We have seen them all in every television show—stories about love, family, friendship, you name them all. Drama tropes are what attract viewers. Sometimes, mixing them up with other types makes a more interesting and engaging plot.
Whether you love watching sappy, romantic series, or prefer a little bit of paranormal mystery, there is a fitting drama trope for you! Most of the popular television shows these days carry the same tropes as those in the past. They just mix it with a modern twist! Here are the most popular tropes in television drama:
Pregnancy
Stories that explore sex and teenage pregnancy are often dealt with utmost care. A lot of shows such as Juno and The Secret Life of the American Teenager talk about the struggles and consequences of this matter.
More often than not, they also tackle delicate subjects such as abortion and miscarriage. TV shows that have themes like this usually aim for awareness amongst teenagers about the repercussions of premarital and unprotected sex.
Bullying
Harassment and discrimination portrayed in television shows are common plot lines for a lot of high school-themed stories. In the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, Hannah Baker made recordings of every person who bullied and hurt her which led to committing suicide.
Themes like bullying, either in person or in cyberspace, should be handled with care because this might trigger people who are suffering from the same situation.
Murder Mystery
Teenagers turning into detectives is a common trope in most shows nowadays. They would either solve a crime or get involved in one. These teenagers often try to crack the case on their own and sometimes, the crime unfortunately links to them. Some popular mystery shows are Riverdale, True Detective, and Pretty Little Liars. They have quite a predictable but enjoyable plot.
Love Triangle
As cliché as it sounds, the love triangle trope is definitely the tritest of all themes. It involves three people entangled in a complicated relationship and the viewers can actually predict the ending. This kind of show also involves the concept of infidelity and deception. Some examples of popular series of this kind include The Vampire Diaries, Sex and the City, and Gossip Girl.
Upper-Class Socialites
Now, this type of show features teens from upper-class society. They attend prestigious schools and use their power and influence to get what they want. They mostly set the trend and always go to sorority/fraternity parties.
In this trope, the viewers can also witness other types of themes like bullying, sex, and even murder! Famous shows like Elite and Boys Over Flowers fall under this category.
Supernatural
This trope takes place either in a supernatural world or the main characters have supernatural abilities. It is also still quite a common trend in television. Stories about vampires, wolves, zombies, and magic have long been gracing the screens since the beginning. You might know Teen Wolf and The Originals are quite the famous ones among teenagers.
Which television drama tropes are your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments!
