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83-415: My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz . It aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995. It is distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions . Set at the fictional Liberty High School in a fictional suburb near Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , called Three Rivers, it follows

166-742: A Jewish family. Although she was shy, she wanted to become an actor. At 13, she attended the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York. Holzman graduated with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing at Princeton University . She won many poetry awards, including the Academy of American Poets Prize. Holzman had been performing in sketch comedy for years, "determined to never make

249-429: A Marriage , an actor and actress read the posted notes between a couple that span the duration of their lives together. Their first full-length collaboration, Assisted Living , premiered April 5 thorough May 12, 2013, at Los Angeles's Odyssey Theatre, starring the couple. The play was retitled One of her Biggest Fans when it ran at George Street Playhouse (New Jersey) from January 28 to February 23, 2014. Holzman said

332-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make

415-423: A broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama

498-481: A bull’s-eye when she sees one...Another plus is the brooding self-consciousness that seems so genuine in Angela, a credit to Danes’ effortless performance. Her nervous body language speaks volumes, as do her character's private thoughts, delivered as part of a voice-over narration in the manner of ' The Wonder Years .'" After the series' cancellation and over the years, the series continued to gain acclaim for its realism and

581-399: A date to a concert. At the concert, Jordan snubs Angela, and Rayanne tells him off. Back at school Angela finally tells Jordan she won't accept his terms. Graham starts cooking classes and meets a charismatic woman, but the alcoholic teacher keeps missing the class. Patty assumes Graham wants to quit, or that his shortcomings causing the class to go poorly. When the teacher goes to rehab, Graham

664-482: A dime," but on the recommendation of a college friend, she applied to attend the musical theater program at New York University . She eventually got her master's degree in Musical Theatre Writing on a full scholarship. Arthur Laurents was one of her mentors. Other teachers included Stephen Sondheim , Hal Prince , Betty Comden , Adolph Green , and Leonard Bernstein . Holzman contributed scenes to

747-517: A few days. She also kept a diary and wrote down journal entries from the perspective of a teenage girl. These journal entries would later become the basis for Angela's voice-overs. Holzman named the title character Angela after the niece of a script coordinator on Thirtysomething . Holzman recounted, "She mentioned to me she had a young teenage niece named Angela. I had a phone conversation with [Angela] and it really affected me. I remember she said something like, 'Boys just have it so easy.' And that's in

830-562: A five-disc box set. On May 14, 2007, Universal Playback released the complete series in the United Kingdom in Region 2 . On October 30, 2007, Shout! Factory re-released My So-Called Life on DVD in Region 1 in a six-disc box set with a disc of special features, including an interview with series star Claire Danes . Shout! Factory is a distribution company that has released short-lived shows in

913-580: A live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate,

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996-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content.  Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale.  Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature.  Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on

1079-607: A part of the national conversation, it questioned the parameters of conventional maleness," and "was the rare primetime show that candidly discussed teen sex (according to the Kaiser Family Foundation , by 1996 only 12% of shows involved adolescent sexual content) – not only that, teen girl sex." The episode "Guns and Gossip" is notable for addressing the topic of gun violence in schools, five years before Columbine . Numerous showrunners and creators of teen-centered dramas or sitcoms, including Nahnatchka Khan ( Fresh Off

1162-546: A period of homelessness after he came out to his dad, for his portrayal of Rickie. Jared Leto was supposed to appear in just the pilot episode, but his acting and chemistry with Danes impressed producers and he was upgraded to the main cast. The pilot was shot in April 1993. An enthusiastic response from ABC executives and TV critics raised producers' hopes for a series debut in the 1993-1994 TV season lineup; however, ABC delayed My So-Called Life ’s addition as they pondered over

1245-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western.  Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life.  Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there

1328-433: A point that it was still all potential." The show was officially canceled on May 15, 1995, for its "far too narrow" appeal. Although the fan campaign was not successful in getting a second season, the surrounding publicity led to MTV airing repeats of the show a month prior, which helped the show gain newer exposure. In a 2004 interview with Entertainment Weekly , Danes insisted that she did not have enough power to cause

1411-430: A revolution of teen angst -oriented dramas on primetime TV. It is credited with moving teen dramas away from the soap opera tone of previous shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and towards a smarter look at everyday teenage life. On a 2012 list of cult TV shows, critic Melissa Maerz wrote "it was the first teen drama that didn't feel like an after-school special . No one ever learned a very important lesson or uttered

1494-457: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques.  Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides

