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

Occasionally when I'm bored, I start wandering the web looking for lists. Lists of things to like. Lists of things to hate. Lists of things to lament. Lists of things to applaud. Of late, I've been seeking out lists that help me counteract my negativity about all this "reality" I'm being asked to consume on TV. One recent list praises five television shows whose runs were cut short because the masses simply weren't bright enough to catch on. (Bionic Woman does not fall into this category.)

I expected the list to be an homage to one-hit wonders of the television world. Instead, I found a couple of one-and-done examples of sheer brilliance, but also a few shows that got more than one shot at gaining an audience. For example, I agree that Arrested Development was brilliant, but it did get a three-season run. That's a far cry from a 12-episode complete series DVD box set. So I came up with my own list of TV shows that the throngs missed out on, thus depriving the rest of us of the opportunity to see these story lines play out over more than a single season.

1. My So-Called Life

In my opinion, this was the best teen drama ever to grace the airwaves. There was no shrinking away from so-called adult issues. Those of us who did catch on to this show got a chance to watch Claire Danes develop her craft while her character, Angela Chase, and friends dealt with teenage romance, alcohol abuse, homosexuality and midterms. Oh, and despite the series' all-too-brief 19-episode run, Time magazine found a spot for MSCL on its list of the 100 best television shows of all time. … continue reading

In September, Siege gave us the scoop on Quarterlife, a web series from Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, the creators of My So-Called Life. The series stars Bitsie Tulloch and Michelle Lombardo (Girltrash!) as young artists. It debuted Nov. 11 on MySpace.

I've watched a few episodes, and for the most part I find it witty and endearing. Maybe it's not quite up to Angela Chase standards, but it has its moments. And apparently NBC thinks so too: The network has picked up the series for rebroadcast on TV. Instead of 36 eight-minute episodes (the web format), NBC will air six one-hour episodes beginning in early 2008.

Because I'm not a fan of watching things on my computer, I'm much more likely to see the whole series now. But it's a curious transition: One of the best things about Quarterlife is the associated networking site that allows users to post their own video content and interact with other artists. Will the whole concept lose something in the translation to TV? … continue reading

The long lusted-after, dreamed-about and angsted-over My So-Called Life: The Complete Series DVD box set is here. It’s finally here. I think Rickie’s World Happiness Dance is in order here. Who knows the steps? Geez, where are all the gay boys when you need them?

The deluxe set by Shout! Factory includes all 19 episodes from the much-loved landmark show’s one and only season, as well as a slew of extras. It’s an upgrade and then some from the first box set, released in 2002. Which, of course, I also own. But don’t think I haven’t hinted profusely to all my family, friends and assorted passersby about this new set, since, well, my birthday is coming right up. What? I’m just being helpful. … continue reading

Back in 2004, ABC commissioned a pilot for a new series from thirtysomething and My So-Called Life creators Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. That show, called 1/4life, never made it to air. Now, Zwick and Herskovitz have revived the show, recast it, rewritten it and re-shot it for a different medium. Beginning Nov. 11, you'll be able to see the revamped show on MySpace TV. Even the name has been revamped a tad. It's now called Quarterlife.

Quarterlife stars relative newcomer Bitsie Tulloch, who took over the lead role played by Shiri Appleby in the original 2004 pilot.

Zwick and Herskovitz have already tackled teens and thirtysomethings, so this time they're taking on the age group in the middle. Quarterlife tells the story of a group of artsy twentysomethings looking for creative outlets, including a female video blogger who manages to find herself in some rather hot water when her friends take issue with what she posts about them. Here's the trailer. … continue reading

I generally avoid TIME magazine in favor of less Time-Warner-owned news outlets, but I generally gravitate toward "best of" lists because I love to hate them (see here and here for recent choice examples). So, what to do with TIME's list of the "The 100 Best TV Shows"?

Dare I say, agree with it? I feel like Scully acknowledging a paranormal phenomenon as paranormal, but there you have it. Since The X-Files made the cut, at least I'm in (very) good company.

… continue reading

The list isn't perfect by a stretch (no Northern Exposure or The Muppet Show), but its author, TIME TV critic James Poniewozik, gets more things right than wrong, and includes quite a few lesbian favorites, Buffy and Battlestar Galactica among them.

My So-Called Life might be coming back. No, sorry, not with new episodes (I know, that was just cruel, teasing you like that), but as a re-released DVD box set of its one and only season. Now, I'm sure some of you are saying, "But I have MSCL on DVD." Yes, so do I. But that set was a bare-bones, extras-free exercise in finally being able to throw out your old VHS tapes of all the episodes.

This new rumored DVD box set tantalizes with promises of much-coveted bonus material and (dare we dream) new cast commentaries. I am doing Angela's "Blister in the Sun" dance as we speak. (OK, not really. But in my head, yes.) … continue reading

Devotees over at the lovingly maintained tribute site MSCL.com are cautiously optimistic about the new set.

Claire Danes has occupied a soft, mushy spot in my heart since her days as the everyteen in all of us on My So-Called Life. While the other girls were falling for broody blinker Jordan Catalano, I was dreaming about the blossoming wallflower Angela Chase. (Raise your hand if you wished Angela and Rayanne would hook up instead — don't be shy.) Her Manic Panic–stained days of flannel and angst ended a dozen years ago, but ever since, I've watched Claire's career with interest and some bemusement. The Mod Squad? T3? And then there was the unfortunate absconding with a very pregnant Mary-Louise Parker's (very bad) boyfriend Billy Crudup.

Now more bemusement, but at least this time it comes courtesy Claire in her skivvies. The 27-year-old actress is the latest khakis hawker for The Gap. In the spot for the new Boyfriend Trouser, Claire and actor Patrick Wilson show off their dance skills as they one-up each other to the tune of "Anything You Can Do" (from Annie Get Your Gun — rest in peace, Betty Hutton).

Great song. Cute commercial. Kinda ugly pants. But is it a wise career move?