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fandomhigh_ooc2007-02-11 05:04 pm
chasingangela) wrote in fandomhigh_ooc2007-02-11 05:04 pm
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Spotlight on Fandoms: My So-Called Life
"My So-Called Life" was an hour-long teen drama that ran on ABC from Aug. 25, 1994, to Jan. 26, 1995; only 19 episodes aired in that time, three shy of a full season. It was created by Winnie Holzman, who also produced "thirtysomething" and "Once and Again."
"My So-Called Life" was an exceptionally realistic and honest portrayal of adolescence. It was also kind of the prototypical "Brilliant but Canceled" series, having drawn far more critical plaudits than viewers. However, echoes of its style are still all over many angsty teen dramas.
The show followed the life of Angela Chase, a sophomore at the fictional Three Rivers (Pa.) High School, and her interwoven circle of family and friends. It managed to deal with alcohol and drug abuse, sexuality, physical abuse, zits, illiteracy, gay issues, and parent/child relationships -- without (usually) tilting into Blossom-y Very Special Episode territory. It was easily one of the most brilliant things ever on TV. Not that I'm biased or anything.
Angela Chase. I think every introverted teenage girl who watched the show thought she WAS Angela -- and a lot of them were right. The show starts with her deciding to take control of her life in minor-but-earthshattering-to-her ways -- by hanging out with a more wild crowd, dying her hair a deep red, and quitting yearbook "because if you made a book of what really happened, it would be a really upsetting book. " Throughout the series, her major conflict is between being who people -- friends, boys, her parents -- want her to be, and being herself (whoever that is).
She is not perfect. She treats certain people like crap; she lies (badly) and sneaks around and is blithely self-centered and refuses to make decisions until the last possible moment and, generally, acts like a teenager. But when she gets pushed into a corner, she almost always does the right thing.
Jordan Catalano - Jordan is one of those guys who seems really deep and underappreciated when you're 15, and who most women outgrow before college graduation. He wants to sleep with Angela. Angela wants to be his girlfriend. This conflict defines their on-off relationship for most of the series.
He is an undiagnosed dyslexic, a good guitar player and fair singer, and there's probably a good guy in there when he listens to his conscience. I think he's a stoner; technically, they never say he is onscreen, but he does use a lot of Visine.
Graham Chase - Angela's dad. He pretty much wants everyone to be happy, and is never quite sure what that means. But it makes him a pretty permissive parent. He starts off the series working for his wife and walking away from what seems to be a near-affair; a series of cooking classes later, he's opening his own restaurant ... and possibly walking into another affair.
Patty Chase - Angela's mom. Extremely Type A; runs her own printing business. She went to high school with Graham and was one of the most popular girls in her class, and it takes a bit for her to realize that's not what Angela wants. Was adopted as an infant.
Sharon Cherski - Angela's best friend from childhood, though not so much these days. Girl Scout, flute-player, suicide hotline volunteer, cheerleader, dater of a meathead jock, and reluctant possessor of the best chest in the Sophomore class. She's very preppy and perky, and to Angela represents all that is conformist.
Rayanne Graff - Angela's new best friend, and a parents' worst nightmare. She dresses like she blindfolded herself and raided Goodwill, drinks and uses drugs to the point of OD and forced rehab, skips classes like it's going out of style, and, it is implied, sleeps around. But she is brave and unstoppable -- a force of nature. It's easy to see what draws Angela to her.
Brian Krakow - Lives across the street from Angela and has probably had a crush on her forever. Very very smart kid. Despite being nerdy and socially awkward, he's probably the most like Angela in his inward (some would say self-centered) nature -- something both of them would die if they realized.
Rickie Vasquez -- The heart of the show. One of the first gay teens on network TV, Rickie did not have an easy life; his parents were gone and he was being raised by an uncle, who physically abused him before throwing him out entirely. He is probably the only person on the show to consistently put other people ahead of himself, and the one who is the most sincerely religious.
