‘My So-Called Life’ at 30: How a short-lived show became a ’90s pop culture touchstone

by

As a seasoned television enthusiast with over three decades of viewing under my belt, I must say that “My So-Called Life” stands out as one of those rare gems that truly resonated with me. The raw, authentic portrayal of adolescence and the complexities of growing up was something I had never seen before on television.

In August 1994, the American television scene was revolutionized with the debut of ‘My So-Called Life’ on ABC. This series offered an unprecedented portrayal of adolescence, set in suburban Pittsburgh and featuring Claire Danes as Angela Chase, a 15-year-old sophomore with a grunge aesthetic, sporting flannel clothes and hair dyed a vibrant red from Manic Panic. What made the series stand out wasn’t just Angela’s alternative style; it was her unique narrative perspective. Through voice-over narration, Angela spoke directly to the audience, revealing her deepest thoughts—sometimes profound, sometimes trivial but always sincere, capturing the authentic turbulence of teenage life.

The television series, produced by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (known for the divisive yuppie drama “Thirtysomething”), initially struggled on ABC and ranked low in Nielsen ratings due to its critical acclaim. However, dedicated fans rallying on AOL message boards for its preservation and a unique approach to engage younger demographics by re-airing it on MTV couldn’t save “My So-Called Life.” It was eventually terminated in May 1995, after only 19 episodes had been produced.

Approximately a few months down the line, “My So-Called Life” earned the title of best drama series during the 1994-95 season from the Television Critics Association. In her acceptance speech, Winnie Holzman pointed out an unexpected twist: one of the shows generating immense excitement on ABC that autumn was “Murder One,” a drama by prominent producer Steven Bochco revolving around the murder of a 15-year-old girl. A chilling scene in the premiere showed her dead, bound body; she was never shown alive.

Holzman said to the gathering of reporters, “Some individuals seem to find it less unsettling when a 15-year-old girl is bare and slain, compared to one who is vibrant and expressing her own thoughts.

30 years have passed since “My So-Called Life” aired briefly yet impactfully on television, and it is now frequently hailed as an extraordinary one-season series that encapsulates the unique blend of irony and sincerity prevalent in ’90s pop culture like no other.

The series swiftly solidified Danes, a 13-year-old actress who landed the role and received an Emmy nomination, as one of her generation’s most exceptional actresses. Moreover, it kick-started the career of future Academy Award winner Jared Leto, who portrayed Angela’s enigmatic love interest, Jordan Catalano. Over the past three decades, the show’s prestige has continued to rise due to cable rebroadcasts, DVD collections, online streaming, and social media excerpts. Today, it stands alongside other trailblazing, innovative series that ended prematurely, such as “Twin Peaks,” firmly cemented in TV history.

Back in 1995, comments made by Holzman that have gone unnoticed until now hold a deeper, often-overlooked significance regarding the enduring legacy of “My So-Called Life.” In a recent conversation with The Times, she shared this intriguing insight. “Angela didn’t resonate with men in the way they typically understood her,” Holzman explained. “She wasn’t merely there or intended for their gratification.” Unlike numerous young female characters on TV then and now, Angela was portrayed as a sensual being rather than an object of desire.

The show stood out significantly, being deemed too challenging to promote to American audiences due to its unique portrayal of young, feminine perspectives on television. It invited viewers to empathize with Angela, a character who acted in ways usually associated with rebellious adolescent males in popular culture. She was attracted to someone physically appealing yet intellectually inferior. She overlooked Brian Krakow, the intelligent boy next door who was clearly smitten with her. She neglected her good-girl best friend Sharon Cherski to socialize with a more edgy group, including the troubled Rayanne Graff and the gender-nonconforming Rickie Vasquez. Angela Chase was a complex female lead who both intrigued and captivated viewers well before Fleabag, Hannah Horvath, or even Carrie Bradshaw made their appearances on screen.

My So-Called Life” emerged as a response to Zwick and Herskovitz’s persistent efforts to depict realistic teenagers on television, stemming from their experiences on the ABC family drama “Family,” where Kristy McNichol played the tomboy character Buddy Lawrence. Despite his best attempts, executive producer Leonard Goldberg frequently criticized Zwick’s scripts with “N.O.B.,” meaning they featured dialogue that was too aggressive and unappealing to the show’s intended audience.

Later on, Herskovitz penned a pilot titled “Secret Seventeen” for Showtime, focusing on a 15-year-old boy who struggled to find his place amidst the popular ’80s mall culture. He expressed his desire to create a narrative that captured the authentic teenage experience rather than capitalizing on it, which was prevalent on television at the time. Unfortunately, despite its potential, the project was shelved when a new leadership took over Showtime.

