A teen situation comedy, or teen sitcom, is a subgenre of comedic television program targeted towards young people. In general, these type of programs focus primarily on characters between 11 and 19 years of age and routinely feature characters involved in humorous situations (either realistic or fantasy in style, depending on the program's plotline), and often focus on the characters' family and social lives. The primary plot of each episode often involves the protagonist(s) the program centers on, while secondary plotlines often focus on the character(s') parents, siblings (those not among the leads, if any) or friends, although the secondary characters may sometimes also or instead be involved in the episode's main plot. The most common episodic plot lines used in teen sitcoms involve the protagonist(s) dealing with family and friends, ending up in a complicated situation (such as the protagonist's parents not allowing them to try out for a school sports team because of their gender) that the characters must solve by episode's end, getting into moral conflicts with their parents, friends, relatives, or siblings, and coming-of-age situations (such as a first date or learning how to drive); however, more dramatic and shocking plot elements or ones which center on undesirable (such as bullying, anxiety, peer pressure, dirty cops, excessive force, underage alcoholism, and possibly even substance abuse) may be featured as well, in what are sometimes called "very special episodes". Although adolescents are the main audience focus for these programs, these programs are also popular with young adults as well as preteens. Older adults may enjoy them for nostalgic purposes. Like teen dramas, this genre was also generally non-existent during the first 30 years of television.

History

1940s–1980s

When

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

s reached their peak in the 1950s and 1960s, these programs were supposed to be family-oriented. Sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s such as '' Leave it to Beaver'', '' Father Knows Best'', ''

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it ...

'' and '' The Donna Reed Show'' were popular with teenagers, along with the entire family. The

teen movie Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...

genre was popular during the 1960s and led the way towards the teen sitcom genre. The earliest ancestor of the teen sitcom was ''

Meet Corliss Archer ''Meet Corliss Archer'' is an American radio program from radio's Golden Age that ran from January 7, 1943, to September 30, 1956. Although it was CBS's answer to NBC's ''A Date with Judy'', it was also broadcast by NBC in 1948 as a summer repla ...

'', a TV adaptation of a popular radio show about a teenage girl which aired briefly in syndication in 1954. The first teen sitcom on a major network was '' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'', a 1959–1963 CBS sitcom based on collegiate short stories by humorist Max Shulman. ''Dobie Gillis'' followed the adventures of a teenage boy and his friends through high school, the military, and college, and was the first U.S. network television program to feature teenagers (played by Dwayne Hickman and Bob Denver, actors in their twenties at the time) as its lead characters. Hickman, Dwayne with Hickman, Joan Roberts (1994). ''Forever Dobie: The Many Lives of Dwayne Hickman''. Secaucus, New Jersey:, Carol Publishing Corporation. Pgs. 104-159 In the mid-1960s, the creation of sitcoms such as '' The Monkees'' and '' Gidget'' were primarily targeted towards teenage audiences. The 1969–1974

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

sitcom '' The Brady Bunch'' was very popular with younger audiences, especially pre-teens and younger teenagers, as was its competitor '' The Partridge Family'', which premiered in 1970. These shows are very similar to the "tween" orientated shows that have aired in more recent years such as ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...

''. The 1970s also featured teen sitcoms such as '' What's Happening!!'', '' Happy Days'' and '' Welcome Back, Kotter''. During the 1980s, television series such as '' The Facts of Life'', '' Silver Spoons'', '' Square Pegs'', '' Family Ties'', '' The Hogan Family'', '' Who's The Boss?'', '' Growing Pains'', '' The New Leave It To Beaver'', '' My Two Dads'', and ''

Good Morning, Miss Bliss ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' (also retroactively known as ''Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years'') is an American teen sitcom that aired on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 (and later in syndication as part of the ''Saved by the Bell'' ...

'' (later known as '' Saved By The Bell'') were extremely popular especially among the younger demographic.

1990s onward

Teen-oriented sitcoms have become more popular since the 1990s; during that decade, these type of programs gradually became fairly common on both broadcast and cable networks. Although pertinent social issues relating to the demographic were featured in earlier series, ''

Blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as wel ...

'' regularly focused on such issues, with episodes dealing with subject matter such as drug use, guns and teen sex.

