15 Teen Shows on HBO Max, From "PLL: Original Sin" to "Euphoria"

It's rare for teen dramas to win or even be nominated for Emmy Awards, yet HBO's "Euphoria" gained critical acclaim (and two Emmys for star Zendaya!) after two seasons. In 2021, "Generation" caught our attention shortly after the first three episodes aired on HBO Max, despite its recent cancelation. Without a doubt, HBO is ushering in a new era of realistic teen shows. From inside the walls of high schools in places like Orange County and Italy, HBO's fictional characters are exploring modern topics that affect teens in ways that are clearly resonating with both teenage and adult audiences.

But make no mistake: the streamer has plenty of fantastical high school shows as well. "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" is a gorier take on the Freeform original you know and love, and "Titans" puts a younger spin on the DC Universe. Plus, if you're tuning into HBO's second season of the "Gossip Girl" reboot and want to rewatch your favorite throwback episodes, or if you're interested in finding a brand-new show that's as exhilarating as having your first kiss behind the bleachers, look no further than HBO Max. These shows are so good — just wait until you tell everyone at school.

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01
"Pretty Little Liars"
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"Pretty Little Liars"

After the queen bee of their friend group mysteriously disappears, the once close-knit bond between Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily begins to unravel. One year later, the girls are starting high school, eager to leave their traumatizing pasts behind as they embark on a new chapter of life following their friend Allison's disappearance. But when Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily each begin receiving threatening text messages from someone named "A," they have no choice but to work together to protect themselves and their shared secrets — secrets that only Alison would know.

Watch "Pretty Little Liars "on HBO Max.

02
"Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin"
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"Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin"

While the concept of "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" — a group of high-school-age girls being terrorized by a nameless, faceless assailant who goes by "A" — is the same as the original "Pretty Little Liars," it adds a lot of fresh, thrilling aspects to the plot that make it feel brand new. This version has far more slasher-horror vibes than the Freeform outing. And this time around, "A"'s motive for terrorizing the Liars has less to do with their own actions and everything to do with what their mothers did to a classmate named Angela Waters back in 1999. As their classmates are picked off one by one, the girls must figure out what their mothers did to make "A" seek revenge before they become the killer's next targets.

Watch "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" on HBO Max.

03
"Nancy Drew"
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"Nancy Drew"

Teenage detective Nancy Drew is on the case, and this time it's personal. After swearing off crime-solving following her mother's tragic death, Nancy soon finds herself at the center of another mystery, and she has no choice but to get involved. When a Horseshoe Bay socialite is found murdered, Nancy and a group of four other teens become the prime suspects of the investigation. Along with her high school nemesis George and her secret boyfriend Nick, Nancy teams up with a burnout named Ace and a mysterious rich girl named Bess, and together, the five of them attempt to clear their names.

Watch "Nancy Drew" on HBO Max.

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"We Are Who We Are"

Artistic and introspective teens Fraser Wilson and Caitlin "Harper" Poythress live on a U.S. military base in Chioggia, Italy and begin an unlikely friendship. Told mainly from the perspective of the two American expats, this coming-of-age series from Luca Guadagnino, the director and producer of "Call Me By Your Name", focuses on the messy parts of teenage life from friendship to first love.

Watch "We Are Who We Are" on HBO Max.

05
"Gossip Girl"
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"Gossip Girl"

From an outsider's perspective, private-school prima donna Serena van der Woodsen is waltzing her way through life, and so is her posse. But though she and her fellow Upper East Side Manhattanites lead privileged lives, they aren't exactly untouchable. There's an anonymous blogger writing under the pen name "Gossip Girl," and Serena, Blair, Jenny, Nate, Chuck, and Dan are all wrapped around Gossip Girl's finger. Revealing secrets, uncovering scandals, and feeding on heartache while escalating drama, the mysterious Gossip Girl blogger takes no prisoners.

Watch "Gossip Girl" on HBO Max.

