On January 11, 1995, a network launched that would become a destination for younger viewers — one that would have them saying “Oh what a night!” five times a week.
In hindsight, The WB as a network was merely a blip in TV history; remaining on the air for just a short 11 years and never scoring a Top-20 show. But that didn’t stop it from leaving its own type of legacy. Although its first original series was a sitcom, The Wayans Bros., the dramas that followed were what skyrocketed the network to its massive levels of success: Buffy, Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Everwood, One Tree Hill … To see them was to love them.
The big four networks had dabbled in the young adult demographic before — Fox, for example, paved the way with Beverly Hills, 90210 — but The WB was an experiment in dedicating an entire channel to the often-overlooked teenage generation. What spawned were a series of shows that looked different on paper — a girl slaying vampires, a group of teens growing up in a sleepy town, the origin story of the world’s most famous superhero — but remained connected with one timeless and universal throughline: coming of age.
The TV landscape has greatly expanded since The WB said its final goodbyes in 2006, but the network remains a pillar of must-watch programming for young audiences despite the surplus of content available.
Shows like Dawson’s Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer came long before technological advancements like cellphones, laptops and social media, but the core of the high school experience still remains the same, with young people just hoping to find comfort in learning they aren’t alone. Thanks to The WB, they can.
(And before you come for Us, this list includes strictly WB programming a.k.a. anything that debuted after 2006 was not up for a spot — for example, Gossip Girl kicked off The CW in 2007.) From Capeside to Sunnydale, check out WB staff faves and where you can stream them:
‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’
Where to Watch: Hulu
Buffy has it all: iconic villains, quippy dialogue, that catchy musical episode. More important, though, is Buffy Summers’ perseverance. The slayer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) took punches, literal and emotional, from hell’s worst demons and always got back up. She taught me true strength while kicking butt in stylish-yet-affordable boots. – Nicole Massabrook, Associate Editor
‘Angel’
Where to Watch: Hulu
The dark spinoff found Buffy’s vampire ex (David Boreanaz) in Los Angeles facing demons (including his own) and saving souls (including his own). At first I thought this series was a bad idea, but it was to Buffy what Better Call Saul became to Breaking Bad. I loved watching this haunted antihero’s rocky road to redemption. – Matt Sullivan, Writer
‘Gilmore Girls’
Where to Watch: Hulu, Netflix
The mother-daughter duo of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) provided the ideal amount of comfort, conflict (people are still fighting over Team Jess and Team Logan) and so many pop culture references that with each rewatch, I deserve a quip I missed. – Sarah Hearon, Digital Deputy Editor
‘What I like About You’
Where to Watch: Rent/Buy on Prime Video
Genius move: casting Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth as this sitcom’s chaotic — and believable — sister duo. (Second place: casting the oft-shirtless Nick Zano.) The humor-to-heart ratio was perfectly calibrated. – Yana Grebenyuk, Senior Digital TV Writer
‘Dawson’s Creek’
Where to Watch: Hulu, Prime Video
As it ushered in a new era of teen drama, Dawson’s delivered relatable, adolescent angst-filled stories with a side of meta humor in an idyllic small-town package. But I promise, one scene sums up what made the show so brilliant: Joey (Katie Holmes). Pacey (Joshua Jackson). “I remember everything.” – Kat Pettibone, Associate Editor, Film
‘Felicity’
Where to Watch: Hulu
While Dawson’s and Buffy drew viewers in with stories of the both unbearable and euphoric high school experience, Felicity depicted a different coming of age: college. While I was navigating the elementary school halls when the show first premiered in 1998, I was immediately mystified by what life could be like when choices about your future become your own. Felicity (Keri Russell) had a different way about her than other leading ladies. She was awkward and shy and always a little bit lost, which felt relatable and comforting. Yet despite her flaws, she still found herself in a love triangle with Scott Foley and Scott Speedman, which made the idea of higher education even more alluring. Many people condemn the show for making Russell chop all her hair off during the season 2 premiere – causing a massive drop in ratings — but for prepubescent me, I felt empowered to make bold choices for myself when it matters. (And Russell totally rocked that haircut, by the way). – KP
‘Roswell’
Where to Watch: Hulu, Disney+, AppleTV+
Kids today may be familiar with Max, Liz, Maria, Michael and Isabel from The CW’s Roswell: New Mexico, but the legacy all began in 1999 with the OG series. The most romantic story about teenage aliens to ever be told, Roswell expanded The WB’s supernatural universe from vampires on Buffy to something else entirely, playing on what it’s like to be a teenage outcast. The show only lasted for three seasons — with only the first two airing on The WB — but still managed to create some of the most iconic (and underrated) couples in history: soulmates Max (Jason Behr) and Liz (Shiri Appleby), and on and off again Michael (Brendan Fehr) and Maria (Majandra Deflino). If you want to talk about actors with chemistry, just press play on the season 1 episode “Sexual Healing.” – KP
‘Charmed’
Where to Watch: Peacock, Prime Video
Halliwell sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Paige (Rose McGowan), epitomized ‘90s cool thanks to their magical powers and killer style. Seeing them vanquish evil with the “power of three” made me want a witch sib ASAP. Plus, their San Francisco pad and P3 nightclub were total #goals. – Johnni Mackie, Senior Digital TV Writer
‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’
Where to Watch: Disney+, Hulu
Fun Fact: Sabrina the Teenage Witch didn’t originate on The WB. The movie, starring Melissa Joan Hart, aired on Showtime in 1996 before being picked up as a series for part of ABC’s “TGIF” lineup. The WB acquired the show in season 5 after ABC refused to pick the show up for more than one season, hoping to expand its comedy genre.