ABC

Several sitcoms aired on ABC during the early and mid-1990s were aimed primarily at teenage audiences as well as families; most of them aired as part of TGIF, the network's popular Friday night comedy block that originally ran from 1989 to 2000. Such examples include '' Step by Step'' (which focused on a

blended family A stepfamily is a family where at least one parent has children that are not biologically related to their spouse. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships or marriages. Two known classifications for stepfamilies i ...

and regularly focused on the exploits of the six younger characters), '' Boy Meets World'' (similar in format to '' The Wonder Years'', which ended before ''Boy Meets World'' debuted in 1993, both of which focused on a boy dealing with the challenges that come with growing into adolescence) and '' Family Matters'' (which originated as a family sitcom spun off from the family-friendly though adult-centered '' Perfect Strangers'', but soon shifted more of its focus towards its teenage characters due to the popularity of the character of

nerdy A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly tech ...

high school (and later, college) student Steve Urkel). Other short-lived series that featured teenage protagonists included '' Sister, Sister'' (which aired during the 1994–1995 season but was cancelled and promptly moved to

The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...

and '' Clueless'' (aired on ABC during the 1996–1997 season and later moved to UPN; based on the hit 1995 comedy film starring teen idol

Alicia Silverstone Alicia Silverstone ( ; born October 4, 1976) is an American actress. She made her film debut in the thriller ''The Crush (1993 film), The Crush'' (1993), earning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and gained further prom ...

). One of the TGIF's biggest hits was '' Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' which debuted in 1996. It starred

Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Joan Hart (born April 18, 1976) is an American actress, producer, and director. She had starring roles as the title characters in the sitcoms ''Clarissa Explains It All'' (1991–1994), ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' (1996–2003), and ''M ...

whom was previously known to young audiences in the hit

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

teen sitcom '' Clarissa Explains It All'' which aired from 1991 to 1994. ''Sabrina'' was based on a popular

Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.animated series from the early 1970s and a 1996 TV movie of the same name that aired on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

. The franchise focused on the adventures of the eponymous main character who tries to live a normal life as a teenager and later young adult while dealing with being a half-witch/half-mortal; ''Sabrina'' ran for four seasons on ABC and an additional three on The WB). Though TGIF was originally geared towards families, the success of ''Sabrina, The Teenage Witch'' and ''Boy Meets World'' which had its teenage cast become teen idols and the transfer of its more successful sitcoms like ''Step by Step'' and ''Family Matters'' (which by that point was more focused on the young adult cast) to CBS in 1997, led to the block's shift towards teen-oriented sitcoms that fall. In order to capitalize on the success of ''Sabrina'', TGIF introduced two new fantasy comedies (albeit with male protagonists): '' Teen Angel'' (which heavily leaned towards a teenage demographic with its three male protagonists) and '' You Wish'' (which had more a family-oriented demographic). However, neither managed to find an audience and were cancelled after only a season. Another attempt at a teenage demographic came with the 1999 sitcom '' Odd Man Out'' which heavily promoted its teenage lead star

Erik Von Detten Erik Thomas von Detten (born October 3, 1982) is an American singer and former actor. He is known for his roles in ''Escape to Witch Mountain'', ''Toy Story'', ''Brink!'', ''Meego'', ''The Princess Diaries'', ''Complete Savages'', and ''So Weird ...

(nicknamed "EVD") who was already popular with the teenage female audience from his previous roles in Disney media such as '' So Weird'' and '' Brink!'' and the Universal film '' Leave It to Beaver''. However like ''Teen Angel'', it failed to reach its intended audience and was cancelled after one season. Detten would later star in another short-lived ''TGIF'' sitcom, '' Complete Savages'' (2004-2005) which consisted of a predominantly teenage male cast with a dysfunctional sibling dynamic a la ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunctional ...

''. Over time, the Big Three television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) began shifting away from family-oriented comedies toward comedy series focused on adults (although some family comedies have continued to return on those networks since then), teen sitcoms for the most part began to shift more towards broadcast networks intentionally aimed at younger audiences than the Big Three and

cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

NBC

In 1989, the sitcom '' Saved by the Bell'' (a retooling of the 1987–88 Disney Channel comedy ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'') premiered on NBC. The series quickly became a fan favorite and one of the most highly rated and popular teen shows of all time. ''Saved by the Bell'' had its main characters go through typical teen issues and the drama of high school, though the series was very comical and the issues were often resolved before the end of the episode. Notably, ''Saved by the Bell'' featured teenage archetypes and stereotypes. ''Saved by the Bell'' kept its Saturday morning slot until 1993, when it ended after four seasons (by the final season, two main characters – Kelly Kapowski ( Tiffani Thiessen) and Jessie Spano (

Elizabeth Berkley Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress. She played Jessie Spano in the television series ''Saved by the Bell'' and Nomi Malone/Polly Ann Costello in the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film ''Showgirls''. She voiced the title role o ...

