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 sitcoms 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 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 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 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.

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) – 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 Saturday morning block, which was targeted towards teenagers. The block also featured comedies such as '' California Dreams'' (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 ...

, The WB and UPN 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'', ''

'', '' 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. 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 One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

''. 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 (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 The Game or The Games may refer to: Sports and games * The Game (dice game) (German: ''Das Spiel''), a dice game designed by Reinhold Wittig * The Game (mind game), a mind game, the objective of which is to avoid thinking about The Game itself * ...

'' 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 videos. 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 operas, sports, documentaries and music-related programs. MTV aired series targeted towards teenagers such as '' TRL'', 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 Nickelodeon had begun its own trend of producing teen sitcoms in the late 1980s; one of the earliest was the 1989–93 series '' Hey Dude'', 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'', 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'' 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'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'' (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''), ''

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'', ''

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'', '' Big Time Rush'', ''

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'', '' Victorious'' (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'', ''

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 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 (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 (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'', '' Ready or Not'', '' The Torkelsons'', '' 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 clips and interstitials that promoted usage of the internet. These new original series included: '' Flash Forward'' (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'' (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, trying to become popular and other teen issues. It was followed two years later (in 2003) by '' That's So Raven'', 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'' (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'') 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'' (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'' (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'' (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