TV Shows as Taylor Swift Eras: Abbott Elementary, Bridgerton, and More

Whether you know her from one of her songs that played constantly on the radio or from the media coming out of the Eras Tour, almost everyone has heard of Taylor Swift.

She is a storyteller and has managed to put into words feelings that sometimes can’t even be explained.

People all over the world relate to music and consider it an escape from reality. The same can be said about television; it invites us into fictional worlds that allow us to escape reality, even for just a moment.

It should be no surprise that Taylor’s lyrics fit perfectly with television shows, old and new, and so we’ve decided to take on the task of selecting a television show that best fits each one of Taylor’s eras.

Here are our picks for what TV show best fits one of Taylor’s eras:

1. Taylor Swift – Abbott Elementary

Taylor Swift’s self-titled album stole people’s hearts, broke multiple records, and started her rise to fame. The same can be said about Abbott Elementary, a mockumentary sitcom set in a public school.

Janine Teagues, in particular, represents the spirit that is encapsulated in the album. She is trying to find her voice and what she wants her legacy to be. 

She’s bright-eyed and hopeful, believing despite all the odds facing her fellow teachers at Abbott, that they can make a difference in their student’s lives.

The album is also about creating something beautiful, and that is what all the teachers at Abbott are doing, making the best of it despite the setbacks that they have due to being underfunded.

There are also quite a few tracks that aptly describe Janine and Gregory’s romance.

Key Tracks: I’m Only Me When I’m With You, Our Song, A Place In This World, A Perfectly Good Heart

2. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is all about the changes and experiences that come with growing up and entering a new chapter in life. For Taylor, it’s high school, and for Percy, it’s finding out he’s a demigod.

Percy has to be brave in the face of uncertainty and put trust in his heart, which is a theme throughout the album.

He’s navigating a new world, full of gods and their complicated family histories. And like Fearless-era Taylor, Percy puts his trust in those around him, and it’s the love for his mother that keeps him grounded and determined to see his quest through.

Both Taylor and Percy go through a lot of change, and they embrace these new versions of themselves.

Key Tracks: Fifteen, The Best Day, Jump Then Fall, Change, You’re Not Sorry

3. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – Bridgerton

Love is magical and whimsical.

Sometimes, there is a sense of otherworldliness with how wonderful it can feel to be with your person. Those feelings are captured in Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), as well as the negative sides of love, urging its listener not to be blindsided by the magic of it all.

One show that manages to encompass that whimsy and hardship is Bridgerton.

The show explores not only the joy of falling in love but how much work relationships require. Love doesn’t come easily, and we’ve seen Daphne and Anthony both have to fight for their happily ever afters with the person they love.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) starts with love at first sight, and then it delves into all the emotions that come with it, including the jealousy and the torment of falling in love with someone who perhaps will never be able to love you back, something that far too many characters can relate to on Bridgerton.

Key Tracks: Sparks Fly, Better Than Revenge, The Story Of Us, Electric Touch, Enchanted, Haunted, Ours

4. Red (Taylor’s Version) – Ted Lasso

Red (Taylor’s Version) is intense, fun, and heartbreaking, which can also describe Ted Lasso.

It’s not as sonically cohesive as her other albums as it combines different sounds and musical styles, representing the instability of her life then.

The album’s sound is reminiscent of the entirety of Richmond. Throughout the series, the team goes through some growing pains, as they learn to adapt to Ted’s style of coaching and work together as a team. Eventually, they come together to create something beautiful.

Ted and Rebecca are one of the biggest “will they won’t they” pairings of the 2020s. For three seasons, we hoped that they would finally acknowledge their feelings towards each other, only for it not to come to fruition.

Red (Taylor’s Version) could just be about them since it is also about the mark that relationships can leave on a person. However, the album ends on a hopeful note, which is the heart of Ted Lasso — hope despite all the circumstances that get in the way.

Key Tracks: Red, State Of Grace, I Knew You Were Trouble, I Bet You Think About Me, All Too Well, Everything Has Changed, Begin Again, Message In A Bottle

5. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – The X-Files

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is an album that changed the trajectory of Taylor Swift’s career. She transitions into the pop world, leaving country music behind. Leaving what you are familiar with behind and jumping into uncertainty is how the plot of The X-Files can be best described.

This kind of drastic turn in her life is comparable to the one that happens to Dana Scully when she meets Fox Mulder and starts working on The X Files. Scully’s life is turned upside down as she falls down the rabbit hole — Alice in Wonderland imagery is present in the album.

Mulder and Scully spent a lot of time hiding and going against the rules to be able to solve the mysterious cases that keep appearing, as well as the conspiracies going on with the FBI and the government. It is all a massive secret, and an underlying message in 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is secrecy and not wanting the public to interfere in what you hold most dear.