) – departed from the series and were replaced by a new character). ''Saved by the Bell'' spawned a short-lived spin-off '' Saved by the Bell: The College Years'', which aired in primetime and only lasted one season; another spin-off, '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'', lasted for seven years (although it was notable for reusing plotlines originating in episodes of the original ''Saved by the Bell'' series). The series was responsible for the creation of NBC's

TNBC TNBC (or Teen NBC) was an American teen-oriented block programming, television programming block that aired on NBC from September 12, 1992, to September 28, 2002. The Saturday morning block featured live-action series – primarily in the form o ...

Saturday morning block, which was targeted towards teenagers. The block also featured comedies such as ''

California Dreams ''California Dreams'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on NBC. It was part of the network's Saturday morning block, TNBC, premiering on September 12, 1992. Created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon, and executive produced by Pet ...

'' (focusing on an aspiring band), ''

Hang Time Hang time generally refers to how long a (self-)launched object stays in the air: * In basketball, the length of time a player stays in the air after jumping to score or pass the ball. * In American football, the length of time a punted ball flies ...

'' (centering on the players and cheerleaders of a high school basketball team), '' City Guys'' (centering on the developing friendship of two New York City high school students of different backgrounds and races) and ''One World'' (focusing on a family in which all six children are adopted from different backgrounds). The vast majority of the series on the TNBC block were produced by

Peter Engel Peter Engel (born ) is an American television producer who is best known for his teen sitcoms that appeared on TNBC, a former Saturday morning block on NBC which featured all teenage-oriented programs for educational purposes. His most well kno ...

Fox, The WB and UPN

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

and

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which prod ...

were each launched (respectively in 1986 and 1995) with target audiences aimed at teenagers and adults between the ages of 12 and 34. Fox aired teen dramas such as '' Beverly Hills, 90210'' and '' Party of Five'' and sitcoms such as ''

That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television Period piece, period teen sitcom that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the ficti ...

'', ''

'', '' Married... with Children'' (in which its teen characters, who grew into adults over the 11-year run sometimes alternated between being part of the main plot and the secondary plot) and '' Parker Lewis Can't Lose''. ''That '70s Show'' was a hit with both teenage and adult audiences, and focused on the lives of six teenage friends living in Wisconsin between 1976 and 1979; despite the short time period it was set in, the sitcom aired for eight years on Fox due to the use of a

floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters Ageless, age little or not at all over a period of t ...

. While ''Malcolm in the Middle'' was targeted towards an adult demographic, it featured a predominantly adolescent-to-young adult male cast which led to its popularity with younger viewers and launched the career of teen idol Frankie Muniz. The WB and UPN were popular destinations for teen sitcoms. The WB's earliest comedies with teens as the central characters included '' Sister, Sister'' (which originated on ABC from 1994 to 1999; about teenage twin sisters who accidentally reunite while at a clothing store with their respective adopted parents after being separated after they were born 15 years earlier, resulting in Tia Landry ( Tia Mowry) and her mother Lisa ( Jackée Harry) moving in the house belonging to Tamera Campbell ( Tamera Mowry) and her father Ray ( Tim Reid)) and '' Unhappily Ever After'' (originally centering on the divorcing parents of three children, but shifted its primary focus on the latter characters, specifically attractive but intelligent redhead Tiffany Malloy (

Nikki Cox Nicole Avery Cox (born June 2, 1978) is an American actress known mostly for her roles on the television series ''Unhappily Ever After'', ''Las Vegas'', ''The Norm Show'', and ''Nikki''. Career Cox began her career at the age of four, when s ...

) and her less-than-bright brother Ryan ( Kevin Connolly)). In 2002, '' What I Like About You'' debuted on The WB – centering on spontaneous, wild 16-year-old Holly Tyler (portrayed by former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes), who convinces her father – who accepts a job position in Japan – to let her live with her neurotic, uptight older sister Valerie (portrayed by former ''90210'' star Jennie Garth). In general, The WB put much of its programming focus during the network's 11-year existence on teen-oriented series (attempting to broaden its audience in its final two years), which alongside comedy series had also included dramas such as ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' and '' One Tree Hill''. UPN's sitcoms largely (with few exceptions) were aimed at African-American audiences; such programs aimed at teens included ''

Moesha ''Moesha'' () is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class famil ...

