Twenty-five years later and people are still talking about My
So-Called Life. It’s interesting how a low-rated drama that only lasted one
season has gone on to become so iconic and gain cult status. Obviously, it
struck a chord with the few viewers that did find it.
MSCL followed teenager Angela Chase (Claire Danes) as
she navigated through high school, trying to find herself and where she fit in.
She grew apart from her best friend, made new friends who shook up her world,
and fell for a guy that she wasn’t quite sure even knew she existed. At home, she
couldn’t get on the same page with her parents, Patty & Graham (Bess
Armstrong & Tom Irwin), and couldn’t get away from her little sister Danielle
(Lisa Wilhoit) fast enough.
Along with Angela, the show had an amazing group of characters.
Rayanne (A. J. Langer) could easily be written off as just a wild party girl.
But she was coping with deeper issues at home and growing alcoholism. Rickie
(Wilson Cruz), one of the few gay teens on TV at that time, struggled with
others’ reactions to his sexuality. Brian (Devon Gummersall) was the socially awkward
nerd who pined for Angela. Sharon (Devon Odessa) was Angela’s former best
friend who had to find her footing after being dropped. And Jordan Catalano (Jared
Leto) was the complex, extremely good-looking love interest.
I think a lot of teenagers, myself included, related to Angela
and her friends. Yes, there had been plenty of teen shows up until that time, but
this one felt more real. These looked like any other kids in my school and they
were going thru similar experiences. Plus, they articulated things we had thought
before. Like when Angela says, “And, I mean, this whole thing with yearbook – it’s
like, everybody’s in this big hurry to make this book, to supposedly remember what
happened. Because if you made a book of what really happened, it’d be a really
upsetting book.” That doesn’t mean everything Angela said was so profound. As
much as I loved her, there were a few times when she needed to get over
herself. But most teens are a little too preoccupied with their own perceived
dramas. That made the Halloween episode where Danielle dresses up as Angela,
mocking her teen angst, so funny.
My other favorite moments included Rayanne and Sharon reluctantly
becoming friends, the “Weekend” episode with Danielle providing voiceover, the
Christmas episode with Juliana Hatfield, Rickie finally finding a home, and
Patty’s evolution. Even when the show did something not-so great, like the
Rayanne/Jordan hook up, it led to a rich fallout.
Maybe getting cancelled was a good thing for My So-Called
Life. It never wore out its welcome or jumped the shark. We didn’t have a
bad “college years” season. And it’s probably best that we’ll never know if
Angela chose Jordan or Brian. Those 19 episodes will remain a time capsule of a
fleeting moment in the 90s. When the teenagers were funny, smart, authentic and
didn’t have to be perfect. They definitely had a time.
The Facts of Life and I are both turning 40 this year.
One day apart. Making us some kind of Virgo siblings. It certainly feels like I’ve
been watching the show all my life. Syndication has a way of tricking you into thinking
that.
The first season of Facts looked much different from
how most people normally remember it. The show was a spinoff of Diff’rent
Strokes. The Drummonds housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), left the family
to become the housemother at Eastland School for Girls in upstate NY. Back then
there were seven girls: Blair, Tootie, Natalie, Nancy, Sue Ann, Cindy, and Molly.
There was also the head master, Mr. Bradley, and a teacher, Miss Mahoney. The
cast had more characters than a Robert Altman movie. By the time season two
came along the show was trimmed down to three girls. Rich bitch Blair (Lisa Whelchel),
gossipy Tootie (Kim Fields) and bubbly Natalie (Mindy Cohn). Plus, they added a
newbie, tough girl Jo (Nancy McKeon). And Mrs. Garrett had been promoted to
being the school dietician with the four students working in her kitchen. I
actually liked season one, but narrowing down the cast and making things more
focused improved it.
The set up for each episode was pretty standard. A problem
would arise with one of the girls, jokes would flow, and then things always got
worked out in the end. Jo and Blair would throw barbs at each other. She’s blue-collar!
