OK, so not everyone’s the hugest fan of school. But most people seem to at least like shows about school. It makes sense: Since they often revolve around young adults experiencing life for the first time, they tackle a variety of coming-of-age experiences that audiences can relate to. After all, it’s not always about the actual time spent in the classroom (usually), it’s the life lessons and friendships that are developed along the way.
Whether they focus on the students or the extremely put-upon faculty, TV shows set in schools have a universality that often proves a winner among audiences.
'Abbott Elementary'
In shows that take place in schools, teachers often have to deal with the issue of juvenile delinquency. In these shows, the students are considered to be the problem, from the perspective of the teachers. "Abbott Elementary" takes a different approach, revolving around a group of teachers who work at an under-funded school in Philadelphia. They love their jobs and their students, but constantly struggle against an incompetent administration, apathetic parents, and a school board that seems uninterested in investing in their work — a story that is likely much more recognizable to actual teachers. "Abbott Elementary" has been a mega-success for ABC, garnering big ratings, a ton of awards and lavish critical praise.
'21 Jump Street'
Ever wonder what happens to all the police officers whose baby faces prevent them from being taken seriously while on patrol? Apparently, our tax dollars go towards a program that teaches these 20-something cops how to look and act like teenagers, so that they can be sent to high schools to rat out their new classmates. "21 Jump Street," despite the unlikely premise, was a major hit of the late 1980s, running for five seasons and dealing with every conceivable high school issue. It also launched the career of Johnny Depp, who played Tom Hanson on the show and became a bona fide movie star over the course of its run.
Watch on Peacock or Prime Video
'AP Bio'
A lot of teenagers dream about leaving their boring hometown for college and going on to start an exciting adult life far away. That’s certainly true of Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton), who traded Ohio for Harvard and made being an elitist academic the majority of his personality. At least, until he was hired from his professorship and forced to move home in disgrace, taking up a job at his former high school teaching A.P. Biology. Although he technically stands at the front of the classroom and collects a paycheck as a teacher, he’s primarily interested in utilizing his class time to develop revenge schemes against Miles, the man he believes to have stolen his job and ruined his life. Howerton is maliciously entertaining as Jack, but it’s the quirkiness of his oddball students that steals the show.
Watch on Peacock
'American Vandal'
A satirical take on the true crime genre, "American Vandal" follows a duo of teenage investigators as they make a documentary about an unsolved crime at their high school. The first season tackles a vandalism case, as 27 cars in the faculty parking lot were tagged with phallic imagery. In season 2, they attempt to uncover the identity of the Turd Burgler, who laced the local Catholic school’s lemonade supply with laxatives, causing a mass diarrhea event referred to as “The Brownout.” Juvenile and crude but wickedly smart, "American Vandal" won over audiences, even though Netflix eventually pulled the plug after just two seasons.
Watch on Netflix
'Community'
Education doesn’t stop when you get that high school diploma, you know. Community initially began as a vehicle for Joel McHale, who plays Jeff, a lawyer forced to go to community college after it’s revealed that he faked having a degree. But it quickly pivots to Jeff’s relationship with the members of his new study group for Spanish class, a ragtag team of misfits who complement each other perfectly. Like many great comedies, "Community" gets better the more you know and become invested in the characters, and is packed with enough tiny details and jokes in the background that it has significant rewatch value.
Watch on Peacock
'Welcome Back, Kotter'
In "Welcome Back, Kotter," Mr. Gabe Kotter (Gape Kaplan) is an actor and comedian who returns to his own rough-around-the-edges high school in Brooklyn to oversee a class full of troublemakers referring to themselves as the Sweathogs. He’s uniquely suited to reach these at-risk kids, in part because when he attended the school, he was one of the original members of the Sweathogs. The kids and Kotter eventually come to understand one another, and the warmth of their relationship is one of the reasons why "Welcome Back, Kotter" became one of ABC’s most popular shows of the late 1970s, running for four seasons. It’s also responsible for launching the career of John Travolta, who played Vinnie Barbarino, the leader of the Sweathogs.
Watch on Tubi
'Clone High'
"Clone High" has possibly the highest concept of all school-centered TV shows. It revolves around a group of students who have all been cloned from famous historical figures, including Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, and many others. It was originally launched in the early 2000s, but was immediately met with controversy in India surrounding the depiction of Gandhi in the show. Clone High was initially canceled by MTV after its first season back in 2002, but incredibly, HBO Max brought it back for two additional seasons just last year. Unfortunately for fans, however, it was canceled yet again in 2024, leaving the show to end on a cliffhanger for a second time.
Watch on Max