'', which focused on African-American teenager Moesha Mitchell (portrayed by singer

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

) and her family and friends. The 2001–06 sitcom '' One on One'', centered on Breanna Barnes ( Kyla Pratt), who (in a relatively similar concept as ''What I Like About You'') convinces her mother to let her live with her father Flex Washington ( Flex Alexander), a former basketball star who became a father to Breanna at age 18. Both The WB and UPN were shut down in September 2006, and were replaced by

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

(which carried series from both predecessor networks, including '' Everybody Hates Chris'', which was loosely based on the adolescence of actor/comedian

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...

). The CW dropped sitcoms from its schedule in 2009 (when ''Everybody Hates Chris'' and the adult-targeted dramedy '' The Game'' were canceled), to focus more on its drama and reality series.

MTV

The creation of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

in 1981 had gathered a majority of the teenage audience with the airing of back-to-back

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

s. Over time (beginning in the early 1990s), MTV gradually shifted into its current format as a lifestyle and pop culture channel that airs a limited amount of music videos, mostly during the late night and early morning hours, instead focusing on reality shows,

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

and music-related programs. MTV aired series targeted towards teenagers such as ''

TRL TRL or trl may refer to: Arts * Temporary Residence Limited, a record label * ''Total Request Live'', a former MTV show * TRL Awards (''Total Request Live''), an Italian music award Libraries * Tampines Regional Library, a regional library in Tamp ...

'', a daily music countdown show; '' Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County'', a

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

focused around a group or rich teenagers living in California; and the latter's spinoff '' The Hills'', which centered on former ''Laguna Beach'' cast member

Lauren Conrad Lauren Katherine Conrad (born February 1, 1986)) is an American television personality, fashion designer and author. In September 2004, as an 18-year-old, Conrad came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series '' Laguna Beac ...

and her internship at ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...

''. During the 1990s, MTV aired the controversial animated series ''

Beavis and Butt-head ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, ...

'', which focused on the antics of two idiotic teenage slackers and their unsuccessful attempts at getting girls, though they often displayed gross, violent and crude behavior; a spinoff about one of the lead characters' former classmates, '' Daria'', premiered in 1997 and focused around a cynical, sarcastic, intelligent yet monotone teenage girl and her stereotype-infested high school. In 2010, MTV premiered its first live action teen sitcom '' The Hard Times of RJ Berger'', which became an instant hit although it would be canceled after two seasons. ''

Awkward Awkward may refer to: * Awkwardness or embarrassment, an emotional state of intense discomfort with people * ''Awkward'' (TV series), an American teen comedy series * ''Awkward'' (album), a 2001 album by Ty * ''Awkward'', a 1999 graphic novel by ...

'', which debuted in 2011, was another hit for the network and focuses on a teenage girl who tries to navigate through adolescence after the circumstances of a bathroom accident after reading an anonymous letter written about her, result in her notoriety once her high school classmates believe she attempted suicide.

Nickelodeon

Children's cable channel

had begun its own trend of producing teen sitcoms in the late 1980s; one of the earliest was the 1989–93 series ''

Hey Dude ''Hey Dude'' is an American Western comedy series that aired from July 14, 1989 to August 30, 1991 with a total of 65 half-hour episodes produced over five seasons. The show was originally broadcast on Nickelodeon. The series, aimed primarily ...

'', which focused on a group of teenagers working at a dude ranch; the network's most popular comedy of the 1990s was '' Clarissa Explains It All'', running from 1991 to 1994 and starring then-unknown actress

, which focused around Clarissa Darling, a typical teenager that faced typical teen issues and an aggravating younger brother. The series debunked a long-held belief that a children's series that centered on a female character would not be popular with boys, in fact, ''Clarissa'' was widely popular among children of both genders (Hart would later star in the hit sitcom ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' which further would catapult her further into teen stardom). In the same year as ''Clarissa'', Nickelodeon also premiered ''

Salute Your Shorts ''Salute Your Shorts'' is an American television sitcom created by Steve Slavkin and produced by Propaganda Films, which aired on Nickelodeon from July 4, 1991, to September 12, 1992. Focused around the life of young campers at the fictional Cam ...

'', a sitcom following the various hijinks of teenage campers at Camp Anawanna and ''

Welcome Freshmen ''Welcome Freshmen'' is an American comedy series that aired on Nickelodeon from February 16, 1991, to February 19, 1994. The show took place at Hawthorne High School with a group of high school students and a bumbling vice principal. Seasons 1 ...

