The summer that teen dramas turned back the clock for adults

The series has been a runaway hit for Amazon. An estimated 25 million people around the world tuned into the first episode of its third – and final – series, and it has been confirmed as one of the streamer’s most popular returning TV shows ever.

Based on author Jenny Han’s young adult trilogy of the same name, the American coming-of-age drama follows Belly Conklin as she stumbles her way through a love triangle with two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.

But the show’s success goes beyond teens. According to Amazon, it is most popular among women aged between 18-35, particularly millennials. It has become a cultural talking point – and meme machine – to the extent that American football players readily state whether they are “team Jeremiah” or “team Conrad” in training interviews with ESPN.

The show is part of a wider young adult (YA) revival, particularly the trope of “teams”, says screenwriter Tianna Johnson. “[TSITP] brings back the dynamics of him vs him, which was central to 21st-century teen girl fiction – Twilight and The Hunger Games.” The Twilight franchise is returning to cinemas next month, and Netflix has bet big on teen dramas XO, Kitty, My Life with the Walter Boys and Ginny & Georgia.

“I always enjoy high school shows, probably more now than when I actually was that age,” says Fleurine Tideman, a 28-year-old fan. “I think shows like TSITP let me relive that time period, but in a more glamorous and exciting way. It also is just so fun to discuss with friends after.”

Olivia Petter, a journalist and author of the book Millennial Love, says that recent YA shows are reminiscent of 1990s and 2000s TV shows such as One Tree Hill and The OC, which millennials grew up watching.

“It is also down to the fact that the [TSITP] episodes are released weekly instead of all at once. Again, this is how we watched TV when we were growing up. It builds anticipation and a sense of community as fans of the show discuss it in the run-up to new episodes,” Petter explains. “Then there’s the soundtrack.” It can feel like Taylor Swift is in every episode, often more than once, she says. “It gives TSITP a very Swift-coded fanbase.”

It’s not all nostalgia, though. “What is interesting about watching TSITP as an adult is recognising how my views on the kind of relationship I dreamed about as a teenager is, in fact, my worst nightmare,” says Marina Gonz, 26. “Having to go through the trials and tribulations of miscommunication and men’s inability to effectively communicate their feelings? No, thank you!”

Photographs by Erika Doss/Amazon, Park Young-Sol/Netflix