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Best High School TV Shows on HBO Max | 2021

15 New and Classic High School TV Shows Available to Stream HBO Max Right Now

Mar 30 2021

It's rare for teen dramas to win or even be nominated for Emmy Awards, yet HBO's Euphoria gained critical acclaim (and an Emmy for star Zendaya!) after only one season. A year later, Generation caught our attention shortly after the first three episodes aired on HBO Max. Without a doubt, HBO is ushering in a new era of realistic teen shows. From inside the walls of high schools from Orange County to Italy, HBO's fictional characters are exploring modern topics that affect teens in ways that are clearly resonating with both teenage and adult audiences.

If you're excited for HBO's upcoming Gossip Girl reboot and want to re-watch your favourite 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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1. 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 centre 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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2. 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.

3. Gossip Girl

From an outsider's perspective, private school primadonna 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.

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4. Those Who Can't

At Smoot High School, the teachers are just as dysfunctional as the students they teach. In this comedy inspired by the George Bernard Shaw idiom, "Those who can, do; those who can't teach," three inept teachers deal with the trials and tribulations that come with imparting wisdom on a bunch of hormonal teenagers. (And yes, that's Bryce from 13 Reasons Why.)

Watch Those Who Can't on HBO Max

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5. 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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6. 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.

7. 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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8. 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.

9. 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.

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10. 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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11. 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 highschoolers 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.

12. 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 neighbourhoods 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.

Image Source: Everett Collection

13. 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.

14. Head of the Class

In this classic ABC sitcom from the '80s, a group of overachieving honour 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.

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15. 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.

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