Shows Like The OC That Drama Fans Need To See

Josh Schwartz's "The OC" follows Ryan Atwood (Ben Mackenzie), a troubled teenager from an unstable home, who's adopted by the wealthy Cohens, who live in Orange County. Ryan adjusts to this life of privilege with the help of new friends: Seth (Adam Brody), his adoptive brother who made geeks cool; the popular and complicated Summer (Rachel Bilson); and Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), Ryan's first love.

"The OC" became a cultural phenomenon with its mix of drama, melodrama, and humor ("welcome to the OC, b****" is forever emblazoned in our hearts) combined with its sleek style and hip soundtrack that launched careers, as bands like Coldplay would premiere new songs on the show. It wasn't groundbreaking per se — shows like "90210" preceded it by a decade — but it arrived at the right moment as people wanted to lose themselves in this fantasy life of rich people with problems. Shows like "The Hills" and "Laguna Beach" tried to capture "The OC" in a reality setting and it's hard to imagine "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" existing without it. 

Underneath its drama, "The OC" is about people trying to find themselves in a world that doesn't always make sense. Really, it's about how everyone feels like an outsider sometimes, which is why we need family, whatever that may mean. So, if you're looking to tune into something with the same fervor as any young person in the early 2000s did with "The OC," here are some shows to marathon.

"Dawson's Creek" premiered in 1998 at the height of The WB's (now CW) teen drama era, which gave the world shows like "Felicity" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." "Dawson's Creek" follows the life of teenage cinephile Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) and his friends: childhood best friend and love interest, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), best bro Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson), and new girl in town, Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams). Set in the picturesque town of Capeside, Massachusetts, "Dawson's Creek" has all the makings of a classic teen show: love triangles, unexpected friendships, plus love, loss, and angst in abundance.

Created by Kevin Williamson (writer of "Scream") "Dawson's Creek" stands out for its witty and meta dialogue, in which its teenage characters sound like adults. But emotions (and hormones) drive the show as it explores the changing relationships between Dawson and others in the creek. "Dawson's Creek" was a hit when it was released, perhaps in part because of the controversy around its "raciness," as its teen characters focused on sex and the series later featured the first gay male kiss on primetime TV. In fact, Proctor & Gamble, one of the original production companies of the show, withdrew its involvement because of this controversial sexy content. Some of these aspects may seem tame now, but "Dawson's Creek" still works as it's a well-written teen drama with a cast of now-famous actors, which has also given the world the excellent meme of James Van Der Beek crying.

"90210" "invented the teenage soap opera" according to the NY Times as without it, it's hard to imagine shows like "The OC" or "Gossip Girl" existing. Released in 1990 for a ten-season run, this Darren Star and Aaron Spelling behemoth focuses on twins, Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda (Shannen Doherty), whose family moves to Beverly Hills from Minneapolis. Like "The OC's" Ryan, the twins are thrown into this world of privilege and wealth. Their new friends include spoiled jock Steve (Ian Ziering), self-centered Kelly (Jennie Garth), naive Donna (Tori Spelling), geek David (Brian Austin Green), mother hen Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris) and bad boy Dylan (Luke Perry). The issues that "90210" deals with range from love and heartbreak to substance abuse and AIDS (with so much in between).

When "90210" got poor ratings its first season, FOX decided to release the new season over the summer when most other shows were airing reruns. This made the show a global phenomenon ​​and cemented it in pop culture. Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling currently host a 90210-themed podcast; the most recent iteration of the series, "BH90210," was released in 2019; and the question of if you're a Brenda or a Kelly (or a Brandon or a Dylan) continues to be asked today. Of course, aspects of "90210" are now dated but ultimately, it continues to resonate because it's about relationships of all forms. So, grab a soda at the Peach Pit and settle into "90210."

Rob Thomas' "Veronica Mars" brings viewers into the beautiful Southern California town of Neptune, where all that glitters isn't gold. Kristen Bell plays Veronica Mars, a bright and curious teenager, whose best friend, Lilly (Amanda Seyfried), gets murdered. Veronica's father is a detective and so she decides to take a page out of his book and become a private investigator herself. Veronica has a knack for figuring things out and it's not long before she starts taking on smaller cases while trying to solve Lilly's murder as well.

"Veronica Mars" combines two seemingly disparate spaces — teenagers and detectives — into one brilliant world that actually makes a lot of sense. After all, teenagers often see things that others don't and also have a tendency to gossip; what better way to find out the scoop than by hanging out in the girls' locker room and hearing about the rager last weekend? Like "The OC," "Veronica Mars" exposes a world of privilege that hides intense darkness underneath. Veronica is an outsider, an ex-cheerleader who moves between the worlds of her wealthy classmates and that of the "underground" and her own family. The series stands out for its amazing cast and writing as it seamlessly combines several genres: teen drama, comedy, and noir to create something totally fresh and new. 

