One Tree Hill:
One Tree Hill was all about living. These characters were so human. Some of my favorite episodes had the kids going on road trips, sledding, and just spending time together. Before all of them grew up, went to college and made something of themselves, they made sure to be kids while they could. And not only did this show deal with the happy subjects, seeing Nathan, Haley, Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and all the others at their best, but it also dealt with suicide, depression, a school shooting, and other really screwed up stuff that people sometimes do (and don't) deal with. The writing was pretty fantastic, showing realistic growth and reactions to all the different situations that they were put in.
Gossip Girl:
I have to admit, while there are not a lot of life lessons to take away from Gossip Girl, the characters are quite good at standing up for themselves. None of them took any crap from anyone else, and there was nothing they wouldn't do for each other. There were plenty of juicy secrets and gossip, and whenever a "blast" exploded across the Upper East Side, Blair, Serena, Dan, Nate, and Chuck stopped at nothing to help each other out and get to the bottom of things.
7th Heaven:
In my opinion, the longest-running family drama that is 7th Heaven revolves around nothing but family. The Camden clan always watched out for each other (oldest kid Matt wins my 'Best-TV-Big-Brother' award) and the show tackled various issues, almost all of them coming back to central idea that a family loves each other, protects each other, and forgives each other.
Gilmore Girls:
Gilmore Girls did a great job of giving us those warm, fuzzy feelings. There was no crazy, unbelievable drama, but the friendships developed over the course of the seven seasons were very special. From small town antics to seemingly insignificant plot points that still managed to draw you in, it felt like as soon as you turned on an episode, Stars Hollow welcomed you home.
All of these shows focused on the most important thing in life: relationships (romantic, platonic, and familial). We were created to be around other people and to love, even when people are at their worst. Sometimes it just takes a good show to remind us of that.
