.
I also think watching these shows as a mom has an entirely different effect than if I had watched them in my teens and early 20s. I appreciate the learning situations that are embedded in these shows. I find myself excited for my daughter to be old enough to watch something like Gilmore Girls with me because valuable life lessons should always be shared.
Are any of these binge-worthy shows on your list to rewatch, or do you have one to add?