Mike Kelley's "Revenge" brings a classic tale of — you guessed it — revenge to the teen drama genre as a young woman seeks to avenge her father's death. Inspired by Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo," "Revenge" centers around Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), a young woman who moves into a Hamptons beach house next to the uber-rich Grayson family. Emily makes her way into the world of the rich and richer, where nothing is as it seems, including and especially her: her real name is Amanda Clarke and her father was framed by the Graysons for treason. He was sent to prison for life and killed in jail, leading Amanda / Emily to take on this elaborate plan of revenge, where she targets every person implicated in her father's imprisonment and death. The Graysons ruined her life and she's out to ruin theirs.

Similar to "The OC," "Revenge" looks at what it means to be an outsider who's brought into a previously unknown world. Like Ryan, Emily thinks she knows what she's getting into, but soon finds herself drawn into and surprised by this privileged life where some actually do accept her and challenge her beliefs and motivations. "Revenge" was a success, ​ drawing in audiences who'd previously tuned into "The OC" and "Gossip Girl" as it offered similarly glamorous, campy fare with a vengeful twist. If you're in the mood for an "OC" vibe with a dash of murder, betrayal, and double identity plus a sprinkling of the Hamptons, seek out "Revenge."

"Ginny and Georgia" takes an "OC" meets "Gilmore Girls" approach as it tells the story of a teenager trying to start fresh with her young bohemian mother. After her husband dies, 30-year-old Southern spitfire Georgia (Brianna Howey) moves her two children — 15-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and nine-year-old Austin (​​Diesel La Torraca) — to a quaint New England town. As the family tries to settle in, the awkward and perceptive Ginny finds herself having to navigate a new school while also dealing with her mom, who sometimes (all the time) acts more like a teenager than she does.

"Ginny and Georgia" adopts a similar fish-out-of-water storyline that the OC has and like that show, it explores the darkness that often underlies the surface of seemingly nice and shiny things. Georgia's past — how she came to be pregnant as a teenager and the direction her life took afterwards — is woven through the show as she and Ginny try to make their way through the present the best they can. The series finds a balance between soapy plot twists and actual issues — Ginny is trying to explore her identity as far as race and sexuality and deal with other teenage experiences — and so it stands out as a teen drama that isn't exactly what it seems.

"Life Unexpected" is about a family learning how to be a family, thanks to the sudden arrival of a teenage daughter. Teenage Lux (Britt Robertson) has been living in foster care her whole life after her mother gave her up for adoption when she gave birth at 16. Lux wants to get emancipated but needs to get her biological parents to sign off on it, so she goes to Portland to find them. She discovers that her father, Baze (Kristoffer Polaha), is a Peter-Pan-like frat boy who runs a bar while her mother, Cate (Shiri Appleby), hosts a radio talk show and is engaged to another man. Rather than emancipate her, the courts put Lux in the custody of Cate, and she, Cate and Baze learn how to be a family the best they can.

"Life Unexpected" falls on the sweeter side of the teen drama spectrum as it focuses on Lux's struggle to find safety and stability and her parents' attempts to give her that. All the characters need to grow up in their own way and the series explores those growing pains with both humor and drama. "Life Unexpected" gives a nod to its teen drama predecessors by casting Shiri Appleby (star of the original "Roswell") and Kerr Smith (Jack from "Dawson's Creek") in these adult roles. Like "The OC," the parents play as important a role here as the kids and Lux's outside perspective shines a new light on this world of Cate and Baze.

"Greek" takes the teen drama genre and brings it to a college setting, where the drama (and parties) are endless. Set at the fictional college of Cyprus-Rhodes, Greek follows members of two fraternities and one sorority as they navigate the rules and rituals of the Greek system. Rusty Cartwright (Jacob Zachar) is a freshman nerd who decides to pledge a frat like his older sister, Casey (Spencer Grammer), who's a popular sorority girl. Hoping that a frat membership will make him cooler and more confident, Rusty quickly finds that the Greek world is something far beyond what he'd imagined.

While "Greek" relies on some stereotypes of Greek life like parties and hazing, it also offers a more three-dimensional portrait of this world with characters like Calvin (Paul James), a closeted gay man who strives to integrate his gay identity with his Greek one. "Greek" sometimes goes into the territory of a soap opera, but it maintains humor throughout and has fun with its ensemble cast. There's no shortage of characters or storylines as Rusty makes new friends and Casey finds herself in a love triangle while also trying to adhere to her duties as an active sorority sister. So, if you've gotten your fill of high schoolers and want to try something fun in the college space, pledge "Greek."