From One Tree Hill to Dawson's Creek: These are the iconic TV shows to binge for some sweet nostalgia
Ever since it was announced that Mary-Kate And Ashley’s New York Minute was coming to Netflix this November, we’ve been craving all kinds of nostalgic TV. It might be the grim weather - or the fact that Lockdown 2:0 is looking increasingly likely - but a flashback to simpler times seems like the ideal tonic to everyday life.
So, praise the lord for streaming services that mean we're not hopelessly waiting for reruns at unsociable hours like we did in the golden age of TV. Netflix and Amazon are dropping some of the iconic shows we spent the Nineties and Noughties obsessing over.
Case in point: It doesn’t get much more nostalgic than Dawson’s Creek, which is coming to Netflix this weekend. You can bet we’ll be reliving the Dawson, Pacey, Joey triangle all over again (which, FYI, is just as juicy 22 years on). If that wasn’t enough high school drama, One Tree Hill is coming to the streaming service at the end of this month, which is basically a slam dunk for Netflix. That’s nine whole series of break-ups, make-ups and very Noughties style statements. That's at least 187 days of entertainment (if you can stick to one ep a day).
Let us also revert to a time when we hung off the every word of high schoolers like Lizzie McGuire or Clarissa Explains It All. There’s something very comforting about escaping to their teenage bedrooms when we’ve spent way too much time in our own. And don't even deny you're not gutted about the Lizzie McGuire reboot getting pushed back indefinitely. Instead, we'll be watching the original Disney classic from the very beginning.
Since the country seems to be moving backgrounds and we’ll all soon be going back into our shells, allow us to help you find something soothing to fill the long empty nights.
Dawson’s Creek
From the first beat of I Don’t Want To Wait, you just knew your homework was going on the backburner. We still can’t hear that soundtrack and not travel back to a simpler time. This small-town teenage drama was the launchpad for the huge Hollywood careers of Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson and James van de Beek so sometimes it’s quite sweet to see where it all started.
Watch on Netflix from Sunday
One Tree Hill
All those years ago, we tuned in for Chad Michael Murray and we stayed for the Tree Hill drama. Oh, how invested we were in the lives of Lucas and Nathan and how Peyton, Brooke and Haley add more fuel to the fire during the junior year. By season 9 some of the storylines got real dark but if Dawson’s Creek taught us anything, it’s that the Noughties needed a bit more than love triangles to keep us coming back.
Watch on Netflix this November
Lizzie McGuire
Whether you loved or hated it, Lizzie McGuire was always on the Disney Channel after school so don’t even deny it was a guilty pleasure. Since we’re all a bit gutted that the reboot has been put on the backburner, it’s time to indulge in some of the best classic episodes.
Malcolm In The Middle
Previously a Sky classic, Malcolm In The Middle has been adopted by Channel 4 so we can all escape to another household and someone else's dysfunctional family, this winter. It was exactly the kind of light-hearted basic comedy that we needed to get us through the school days and now it’s time to revisit it.
Clarissa Explains It All
Just how would Clarissa explain Covid-19? Well, we’re prepared to let her take it from here.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Not only is Buffy The Vampire Slayer available to watch on All 4 but Angel is there too. Long before Twilight literally dominated the teen horror genre in 2008, there was Buffy and her kick-ass show that set itself apart from the traditional teen dramas. Now 23 years old, we’re still obsessed with this TV classic.
The Fresh Prince of Bell Air
The Fresh Prince has aged so well it’s done a full 360 and become cool again. While we eagerly anticipate the ‘dark and dramatic’ reboot of this Nineties comedy, it’s time to get your fix of the Fresh Prince right from the start.
Gossip Girl
If you still don’t know who Gossip Girl is, we have to hand it to you, you have done very well. But even if you do, Gossip Girl remains one of easiest binge-watches on Netflix. We’re still in love with every outfit Serena van der Woodsen wears and everything Blair Waldorf wears so if you’ve finished Emily In Paris, this one’s worth watching again.
That ‘70s Show
We'll always be grateful to That '70s Show for bringing together Ashton and Mila. Go back and watch their on-screen romance blossom from the beginning.
Saved By The Bell
Another show that’s getting a reboot, Saved By The Bell is actually coming back soon with all of our favourite characters. That’s Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tifffani Thiessen as Zack and Kelly, with Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley returning as A.C. and Jessie. It’s been 27 years and this comeback could not be more welcome. Watch the golden era of 1989 to 1993 before you even think about watching the trailer.