She’s rich! Conflict! Tootie and Natalie would get into some hijinks. And, Mrs.
Garrett would dole out wise advice. Normally there was a social issue explored.
Suicide, eating disorders, pregnancy, teen prostitution, or discrimination. It
could all be pretty formulaic, but it worked. I think it was the cast that sold
it. You cared about Mrs. Garrett and the girls no matter what situation they
were put in. They could have easily been one dimensional characters, but the
writing and acting gave them some depth. Well, as much as you can for an 80s
sitcom.
Of course, as the show went on (9 seasons and 209 episodes),
it didn’t age so well. Once the girls finished at Eastland, the dynamic changed.
Then Mrs. Garrett left and was replaced by her sister Beverly Ann (Cloris Lechman).
Plus, they threw in a bunch of random new characters: Andy, George, and Pippa.
It all got a little dumbed down and one-note. Let’s not even get into the Over
Our Heads years. That’s why I tend to stick to the earlier seasons if I come across
a rerun. Early 80s, yes. Late 80s (with half the cast in mullets), no.
But, even if it didn’t always get it right, The Facts of
Life was an entertaining show and will always be a favorite. You take the
good…ah, you know the rest.
**BONUS**
I have to mention the two Facts TV movies. The Facts of Life Goes to Paris finds Mrs. Garrett and the girls studying in France for the summer. Jo falls in love while Blair realizes that she’s ok without a guy. So much discovery. In The Facts of Life Down Under, the gang heads to Australia. Blair and Jo get involved with jewel thieves, Natalie explores the outback, and Tootie falls for a faux-Aborigine played by Mario Van Peebles. At some point, a boomerang is thrown. Wacky Aussie adventures!
Episode two of BH90210, the not-reboot-reboot, starts
with Jennie at home with her daughter, Kyler. That’s actually her name for some
reason. Kyler wants to be an actress and audition for a TV show. Jennie forbids
it. “No acting under my roof!” Drugs? Sure. Acting? No! Jennie is also served
with divorce papers. So, she’s having a great morning. Later, she and Tori meet
at Fox to pitch their actual-reboot idea. Surprisingly, the executives buy it.
They assume the entire cast is on board. Tori & Jennie lie and say it’s a
done deal.
Cut to the LA County Courthouse, where the cast faces
sentencing for the stolen dress incident. Paparazzi and screaming fans await
them outside. Like a low rent red carpet premiere. We see the young guy from
the Las Vegas convention staring Brian down. Btw, I totally forgot to mention
this guy in the first episode recap and how he followed Brian home to LA. Oops.
What is he up to? In court, the judge sentences the cast to 50 hours of
community service. Plus, Tori has to pay the owner of the dress (a weird fan)
100K. As if she wasn’t already strapped for cash. As they’re leaving court,
Tori and Jennie throw out the reboot idea to their castmates. They all laugh
and give a resounding “no”. But Tori is a persistent producer, like her dad
(RIP Aaron).
Jason is focused on rehabbing his career after punching that
douchey actor, in ep. 1, got him blacklisted. It also seems that his wife,
Camille, is keeping a secret from him. Some random guy threatens to expose her
if she doesn’t help him. Later, we learn this guy is a writer hired to do the
reboot. Jason also gets the news from his doctor that he has a fertility
condition that would make it difficult to have kids without medical
intervention. Hmmm could these two things be related? Of course!
Brian auditions for a role in a film and actually gets it.
So many greenlights in this episode. But he finds out the producers only cast
him because he’s superstar Shay’s husband. They get into fight, which is
secretly captured on tape by stalker/convention guy. Later, Brian and Shay make
up. They’re a pretty dull couple. Also, stalker guy applies to be BAG’s
assistant. Creepy is getting closer.
Kyler threatens Jennie with emancipation for not supporting
her acting career. After receiving some good parenting advice from Jason of all
people, causing a temporary thaw between the adversaries/lovers, Jennie
relents. Kyler gets a part on the reboot alongside her mom.
