This document discusses common clichés, storylines, characters, settings, issues, iconography, and style elements found in teen drama films and television shows. Some typical clichéd characters include loners, goths, jocks, cheerleaders, artists, and nerds. Common storylines involve a nerdy girl liking a popular boy, social divides between cliques, and an outsider standing up to school bullies. Typical settings are high school hallways, classrooms, sports facilities, and students' homes. Issues addressed may include feeling unhappy with one's life, losing one's identity, and falling outs between friends. Iconography often features school lockers, technology, and underage drinking. Style is

2. Cliché’sTypes of Cliché’s
o Loners
o Goths
o Jockeys
o Cheerleaders
o Art and actors
o Geeks/Nerds
o People who aren't
in the cliché
(usually the
protagonist)
Story Line Clichés:
o Nerdy girl likes popular boy who
doesn’t know who she is, by the end
they get together.
o There is a massive divide between all
the ‘cliques’ however an outsider is
trying to break the rules of stereo
types.
o There is a school bully in the school
and eventually the people being
bullied stand up for them.

3. Character Stereotypes
The Nerd: Shirt and
tie, glasses, really
clever, socially
awkward.
The Jock: Bully,
confident, good
looking, tall and
muscly and popular.
The ‘New Girl’ : Breaks the
stereotype, kind, intriguing,
‘outsider’ , shy.
The Cheerleader: Pretty, airhead,
popular, dating the jocks.

4. Settings
High School:
o Corridor
o Classroom
o Sports Hall
o Locker Room
o Playing Field
o Car Park
o Cafeteria
Students House:
o Bedroom
o Kitchen
o Garden
o Swimming Pool
o Front Door

5. Issues And problems
In almost all teen dramas there is a
problem or issue that the protagonist has
to face. These are some of the dramas they
might be faced with:
Hating Life: 'The Edge of Seventeen'
is a prime example of a teen drama
where the main character is not
happy with her life and who she is.
Some teen films also use the idea of
the protagonist feeling like they are
stuck in the small town they live in
and feel that there is more to life
outside.
Loss of identity: Commonly in a teen drama film the
protagonist 'forgets who they are' and their personality
changes. An example of this is in mean girls when protagonist
(Cady|)becomes friend with the bully (Regina) to become more
popular. Another
example of this is in Reality High where the nerdy protagonist
is taken under the wing of her ex friend (Alexa) she forgets who
her real friends are.
Fall out with friends:
Commonly there is an argument
between the friendship group in a
teen drama, however it is likely within
a teen drama that they make up by
the end of the film.

6. Iconography
: the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject
In a teen drama it is
very typical to have
lockers as they are often
set within a school, most
commonly high school.
Technology also
comes up very
frequently in a
teen drama
Alcohol and under aged drinking
is also often associated with teen
dramas as there is often a high
school party.
Sounds like school bells
are also very common in
a teen drama as they are
often set in high school

7. Style
The common style in a teen
drama is often very colourful.
For example in Juno: the colour
style here is mainly orange and
white
Mean girls has a very
obvious style which is pink.
This helps to show off the
girls materialistic
personalities.