'', a subversive take on the high school sitcom which featured a mix of comedy skits, a glaring lack of educational and moral lessons, sexual innuendo and cynical main characters. However, neither managed to reach the success of ''Clarissa'' which outlived both series by a year. The year 1992 saw the introduction of the network's popular long-running primetime block SNICK (contraction of Saturday Night Nick) and the network's first in-house sketch comedy/variety series '' Roundhouse''. While hugely unsuccessful in the ratings, Roundhouse still was innovative in some ways such as featuring a large diverse teenage cast and an urban setting which stood out from the predominantly white suburban environment of the Nickelodeon's past series. From 1993 to 1994, Nickelodeon aired '' The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' (which grew to have a strong

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

over the years), '' The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (a female driven series like ''Clarissa'' which was also a success, having a four-year run) and the short-lived ''

My Brother and Me ''My Brother and Me'' is an American sitcom, created by Ilunga Adell and Calvin Brown Jr., that originally aired on Nickelodeon. ''My Brother and Me'' is about the Parkers, a family living in the west side of Charlotte, North Carolina, who exp ...

'' (which serves as a milestone as Nickelodeon's first black sitcom). The year 1994 marked the premiere of highly successful sketch comedy series ''

All That ''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins P ...

'' which highlighted a multiethnic cast similar to its predecessor ''Roundhouse'' but unlike its predecessor, ''All That'' enjoyed a decade of popularity ending its long run in 2005. ''All That'' was also a vital starting point of

Dan Schneider Daniel James Schneider (born January 14, 1966) is an American television producer, screenwriter, and actor. After appearing in mostly supporting roles in a number of 1980s and 1990s films and TV shows, Schneider devoted himself to behind-the-s ...

's relationship with Nickelodeon and started the careers of several successful teen actors associated with the network's brand. In 1996, Nickelodeon debuted ''

Kenan & Kel ''Kenan & Kel'' is an American Buddy film, buddy comedy sitcom created by Kim Bass. The show originally aired on the Nickelodeon network for four seasons, from July 15, 1996, to July 15, 2000. Set in Chicago, Illinois, the series follows mischiev ...

'' (the first spin-off of ''All That'' which became a hit sitcom for the network), in 1998, '' Cousin Skeeter'', and in 1999, '' The Amanda Show'' (the second spin-off of ''All That'' which remains one of Nickelodeon's highest rated series and launched the career of teen idol Amanda Bynes) and ''

100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd ''100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd'' is a television sitcom created for Nickelodeon by Steven H. Berman, Mitchel Katlin, and Nat Bernstein. The series ran for three seasons, premiering on October 16, 1999, and airing its final episode on April 21, 2002 ...

''. From the 2000s onward, Nickelodeon has aired '' The Brothers Garcia'', ''

Noah Knows Best ''Noah Knows Best'' is an American sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon from October 7 to December 17, 2000. The series was canceled with five unaired episodes out of thirteen produced, due to low ratings. The show starred Phillip Van Dyke as the titl ...

'', '' As Told by Ginger'', '' The Nick Cannon Show'' (spun-off from ''All That''), '' Taina'' (a predecessor to ''

Victorious ''Victorious'' (stylized as ''VICTORiOUS'') is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider (TV producer), Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon, debuting on March 27, 2010, and concluding on February 2, 2013 after four seasons. Th ...

''), ''

Drake & Josh ''Drake & Josh'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows two teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite opposite personalities. The ser ...

'' (spun-off from '' The Amanda Show''), '' Romeo!'', '' Unfabulous'', '' Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide'', '' Zoey 101'' (spun-off from ''All That''), ''

Mr. Meaty ''Mr. Meaty'' is a teen sitcom created by Jamie Shannon and Jason Hopley. The show centers on two lazy teenage boys, Josh Redgrove and Parker Dinkleman, who work at a fast food restaurant called Mr. Meaty inside a shopping mall as they often enc ...

'', ''

Just Jordan ''Just Jordan'' is an American television sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon as a part of the network's TEENick lineup. The series debuted on January 7, 2007, and was canceled on August 23, 2008, with 29 episodes produced. Since the series' cancel ...

'', ''

iCarly ''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...

