The Mothers (International title: Shattered Bonds)

Drama, Nova TV Bulgaria/Beta Film



Rooted in Teodora Dimova’s acclaimed novel from 2005 and reframed for contemporary audiences, the Bulgarian drama series The Mothers (sold internationally as Shattered Bonds by Beta Film) takes an unflinching look at youth violence, fractured families, and the silent wounds passed down through generations. The series premiered on March 20, 2025.

Six teenagers—Andrea, Leah, Dana, Alexander, Nikola, and Deyan—form an extraordinary bond with their new teacher, Yavora. At first, she seems unremarkable, just another face in the faculty. But under her guidance, their grades improve, their camaraderie deepens, and they transform into kinder, more empathetic individuals. Their closeness, however, alarms the kids’ parents, who see Yavora as a threat. As the pressure to break them apart grows, the teens cling to her, viewing Yavora as their only refuge in an increasingly hostile world. Through the lens of the six teens’ personal and family struggles, their stories reach a climax on the day Yavora invites them to meet her in a park near the school. But the meeting, meant to bring solace, leads to devastation as they’re torn from their last source of unconditional support.



The Teacher

Sitcom format, Sony Pictures Television



T his sitcom, originating from Germany, has been adapted by Paprika Studios for Voyo/Nova in Czechia, RTL in Hungary, Markiza in Slovakia and for POP TV in Slovenia. The show also saw two seasons on Romanian market leader PRO TV between 2019 and 2021, which puts it among the most-adapted fiction formats in the region.

A charismatic professor with heart and “not so classical” teaching methods helps his students alongside their vital issues and questions.

The German Der Lehrer revolves around the teacher Stefan Vollmer who teaches German, Science and PE. After 10 years he comes back to be a teacher again. His new school turns out to be very problematic with students hanging around in the halls and not listening to teachers. Vollmer becomes expert for the so-called “G-Kurs” which is the most chaotic class in the school. With new and unconventional methods, he finally succeeds to come through to his students and change their attitude against school.



Belfer (International title: The Teach)

Crime thriller, Canal+



This Polish series which saw a total of 3 seasons and premiered in October 2016 follows Paweł Zawadzki, a high school teacher who moves from Warsaw to a small town and becomes a private investigator after a student’s mysterious death.

The show delves into secrets, lies, and dark events in a school setting, exploring themes of youth rebellion, crime, and societal pressures. While it focuses more on mystery than explicit school violence, it touches on the darker side of adolescent life and school environments.

The first season of ten episodes was a rating success for Canal + as it broke their all-time record and won two awards, including Best TV Series at the Polish Film Awards. A second season of eight episodes began in October 2017. After a gap of six years, a third season of eight episodes was broadcast from September 2023.



The Teacher

Drama, NOW TV/Medyapim



Öğretmen (The Teacher) is a Turkish television series of the youth, psychological thriller and drama genre, produced by Medyapım and MF Yapım, whose first episode was released on March 4, 2020. It is adapted from the Japanese format Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom. The main character is an unassuming art teacher who came to the school two years ago. It is ten days before graduation and the students’ high school days are about to come to an end uneventfully--or so it seemed. The teacher gathers his 29 students and says, “From this moment, you are my hostages.”

A blast rips through the campus and the kids are flustered. In an instant, the teacher-student relationship turns into a criminal-hostage relationship. This is the beginning of their “final class,” which is about the truth behind the suicide of their classmate a few months ago.



Shame/Skam

Drama, HRT/Beta Film



A Croatian adaptation of the Norwegian series Skam, Shame (Sram) delves into the lives of high school students in Zagreb, exploring themes of friendship, romance, and mental health. The first season centers on Eva, a new student navigating complex social dynamics, while the second season shifts focus to her friend Nora and her evolving relationships. The series was immediately renewed for a second season, which premiered on April 26. It centers on Nora, who became Eva’s friend at the start of the first season. The season continues the storyline between Nora and Roko, which began in the first season.

In addition to these topics, the format of the series is also intriguing as it consists of at least 5 sequences posted on social networks marked with the day of the week and the exact time, which creates the impression that the main action takes place in real time, while the complete episode is shown on TV once a week. The title of the series describes a feeling, which is typical for adolescence and the process of maturation, which includes challenges such as the lack of self-confidence and finding one’s own place in the world.