06
"Stargirl"
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"Stargirl"

Set in the DC Universe one decade after the Justice Society of America is killed in battle, the stars align and Courtney Whitmore, a high school student in Los Angeles, discovers a powerful weapon — the Cosmic Staff of Starman. Now in possession of the Cosmic Staff, Courtney learns that her stepfather Pat Dugan was Starman's sidekick, and she becomes his successor, Stargirl. Along with a new generation of young superheroes, Courtney initiates the second incarnation of the Justice Society of America.

Watch "Stargirl" on HBO Max.

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"Generation"

An HBO Max Original, "Generation" follows the lives of a diverse group of Gen Z-ers in a California high school. Sometimes hilarious and always hard-hitting, the friends figure out how to navigate their social lives and conservative community while exploring identity, sexuality, and personal values.

Watch "Generation" on HBO Max.

08
"David Makes Man"
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"David Makes Man"

This coming-of-age drama from "Moonlight" screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney focuses on race, identity, and privilege from the perspective of a Black high schooler caught between two very different worlds. Though he attends a magnet school for academically gifted students, teenage prodigy David lives in the projects of South Florida and is left balancing life on the streets and life at a school that gives him a ticket out of it.

Watch "David Makes Man" on HBO Max.

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"Vice Principals"

In this comedy series, high school drama isn't just reserved for the students. The principal at North Jackson High School has just retired, and Mr. Gamby, the vice principal of discipline, and Mr. Russell, the vice principal of curriculum, both have their eyes set on a promotion. But when it becomes apparent that the English teacher, Dr. Belinda Brown, might be the one to take over the role due to her positive relationship with the students, the two VPs team up to bring her down.

Watch "Vice Principals" on HBO Max.

10
"Titans"
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"Titans"

Based on the "Teen Titans" franchise, this live action series tells the supernatural coming-of-age stories of Dick Grayson, Rachel Roth, Starfire, and Beast Boy. Joining forces to fight evil and combat a conspiracy that could mean Hell on Earth, it's clear that the Titans are no ordinary teens.

Watch "Titans" on HBO Max.

11
"Betty"
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"Betty"

A television spinoff of the 2018 film "Skate Kitchen", "Betty" focuses on an all-girl skating collective whose members are as close as sisters. Titled "Betty" after the derogatory nickname given to girl skateboarders, this teen comedy details the everyday life stories of "Skate Kitchen"'s original characters Camille, Janay, Kirt, Indigo, and Honeybear as they navigate the male-dominated world of skateboarding.

Watch "Betty" on HBO Max.

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"Euphoria"

Zendaya stars as 17-year-old Rue in the American version of the hit Israeli series of the same name. Fresh out of rehab, Rue and a group of troubled high schoolers struggle to fit in amidst the instability of their individual circumstances. On top of the anxieties built into teenage life, Rue, Jules, Nate, Chris, Cassie, and Kat each grapple with the harsh realities of drug addiction, sexual exploration, and substance abuse.

Watch "Euphoria" on HBO Max.

13
"The OC"
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"The OC"

Ryan Atwood, a gifted teenager from a broken home, finds himself in Newport Beach, CA, where he meets the Cohens, a wealthy family living in one of the richest neighborhoods of Orange County. When Ryan is officially adopted by Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, he begins a new life, and high school turns out to be the hardest part. Between snarky rich kids, drama, and crushes, there's no shortage of teen angst in this modern soap opera.

Watch "The OC" on HBO Max.

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"The Teenage Psychic"

A television adaptation of the Chinese short film "The Busy Young Psychic", this That's-So-Raven-meets-Ghost-Whisperer series" "features 16-year-old psychic Xiao Zhen, who was born with the ability to see spirits. All Xiao wants is to enjoy high school like a normal teen, but instead she must juggle the overwhelming pressures of academia, her social life, her first romantic encounter, and the highly demanding spirit world that seems to get in the way at the worst possible moments.

Watch "The Teenage Psychic" on HBO Max.

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"Head of the Class"
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"Head of the Class"

In this classic ABC sitcom from the '80s, a group of overachieving honor students at Fillmore High School face an unexpected challenge: focusing less on their grades and more on their social life. Filling his lesson plans with real-life advice and problem solving skills, laidback substitute teacher Mr. Moore enriches the lives of these teens inside and outside of school.

Watch "Head of the Class" on HBO Max.