Gone Too Soon: "My So-Called Life" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 09-27-2009, 02:00 PM

Gone Too Soon: My So-Called Life
Posted Aug 31st 2009
by Jason Hughes

We've seen all this before. A long time ago, before The WB and UPN built programming models for teen audiences, there was a little show on ABC that nobody really knew what to do with. My So-Called Life tackled teen issues, not in "a very special episode" way, but in a raw, unfiltered way. It was wonderful.

What was it?

[Spoilers Ahead!] Angela Chase was an ordinary kid trying to find herself. She decided that it was time to dump her childhood friends, straight-laced Sharon and geeky Brian, and move on to far more interesting and "grown up" friends, Rayanne and Rickie. Rayanne had sex and Rickie was gay!

The show dealt with Angela's struggles between who she thought she wanted to be, and who she really was inside. Add to that the brooding, handsome bad boy she was desperately in teenage love with and you've already got enough to fill a teen drama.

My So-Called Life took it even further, fleshing out Angela's parents as well. Her mother was the breadwinner, leaving her father feeling a little out of sorts. The show dealt with serious issues throughout it's short run like homosexuality, drugs and alcohol, violence, adultery, abuse and more. It was real life in an era when life on television was generally sugar-coated.

Why did it have to go?

My So-Called Life suffered low ratings; it was facing the heart of NBC's Thursday night line-up. But it had an incredibly strong and faithful following among the teen set. In 1994, nobody was programming network television for a youthful audience. It wasn't until The WB and UPN formed, ironically a couple weeks before My So-Called Life ended, that a network finally saw the value in developing television authentically for teenagers.

ABC was considering renewing the show. In its short 19-episode run it generated tremendous press and outstanding reviews. That's the kind of show you nurture. There was one problem, though: Claire Danes was kind of thinking she was done with television.

The silver screen was calling, and Danes wasn't interested in a second season. Now, there were contracts and all of that, but ABC saw a show with poor ratings and a star who wanted to move on. Why fight to keep her, only to have to probably fight her again for a third season if the show found success?

How do I find out what happens next?

The network was sounding positive, critics loved it and nobody knew that Danes didn't want to come back. The writers felt confident that all this good will would translate into a renewal so the final episode ended on a cliffhanger.

Angela pined for bad boy Jordan, built him up in her mind, got with him, and found out he was a bit of a tool. A beautiful letter he'd written helped to make amends. Only he didn't write it. Brian, the nerdy friend who'd loved Angela for as long as he'd been able to love, did. When she found this out, the two shared an almost intimate moment. In the end, though, she left with Jordan.

I can't find any indications that creator Winnie Holzman planned things out beyond this point. The writing was on the wall, and Holzman's heart wasn't in it any more. What happens next is left to our imagination.

Where did the cast wind up?

Claire Danes (Angela Chase) went on to star in a whole slew of other films. She remains in demand and is one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation.

A.J. Langer (Rayanne Graff) continues in television, with roles on Brooklyn South, Three Sisters and most recently Eyes.

Wilson Cruz (Rickie Vasquez) is an advocate in the LGBT community for young people, especially of color. He continues to act in small roles all over.

Devon Gumemersall (Brian Krakow) went on to several recurring roles on various television series like Felicity, and Roswell, and makes guest appearances on virtually every show on the air.

Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano) moved on to major films like The Thin Red Line and Fight Club, and continues acting. He also formed a band with his brother, 30 Seconds to Mars, whose third album is due out sometime this year.

Tom Irwin (Graham Chase) has remained active in television and movies; he can currently be seen as Father John Hanadarko on Saving Grace.

Lisa Wilhoit (Danielle Chase) appears all over television, but perhaps her most prominent recurring role right now is as the voice of Connie D'Amico, the most popular girl in school and a constant thorn in Meg's side, on Family Guy.

Mary Kay Place (Camille Cherski) worked through various guest roles before landing the role of Adaleen Grant on HBO's Big Love.