Danielle Chase - Angela's 11-year-old sister. A gymnast, and apparently a participant in quite the budding social life, she's notable mostly for being utterly ignored while the other Chases rotate in their own crises. Dressed up as Angela for Halloween; has a crush on Brian.
Camille Cherski - Sharon's mom and Patty's best friend. Very observant and honest -- and apparently a little kinky. (She has sex tapes and handcuffs, which play fairly major roles in the plot.)
Delia Fisher - New girl in school with a thing for Brian (who's too hung up on Angela to reciprocate, and thus breaks her heart) and then for Ricky (who's flattered but not interested). Good dancer.
Richard Katimski - The new English teacher in midseason, known for his ... incredibly ... long pauses ... when speaking. He acts as a mentor to Rayanne and Ricky, allowing Ricky to come live with him and his partner when Ricky is homeless.
Hallie Lowenthal - Graham's "Jewish girl from Texas" business partner. She's pretty clearly making a play for Graham by the end of the series; the question is if he'll succumb.
Tino - Ricky's cousin, maybe. He was an unseen character and a walking plot device, supplying everything from Chinese food to fake IDs.
Amber Vallon - Rayanne's mom, a free-spirited relic of the '60s and tarot card fan. Notable for claiming to be "a really good mother" while her daughter lies semi-comatose from a drug overdose.
Vivian & Chuck Wood - Patty's parents. She's a Queen of Everything type who keeps ruining Graham's food with oregano; he blithely ignores his doctor's directions on dietary management after a heart attack while chowing down on banana cream pie AND running his daughter's life. Strangely, Angela and Danielle seem to adore them both.
If you were insanely lucky, you would have bought it on DVD during the nanosecond when it was available in 2002. If not ... well, if you're the type to spend $160 on DVDs with no extras, you can still get a legal copy secondhand. If not, pirated versions turn up on eBay sometimes, clips are regularly on YouTube, and reruns air periodically weekdays at 5 a.m. on The Noggin. The pilot will show on Thursday. There are also transcripts and much more at mscl.com.
*looks at length of this entry* Does anyone have any questions?
"My So-Called Life" was an exceptionally realistic and honest portrayal of adolescence. It was also kind of the prototypical "Brilliant but Canceled" series, having drawn far more critical plaudits than viewers. However, echoes of its style are still all over many angsty teen dramas.
The show followed the life of Angela Chase, a sophomore at the fictional Three Rivers (Pa.) High School, and her interwoven circle of family and friends. It managed to deal with alcohol and drug abuse, sexuality, physical abuse, zits, illiteracy, gay issues, and parent/child relationships -- without (usually) tilting into Blossom-y Very Special Episode territory. It was easily one of the most brilliant things ever on TV. Not that I'm biased or anything.
Angela Chase. I think every introverted teenage girl who watched the show thought she WAS Angela -- and a lot of them were right. The show starts with her deciding to take control of her life in minor-but-earthshattering-to-her ways -- by hanging out with a more wild crowd, dying her hair a deep red, and quitting yearbook "because if you made a book of what really happened, it would be a really upsetting book. " Throughout the series, her major conflict is between being who people -- friends, boys, her parents -- want her to be, and being herself (whoever that is).
She is not perfect. She treats certain people like crap; she lies (badly) and sneaks around and is blithely self-centered and refuses to make decisions until the last possible moment and, generally, acts like a teenager. But when she gets pushed into a corner, she almost always does the right thing.
Jordan Catalano - Jordan is one of those guys who seems really deep and underappreciated when you're 15, and who most women outgrow before college graduation. He wants to sleep with Angela. Angela wants to be his girlfriend. This conflict defines their on-off relationship for most of the series.
He is an undiagnosed dyslexic, a good guitar player and fair singer, and there's probably a good guy in there when he listens to his conscience. I think he's a stoner; technically, they never say he is onscreen, but he does use a lot of Visine.