Over time, I found myself collaborating with the dynamic duo, Zwick and Herskovitz, on the ABC drama, “Thirtysomething.” This groundbreaking series delved into the lives of disenchanted baby boomers as they grappled with their middle-class existences. I, being a talented writer, was fortunate to join this team after my brother, a cinematographer on the show, submitted one of my spec scripts. The duo encouraged everyone to contribute their unique voices and ideas, which was truly revolutionary. It was a remarkable concept back then, for it was rare to have the freedom to express personal sentiments on television.

Despite not being a huge ratings success, ‘Thirtysomething’ resonated with the affluent, educated professionals it depicted and ignited discussions about the evolving values of the “Me” generation. As Holzman explained, the most significant takeaway from the series was that many viewers found it meaningful to recognize themselves on TV.

Following the conclusion of that particular series, there was strong interest among them to collaborate with Holzman once more. They decided to rekindle their concept for a series that would authentically depict adolescence. As a creative endeavor, Holzman penned several diary entries in the style of a teenage girl’s voice.

In almost every page that eventually became part of the first episode of “My So-Called Life,” Herskovitz remarked, “they were astonishing.” He explained, “She had no established story, character, or family – essentially nothing. Yet, she only possessed the voice of a teenage girl, and from that voice, everything else developed. It was incredibly captivating to read because her voice was something uniquely missing on television at the time.” At around 40 years old, Holzman stood out due to her exceptional capacity to recall the intricacies of high school life, such as teachers wrapping their apples in wax paper, which Herskovitz noted.

This teenager had a captivating inner world as engaging as any mature adult,” Zwick stated, pointing out her unique intrigue stemmed from her unreliability. Her accounts of events frequently conflicted or oversimplified what was shown on screen. At other times, she would confess things that were embarrassing, shameful, or awkward, he explained further. Notably, in a striking instance from the pilot episode, Angela claimed that Anne Frank was fortunate because she spent three years in an attic with a man she fancied deeply.

Undoubtedly, the creators needed an actor who could accurately portray Angela’s unique vocal style. Reflecting on the ’90s, Zwick stated, “There simply wasn’t a young actress playing a young character on TV at that time.

The show “My So-Called Life” aimed for a more genuine portrayal. When Claire Danes was chosen for the series, she was relatively unknown with just one episode of “Law & Order” under her belt (Alicia Silverstone had auditioned right before her, but the role almost went to her). Since Danes was only 13 at the show’s start, child labor laws required limiting her on-set hours. To accommodate this, the producers increased storylines involving other characters, particularly her parents Patty (played by Bess Armstrong) and Graham (Tom Irwin), who faced a turbulent period in their marriage.

Everyone was amazed by Danes’ extraordinary acting talents during the show, to the point where Herskovitz admitted that they all felt a sense of awe rather than fear. Specifically, he remembered how Danes could summon intense emotions at will, time after time. He described it as if Danes came from another world because no 13-year-old could perform what she did – not only was it completely realistic and genuine, but she could do it repeatedly.

The pilot found Angela undergoing a defiant metamorphosis: she dyed her formerly mouse-brown hair fiery red, deceived her parents about her intentions, attended a nightclub with Rayanne and was apprehended by the police, who escorted her home. She exhibited extreme dramatic behavior and an inexplicable hostility towards those closest to her – her family. During dinner with her loved ones, we gain insight into Angela’s thoughts: “Lately, I can hardly bear to look at my mother without feeling the urge to repeatedly stab her.

Angela Chase often finds herself in deeply troubled situations,” Herskovitz explained, “which captures the essence of adolescence – a time that’s not only filled with exhilaration and happiness but also profound sorrow.

In April 1993, ABC executives were thrilled by the episode they watched. However, instead of airing the series that fall, network schedulers delayed more than a year while searching for the ideal time slot. ABC occasionally commissioned a few episodes every few months, creating confusion for everyone involved. As Herskovitz explained, “It took us two years to produce 19 episodes. They would take us up – six here, five there – in small, staggered intervals. It was extremely challenging.

Prior to its release, the media had predicted that “My So-Called Life” would struggle with audiences due to its main character being a non-stereotypical teenage girl who wasn’t a cheerful, conforming cheerleader. In October 1993, about a year before it debuted, The New York Times published an article detailing ABC’s hesitation to air the show on their schedule. Despite this, ABC eventually decided to air it in August 1994, just three weeks before the fall season began, hoping for an early start. However, this strategy did not help its ratings.

