These TV series crushes that defined our adolescence

If you grew up in the 90s or 2000s, you definitely had at least one crush…
which did not exist.

Before streaming platforms. Before binge-watching.
When missing an episode was a national tragedy.

And above all… when certain characters made us watch the episodes with great interest.

Characters we looked forward to every week, with posters taped to the wall, sometimes a little secretly.

A quick overview of our American TV series crushes from the 90s and 2000s, the ones we've never completely forgotten.

Dylan McKay – Beverly Hills 90210

The founding crush

Leather jacket. Dark gaze. Perpetual existential problems.

Dylan was the first TV bad boy for many of us.
He who suffered, who loved deeply, and who always seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

👉 Clearly, he sparked our attraction to complicated boys. Thanks, Dylan. Really.

Pacey Witter – Dawson

The crush that wins over time

At first, we didn't necessarily see it.
And then, episode after episode… it was impossible to fight back.

Pacey was funny, tender, loyal, sometimes clumsy.
The kind of character who doesn't make much noise but ends up stealing the show.

👉 A crush that has aged very well, and that we would still choose today without hesitation.

Angel – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The tragic crush

Angel was impossible love, tortured vampire version.
Always serious. Always somber.

An intense, dramatic crush, with many heavy silences and meaningful glances.

👉 Very romantic. Very adolescent. Very serious.

Lucas Scott – One Tree Hill

The melancholic crush

Lucas was writing.
He was looking out the window and always seemed a little distant.

He was the crush of sensitive teens, those who liked boys who seemed to think too hard.
A mix of sweetness, unspoken words, and worn sneakers.

👉 Very introspective. Very 2000s.

Dan Humphrey – Gossip Girl

The intellectual crush (at the beginning)

Before things get complicated.

Dan was the outsider, the boy who wrote, who observed, who seemed different.
A more discreet, more “thought-out” crush.

👉 Many changed their minds along the way. But at the beginning, it worked.

Drazic – Hartley High

The Australian crush that made us lose all sense of judgment

Drazic was chaos incarnate.
Australian accent. Dark gaze. Rebellious attitude.
Always on the verge of doing something stupid… or taking off on a scooter.

He respected nothing, except perhaps his own rules.
And obviously, that was more than enough.

👉 Lots of crushes, zero emotional stability.
But what charisma!.

Zack Morris – Saved by the Bell

The perfect (and slightly annoying) American crush

Zack had it all: the smile, the confidence, the harebrained schemes, the ability to talk to the camera

It's impossible not to notice it.
Even when he was unbearable, he remained charming.

👉 The ultimate popular crush.

👉 It was impossible to escape it at the time. Absolutely impossible.

Why do we still remember it?

Because these characters accompanied:

• our afternoons
• our evenings
• our first television emotions

They are associated with a specific time, a sofa, a theme song, a younger version of ourselves.

And even if our tastes have changed…
All it takes is one rerun episode for everything to come back.