The School

Drama, 1+1



As Ukraine’s first teen drama, The School portrays the everyday challenges faced by students in a contemporary Ukrainian school. The series gained significant popularity, becoming the highest-rated Ukrainian TV series during its initial run in fall/winter 2017-2018. The final, third season The School. Graduation was broadcast in March 2019.

A couple of young teachers by an accident get a job in one of the Ukrainian schools. Successful businesswoman Kateryna becomes an economics teacher to get along with her daughter. She gets acquainted with a new English teacher, Alex. Soon this job changes their lives because they’ve never experienced it before. The school challenges them. In school they act like they act in everyday life, and an incorrectly written lesson plan or a school journal attendance log not filled in on time can be the reason for dismissal.

Much attention is paid to the actual problems which schoolchildren have to deal with: bullying, misunderstanding in the family, bribes, and cabals in the teaching staff and among the schoolchildren.



Early Swallows

Drama, Novy



This groundbreaking series tackles sensitive issues such as bullying, online harassment, sexual identity, and suicide. Early Swallows was lauded for its candid portrayal of adolescent struggles, leading to a substantial increase in calls to mental health helplines in Ukraine.

The first episode aired in November 2019. The televised episodes attracted a viewership of six million viewers on live-to-air television and millions more viewers online. According to BBC News the series was “pretty much the first time that adolescent LGBT identity had been portrayed on Ukrainian TV”. The second season of the show was broadcast in December 2020.

The series focuses on the contemporary life and the problems Ukrainian high-school students face - growing up, puberty, self-acceptance and the formation of personality. The plot revolves around the investigation of Olha Makarova, who is tasked with revealing the death of a teenager. She will have to delve into the terrible secrets of schoolchildren and their parents to find out: it was a suicide, or a guy was deliberately pushed from the roof of a high-rise building.



Sexta

Drama, JOJ



In April Slovak net JOJ announced a new original family series project called Sexta which it started filming the same month. Local media call it a “rival” to Markiza’s The Teacher.

The series will have a large Czech-Slovak overlap, both in the creative team and among the actors. One of the central faces will be the young 20-year-old Czech acting star Tomáš Sean Pšenička who played one of the main characters in the teenage series Sex O’Clock on the Voyo platform.

He recently won the Czech Lion award for a supporting character in the film Vlny. In Sexta, he will play a student, his parents will be played by Vica Kerekes and Stanislav Majer.



The Defender

Drama, CT



This impactful series presents ten standalone episodes, each depicting real-life inspired stories from Czech schools. Topics include religious expression, mental health, and teacher-student relationships, providing a raw and authentic look into the challenges faced within the educational system.

The ten-part series based on real cases which shook the Czech education system premiered in 2021. All the affairs are dealt with by the School Ombudsman, Aleš Pelán, who seeks a just solution for all, often in defiance of the system and accepted customs. For example, he attempts to discover what led to the murder of a care worker in a children’s home, what one can do when an aggressive child joins a class, who carries the guilt when a child dies on a school outing, what can possibly be done with a 13-year old girl who has never gone to school or uncovers sexual abuse of teenage boys at a Secondary School. His task, above all, is to protect, in other words, establish who is the victim and who the aggressor. Where lies the cause in the given environment in which children, as well as adults, are the victims more often than we like to admit to ourselves. Amongst the parents, teachers, students and pupils are inconspicuous heroes on a daily basis. Highlighting their stories and defending those in dire straits is the aim of the series.



In 2024 Czech Television announced series Ratolesti which was called thematical sequel to The Defender. It is set for broadcast in 2025.

Other teenage drama titles from Turkey worth noting are One More Chance (Tozluyaka), set at an elite high school, where three kids from the wrong side of the tracks investigate their friend’s suspicious suicide. They start by following a mystery but eventually discover an exciting new life among Istanbul’s super-wealthy – and a glimmer of hope for their future. The FOX series aired in 2022. Also older popular titles include Arka Sıradakiler (Those at the Back Row) - again on FOX 2007-2012; Kardeşlerim (For My Family) – ATV (2021–present); Duy Beni (Hear Me) – Star TV (2022); etc.

Numerous Central and Eastern European YA series, much like Netflix’s Adolescence, follow universal teenage experiences—angst, love, and the search for identity mixed with the region’s distinct historical and social landscape. These shows capture the essence of youth with a sincerity that rivals Adolescence’s global impact. As global audiences increasingly seek authentic, diverse narratives, CEE’s contributions to the genre prove that the struggles and triumphs of adolescence know no borders.