Since everyone loves Veronica Mars, we decided to peek into the depths of Netflix and see if they had anything else in the same vein. You know, other great shows or movies that would appeal to a YA audience. We found some real gems!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Twilight is all well and good, but Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the original teenage vampire story. She doesn't just hang with vampires, though -- she SLAYS them. (Well, most of them.)

Seriously, this show has everything. Action, romance, humor, magic... And Giles! We mustn't forget the brilliant, bumbling librarian whose job is to train Buffy in the art of fighting monsters, keeping our world safe and preventing the Hellmouth from opening.

This, of course, is all set against the backdrop of the "normal" high school experience. So if you're looking for paranormal romance with a literally kick-ass heroine, Buffy's your gal.

(You might recognize David Boreanaz from Bones, or Alyson Hannigan from How I Met Your Mother.)

Dawson's Creek

If you're into the contemporary scene, check out Dawson's Creek. It's the classic boy-doesn't-realize-the-girl-next-door-is-in-love-with-him-because-he's-hot-for-the-new-girl story. With a side of Pacey Whittaker, aka the most lovable loser ever!

As they they traverse the treacherous waters of high school, these four friends banter back and forth with the wit and vocabulary of a John Green novel. There are also a ton of great adult characters -- especially Dawson's grossly in-love parents and Jen Lindley's severe-but-sweet grandmother.

Confession: The college years are not as good, so we give you permission to stop at the end of Season 4.

(You might recognize Joshua Jackson from Fringe, James Van Der Beek from a myriad of guest roles, or Katie Holmes from being married to Tom Cruise.)

Friday Night Lights

This show might be the best ever. (And trust us, it makes no difference if you like football or not.) There are no "good guys" or "bad guys" -- just real people trying to live their lives, reach their goals, and find their loves.

The show centers around Coach and Mrs. Coach, whose strong marriage is a great model of what we'd like to see more of, both in fiction and real life. The teenage characters are who propel the conflict, though. Like the smart, rebellious daughter. Her shy, scrawny boyfriend who gets propelled into the spotlight when the star quarterback suffers a debilitating accident. The alcoholic bad boy and the picture-perfect cheerleader he can't have. The mouthy, arrogant running back who's just trying to make a name for himself so that he can go pro and take care of his family. (Can you that tell we love these characters?)

We dare you to watch a few episodes of this show and not start rooting for the Dillon Panthers. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

(You might recognize Gaius Charles from Grey's Anatomy, Taylor Kitsch from John Carter or Battleship, Kyle Chandler from Argo or Super 8, or Connie Britton from being awesome.)

Clueless

If you don't have the time or emotional energy to invest in a television show, but you still want some good YA laughs, Clueless is the movie for you. Though it might seem like shallow fluff at first -- full of goofy fashion and scheming romance -- it's actually a very clever and hilarious retelling of Emma by Jane Austen. And by the end, you'll probably find yourself using hip 90s slang like "rolling with the homies" or "what-ever," complete with hand motions.

(You might recognize Donald Faison from Scrubs, or Paul Rudd from Perks of Being a Wallflower or lots of Judd Apatow movies.)

Felicity

A lot of you probably know about and watch the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, right? It's the modern day YouTube version of Pride & Prejudice, produced by Hank Green. Well, if you like that -- and particularly if you like Lydia -- you should definitely check out the series Squaresville. It's "a show about growing up and burning brightly."

(If you don't like the LB Diaries… well, you should still check this out. It's awesome!)

Here's the latest episode, which might be my favorite one so far (and it's only 2 min long, so don't even pretend that you don't have the time):



(That question at the end just slays me.)

What you see is what you get: two teenage best friends, snippets of everyday life, and a healthy sense of humor layered on top of real problems and uncertainties.

These are the building blocks of every Squaresville episode. They're also the building blocks of many great YA books...

When I started high school, I went from reading Sweet Valley High and Babysitter's Club (Yay 90's!) to reading only classics. I fell in love with Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and I wanted to read anything that would transport me to another time.

So when I would see a classic story turned into a modern film, I always felt like they kind of missed the point.




I first saw the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in English class my freshman year of high school. Even though I did enjoy it, I never liked it as much as reading it or seeing it acted out on stage with period costumes and posh English accents. 



My feelings changed when I saw BBC’s Sherlock. At its heart, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes aren’t about the costumes and picturesque Victorian streets. They’re about this extraordinary man solving crimes in a way that no one’s seen before and his relationship with this ordinary doctor. When you watch Sherlock, you get to see Holmes as people saw him in 1887 — as a man way ahead of our time. 
Here's a trailer, in case you haven't seen the show.
Now I want to see other classics updated and done just as well. What would Anne Shirley be like in the 21st century? Or Frankenstein and his monster?  
What classic stories would you like to see modernized?