1577-405: A staff writer on thirtysomething in 1989. She wrote nine episodes during its last two seasons. Zwick and Herskovitz later executive produced My So-Called Life , a show about a teenage girl. Holzman went from story editor to executive story editor to a creator and writer of the show. Holzman has collaborated on various short films with her daughter, Savannah. They penned a TV pilot based on

1660-491: A two-part immersive, cultural celebration" will debut November 27, 2024. The sequel film, Wicked Part Two , is scheduled to be released November 26, 2025. Holzman has had a number of acting spots, primarily roles in her own plays with her husband, and cameo roles on her own TV shows. Holzman played the chocolate-obsessed divorced woman in the movie Jerry Maguire and Larry David's wife's therapist on Curb Your Enthusiasm . She wrote and performed several personal essays at

1743-690: A writer on Thirtysomething and The Wonder Years , to brainstorm a new show. Holzman sparked to the idea of an "uncensored" depiction of teenage life. Said Herskovitz, "Most shows about teens on television [in the early '90s, like Beverly Hills, 90210 were very exploitative about sexuality and meant to be titillating rather than inside the experience of what it meant to be an adolescent."    "[In preparation] I taught high school students for two or three days. When I went to this place, Fairfax High in Los Angeles, there were so many moments of sense memory that brought back high school for me: The sound of

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1826-412: Is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in

1909-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how.   Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in

1992-446: Is also "unusually perceptive in its portrayal of the push and pull of mother-daughter relationships." Millman added the show has an interesting take on "midlife crisis and marital boredom", and concluded "with bittersweet clarity, My So-Called Life shows us that teen angst is something we never outgrow." The Hartford Courant called it "one of the most humanizing hours of television to come along in decades." Steven Spielberg lauded

2075-461: Is asked to teach the class. A new teacher invites Rickie to join the drama club. Had the show continued, Winnie Holzman said a second season would potentially have seen Patty and Graham getting a divorce, Angela turning to Brian for comfort, Sharon dealing with a teen pregnancy, and Brian and Delia getting together at some point. My So-Called Life is seen as a groundbreaking television show for its realistic portrayal of adolescence and for launching

2158-425: Is praised by some critics as one of the greatest television series of all time. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , Season 1 has a 94% approval rating based on 53 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Effectively avoiding cliche and cheesy exposition, My So-Called Life ' s realistic portrayal of the average American girl is ahead of its time". On Metacritic , which assigns a weighted average rating,

2241-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change

2324-493: Is the official streaming service for the series. Atlantic Records released a soundtrack of the show, which was released on August 25, 1994, then re-released on January 24, 1995. A sequel novel by Catherine Clark, My So-Called Life Goes On , was published in 1999 by Random House . Teen drama In film and television , drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind

2407-422: Is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage

2490-649: The Showtime series Roadies , a behind-the-scenes comedy about people working with a touring rock band created by Cameron Crowe , J. J. Abrams (executive producing), and Holzman, that ran for a season. The series starred Luke Wilson , Imogen Poots , Keisha Castle-Hughes , Peter Cambor , Rafe Spall and Carla Gugino . Holzman wrote the screenplay for the Universal Pictures film adaptation of Wicked . It will be released in two parts. The first, Wicked Part One , which Universal has called "the first chapter of

2573-755: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky.   Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use

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2656-458: The 101 Best-Written TV Series, and is frequently included in lists of TV shows that were cancelled too soon. My So-Called Life also inspired a German version of the sitcom called Mein Leben & Ich , which ran for 6 seasons and a total of 74 episodes, 25 minutes each. A subset of the episodes were released on VHS by BMG Video in 1998. On November 19, 2002, BMG released the complete series on

2739-469: The 1983 satirical musical comedy revue Serious Bizness , which ran at O'Neils Upstairs cabaret in New York City. While at NYU she wrote the musical Birds of Paradise (with composer David Evans), which was produced Off-Broadway in 1987 and directed by Laurents. It got scathing reviews. Holzman has written several plays with her husband, actor Paul Dooley . In the short play Post-its®: Notes on

2822-489: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;

2905-502: The Boat ), Brian Yorkey ( 13 Reasons Why ), Stephanie Savage ( Gossip Girl ), and Terri Minski ( Andi Mack ), have cited MSCL and its impact on them as teens. Showrunner and Arrowverse creator Greg Berlanti called the series "the most painfully honest portrayal of adolescence ever on television." The series is ranked at number 68 on the Writers Guild of America 2013 list of