Jeff Perry (Richard Katimski) also works the guest role circuit, along with a recurring role as Meredith's father, Thatcher Grey, on Grey's Anatomy.

The rest of the cast can be seen in various guest roles and voice-over work ... or nowhere.

Who cares?

This was one of the first shows to develop a huge internet cult following. The fan-site MSCL.com continues to follow the lives and careers of its cast, as well as offering updates about anything to do with the show.

My So-Called Life is one of the most fondly remembered shows of all time. It constantly ranks high on "best of" lists and is considered by many to be the inspiration for the majority of teen-centric programming on network television since.

When can I see it?

As we reported earlier this month, Hulu is now streaming all 19 episodes any time you want to see it.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/31/go...o-called-life/

TMC · 04-23-2020, 04:40 AM

Does My So-Called Life hold up after a quarter-century?

This TV season marks the 25th anniversary of the short run of the acclaimed ABC teen series starring Claire Danes, Jared Leto and Wilson Cruz. Because of the quarantine, The Hollywood Reporter critics Inkoo Kang and Daniel Fienberg decided to revisit (or, in Kang's case, visit for the first time) My So-Called Life. "Having watched it for the first time this past weekend, over a quarter-century after its debut, I can say that it's a show I admire more than one I connect with," says Kang. "Most teen stories onscreen (your Riverdales, your Buffy the Vampire Slayers, your American Pies) seem to be more about reaching milestones in fantastical fashion than actual teenage experiences (one wonderful recent exception: Eighth Grade). So I greatly appreciated that My So-Called Life felt like a channeling of adolescence rather than (creator Winnie) Holzman's version of, say, The Breakfast Club. Angela (Danes) is both profound and inarticulate, transparent and incoherent. The writing, and especially the jokes, are frequently great (e.g., the immortal line when Angela's dad asks, sincerely, 'Who's scarier than Madonna?' in the Halloween episode), but the writers also know when to put themselves in the backseat to the looking and being looked at that are so much the currency of high school."

