Popular poster
Seen it?

Popular

TV·1999–2001·2 seasons, 43 episodes·The WB·Comedy, Drama·44m·Created by Ryan Murphy, Gina Matthews

Not streaming in your region — see every region's options

Brooke McQueen, a popular cheerleader at Jacqueline Kennedy High School, and Sam McPherson, the editor of the school paper, are polar opposites. When their single parents unexpectedly meet and get engaged, Brooke and Sam have to deal with their new situation on top of regular teenage girl problems.

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01Popular S02E01Timber!S02E01 · 9.0Brooke bonds with her long-lost mother--much to her dad's chagrin. Meanwhile, Lily and Sugar Daddy try to save a tree from being cut down, and Carmen delays telling her friends about her pregnancy.
  2. 02Popular S02E06Style and Substance AbuseS02E06 · 2.0Brooke decides to run for student council president, dropping out of the Homecoming Queen election. She asks Harrison to be her campaign manager. They disagree on mandatory drug testing for students and he quits to run against her. Sam, Carmen, Nic and Mary Cherry get nominated to Homecoming Queen. Sam is motivated by George to run for it, but gets too into the spirit. Carmen is sleeping at the school since she is homeless, and Bobbi Glass invites her to her home. Seeing in Carmen herself in high school, Ms. Glass helps her with the contest (even threatening to give everybody an F if they don't vote for Carmen). Nic and Mary Cherry look for help with Hellacious Arke, a past 3 time Homecoming Queen, who is also Ms. Glass's own ""Nicole"" back in her high school days. Brooke misses Josh and sees him and Lily trying cough syrup while spying on them. Motivated by the recent death of a student of cough syrup overdose, she decides to run her campaign on anti-drug platform. Scared to be caught
  3. 03Popular S02E07Ur-ine TroubleS02E07 · 2.0Harrison reveals that he has been taking medicine for bad headaches, which later turns out to be leukemia. Harrison is forced to withdraw from the campaign and Brooke wins. Sam realizes what she is doing and quits from Homecoming Queen election. Nicole, Mary Cherry and Hellacious team up to beat Carmen in the election and prove that there is no place for her. Reaching as low as publicizing Carm's mom's alcoholism and make her look as an alcoholic teenager. Carmen moves back to her mom's to support her and wins the election. Hellacious tries to cheat, but Principal Krupps busts her. Ms. Glass has her comeback and helps taking all her pictures off the girl's room homecoming queen hall of fame. Lily turns herself in to save Josh, but they are a couple now, and he decides to get punished with her.