Graham Chase - Angela's dad. He pretty much wants everyone to be happy, and is never quite sure what that means. But it makes him a pretty permissive parent. He starts off the series working for his wife and walking away from what seems to be a near-affair; a series of cooking classes later, he's opening his own restaurant ... and possibly walking into another affair.
Patty Chase - Angela's mom. Extremely Type A; runs her own printing business. She went to high school with Graham and was one of the most popular girls in her class, and it takes a bit for her to realize that's not what Angela wants. Was adopted as an infant.
Sharon Cherski - Angela's best friend from childhood, though not so much these days. Girl Scout, flute-player, suicide hotline volunteer, cheerleader, dater of a meathead jock, and reluctant possessor of the best chest in the Sophomore class. She's very preppy and perky, and to Angela represents all that is conformist.
Rayanne Graff - Angela's new best friend, and a parents' worst nightmare. She dresses like she blindfolded herself and raided Goodwill, drinks and uses drugs to the point of OD and forced rehab, skips classes like it's going out of style, and, it is implied, sleeps around. But she is brave and unstoppable -- a force of nature. It's easy to see what draws Angela to her.
Brian Krakow - Lives across the street from Angela and has probably had a crush on her forever. Very very smart kid. Despite being nerdy and socially awkward, he's probably the most like Angela in his inward (some would say self-centered) nature -- something both of them would die if they realized.
Rickie Vasquez -- The heart of the show. One of the first gay teens on network TV, Rickie did not have an easy life; his parents were gone and he was being raised by an uncle, who physically abused him before throwing him out entirely. He is probably the only person on the show to consistently put other people ahead of himself, and the one who is the most sincerely religious.
Danielle Chase - Angela's 11-year-old sister. A gymnast, and apparently a participant in quite the budding social life, she's notable mostly for being utterly ignored while the other Chases rotate in their own crises. Dressed up as Angela for Halloween; has a crush on Brian.
Camille Cherski - Sharon's mom and Patty's best friend. Very observant and honest -- and apparently a little kinky. (She has sex tapes and handcuffs, which play fairly major roles in the plot.)
Delia Fisher - New girl in school with a thing for Brian (who's too hung up on Angela to reciprocate, and thus breaks her heart) and then for Ricky (who's flattered but not interested). Good dancer.
Richard Katimski - The new English teacher in midseason, known for his ... incredibly ... long pauses ... when speaking. He acts as a mentor to Rayanne and Ricky, allowing Ricky to come live with him and his partner when Ricky is homeless.
Hallie Lowenthal - Graham's "Jewish girl from Texas" business partner. She's pretty clearly making a play for Graham by the end of the series; the question is if he'll succumb.
Tino - Ricky's cousin, maybe. He was an unseen character and a walking plot device, supplying everything from Chinese food to fake IDs.
Amber Vallon - Rayanne's mom, a free-spirited relic of the '60s and tarot card fan. Notable for claiming to be "a really good mother" while her daughter lies semi-comatose from a drug overdose.
Vivian & Chuck Wood - Patty's parents. She's a Queen of Everything type who keeps ruining Graham's food with oregano; he blithely ignores his doctor's directions on dietary management after a heart attack while chowing down on banana cream pie AND running his daughter's life. Strangely, Angela and Danielle seem to adore them both.
If you were insanely lucky, you would have bought it on DVD during the nanosecond when it was available in 2002. If not ... well, if you're the type to spend $160 on DVDs with no extras, you can still get a legal copy secondhand. If not, pirated versions turn up on eBay sometimes, clips are regularly on YouTube, and reruns air periodically weekdays at 5 a.m. on The Noggin. The pilot will show on Thursday. There are also transcripts and much more at mscl.com.
*looks at length of this entry* Does anyone have any questions?
no subject
*really wants it on DVD*
*loves IC roomie!!*
no subject
no subject
*crosses fingers* I really hope they do. I absolutely love this show!!!
no subject
no subject