2988-527: The COVID-19 pandemic and set the play in 2020/21. In 1988, Holzman's husband, actor-writer Paul Dooley , got a job in Los Angeles on the TV series Coming of Age . While visiting her brother, cinematographer Ernest Holzman, on the set of thirtysomething , writer Richard Kramer suggested she should write for the show. Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz bought a spec script from Holzman, and she went on to become

3071-531: The Sasha Paley novel Huge , which ABC Family greenlit in January 2010 with a direct-to-series order. Huge premiered in late June 2010. The show team included Holzman, Dooley, her daughter, and her brother, who was the cinematographer. The series was cancelled on October 4, 2010 due to low ratings compared with the network's other summer hits. From 2014 to 2016, Holzman was one of the producers and writers of

3154-420: The air because teenage girls have no voice in our culture, and the show is giving them a voice." In January 1995, it was reported the show averaged 10 million viewers per week, a number ABC president of entertainment Ted Harbert said was high, but still fell short compared to ABC sitcom Home Improvement , which averaged 30 million viewers weekly. An online fan campaign attempted to save My So-Called Life ,

3237-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes.   Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,

3320-423: The bell. The feeling of being trapped in the room. The kids falling asleep in class. The messiness of the hallways. The clanging of lockers. These things were so evocative, and I know they unlocked some stuff for me." — Creator Winnie Holzman on her inspiration for the series. To capture contemporary adolescence authentically, Holzman did research and taught classes at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles for

3403-403: The cancelation by herself. It is generally accepted that the show's cancelation was the result of a variety of factors, including low ratings and scant publicity from the network. Bess Armstrong said, "Actually, I don't think there were any bad guys. It was just a confluence of events. It was a perfect storm." Winnie Holzman theorized that the network was so on-the-fence about renewing the show in

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3486-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology.  Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt

3569-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins.  Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin.  Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in

3652-611: The dance and tries unsuccessfully to reconcile. Jordan comes to the dance and tells Angela that he likes the way "she is." Angela, buoyed by a successful conversation with Jordan, admits she ruined Brian's night and asks him to dance; he declines. Jordan won't acknowledge his new relationship with Angela, but continues to meet her at school for makeout sessions that he tells her to keep secret. The distraction starts to negatively impact Angela's academic performance, especially in geometry class. Rayanne and Sharon express skepticism about Jordan's treatment of Angela, who lies that he's asked her on

3735-479: The dance, so Angela asks Brian to drive her there; realizing that this is his chance to woo Angela, he cancels on Delia. Rickie develops a crush on Cory, whom Rayanne asks to the dance with her and Rickie. At the dance, Rickie thinks Cory might be hitting on him, but it's soon clear that Cory was interested in Rayanne all along. Angela gets angry at Brian for snubbing Rickie and scheming to get her alone. Brian sees Delia at

3818-417: The emotional travails of several teenagers in the social circle of main character Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes . The show was officially canceled on May 15, 1995, despite being critically praised for its realistic portrayal of adolescence and the commentary of its central character Angela, and the series' reception of several major awards, which included a Golden Globe Award for Danes. Besides Danes,

3901-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use

3984-525: The fictional Pittsburgh suburb of Three Rivers with her mother Patty ( Bess Armstrong ), father Graham ( Tom Irwin ), and little sister Danielle (Lisa Wilhoit). Each episode, which is usually narrated by Angela, follows her trials and tribulations as she deals with friends, parents, guys, and school. My So-Called Life dealt with major social issues of the mid-1990s, including child abuse , homophobia , teenage alcoholism , homelessness , adultery , school violence , censorship , and drug use . Many shows at

4067-418: The first place that in some ways they used Danes' reluctance to return as a convenient excuse to not renew the series. This episode is told from Brian's viewpoint as the school World Happiness Dance screws up everyone's love lives, Brian gets his first erection "from actual physical contact" when new transfer student Delia ( Senta Moses ) touches his hand, and he asks her to the dance. Jordan won't ask Angela to

4150-524: The first such event in the history of the World Wide Web . Bolstered by fans' support, Ted Harbert said he was prepared to bring the show back for a second season. However, Herskovitz said at that time Danes and her parents approached the show's creators and told producers that she did not want to be involved with the show if it continued, citing the arduous shooting schedule which required the show's young actors to balance schoolwork with rehearsal and time on

4233-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of

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4316-717: The general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as

4399-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in

4482-519: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Winnie Holzman Holzman was born in Manhattan, New York, but grew up in Roslyn Heights, New York , on Long Island in

