Growing up I went to a myriad of high schools: West Beverly, Bayside and Sunnydale High, just to name a few. I know what you’re thinking: “Reese, were you some sort of teenage derelict with a long list of academic expulsions or were you some military brat moving from town to town, always the mid-year new girl?” Of course not — the answer is much simpler than that. I am merely a loyal viewer to any series that depicts the trying times of high school students. Watching these shows week to week was like graduating with degrees from all over the country (well most high school premised shows are set in California so at the very least, lot of degrees from California.)

For generations, television shows have tried to emulate the formula of high school life. The recipe for a good high school cast roughly remains the same no matter which show you are watching: Take a group of good looking teenagers, add trials and tribulations (i.e.: drunk driving, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, how to properly slay a vampire or, on rare occasions, homosexuality) and stir. I should note that when the topic of homosexuality does arise it is usually during sweeps (hat tip to The O.C.). But molds are being broken of late with shows like South Of Nowhere where gay characters are (gasp) recurring.

Recently the LA Times posted a few of their favorite teen casts, here is the best of that list with a few additions:

Beverly Hills, 90210

90210 created such a perfect high school formula that The CW has decided to do a remake of the show for their upcoming Fall season. But how can anyone replace Steve Sanders and his assortment of colorful button down shirts and those tight curly blond locks? Lightening doesn’t always strike twice, so let us be wary of this new generation of rich kids from Beverly Hills.

My So-Called Life

No series better encapsulated what it is like to be a teenager better than My So-Called Life. Angela Chase (Claire Danes) and her perceptive narratives was relatability to those awkward teenage moments. The show flourished with fans and critics (but sadly not with TV execs who canceled the series) because the characters were so unpolished and flawed. Even Angela, our narrator and protagonist, had her moments when you gushed with embarrassment for her.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Battling such demons in your mind as a teenager such as “should I skip 8th period math class and go to mall or stay and learn these damn algebraic equations once and for all” is hard enough. Add to that battling actual demons from the underworld that can seriously kill you … well that is just plain stressful. Such is life in Sunnydale with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow (Allison Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brandon ). These three teens slay vampires, fall in love and still manage to make it to school on time each day without even a single guidance counselor suspecting anything of their cuts and bruises. Buffy The Vampire Slayer balanced terror and humor without skipping a beat. The show even broke ground in having one of its characters, Willow, become one of the most prominent lesbian characters in network television history. … continue reading

I think I remember the first time I really, really wanted to look like somebody on TV. It was the late 1980s; the show was Saved by the Bell; the actress was Tiffani-Amber Thiessen; and the relevant monstrosity was this:

Now, you might be saying, that isn’t really so bad. I mean yes, the top is mauve, the jeans are floral, the hair is big and static ... but that Tiffani-Amber Thiessen is a pretty girl, right? No wonder at eight years old you wanted to look like her.

Well — yes. I mean, I’m sure the fact that Tiffani-Amber Thiessen is pretty had an impact on it — but I’m afraid I can’t excuse myself so easily. It wasn’t just that when I watched Saved by the Bell, I wanted to have Kelly Kapowski’s hair, or Kelly Kapowski’s smile. No, I wanted to have Kelly Kapowski’s look, her whole gloriously '80s pastel-and-neon wardrobe — complete with a pale orange T-shirt with rolled up sleeves that I remember particularly coveting. And — since it was the '80s — I think I more or less got it.

Fast-forward five years, to the premiere of a show called My So-Called Life in 1994. Jordan wore plaid flannel. Danielle wore plaid flannel. Rayanne had a plaid flannel shirt that reached the ground. And Angela ... well, Angela had red plaid flannel shorts that she wore with black tights. To quote a poster on TelevisionWithoutPity.com, “I can’t believe how normal I used to think these outfits were [...] Today, it looks to me like she’s wearing cutoff pajama pants over leggings.”

Did I run from this sea of flannel? Did I say “no plaid for me?” No. I had a pair of plaid green shorts that I hoped would make me look like Angela (they didn’t).

Plaid got a different, less grungy and more preppie twist the next year, when Clueless hit the movie theaters: … continue reading

CSI: Miami will be graced by a new character in season 6. Elizabeth Berkley has signed on to appear in a recurring role in the popular series.

Name sounds familiar? Well, it should. Remember Saved by the Bell or the 1995 film Showgirls? Come on, you can admit it. … continue reading