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Even if you don’t live in North America, you’ve seen a CW Show. Usually starring acne-free teenagers in their mid-twenties (who, in turn, talk like teens in their mid-twenties), these shows have their pretty protagonists deal with problems your ordinary teenager doesn’t. From murder mysteries to Hollywood fame and even starting their own businesses, the CW teen drama is better known as teen fantasy. Especially so when it features vampires and magic – which, nowadays, it often does.
Now, the CW normally targets young women between 18 and 34 – an extraordinarily niche demographic. Indeed, this is reflected in its shows which, apart from the fantastic scenarios aforementioned, also involve lots of romancing accompanied by a brooding indie-rock soundtrack. But there are – admittedly – some guilty pleasures among the garbage. There’s no denying there’s a certain level of appeal to some of their shows.
But which ones, if you dare to venture, are the guiltiest of guilty pleasure CW TV Shows? Let’s look…
5) Veronica Mars (2004-2009)
Out of all the guilty pleasure TV Shows on this list, Veronica Mars is admittedly the least guiltiest. After all, it has high-profile fans in the form of horror scribe Stephen King and Joss Whedon (he was respectable back then). And for a CW Show, Veronica Mars has a pretty mature and complex storyline (the first season has Veronica attempt to find the guy who drugged and raped her a year prior).
So, why is this is such a good show? Well, big props go to Kristen Bell, who plays the titular character with such wit and zest that it’s simply hard to dislike her. And while romance is there, it never gets in the way of the season arc. There was a reboot (Season 4) on Hulu many years after the show’s initial three-year run (as well as a theatrical movie), but its early CW days are the show’s golden era.
4) Riverdale (2017-Present)
Riverdale is trash. In fact, it’s the bottom of the garbage can. But like any junk food, Riverdale has an addictive quality despite the fact you know it’s bad for you. It’s the strangest teen drama to ever air, taking iconic Archie characters, making them edgy and unrecognizable, and then giving you a comical teen thriller. In other words, it’s Archie in name only – and seems to have been written by writers who are perpetually stoned.
Forget that it has a 16-year-old character perform a strip show long to ‘Mad World.’ Forget that a teenage girl effortlessly runs her own bar alongside school and family drama and still looks unfettered. And please forget that the obnoxious redhead who had a thing for her brother is also a highly-skilled archer. And don’t…actually, don’t forget those things. Because Riverdale‘s seemingly random writing and terrible dialogue are unintentionally entertaining – and, indeed, keeps you watching to see what they come up with next. Whatever you smoke during the writing sessions, keep doing it, Riverdale writers – we are laughing all the more for it.
3) The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017)
The Vampire Diaries aired just a year after the first Twilight movie came out. Vampire-human romance stories were ruling the roost of YA fiction, and clearly, the CW was keen to get in on the action. Thus, The Vampire Diaries was born, based on L.J Smith’s long-running series of novels. The show brought an eternally-brooding Nina Dobrev to fame and entranced viewers with its series-long love triangle involving her and two vampire men.
Aside from the vampiric storylines, Diaries still retains the typical hallmarks of CW teen drama. Yet, there’s something undeniably charming about Ian Joseph Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore. Diaries also possess an intriguing amount of lore for a show of this genre, with its setting, Mystic Falls, having a long history of vampiric activity. Its success spawned spin-offs The Originals and Legacies, the latter of which is currently on its fourth season.
2) Pretty Little Liars (2010-2018)
If there’s one thing the CW does best, it’s placing beautiful, popular teenage characters in unlikely situations. In the case of Pretty Little Liars, it’s a group of girls who are trolled by a mysterious figure called ‘A,’ who threatens to expose their darkest secrets. The series not only explores the typical drama of the genre but also possesses the ‘mystery’ hook.
And yes, the series is trashy as all hell. There are the typical teacher-student affairs, coming-out stories, and off-on romances. It’s even ridiculously dragged out (the writers kept the girls in their senior year for four seasons). But the mystery of A, the Liars’ old friend Allison, and the various characters in on the conspiracy make for intriguing drama. And there’s Ezra…dear Ezra, the most attractive teacher in the universe.
1) One Tree Hill (2003-2012)
One Tree Hill is a teen fantasy, so otherworldly; Vampire Diaries feels almost more realistic in comparison. Initially focusing on two rivaling, basketball-loving half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, the show gradually expands from there. We follow the lives of pretty but troubled teens as they navigate high school and, later, post-college life. OTH‘s standout element is its often-cheesy optimism.
And don’t get me wrong. When One Tree Hill is trashy, it is trashy. From 16-year-olds miraculously conjuring musical careers, cheerleaders who are emo and popular and high schoolers that live in apartments, there’s all manner of absurdity (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg). But there’s something compelling about OTH‘s optimism as well as its drama. And while it does cater to the ‘shipping’ crowd, it’s refreshing to have a teen drama that focuses on the characters’ dreams and aspirations – even if the fact they achieve all of them before 30 is a hard pill to swallow.
Now, with the CW network up for sale, who knows what its future will look like under different hands? There’s no denying the network’s primetime shows have evolved over the years. From teen dramas to superhero shows, young people gravitate towards these shows for a reason.
That said, what are your guilty pleasures TV Shows on the CW? Are there any underrated gems we should know about? Be sure to let us know!