The show aired on Thursdays at 8 p.m., facing stiff competition from NBC’s comedy “Mad About You” and a fresh series titled “Friends.” Critics generally appreciated it, occasionally raving about Danes’ acting skills. However, opinions were not always harmonious, and the criticism sometimes seemed to stem from a dislike of the show’s main character. Several critics criticized Angela for being whiny and drew parallels to Holden Caulfield, the troubled teenage male protagonist in “The Catcher in the Rye.

Shortly after the premiere of “My So-Called Life”, media outlets began discussing why the show wasn’t resonating with viewers and predicting when ABC might cancel it. In November 1994, Howard Rosenberg of The Times proposed several reasons for the show’s poor ratings, suggesting that its raw portrayal of adolescence made it awkward to watch due to how accurately it reflected this phase of life.

One thing ABC often told me during that year was, “I’m not sure, some people find the show unsettling.” Yet, look at how comfortable people are with images of deceased, nude females. They frequently described it as ‘dark’ and sometimes questioned if it wasn’t a bit sad. Now, let me consider… What is sad about it? Is it because she isn’t always smiling? It’s like the comment people make to women on the street, “Smile, you’re so beautiful.

One way to rephrase that sentence in natural and easy-to-read language could be: “Angela’s intense infatuation with the character Jordan Catalano was a key feature of the show. Jordan took his coffee with a lot of sugar, played in a band called The Frozen Embryos, and was often referred to by his full name. Angela tends to attribute deep emotions to Jordan, but he is not known for his depth, much like a shallow wading pool. In the pilot episode, when Jordan stands at his locker putting Visine in his eyes (possibly because he’s high), Angela remarks, ‘He always looks like it hurts to look at things.’

In an exceptionally memorable episode titled “Self Esteem,” Angela decides to forgo geometry study time to secretly meet Jordan in the school’s boiler room for a clandestine rendezvous. However, her frustration mounts when Jordan refuses to publicly acknowledge their relationship, leaving her feeling both impulsively attracted and deeply unsure of herself – a complex mix of feelings that any grown woman who has been through adolescence can relate to.

ABC adopted a non-interfering stance towards the series, seldom influencing its storyline, even when it delved into sensitive topics like gun violence as portrayed in “My So-Called Life.” In one foreshadowing episode, a student brings a loaded firearm to school, leading to an unintentional discharge and causing widespread fear. Nevertheless, the network chiefs were uncertain about how to handle the show since its teenage girl audience held little significance for them, according to Herskovitz.

According to Zwick, they stated bluntly that they didn’t believe there was a genuine teenage viewership worth tapping into through television.

Despite the perception, ABC didn’t neglect trying to salvage the show. They scheduled reruns on MTV starting from April 1994, with the aim of attracting a younger demographic. I, personally, even had a meeting with Bob Iger, then head of entertainment at ABC, to plead for its renewal. However, it was Kate Danes who felt ready to embark on a new journey after spending several years in a holding pattern.

In “Romeo + Juliet,” Danes made an appearance alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, a popular actor who gained fame as a child star on ABC. The movie’s financial success demonstrated that “My So-Called Life” unfortunately premiered slightly before its time. In January 1995, the final episode of this series was aired on ABC; during the same month, the WB and UPN were launched. Recognizing the worth of younger audiences, these networks ushered in a golden era of teen dramas such as “Felicity” and “Dawson’s Creek.” Lastly, “Titanic” showed that young female fans possess an immense purchasing power.

Holzman, who authored the book for the hit musical ‘Wicked’ and co-wrote its film adaptation screenplay, stated that earlier times lacked recognition of the teenage girl market’s potential. However, things quickly changed as people began to realize this was a viable market. The personal narrative style in ‘My So-Called Life’, which revolutionized television, became almost essential for future female-focused shows, including ‘Sex and the City’, ‘Fleabag’, and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’

For Holzman, the show’s ending was bittersweet — and not only because it left Angela’s romantic future unresolved. Though she appreciated the support “My So-Called Life” received from fans, she was also grateful to have made the show at all, and bristled at the idea it was a “failure” because it only lasted a single season. After all, there are plenty of great ideas that never make it further than the pages of a script. “I had to examine what success meant to me,” she said. “It was really liberating to be able to say, ‘I know that that was a success for me. That experience was complete in itself and beautiful in itself.’ ”

Read More

2024-12-02 14:33