Castfull cast & details

Episodes by season

Season0122Episodes1999–00AiredSeason avg
  1. S01E01Popular, Round OneSeptember 29, 1999In the series pilot, social opposites Sam and Brooke are paired as lab partners, to the delight of Carmen, who sees it as a chance for Sam t
  2. S01E02Mo' Menace, Mo' ProblemsSeptember 30, 1999Carmen ditches school the day after the cheerleading roster is posted, and Lily refuses to dissect a frog in science class. Meanwhile, Josh'
  3. S01E03Under SiegeOctober 7, 1999Sam writes an exposé about the cheerleaders' school budget, leading to the squad's termination and its remaining funds being redistributed t
  4. S01E04WindstruckOctober 14, 1999Sam and Josh have an embarrassing encounter during a play rehearsal, starting rumors that they are interested in each other. Meanwhile, Broo
  5. S01E05Slumber Party MassacreOctober 21, 1999Members of the cheerleading squad agree to attend Carmen's slumber party, causing Sam to question their motives. At the party, Nicole tries
  6. S01E06Truth or ConsequencesNovember 4, 1999Sam discovers that Nicole, Poppy and Mary Cherry stole the answers to the biology midterm, and she sets out to gather the evidence she needs
  7. S01E07Queen B.November 11, 1999Brooke, Poppy, Mary Cherry and Carmen are nominated for the Junior Court Homecoming Queen and Nicole pressures two of Brooke's opponents to
  8. S01E08Tonight's the NightNovember 18, 1999Sam and Brooke wager on whether or not Sam can land a boyfriend by the end of the week and whether Brooke can prove that her relationship wi
  9. S01E09Wild Wild MessDecember 2, 1999The students embark on finding nominees for "Principal for the Day," while a custodial strike leaves the school a mess. Meanwhile, Brooke fe
  10. S01E10Fall on Your KneesDecember 9, 1999Brooke and Sam are forced to hold their annual Christmas parties together, and Carmen is injured just weeks before the next round of cheerle
  11. S01E11Ex, Lies and VideotapeJanuary 13, 2000Sam gets a chance to produce a segment on a syndicated TV show--with one catch--Brooke is the on-air talent. Meanwhile, Josh must tell his f
  12. S01E12The Trial of Emory DickJanuary 20, 2000Emory puts the popular kids, Bobbi Glass and the lunch lady on trial for harassing him. Sam and Lily volunteer to represent him at the schoo
  13. S01E13Hope in a JarJanuary 27, 2000A Sadie Hawkins dance has most of the students obsessing over their appearances, while Brooke considers inviting a young man of substance. M
  14. S01E14Caged!February 3, 2000Mounting tensions between Sam's friends and Brooke's clique lead to a proposed rumble, but the guys intervene and lock the ladies in a schoo
  15. S01E15Booty CampFebruary 10, 2000Principal Hall forces Josh, Harrison and Sugar Daddy to attend a weekend sensitivity camp after they harass a scantily clad Lily. Sam and Br
  16. S01E16All About AdamFebruary 17, 2000A new male student sets out to join the cheerleading squad--by any means necessary. Meanwhile, Sam bests Brooke in a modeling contest and ne
  17. S01E17Lord of the FilesFebruary 24, 2000A new vice-principal joins Kennedy High and his good looks draw the attention of the female students. Meanwhile, Brooke lies to Carmen about
  18. S01E18Ch-Ch-ChangesApril 20, 2000Harrison campaigns to save the job of the school's shop teacher when the instructor's career is jeopardized by his announcement of plans for
  19. S01E19Hard on the Outside, Soft in the MiddleApril 27, 2000When Sam, Lily and Carmen dye their hair blonde to prove that the popular girls' power is based on their hair color, Brooke and her friends
  20. S01E20We Are FamilyMay 4, 2000Brooke and Sam try to derail their parents' wedding plans by planting false evidence of Mike's infidelity, which leads to a startling announ
  21. S01E21What Makes Sammy RunMay 11, 2000Sam runs away from home and hunts for Brooke's mother, with the hope that the woman will help her put an end to Mike and Jane's wedding plan
  22. S01E22Two Weddings and a FuneralMay 18, 2000Bobbi Glass ruins the annual "skip day" ritual for the popular and alternative kids by faxing their photos to their favorite hangouts so the