'' (spun-off from ''Drake & Josh'' and grew to become one of longest-running and the highest rated live-action series in Nickelodeon history), ''

True Jackson, VP ''True Jackson, VP'' is an American teen sitcom created by Andy Gordon for Nickelodeon. It aired from November 8, 2008, to August 20, 2011. The series stars Keke Palmer, Ashley Argota, Matt Shively, Danielle Bisutti, Greg Proops, Robbie Amell ...

'', ''

Big Time Rush ''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...

'', ''

The Troop ''The Troop'' is an action-comedy television series about a trio of teenagers who fight and capture monsters and other supernatural phenomena that invade the fictional town of Lakewood. Created and executive produced by Max Burnett, Greg Cooli ...

'', ''

Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures ''Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures'' is an American teen sitcom. The series aired on Nickelodeon from July 1, 2011 until June 9, 2012. The remaining episodes of the series were broadcast on TeenNick from December 22, 2012 to May 1, 2013. Premise ...

'', '' How to Rock'', ''

'' (spun-off from ''Zoey 101'' and served as the launching pad for pop star

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

's music career), '' Sam & Cat'' (spun-off from ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious''), '' Supah Ninjas'', '' The Thundermans'', '' Every Witch Way'', ''

Bella and the Bulldogs ''Bella and the Bulldogs'' is an American comedy television series created by Jonathan Butler and Gabriel Garza that aired on Nickelodeon from January 17, 2015 to June 25, 2016. The series stars Brec Bassinger, Coy Stewart, Jackie Radinsky, Bud ...

'', ''

Henry Danger ''Henry Danger'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen that aired on Nickelodeon from July 26, 2014 to March 21, 2020. The series stars Jace Norman, Cooper Barnes, Riele Downs, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella Anders ...

'', ''

Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn ''Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn'' is an American comedy television series developed by Michael Feldman and created by Matt Fleckenstein that premiered on Nickelodeon on September 13, 2014. It ran for four seasons and 82 episodes, with the final epis ...

'', ''

Talia in the Kitchen ''Talia in the Kitchen'' is an American telenovela-formatted teen sitcom that premiered on Nickelodeon on July 6, 2015. It was an adaptation of the Nickelodeon Latin American telenovela, ''Toni, la Chef'', and was created by Mariela Romero & Cath ...

'' and ''

School of Rock ''School of Rock'' (titled onscreen as ''The School of Rock'') is a 2003 comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, produced by Scott Rudin, and written by Mike White. The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman. Bl ...

'', all of which are targeted towards older children and teenagers along with adults. Its teen comedies, as well as animated and dramatic series, populated the long-running SNICK block that ran from 1992 to 2005. SNICK was replaced by

TEENick TeenNick is an American pay-TV channel that is operated by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Aimed primarily at teens and tweens, its programming includes a variety of live-action series inherited from sister channel Nic ...

as the network's block for teen comedy in 2001.

Disney Channel

Launched in 1983,

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

was originally a

premium channel Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...

geared towards young children, families and adults. However, in 1988, the channel made its first attempt to appeal to an adolescent audience with its first original sitcom ''

''. ''Miss Bliss'' detailed the lives of middle schoolers who got into various wacky adventures but had the guidance of their kind-hearted homeroom teacher Miss Bliss (portrayed by

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising ...

of ''The Parent Trap'' fame). It was short-lived and was retooled later into NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' which enjoyed much more success on the broadcast network and syndication. Another attempt came with 1989 reboot of ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...

(MMC)'' which contained a mix of sketch comedy, musical and dance numbers (often covers of then-popular

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

songs), celebrity guest stars and serial dramas. As opposed to its counterpart '' Kids Incorporated'' (also airing on Disney Channel) which was aimed squarely at children, ''MMCs demographic skewed towards older children and teenagers. It was not only a huge success for the premium channel but served as a testing ground for the channel's earliest attempts at creating a brand of teen pop stars. Two pop groups were spawned from the variety show: The Party and MMC, both contained the most popular cast members at the time. A few years after ''MMC'' ended, a handful of former cast members would go on to have successful careers in music and film including:

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. Prominent in independent film, he has also worked in blockbuster films of varying genres, and has accrued a worldwide box office gross of over 1.9 billion USD. He has received ...

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

and

JC Chasez Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and occasional actor. He started out his career as a cast member on ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to stardom with NSYNC, and b ...

(who both became members of the popular

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...

*NSYNC), Christina Aguilera and Keri Russell. During the 1990s and 2000s, Disney Channel would begin to air reruns of teen-themed comedies and dramas with foreign and Canadian imports such as ''

Eerie, Indiana ''Eerie, Indiana'' is an American horror science fiction television series that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1991, to December 09, 1993. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creat ...

