FETV The Best Shows to Watch as a High School Student
The Best Shows to Watch as a High School Student
High school is a time when television becomes more than entertainment — it becomes a way to explore ideas, identities, and experiences that are difficult to access in real life. These shows are perfect for high school students: complex enough to reward attention, diverse enough to represent different perspectives, and entertaining enough to become the shows you talk about at lunch.
How We Selected: We assessed options using full-season viewing, critical analysis, and production quality assessment. We weighted rewatch value, thematic depth, acting performances. Our recommendations are editorially independent and not influenced by advertising.
Shows That Define Your Generation
Stranger Things (Netflix) is the show you have probably already seen, and if you have not, start here. The Hawkins crew’s battle against the Upside Down is the defining adventure series of the streaming era, with Season 5 promising an epic conclusion. The 1980s setting, the Dungeons and Dragons mythology, and the friendships at its core make it timeless even as it is specifically nostalgic.
Wednesday (Netflix) gives Jenna Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams a mystery to solve at Nevermore Academy. Gothic, funny, and stylish, the show proves that being weird is a superpower. Cobra Kai (Netflix) took the Karate Kid universe and made it relevant again across six seasons of rivalry, redemption, and martial arts that even non-fans love.
Arcane (Netflix) is animated art. Set in the League of Legends universe, the story of sisters Vi and Jinx on opposite sides of a class war is visually stunning and emotionally devastating. You do not need to know the game — the show stands entirely on its own.
Romance and Relationships
Heartstopper (Netflix) is one of the most genuine love stories on television. Charlie and Nick’s journey from friendship to romance is tender, honest, and joyful, and the show’s depiction of coming out, identity, and first love treats its audience with respect. Never Have I Ever (Netflix) gives Devi Vishwakumar four seasons of comedy-drama about ambition, grief, cultural identity, and the chaos of teenage romance. Mindy Kaling’s writing is sharp and specific.
XO, Kitty (Netflix) follows Kitty Song Covey to a boarding school in Seoul in a charming rom-com with international flavor. Sex Education (Netflix) handles questions about sexuality, relationships, and identity with honesty and humor that feels genuinely helpful rather than preachy.
Shows That Make You Think
Black Mirror (Netflix) will make you reconsider your relationship with technology. Start with Nosedive (social media scoring), San Junipero (love and virtual reality), or The Entire History of You (total recall of memories). Each standalone episode explores a different what-if scenario that feels uncomfortably possible.
The Bear (Hulu) is technically about running a restaurant, but it is really about pressure, family, ambition, and what it costs to be great at something. Jeremy Allen White’s performance as Carmen Berzatto will make you feel both inspired and anxious. Invincible (Amazon Prime Video) looks like a superhero cartoon but is actually a complex, violent, and emotionally rich drama about a teenager discovering his father is not the hero he appears to be.
Adventure and Fantasy
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney Plus) finally gives the books a faithful adaptation. If you grew up reading Rick Riordan, this is the show you have been waiting for. Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix, animated) remains one of the greatest shows ever made for any audience — the world-building, the characters, and the themes of war, responsibility, and growth hold up perfectly.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) offers four seasons of dysfunctional superhero siblings dealing with apocalyptic threats and family trauma. Shadow and Bone (Netflix) brings Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse to life with fantasy adventure and compelling characters.
Documentary and Real World
Our Planet (Netflix) is David Attenborough at his finest — breathtaking nature cinematography that will make you care about the world in a way that textbooks cannot. The Social Dilemma (Netflix) examines how social media platforms are designed to be addictive, and it should be required viewing for anyone who uses a phone. 13th (Netflix) is Ava DuVernay’s essential documentary about race and the criminal justice system in America.
For streaming options, see Best Streaming Services Compared and Disney Plus vs Netflix for Families.