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season02Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode21Episodes2000–01Aired 2.4Season avg
  1. S02E01Popular S02E01Season's bestTimber!September 22, 2000 9.0Brooke bonds with her long-lost mother--much to her dad's chagrin. Meanwhile, Lily and Sugar Daddy try to save a tree from being cut down, a
  2. S02E02Popular S02E02Baby, Don't Do It!September 29, 2000Bobbi Glass (with her new nickname, Claws) has a new experiment for the students: they have to take care of baby dolls as if they were real
  3. S02E03Citizen ShameOctober 6, 2000Bobbi Glass's uncle Tipton is coming to town, and she has to find a solution for her lies. All these years she has been telling him about he
  4. S02E04Popular S02E04The Sweetest TabooOctober 13, 2000Nicole, desperate to get back to the Glamazons, tries to bribe and blackmail Principal Krupps. Her attempts fail and she gets Mary Cherry an
  5. S02E05Popular S02E05Joe Loves Mary CherryOctober 20, 2000Nicole is desperate to save her popularity, which is falling since she was banned from the Glamazons. She tells Brooke that she should dump
  6. S02E06Popular S02E06Style and Substance AbuseNovember 3, 2000 2.0Brooke decides to run for student council president, dropping out of the Homecoming Queen election. She asks Harrison to be her campaign man
  7. S02E07Popular S02E07Ur-ine TroubleNovember 10, 2000 2.0Harrison reveals that he has been taking medicine for bad headaches, which later turns out to be leukemia. Harrison is forced to withdraw fr
  8. S02E08Misery Loathes CompanyNovember 17, 2000Harrison is checked in a hospital for treatment for his leukemia. His roommate is a religious fanatic, which makes him quite uncomfortable.
  9. S02E09Are You There God? It's Me, Ann-MargretDecember 8, 2000 1.0Josh and Lily get cast for a play at the school where they have to appear nude in front of each other and everyone, which makes them uncomfo
  10. S02E10The Consequences of FallingDecember 15, 2000 1.0Clarence dies peacefully while talking to Harrison. His death has a deep impact in Harrison's own view of life, and he decides is not worth
  11. S02E11Fire in the HoleJanuary 19, 2001 1.0Sam decides to take her relationship with George to the next level, and he gets scared and says they should wait until they're both ready. B
  12. S02E12The Shocking Possession of Harrison JohnJanuary 26, 2001 2.0After Harrison returns to school since he had his bone marrow transplant, he acts in a weird way, making everybody think he's possessed or s
  13. S02E13Mary CharityFebruary 2, 2001Mary Cherry's clothes and objects are confiscated at school because her mom declared bankruptcy. She mutates into a crappy looking teen tras
  14. S02E14The News of My Death Has Been Greatly ExaggeratedFebruary 23, 2001Lily, Carmen, Mary Cherry and Brooke are peacefully riding Lily's car when they pass by a car crash and notice the Gremlin's license plate,
  15. S02E15It's Greek to MeMarch 2, 2001Nicole's mom is not so happy about her spending time with her birth mom. Judy Julian tries to bribe Nicole's mom so she would disappear. Sha
  16. S02E16FagMarch 9, 2001Lily, in an effort to defend a fellow student who has been suffering jokes about his lifestyle, starts the G.L.A.S.S. (Gay and Lesbian Allia
  17. S02E17CoupMarch 16, 2001With a lot of power in her hands and not so many brain cells in her head, April Tuna is ordered by Principal Krupps to cut one of the school
  18. S02E18The Brain GameApril 27, 2001 2.0Desperately seeking to be popular again, Mary Cherry fails in an audition to a teen talent show. But that didn't stop her, and she decides t
  19. S02E19I Know What You Did Last Spring Break!May 4, 2001 2.0Ms. Glass wants all the students to write down where did they go for Spring Break and how many they slept with, so, in her own words, she ca
  20. S02E20You Don't Tug On Superman's Cape...You Don't Spit Into The Wind...You Don't Pull The Mask Off The Ol' Lone Ranger...May 11, 2001 2.0Sam and Brooke have a quick but intense argument over what each one has done to/with Harrison. Sam does not forgive Brooke for having slept
  21. S02E21PromblemsMay 18, 2001 2.0Sam and Brooke help deliver Jane's baby (in one of tv's fastest labors) and realize that they can't fight over Harrison, so they both agree

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

Shows like Popular all similar shows

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

  1. 01Drama·Comedy·CrimeFargo2014·FXStreaming on HuluFargo is a seasonal anthology crime drama with some dark comical elements, inspired by the film Fargo written by the Coen brothers.8.6Compare
  2. 02Drama·Comedy·CrimeThe Rookie2018–present·ABCStreaming on HuluThe Rookie is inspired by a true story. John Nolan is the oldest rookie in the LAPD.8.0Compare
  3. 03Drama·Comedy·SportsTed Lasso2020–presentStreaming on Apple TVTed Lasso centers on an idealistic — and clueless — all-American football coach hired to manage an English football club — despite having no soccer coaching experience at all.8.1Compare
  4. 04Drama·Comedy·FoodThe Bear2022–present·HuluStreaming on Disney PlusCarmy, a young fine-dining chef, comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop.7.3Compare
  5. 05Drama·Comedy·CrimeTulsa King2022–present·Paramount+Streaming on Paramount Plus PremiumTulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight "The General" Manfredi, just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma.7.6Compare
  6. 06Drama·Comedy·FamilyShameless2011–2021·Paramount+ with ShowtimeStreaming on NetflixShameless is a fiercely engaging and fearlessly twisted series.8.5Compare

Head-to-head pick any opponent

Stack Popular's full episode-rating history against a rival, on one chart.

Keep exploring top shows