'', ''

The Baby-Sitters Club ''The Baby-Sitters Club'' (also known as BSC) is a series of novels written by Ann M. Martin and published by Scholastic between 1986 and 2000, that sold 176 million copies. Martin wrote the first 35 novels in the series, but the subsequent nove ...

'', '' Ready or Not'', ''

The Torkelsons ''The Torkelsons'' is an American sitcom television series which aired on the NBC television network from September 21, 1991, to June 6, 1993. Produced by Walt Disney Television in season 1 and Touchstone Television in season 2, the series star ...

'', '' Growing Pains'', '' Brotherly Love'', '' Smart Guy'', '' Ocean Girl'', ''

Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

'', '' Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show'', '' Boy Meets World'', '' Sister, Sister'', '' Life with Derek'' and '' Naturally, Sadie''. In 1997, Disney Channel began the transition into the basic cable market (which was completed nationwide by 2002) and underwent a network overhaul. This overhaul involved the network shifting its main focus to "tweens" and young teenagers which culminated in the 1998 launch of the ''Zoog Disney'' brand. ''Zoog Disney'' was a primetime and weekend block hosted by animated teenage

cyber Cyber may refer to: Computing and the Internet * ''Cyber-'', from cybernetics, a transdisciplinary approach for exploring regulatory and purposive systems Crime and security * Cyber crime, crime that involves computers and networks ** Conventi ...

-creatures called "Zoogs" and featured original series and

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, live concerts and music videos of current teen pop artists, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of upcoming Disney films,

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...

clips and interstitials that promoted usage of the internet. These new original series included: ''

Flash Forward A flashforward (also spelled flash-forward, and more formally known as prolepsis) is a scene that temporarily takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards a ...

'' (a coming-of-age comedy about two best friends in their last year of middle school), '' The Jersey'' (a sports-themed comedy about a magical jersey that places its teenage protagonists into the bodies of famous athletes), ''

The Famous Jett Jackson ''The Famous Jett Jackson'' is a coming-of-age television series for the Disney Channel. The show is about a boy named Jett Jackson (Lee Thompson Young) who plays a teenage secret agent on a fictional show-within-a-show called ''Silverstone''. P ...

'' (a dramedy about the star of an action television action series trying to balance life as a normal teenager), ''

Bug Juice ''Bug Juice'' is a Disney Channel reality series that premiered on February 28, 1998. The series focuses around 20 kids and their experiences at summer camp. Together, the kids work hard to excel in their activities and become friends. The phr ...

'' (a reality show about the adventures of teenagers at summer camp), '' So Weird'' (a dramatic sci-fi series focusing around a teenage girl who attracts the paranormal/occult and often has to battle potential threats to humanity, despite the darker tone of its past seasons, the final season was re-tooled to have a lighter tone and highlighted the musical talents of the new protagonist), '' In a Heartbeat'' (a drama focusing on the lives of several teenagers who volunteer as part-time EMTs while going to school and trying to maintain their lives as normal teenagers) and '' Even Stevens'', (a comedy centering on a brother and sister with opposite personalities and, as a result, the constant sibling rivalry that ensues between them). Disney Channel's first truly successful sitcom was '' Lizzie McGuire'', which centered on a junior high school girl dealing with the onset of

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. ...

, trying to become popular and other teen issues. It was followed two years later (in 2003) by ''

That's So Raven ''That's So Raven'' is an American television teen sitcom that was created by Michael Poryes and Susan Sherman, and aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between January 2003 and November 2007. The series centers on Raven Baxter (Raven-Sym ...

'', a comedy which mixed fantasy and real-life issues (centering on a girl who has psychic abilities that are only known by her friends and family), this also became a major hit for Disney Channel; it was also the first Disney Channel series both to last four seasons and to reach 100 episodes. The success of ''That's So Raven'' ultimately led to more " high concept" series to be produced for the channel, the most notable of which include ''

'' (centering on a girl who, until the series' fourth and last season, led a secret double life as a teen pop star; the series surpassed its predecessors in terms of popularity), ''

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series aired on Disney Channel from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award three times and was also ...

'' (centering on twin brothers living in a hotel where their mother works as a singer and a smart blonde and a dumb Asian live here; it led to a spin-off set on a cruise ship featuring the majority of the original series' main cast, ''

The Suite Life on Deck ''The Suite Life on Deck'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/Spin-off (media), spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''. The ser ...