Key Tracks: Wonderland, I Know Places, All You Had To Do Was Stay, Wildest Dreams, I Wish You Would, Stay Don’t Go, Is It Over Now?, Out Of The Woods

6. reputation – Yellowjackets

reputation is a response to the biggest scandal in Taylor’s career so far, and she was forever changed in the eyes of the public.

The same can be said about Showtime’s Yellowjackets. A beloved soccer team is stranded in the woods after a plane crash, and they resort to horrible things to be able to survive. When they return, people view them differently, and they too have changed.

The people they were before that crash are gone, much like the old Taylor.

A recurring theme in the album is the lack of remorse over one’s actions. Despite all the consequences that Taylor suffered, it all led her to feel more confident in herself. With the survivors of the crash, they did what they had to survive. Some regret it while some don’t, even if that ends up making them villains.

The Yellowjackets seemed to have everything going for them, they had post-graduation plans, but that fateful plane crash ruined everything and even after surviving, they could not simply go back to their old lives.

Key Tracks: Look What You Made Me Do, Delicate, Don’t Blame Me, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, I Did Something Bad

7. Lover – Hannibal

Lover is known to be one of Taylor Swift’s happiest albums where she wrote about how wonderful it is to be in love. Why not dedicate it to one of the greatest love stories, Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter from Hannibal?

Comparing this album to Hannibal is far-fetched, but some themes in Lover are not as happy — Taylor writes about her anxiety about her relationship. Hannibal and Will caused each other a lot of pain throughout their relationship.

Lover also explores loss and hoping things will get better. If there is something that can encompass the murder husbands, it is the mutual belief that they will heal each other. Will believes that Hannibal can leave his murderous tendencies behind, and Hannibal wants Will to embrace his dark self and be who he is meant to be.

They want each to get better in their own way.

Key Tracks: Lover, Death By A Thousand Cuts, I Forgot That You Existed, The Man, False God, Soon You’ll Get Better

8. folklore – Fleabag

folklore is an album that explores the grief of losing others and yourself. It is about reminiscing, discovering different versions of yourself, and trying to escape your reality. What better show to represent that album than Fleabag?

The underlying message of the album is that despite being broken, you still try to show your best self to others. Fleabag is trying her best.

She is navigating her grief, running her business, and showing up for her family, all while trying to be a better person. The people around her criticize how she is living her life, but she knows that she is trying her best and that is what matters at the end of the day.

folklore explores secret romances, and how to move on after an affair that consumed part of your life. The romance between Fleabag and the hot Priest was short-lived but impactful. They healed, figured out who they were meant to be, and realized that to be their best versions, they must be apart.

Key Tracks: mirrorball, this is me trying, invisible string, illicit affairs, august, exile, mad woman

9. evermore – Daisy Jones & The Six

There are times that we are stuck in a fantasy that we so desperately want to live in, but unfortunately, that is not what reality is. Enter evermore, the sister album to folklore. This album is the equivalent of standing outside the window, looking at the life that is missing or yearning for.

Daisy Jones & The Six understands yearning. It’s a story about rock and roll, and two people who could never be together because they would be each other’s ruin. That is the path that Daisy and Billy were heading down, had they not had the courage to realize it and end the band when they did.

The remaining members of the band reminisce about the glory days, and what they accomplished in such a short time. The concept of memory is one deeply engrained in the album. It reflects on those moments that haunt you, causing you to feel stuck because you’re unable to move on from a traumatic experience.

The remnants of the band’s days living in the haze of rock and roll will be with them forever, as will the hurt they caused each other.

Key Tracks: ivy, tolerate it, champagne problems, long story short, right where you left me, it’s time to go

10. Midnights – Interview With The Vampire

Some memories haunt you and keep you awake at night, tossing and turning, as they come flowing back. That is how Taylor Swift describes Midnights; it is an album of various sleepless nights throughout her life.

On Interview With The Vampire, Louis recounts the relationship between him and his former lover Lestat. He has plenty of memories to keep him up at night, cursing Lestat’s name and reminiscing about their time together.

Lestat is a fascinating character. He is terrifying, manipulative, and intense; the complete opposite of Louis.

You could argue that he is similar to the Taylor that is presented in this album. A Taylor who gave a lot, and received little in return. That is how Lestat feels. He gave everything to Louis and felt like he was betrayed instead.

Lestat and Louis are still in the thick of their own great war.

Key Tracks: Lavender Haze, Anti Hero, Labyrinth, Midnight Rain, Mastermind, Bigger Than The Whole Sky, The Great War

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