In a lot of ways, Sabrina grew as I grew. What started as appointment viewing as a kid on “TGIF” alongside Boy Meets World transitioned into my teenage viewing experience alongside Dawson’s and Roswell. Sabrina was effervescent, funny and served as an endless fashion inspo for seven seasons. Just don’t get me started on Josh (David Lascher) and Aaron (Dylan Neal) — Harvey (Nate Richert) and Sabrina remain my OTP to this day! – KP
‘Popular’
Where to Watch: YouTube
If you thought Ryan Murphy’s first foray into the teen dramedy was Glee, you’d be wrong. Popular was his first YA hit, breaking the mold of everything I’d ever seen on The WB before. The tone was satirical and dark, exploring and blurring the line between teenage have and have-nots. Where other shows were earnest and melodramatic, Popular was all camp and comedy, marching to the beat of its own drum — and showing just what Murphy could do. There was body diversity, queer characters and a point of view that couldn’t be denied. This underrated gem deserved so much more than two seasons. – KP
‘Young Americans’
Where to Watch: YouTube
Young Americans only lasted one season but it delivered the same small town angst-ridden vibes as its sister show, Dawson’s Creek, swapping Capeside for New Rawley. The show’s supporting cast was filled with future stars that included Kate Bosworth, Ian Somerhalder and Katherine Moennig, whose character Jacqueling “Jake” Pratt broke the mold by exploring gender identity and sexuality in ways other shows never had. – KP
‘Everwood’
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
This drama was set in the snowy mountains of Colorado, but Everwood absolutely warmed my heart for four seasons. Even though the show deftly tackled grief and mental health (discussing antidepressants and therapy long before they were commonly discussed), it managed to be an uplifting and hopeful story of families and community coming together to get through their hardest times. – NM
‘Supernatural’
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max
I first met Sam (Jared Padelecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) on The WB, and then spent 14 more seasons with the brothers on The CW. While the fun takes on mythology and classic rock soundtrack certainly make the show memorable, it was really Ackles and Padalecki’s chemistry (OK, and bone structure) as the wayward Winchester sons that allowed Supernatural to carry on for so long — and made me a lifelong member of the SPN fam. – NM
‘Summerland’
Where to Watch: N/A (Come on streaming services, get on it!)
Jesse McCartney and a young Zac Efron (gap in his teeth and all!) was almost too much for Us to take. Lori Loughlin led the young cast for two seasons as they hit the beaches of the fictional city of Playa Linda, California to surf, navigate teenage angst and troubled classmates. Alexa, play “Beautiful Day” by Steve Plunkett. – SH
‘7th Heaven’
Where to Watch: Paramount+, Amazon Prime
Looking back, there are endless elements to 7th Heaven that make you cringe — and plenty of TikToks dedicated to the most absurd story lines. But at the time, we were all addicted to the Camden family drama. Who could forget Ashlee Simpson’s stint as a janitor? Or that time Lucy (Beverley Mitchell) went into labor in an elevator? This Us staffer will even admit that she wanted to name her first child Savannah after Lucy and Kevin Kinkirk (George Stults). – SH
One Tree Hill
Where to Watch: Hulu
Nothing says early-2000s drama quite like One Tree Hill, which pitted half-brothers Nathan (James Lafferty) and Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) against each other both on and off the basketball court. Throughout the series, the siblings realized that their dad, Dan (Paul Johansson), was the actual worst — and that you probably shouldn’t hook up with the same girls who are also best friends. I’m looking at you, Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton Morgan).
Amid all the drama — seriously, think soap opera levels — OTH made me fall in love with high school sports and pine for a love like Nathan and Haley’s (Bethany Joy Lenz). Oh, and yes, I did want to shop at Clothes Over Bros on the regular and hang out at the river court. Who didn’t?
Trust me, even if you don’t like basketball, this series is worth a rewatch. It’s a quintessential WB show packed with angst, love triangles and killer music. — JM
‘Smallville’
Where to Watch: Disney+, Hulu
It’s hard to recall in the era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but comic books were not always such an inescapable part of pop culture. Back in 2001, there was no Arrowverse (R.I.P.) — there was just Smallville, The WB’s beloved drama about Superman before he was Superman. The show followed a teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as he dealt with crushes, bullies and other vagaries of high school while adjusting to his ever-increasing superpowers. (While he starts the show able to run faster than a speeding bullet, he doesn’t develop heat vision, for example, until season 2.) Some of Smallville’s special effects look dated nearly 25 years later, but the show’s core theme — staying true to yourself in the face of a challenge and/or Lex Luthor — remains timeless. – Eliza Thompson, Senior Movies Editor
