Parents' Guide to Young Royals

Naturalistic and gripping, this Swedish import transcends the cliché it could have been and becomes something more unusual: a teen drama that actually feels like it could be telling a true story. When viewers first meet Prince Wilhelm in Young Royals, he's brawling in a club; moments later, he's being called on the carpet, literally, by his parents, tasked with giving a public apology for his mistakes of the night before and announcing his enrollment at the elite boarding school his brother attended. And so the plot is set into motion, with privileged teens behaving badly, improbably riotous teen parties, boarding school bullies, and all the other clichés of glitzy series about rich kids in trouble. And yet, the show's filming style alerts viewers that something different is afoot here: The lighting is realistic, not glossy; the characters have texture to their skin (and zits!); the teens look awkward and imperfect, like they're the right age for their roles.

There's something fascinating, too, in all the posturing––high school personal politics with a large dash of classism. Wilhelm's classmate Felice (Nikita Uggla), the richest of rich girls, intends to marry her perceived equal, Wilhelm. The interest of Wilhelm's cousin August simply isn't enough: "His sons won't be princes and princesses," she points out matter-of-factly. Simon, as a "non-res" student (meaning that he lives in town and attends classes at the school by day), is constantly reminded of his status. And yet Wilhelm, given enormous privilege due to his title, is no happier. Being a teen is hard, and it appears that being a royal teen is even harder (if more luxe). But here the turmoil is softened—and sometimes salvaged—by the pull of true love, and it sure is heartening to watch.