Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek

April 3, 2023
Glassman, entertainment editor at the website SheKnows, debuts with a fun, nostalgic look at how classic teen TV shows have influenced modern television. Teen shows of the past few decades were often culturally groundbreaking, Glassman writes, such as in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s depiction of a Black family with “a totally different level” of wealth and positive perspective on hip-hop. My So-Called Life had the first teenager to come out on television, and Dawson’s Creek protested California’s Prop 22 with an “anti-prom” episode that featured the first kiss between two men on network television, earning the program two GLADD awards. Other shows expanded the structural and tonal possibilities for network teen television, notable examples being Freaks and Geeks’ “independent feature film” style and Friday Night Lights’ sometimes ad-libbed, sometimes overlapping dialogue, which Glassman contends helped leverage the show into a “leading contender in prestige TV.” While some chapters don’t delve as deep as others (the discussion of Glee, for instance, is monopolized by the show’s numerous scandals and tragedies), Glassman offers enough tantalizing, behind-the-scenes scoop to keep readers hooked, peeling back the curtain on writers’ processes, casting decisions, and on-set gossip. This look at teen TV classics will delight anyone who loves to “did you know” their friends while rewatching a favorite.

June 1, 2023

Up until the 1980s, television shows aimed at teenagers often found devoted fanbases but little critical notice. This began to change in the early 1990s. Entertainment journalist Glassman has written a loving and lighthearted look at seven influential series of the era that changed the way teenagers were represented on TV. She vividly explores the painfully honest My So-Called Life, the elevated dialogue of Dawson's Creek, the ahead-of-its-time vulnerability of Freaks and Geeks, the dramatic comedy of The O.C., the beloved teen/family balance of Friday Night Lights, and the game-changing success of Glee. About these shows, critics noted the realistic characters and the way larger issues were woven into the stories. For teens and viewers in their twenties who adored these fully realized characters, the shows became a vital and unforgettable piece of their lives. The success of the book is Glassman's decision to focus on the creators and writers, rather than the cast. Even readers unfamiliar with these shows will likely find the book so engaging and well-written that they'll want to binge-watch many of the series as soon as they put down the book. VERDICT An enjoyable look at a key era in youth representation on television.--Peter Thornell

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