'') and '' Wizards of Waverly Place'' (which surpassed ''That's So Raven'' as the longest-running Disney Channel series by number of episodes, ending its run with 106 episodes, and centered on three siblings vying to become the sole wizard of their family). The channel continues to produce comedies with a "high concept" plot, such as '' Jessie'' (focusing on a woman from Texas who becomes a nanny to four upper-class New York City children), ''

Shake It Up Shake It Up may refer to: * ''Shake It Up'' (Boney James & Rick Braun album), 2000 * ''Shake It Up'' (The Cars album), 1981 ** "Shake It Up" (The Cars song), the title song * "Shake It Up" (Divine song), 1983 * "Shake It Up" (Koda Kumi song), ...

'' (about two teenage girls who are dancers on a local music show), ''

A.N.T. Farm ''A.N.T. Farm'' is an American teen sitcom which originally aired on Disney Channel from May 6, 2011 to March 21, 2014. It first aired on May 6, 2011, as a special one-episode preview and continued as a regular series starting on June 17, 201 ...

'' (about middle school students transferred into a gifted high school education program), ''

Austin & Ally ''Austin & Ally'' is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Disney Channel from December 2, 2011 to January 10, 2016. The series stars Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez, and Calum W ...

'' (about a teen pop singer's relationship with a teenage songwriter) and '' Dog With a Blog'' (about a family whose pet dog is able to talk). However, shows with a more basic plotline are also featured such as '' Good Luck Charlie'' (focusing on the Duncan Family adjusting to the recent arrival of a new baby), ''

Liv and Maddie ''Liv and Maddie'', also known as ''Liv and Maddie: Cali Style'' for the fourth season, is an American comedy television series created by John D. Beck and Ron Hart that aired on Disney Channel from July 19, 2013 to March 24, 2017. The series ...

'' (focusing on teenage twin sisters, one of whom is a former sitcom star, adjusting to life together in the same high school), '' I Didn't Do It'' (which outlines an incident involving the two lead characters each episode as explained by them), and ''

Girl Meets World ''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 2 ...

'' (which focuses on '' Boy Meets World'' characters, Cory and Topanga Matthews' teenage daughter, Riley as she navigates the challenges of life and being a teenager) which are all fairly popular with teenage audiences, as well as older children and young adults. Disney Channel's comedy series, while not exclusively targeted for that audience, are geared more towards teen and preteen girls; in contrast, the channel's male-oriented spin-off network Disney XD, features series aimed at boys, although shows on each network are widely popular among both genders. Disney XD's sitcoms have included '' Zeke and Luther'' (about two teenage skateboarders), ''

Crash & Bernstein ''Crash & Bernstein'' is an American sitcom which premiered on October 8, 2012, and ended on August 11, 2014, on Disney XD. Created by Eric Friedman, the series centered on a boy with three sisters who wishes to have a brother. His wishes come t ...

'' (about a 12-year-old boy's friendship with a living puppet), ''

Mighty Med ''Mighty Med'' is an American television series created by Jim Bernstein and Andy Schwartz and produced by It's a Laugh Productions for Disney XD. It stars Bradley Steven Perry, Jake Short, Paris Berelc, Devan Leos, and Augie Isaac. The series ai ...

'' (about a hospital for superheroes), '' I'm in the Band'' (about a teenage boy recruited as the new guitarist to a washed-up heavy metal band), ''

Kickin' It ''Kickin' It'' is an American comedy television series created by Jim O'Doherty that aired on Disney XD from June 13, 2011 to March 25, 2015. The series stars Leo Howard, Dylan Riley Snyder, Mateo Arias, Olivia Holt, Alex Christian Jones, and ...

'' (about a group of teenage students at a martial arts academy), ''

Lab Rats A laboratory rat is a rat of the species ''Rattus norvegicus'' which is bred and kept for scientific research. Labrat, lab rat, or lab rats may also refer to: People and characters * Dunash ben Labrat (920–990), medieval Jewish commentator ...

'' (about three teen superheroes and a normal boy) and '' Pair of Kings'' (about two fraternal twin brothers who are connected to a royal family from a faraway kingdom).

Notes

{{Television drama series Television terminology Television genres Sitcomh

History

1940s–1980s

1990s onward

ABC

NBC

Fox, The WB and UPN

MTV

Nickelodeon

Disney Channel

See also

Notes