4565-459: The luxury of planning out the season's arc in advance," and story lines would unfold episode to episode. Network executives did give the show's creators relatively free rein to explore what were then seen as risky subjects for network TV, such as teen sexuality and orientation. Upon its debut, My So-Called Life received critical acclaim. Critic Joyce Millman said the show "evokes the emotional turbulence of adolescence with breathtaking accuracy" and

4648-516: The parental characters to accommodate for Danes. Wilson Cruz was cast as Rickie Vasquez, who was written in the script as "half black, half Puerto Rican, sexually ambiguous like Jodie Foster in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore ". The character of Rickie was inspired by Holzman's peers as a teenager, as well as by the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning , which explores ball culture in New York City. Cruz drew on some of his own experiences, such as

4731-622: The past. On September 13, 2007, Eurovideo released the complete series on DVD in Germany in Region 2 ; The 5-disc boxset featured German and English soundtrack but no special features. On June 10, 2008, Beyond Home Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Australia in Region 4. On December 3, 2008, Free Dolphin released the complete series on DVD in France in Region 2, with a 32-page booklet but no other special features. As of March 2021, Hulu

4814-415: The phrase 'I love you, Dad.' Angela acted like a real 15-year-old, with all the crying jags and Buffalo Tom concerts that implies. What's even more impressive is that anyone who watched the show back in the '90s, when angst and Manic Panic felt totally of the moment, can now enjoy it on a very different level. Suddenly, Angela's parents are relatable. Dammit, we're old." Of the character types explored in

4897-650: The pilot. So I named the character Angela partly in honor of her." Intent on dismantling stereotypical portrayals of teens and parents on TV, Holzman wrote Patty Chase, the wife and mother character, as the breadwinner of the Chase family and husband Graham as the homebody. Holzman portrayed the parents as in the "midst of establishing their identities and discovering their incompatibility with traditional domestic tropes." In keeping with their desire to portray adolescence authentically, producers looked for actors who were close in age to their teen characters.  Before Claire Danes

4980-522: The play as being about " how other people make you change, and how the things that happen in everyday life – the interventions and interactions – change you.” Holzman made her Broadway debut in 2003 when she wrote the book for the Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked , based on the novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire . She won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical and

5063-430: The play was "something we came up with when we were first married," based on a "stack of fan mail that had sat unopened on Paul's desk for months." In the play, "The lives of a cantankerous soap opera star and his makeup artist collide with the those of his biggest fan and her father with the discovery of a piece of fan mail that changes everything -- though perhaps not in the ways they once expected." Holzman has described

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5146-513: The ratings-focused ABC concluded not enough viewers of a particular demographic were watching the show during its initial network run. Holzman said, "It is one thing to have huge ratings, but it is quite another to have smaller ratings but with an extremely passionate following. I don't understand why the network did not understand that." When the network was considering canceling the show, producers Zwick and Herskovitz appealed to then-ABC President Bob Iger , telling him, "You should keep this show on

5229-557: The right time slot for the show. The show finally premiered in the Thursday night lineup in August 1994, a year and a half after the filming of the pilot. The series was filmed in the Los Angeles area. Scenes at the fictional Liberty High School were shot on location at University High School . Due to the show's rapid shooting schedule and the uncertainty of its future, producers "did not have

5312-428: The rise of The WB and UPN —networks that catered to the teenaged audience My So-Called Life sought—during the late 1990s and early 2000s (The WB and UPN launched just two weeks and one week, respectively, before My So-Called Life ' s run on ABC ended). "Networks didn’t understand that you could sell to adolescent girls," said Herskovitz. Although My So-Called Life drew adult fans in addition to teenage viewers,

5395-414: The scene in the pilot where she has a confrontation with her childhood best friend. There was a direction that said, 'Angela starts to tear up.' Claire gets to the moment. Her whole face turns red. She's having this intense emotional experience — and then pulls it back. Everybody was just knocked out." As Danes was 15 and had to attend school alongside filming, producers ended up increasing the screen time for

5478-482: The series number 16 on its 25 Top Cult Shows Ever list in 2004, as well as number 2 on its 2013 list of 60 shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon". For its original run in the United States, the show aired on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET against top-10 hit sitcoms — Mad About You and Friends on NBC , as well as the popular Martin , Living Single and New York Undercover on Fox , possibly contributing to

5561-451: The series' low ratings. The producers said that they could not fault ABC for the creative freedom and support they gave them during production, as there were probably few networks that would have even put My So-Called Life on the air in the first place. My So-Called Life was produced before the explosion of youth and teen programming. The culture of television changed significantly in the years that immediately followed, most notably with