09-27-2009, 02:00 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,026	Gone Too Soon: "My So-Called Life" Gone Too Soon: My So-Called Life Posted Aug 31st 2009 by Jason Hughes We've seen all this before. A long time ago, before The WB and UPN built programming models for teen audiences, there was a little show on ABC that nobody really knew what to do with. My So-Called Life tackled teen issues, not in "a very special episode" way, but in a raw, unfiltered way. It was wonderful. What was it? [Spoilers Ahead!] Angela Chase was an ordinary kid trying to find herself. She decided that it was time to dump her childhood friends, straight-laced Sharon and geeky Brian, and move on to far more interesting and "grown up" friends, Rayanne and Rickie. Rayanne had sex and Rickie was gay! The show dealt with Angela's struggles between who she thought she wanted to be, and who she really was inside. Add to that the brooding, handsome bad boy she was desperately in teenage love with and you've already got enough to fill a teen drama. My So-Called Life took it even further, fleshing out Angela's parents as well. Her mother was the breadwinner, leaving her father feeling a little out of sorts. The show dealt with serious issues throughout it's short run like homosexuality, drugs and alcohol, violence, adultery, abuse and more. It was real life in an era when life on television was generally sugar-coated. Why did it have to go? My So-Called Life suffered low ratings; it was facing the heart of NBC's Thursday night line-up. But it had an incredibly strong and faithful following among the teen set. In 1994, nobody was programming network television for a youthful audience. It wasn't until The WB and UPN formed, ironically a couple weeks before My So-Called Life ended, that a network finally saw the value in developing television authentically for teenagers. ABC was considering renewing the show. In its short 19-episode run it generated tremendous press and outstanding reviews. That's the kind of show you nurture. There was one problem, though: Claire Danes was kind of thinking she was done with television. The silver screen was calling, and Danes wasn't interested in a second season. Now, there were contracts and all of that, but ABC saw a show with poor ratings and a star who wanted to move on. Why fight to keep her, only to have to probably fight her again for a third season if the show found success? How do I find out what happens next? The network was sounding positive, critics loved it and nobody knew that Danes didn't want to come back. The writers felt confident that all this good will would translate into a renewal so the final episode ended on a cliffhanger. Angela pined for bad boy Jordan, built him up in her mind, got with him, and found out he was a bit of a tool. A beautiful letter he'd written helped to make amends. Only he didn't write it. Brian, the nerdy friend who'd loved Angela for as long as he'd been able to love, did. When she found this out, the two shared an almost intimate moment. In the end, though, she left with Jordan. I can't find any indications that creator Winnie Holzman planned things out beyond this point. The writing was on the wall, and Holzman's heart wasn't in it any more. What happens next is left to our imagination. Where did the cast wind up? Claire Danes (Angela Chase) went on to star in a whole slew of other films. She remains in demand and is one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation. A.J. Langer (Rayanne Graff) continues in television, with roles on Brooklyn South, Three Sisters and most recently Eyes. Wilson Cruz (Rickie Vasquez) is an advocate in the LGBT community for young people, especially of color. He continues to act in small roles all over. Devon Gumemersall (Brian Krakow) went on to several recurring roles on various television series like Felicity, and Roswell, and makes guest appearances on virtually every show on the air. Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano) moved on to major films like The Thin Red Line and Fight Club, and continues acting. He also formed a band with his brother, 30 Seconds to Mars, whose third album is due out sometime this year. Tom Irwin (Graham Chase) has remained active in television and movies; he can currently be seen as Father John Hanadarko on Saving Grace. Lisa Wilhoit (Danielle Chase) appears all over television, but perhaps her most prominent recurring role right now is as the voice of Connie D'Amico, the most popular girl in school and a constant thorn in Meg's side, on Family Guy. Mary Kay Place (Camille Cherski) worked through various guest roles before landing the role of Adaleen Grant on HBO's Big Love. Jeff Perry (Richard Katimski) also works the guest role circuit, along with a recurring role as Meredith's father, Thatcher Grey, on Grey's Anatomy. The rest of the cast can be seen in various guest roles and voice-over work ... or nowhere. Who cares? This was one of the first shows to develop a huge internet cult following. The fan-site MSCL.com continues to follow the lives and careers of its cast, as well as offering updates about anything to do with the show. My So-Called Life is one of the most fondly remembered shows of all time. It constantly ranks high on "best of" lists and is considered by many to be the inspiration for the majority of teen-centric programming on network television since. When can I see it? As we reported earlier this month, Hulu is now streaming all 19 episodes any time you want to see it. http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/31/go...o-called-life/ Attached Images

04-23-2020, 04:40 AM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,218	Does My So-Called Life hold up after a quarter-century? This TV season marks the 25th anniversary of the short run of the acclaimed ABC teen series starring Claire Danes, Jared Leto and Wilson Cruz. Because of the quarantine, The Hollywood Reporter critics Inkoo Kang and Daniel Fienberg decided to revisit (or, in Kang's case, visit for the first time) My So-Called Life. "Having watched it for the first time this past weekend, over a quarter-century after its debut, I can say that it's a show I admire more than one I connect with," says Kang. "Most teen stories onscreen (your Riverdales, your Buffy the Vampire Slayers, your American Pies) seem to be more about reaching milestones in fantastical fashion than actual teenage experiences (one wonderful recent exception: Eighth Grade). So I greatly appreciated that My So-Called Life felt like a channeling of adolescence rather than (creator Winnie) Holzman's version of, say, The Breakfast Club. Angela (Danes) is both profound and inarticulate, transparent and incoherent. The writing, and especially the jokes, are frequently great (e.g., the immortal line when Angela's dad asks, sincerely, 'Who's scarier than Madonna?' in the Halloween episode), but the writers also know when to put themselves in the backseat to the looking and being looked at that are so much the currency of high school."