Coming of age TV Series

Growing up as the central arc.

Ranked by how defining this tag is for each show · 414 series

10/10 means the show is a defining example. Shows scoring below 7/10 don't make the list.

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Genres

Genres as assigned by IMDb. Selecting several means a show must match all of them.

Action 92 Adult 0 Adventure 95 Animation 121 Biography 8 Comedy 199 Crime 19 Documentary 0 Drama 290 Family 50 Fantasy 23 Game-Show 0 History 5 Horror 9 Music 12 Musical 5 Mystery 13 News 0 Reality-TV 0 Romance 79 Sci-Fi 7 Short 0 Sport 11 Talk-Show 0 Thriller 2 War 1 Western 0

Decades

By first-air year. Several selections widen the range; a specific year narrows within its decade.

2020s 137 2010s 162 2000s 58 1990s 41 1980s 11 1970s 4 1960s 0 1950s 1 1940s 0 1930s 0 1920s 0 1900s 0

Specific year

2026 5 2025 11 2024 10 2023 22 2022 26 2021 34 2020 29 2019 30 2018 32 2017 15 2016 15 2015 6 2014 13 2013 10 2012 18 2011 15 2010 8 2009 5 2008 5 2007 7 2006 4 2005 7 2004 6 2003 5 2002 5 2001 9 2000 5 1999 11 1998 4 1997 3 1996 4 1995 2 1994 5 1993 2 1992 3 1991 2 1990 5 1989 2 1988 1 1987 3 1986 1 1985 1 1983 1 1982 1 1980 1 1979 2 1974 1 1972 1 1957 1

Tags

Rating patterns, computed from IMDb episode-rating trajectories. Deliberately strict: only shows with an unmistakable pattern carry one, so expect small numbers.

Rating patterns

Fumbled the Finale 5 Stuck the Landing 14 Grew the Beard 6 Rock Solid 3 Past Its Prime 0 Roller Coaster 0

Taste tags, judged by our AI taste model. They cover the 5,000 most-rated shows.

Tone & mood

Bleak 6 Gritty 11 Dark tone 20 Feel-good 45 Cozy 5 Wholesome 62 Melancholic 20 Tense 9 Unsettling 4 Whimsical 27 Campy 3 Cynical 2 Hopeful 33 Sentimental 33 Nostalgic 58 Bittersweet 38 Chaotic energy 5 Deadpan cool 3

Pacing & structure

Slow burn 12 Fast-paced 5 Episodic 25 Serialized 45 Procedural 0 Mystery box 7 Anthology 1 Cliffhanger-driven 4 Sprawling saga 6 Tight limited run 27 Puzzle plot 2 Vignette style 0

Humor style

Dry humor 8 Absurdist 5 Satirical 3 Cringe comedy 10 Slapstick 1 Witty banter 19 Dark comedy 4 Warm humor 66 Raunchy 7 Parody 0 Ironic & meta 1

Themes & subject matter

Criminal underworld 6 Detective mystery 3 True crime 0 Heists & cons 2 Legal 0 Medical 3 Political intrigue 1 Espionage 2 War & military 5 Family saga 26 Coming of age 414 Workplace 4 School & campus 139 Love story 82 Friendship 121 Found family 49 Survival 5 Post-apocalyptic 3 Dystopia 3 Supernatural 29 Space & sci-fi 5 Near-future tech 1 Time travel 2 High fantasy 19 Urban fantasy 14 Monster horror 6 Psychological horror 2 Addiction & vice 5 Mental health 16 Faith & religion 2 Sports 21 Music scene 16 Food & cooking 1 Nature & science 0 Real history 6 Royalty & aristocracy 3 Small town 22 Big city life 3 Rural & frontier 2 Suburban underbelly 2 Class divide 15 Immigrant experience 5 Queer stories 31 Female perspective 65 Social commentary 10 Philosophical 8 Existential dread 1 Revenge 3 Redemption 10 Secrets & lies 20

Characters & perspective

Antihero lead 3 Morally gray 10 Villain's POV 0 Ensemble cast 70 Central duo 6 Strong female lead 40 Child's perspective 26 Outsider lead 37 Genius lead 6 Working class 14 Elites & privilege 6 Unreliable narrator 0 Character study 41 Banter chemistry 6

Emotional payoff

Tearjerker 25 Adrenaline 18 Intellectual challenge 3 Comfort rewatch 14 Romantic yearning 61 Cathartic 2 Wonder & awe 17 Mounting dread 2 Warm glow 13 Gut punch 13

Craft & style

Dialogue-driven 12 Visually striking 24 Stylized direction 12 Naturalistic 14 Big-budget spectacle 3 Lo-fi charm 1 Atmospheric 16 Distinctive score 12 Experimental 4 Deep worldbuilding 30 Tight writing 3

Format & audience

Sitcom 25 Adult animation 2 Anime 82 Kids & family 60 Young adult 132 Soap & telenovela 8 Event miniseries 6 Reality competition 0 Lifestyle reality 0 Docuseries 0 Sketch & variety 0 Game & quiz show 0 Talk & panel 0 Period piece 46 Contemporary life 20 Long-runner 7 Built to binge 1

Viewing-culture clusters