5644-495: The series, "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities" is notable for featuring a moment in which Ricky says out loud that he's gay — "a first for both the character and network television." While doing publicity for the show at the time, Cruz made a point of communicating that he was gay in real life. In a 2017 article for The Guardian , Soraya Roberts wrote My So-Called Life "not only flirted with gender fluidity before it became

5727-473: The set. When Holzman learned Danes was no longer keen to continue with the show, her attitude changed as well. Holzman said, "When I realized that Claire truly did not want to do it any more, it was hard for me to want to do it. The joy in writing the show was that everyone was behind it and wanted to do it. And I love her. So part of the joy and excitement and happiness would have gone out of me if she had not been on board 100 percent. I wasn't able to say this at

5810-437: The show also launched the careers of several other major actors of her generation, including Jared Leto and Wilson Cruz . The show became a cult classic and has been frequently cited by multiple publications including Time , Entertainment Weekly , TV Guide , The Atlantic , and Rolling Stone as one of the best teen dramas of all time. Angela Chase ( Claire Danes ) is a 15-year-old high school student who lives in

5893-473: The show and called Danes "one of the most exciting actresses to debut in 10 years", likening her to Audrey Hepburn . In a critical review, Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times found the teen characters grating and the plot lines to be too neatly resolved, but did praise Holzman's writing and Danes' acting. Rosenberg wrote, "you also recognize that Holzman has a witty grasp on adolescence and knows

5976-534: The show has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". It is the 20th highest rated television series on the website. In 2007, it was listed as one of Time ' s "100 Best TV Shows of All- TIME ". Time critic James Poniewozik wrote, Angela Chase (Claire Danes) was a fully realized TV teen, smart and perceptive one minute, whiny and unstable the next, ready to burst into red-faced tears after getting jerked around by learning-challenged heartthrob Jordan Catalano. Angela's narration

6059-422: The show, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "[Winnie] Holzman took these stock types and made them complicated and real — you didn't need to be a girl to feel Angela's longing for Jordan, didn't need to be gay to connect with Rickie's coming-out journey." The character of Rickie Vasquez became the first openly queer character on primetime TV, and the first queer character of color . The final episode of

6142-530: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include:  The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there

6225-514: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during

6308-500: The teenage years as being difficult and confusing rather than a light, fun-filled time. Marshall Herskovitz was approached by Showtime in the 1980s to write a show about teenagers. Herskovitz conceived of the series as a "very personal, very internal" story about a boy with the title Secret/Seventeen , but it was not picked up by the network. A few years later, after the cancellation of Thirtysomething in 1991, Herskovitz and his co-creator Edward Zwick approached Winnie Holzman ,

6391-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and

6474-405: The time used these themes as a one-time issue (a " very special episode ") that was introduced as a problem at the beginning of an episode and resolved at the end, but on My So-Called Life these issues were part of the continuing storyline. The title of the show alludes to the perception of meaninglessness that many teenagers experience and encapsulates the main theme of the series. The show depicts

6557-429: The time, but in retrospect it was a blessing for it to end at a time when we all enjoyed doing it. That's not to say that if the network had ordered more shows that I wouldn't have given it my best. But there was a rightness in how short the season was. This was a show about adolescence and sort of ended in its own adolescence. There was an aura about how short the series was like all things that die young. The show ended at

6640-488: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways,  while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how

6723-437: Was angsty in that '90s, suburban, I've-listened-to-In-Utero-a-million-times way—"School is a battlefield for your heart"—but she won the battle for our hearts anyway. In 2008, AOL TV named My So-Called Life as the second Best School Show of All Time. It was number 33 on Entertainment Weekly ' s "New Classics TV" list of shows from 1983 to 2008, and as number 8 in the "25 Greatest Cult TV Shows Ever". TV Guide ranked

6806-445: Was cast, Alicia Silverstone auditioned for the role of Angela and impressed Zwick, and as an emancipated minor could work longer hours, but was not deemed the right fit for "Holzman’s messy high-school universe, which included subplots about drug addiction, bullying, binge drinking, promiscuity, and homosexuality." Herskovitz said, "We needed somebody who shimmered between beauty and sort of not formed yet. And in walks Claire. She read

6889-682: Was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical . Holzman's play, Choice , premiered at Huntington Theater Company (Boston) in 2015. It is a complex, sometimes surreal, comedic drama touching on topics that include parenting, friendship, and abortion. An updated version of the play was produced at McCarter Theater (New Jersey) from May 8 to June 2, 2024, with a cast that included Ilana Levine , Dakin Matthews , Caitlin Kinnunen , and Jake Cannavale . The 2024 production incorporated references to

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