Teen TV has never been more Gen Z.

Teen TV has never been more Gen Z. While the new Gossip Girl, Genera+ion, and Riverdale series may have roots in older content (Genera+ion is often dubbed as a modern take on The O.C., while Riverdale is based on the mid-20th century Archie Comics universe), their new storylines have been made over for Gen Z—and for the better. Take the Gossip Girl reboot, a show where the characters are more gender fluid and open than they are Prada obsessed, and two young Black women are the show’s protagonists. Just as the original was “a product and reflection of its time,” the same goes for the reboot which attempts to be more diverse. Genera+ion was also an opportunity to be more realistic about teen experiences as the actors were encouraged to “never tone down any of the show’s plot points” and “turn up the explicitness” when it came to portraying graphic storylines. Creator of Riverdale Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa also notes that he was compelled to “move away from the comic books’ squeaky-clean origins” and says it was important that one of the show’s leads be of color while also exploring the queer backgrounds of the show’s central characters. YPulse’s research has found that Gen Z is one of the most diverse generations yet, and they want all aspects of their diversity to be reflected in the media they consume. (WSJ)