If you’re like me, you’re a binge watcher 365 days of the year, but in the winter months things get kicked up a notch. Surrendering a day, night, or weekend to a good old fashioned Netflix best YA TV shows marathon is a great way to spend the time. So it’s especially awesome that in winter 2017 new shows and movies are being added to Netflix that are perfect for YA fans. If you’re overwhelmed by the infinite scroll, check out this handy list of best YA TV shows on Netflix this winter.
Note: This list applies to Netflix US title availability.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
A Series of Unfortunate Events TV series
This adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s beloved, quirky and dark fantasy series stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, an actor and the newfound guardian to three orphans who lost their family in a mysterious fire: Violet Baudelaire (played by Malina Weissman), the oldest child and an inventor; Klaus Baudelaire (Louis Hynes), the bookish middle child; and Sunny Baudelaire (Presley Smith), the infant youngest child with an unusually strong bite. By trying to unravel the mystery of the fire that destroyed their normal life, the Baudelaires race to discover the truth about their lineage. But shining a light on dark corners can illuminate dangers creeping ever closer, sometimes standing right behind you. With mystery, adventure, and fantasy rolled into one, enjoy slipping into the bleak and beguiling Lemony Snicket world with the first season now streaming on Netflix.
The 100
You know how much I love a dystopian novel, and who doesn’t? Loosely based on the hit YA series by Kass Morgan, The 100 follows a group of teenage juvenile offenders who comprise the first group of humans to return to post-apocalyptic Earth from space ships that shelter the people who survived a nuclear war. If you’re in the mood for a dystopian story but are hankering for a different change of pace, put down your book and binge-watch the CW’s The 100. Packed with adventure, exploration, angst (of course), and breathtaking romance, The 100 is a great choice for science fiction and dystopian YA fans looking for an entertaining, smart series. Three seasons are up on Netflix. Definitely one of the best YA TV shows out there!
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl TV Series
Warning: do not start this show unless you are ready to commit to a full-on binge watch of all 121 episodes. Gossip Girl is YA gold, one of the first series to really take off in the new era of YA. And who can ever get bored of the six seasons of this contemporary drama series? Scandalous secrets, bitter backstabbing, and all the cut-throat cattiness you can stomach propel the upper-upper-upper class children of Manhattan’s elite in the hallways of Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude’s School for Boys. This show is pure escapism, one of the things YA does best. Catch all six seasons on Netflix.
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries TV Series
A great way to lose a weekend is by watching the popular supernatural TV show, The Vampire Diaries, based off L. J. Smith’s YA series. With eight series and 166 episodes, you will have plenty to keep you busy. Set in a quiet Virginia town, the show revolves around Elena, a 16 year-old girl who loses her parents in a car accident and falls in love with a 162 year-old vampire, Stefan. Things get complicated when Stefan’s older brother, Damon, falls for Elena with a passion that transcends time and matter. Both brothers help Elena navigate her life in her new hometown, one that harbors secrets and attracts the supernatural. Take a bite out of seven seasons up on Netflix.
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is one of those storybook dramas that revolves around the relationship between a thirty-something single mom and her teenage daughter. Set in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, this multigenerational drama is filled with colorful characters–dreamers, artists and everyday folk–and delves into issues of family, friendship, romance and social class. The show centers around Lorelai Gilmore and her teenage daughter, Rory who attends Yale University but frequently returns to Stars Hollow to visit her mom. Together with best friend and chef, Sookie, Lorelai runs the town’s bed-and-breakfast, the Dragonfly Inn while contending with her wealthy, appearance-obsessed parents Richard and Emily Gilmore, who always have something to say about Rory.
What best YA TV shows you watching on Netflix this winter?
