Top TV for kids 13+
From 'Degrassi' to 'Vampire Diaries' -- the television stakes for kids gets higher
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Glee
These McKinley high school students have major grownup problems to contend, which is appealing to other teens. Plus, they have a habit of randomly breaking out into song. Not necessarily relatable but fun still.
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American Idol
Judges come and go but this hit singing competition still has the power to get teen and tween girls galvanized behind a fan favorite. And that's powerful.
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So You Think You Can Dance
Some kids may get into it because their parents made them but you can't ignore the power of the dance, especially a good NappyTabs routine.
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Vampire Diaries
Think of this popular CW series as a nudity-free True Blood for teens. Nina Dobrev plays Elena Gilbert, a Southern girl who falls for Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), a fresh-faced vampire old enough to be her great-great-great grandfather. Things get complicated when Stefan's shady brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) arrives on the scene, forming the love triangle that drives much of the series' twisty plotlines. As in Bon Temps, other supernatural creatures — including werewolves and witches — abound.
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One Tree Hill
Two half-brothers — Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty) — compete for a spot on their high school's basketball team, and for the attention of girls, in Tree Hill, North Carolina. Over time, the rivalry turns into a bromance as the series follows the brothers beyond high school as they and the extended cast deal with tumultuous relationships, drug addiction, career and pressures, depression, and even a hostage situation.
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Once Upon a Time
It's not all happily ever after for a cast of fairy-tale characters including Snow White, Prince Charming, and Captain Hook — who are banished to the sleepy real-world town of Storybrooke, Maine, by an Evil Queen in this fantasy-drama by former Lost writers.
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The Secret Life of the American Teenager
High school student Amy Juergens (Shalene Woodley) winds up pregnant after a one-night stand at band camp. Early episodes focus on how motherhood changes Amy's life and relationships with her family, the father of the baby, and her new boyfriend. Over time, other plots develop as Amy?s friends find themselves in their own sticky situations.
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The Lying Game
Twin sisters are separated at birth: Emma was raised in a foster home, while Sutton was adopted by a wealthy family. When the two girls discover their connection, they agree to work together to track down the woman who gave them up. Emma steps into Sutton's seemingly charmed life, while Sutton goes in search of their birth mother.
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Degrassi: Next Generation
The fourth series in the beloved Canadian franchise follows its predecessors successful formula: A cast of attractive teens grapples with issues including drug abuse, pregnancy, acceptance, and sexual identity. The series does show a lot of real-life teen issues (heightened, of course), so subject matters get intense and there's sometimes slang to be on the lookout for.