As a millennial, I feel strongly that the early Noughties were the golden age of young adult television. Soapy shows like Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and The OC dominated my teen life (when I wasn’t on MSN Messenger or playing The Sims, of course).
I might be biased but this era – where a murderous father’s heart transplants gets eaten by a dog, or a teenager shoots her situationship’s big brother to the tune of Imogen Heap – has felt like it hasn’t had a worthy successor – until now.
Sure we’ve had some good YA shows; Never Have I Ever was a solid high school comedy with a dollop of young grief, Heartstopper is the super sweet LGBTQ+ show we all wished we had when we were younger, then there was 13 Reasons Why (the less said on that the better), then finally The Summer I Turned Pretty, which rebirthed the whole genre very impressively for saying that nothing really happens in it – but when I walk about successors I mean true, ridiculous, high stakes drama, and Sterling Point is the show that really took me back to the days of my teenage, E4-watching life – and I enjoyed every moment of it.
For the uninitiated, Sterling Point is a Prime Video show where a young woman, Annie, discovers that her adopted mother’s father has left her an Canadian island following his passing – as well as a whole mountain of deliciously dramatic family secrets, leading her to visit the island to discover more about her heritage, meeting a ragtag bunch of gorgeous island locals along the way and landing herself head first into a very fun love triangle between the rich and funny Rory and the poor, serious, very good looking Ellis.
Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin) in Sterling PointSabrina Lantos/Prime Video
Not only is the triangle genuinely great – I personally have no idea who I’m rooting for more – each episode has more action in it than the last, just when you think there can be no more revelations, another one lands, and honestly what I like the most about it is that it is funny.
Rory (Daniel Quinn-Toye), Oona (Bo Bragason), Ellis (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie) in Sterling PointCourtesy of Prime
Shows like Heartstopper and The Summer I Turned Pretty might have had their moments, but Sterling Point revives the whipsmart, quippy banter of characters like Seth from The OC or Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl – as a reminder that yes, teenagers can be very funny and just have a surface level good time without being introspective and miserable about absolutely everything.
Since the show is already renewed for season two, I can’t wait to get stuck back in with my favourite new, messy, somehow deeply nostalgic show – so ultimately, if you’re ready to trade teen angst for pure soapy fun, this is the must-watch for you too!
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