Ian catches his wife cheating on tape. Again. Now he can
divorce her and keep his money. But he needs to build up his brand again. Ugh,
that damn brand again. In return for doing the reboot, Tori has to help him sell
his lifestyle/fitness products. It’s as dumb as it sounds.
Gabrielle is grappling with her sexuality and hasn’t told
her husband about the bartender kiss. She shares with Jason that she’s always
had these feelings and thinks she’s not being true to herself. So, she shifts
this narrative to Andrea, agreeing to do the reboot if Andrea can explore her
sexuality. But by the end of the episode Gabrielle appears ready to tell her
husband everything. Maybe she could appear on The L Word reboot too.
Later, the group gathers to do their community service,
picking up trash in Griffith Park. A fight breaks out about the reboot,
prompting Gabrielle to suggest they go to group therapy. That will be
interesting. Then the paparazzi shows up at the park and suddenly it’s a phot
shoot. They could make the cover of Community Service Weekly.
After a lot of finagling, Tori gets everyone to agree to do
the reboot. They meet up at Fox and learn that the executive overseeing the show
will be Christine Elise, aka Emily Valentine. She’s come a long way from nearly
burning down that homecoming float in season 2.
Throughout the show we see Tori playing with 90210
dolls. Side note, these are a far cry from the real Mattel dolls that were made
of the cast. I should know since I had a set. Anyways, we see each cast member
receiving a package with their doll inside. Except these dolls are all
mutilated. Yikes. That’s not how you play with iconic toys!
Other 9021Notes
Shannen gives Brian marriage advice while she attempts to save
a seal caught in a net. No, really. I’m ready for her to interact with the cast
and put a pause on the animal rescue.
Jennie’s dream about being back on the show as Kelly, as others list off her characters many dramas, was pretty funny. The cult. The drive-by shooting. Good times.
Jason and Gabrielle confiding in each other was sweet. I’m
enjoying their friendship. It’s just like Andrea and Brandon.
Favorite line, as Brian jokingly ponders stepping back into
David Silver’s shoes, “You know what’s super sexy? A middle-aged white rapper.”
Beverly Hills 90210 is my all-time favorite show. It premiered in 1990 when I was
11 years old and ended in 2000, a few months before my 21st
birthday. I grew up with it, loving the storylines (well, not all of
them…seasons 8-10…yikes) and characters. Treasuring the actors and following
them into new projects. I could go on forever about my 90210 adoration, but
I’ll save that for another day/post/anniversary.
BH90210 is a whole
different animal. A reboot without being a reboot. Basically, the cast (Tori
Spelling, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Ian Ziering,
Gabrielle Carteris, and Brian Austin Green) are playing heightened, fictional
versions of themselves. Paying homage to the original without trying to
continue on with it in its exact form. Thank God. This is so much better than
going back to the well. Instead, they’re spiking the well water with vodka and
getting a bit wacky.
The show kicks off with Tori, Jennie, Gabrielle, Jason, Ian, and
Brian headed to Vegas for a 30th Anniversary 90210
convention. I would so attend this. They’re anxious about seeing each other for
the first time in years. Plus, they each have their own stuff going on back
home.
Tori is broke. Again. Her reality show about her lame husband
and their six kids just got cancelled. So, she desperately needs this convention
money. Btw, big points for casting Ivan Sergei as her husband. He played her
psycho boyfriend in the 90s TV movie Mother May I Sleep with Danger? Not
to be confused with her other movie Awake to Danger. Tori was in a lot
of danger in the 90s. Jennie is on her third marriage. And soon-to-be third
divorce. She’s trying to keep it on the down low, but TMZ blows that up. Brian
is a stay-at-home father of three with a famous pop star wife (La La Anthony).
He stopped acting to focus on his family and lost his mojo. Ian is married to a
young wannabe-famous chick. They’re building some sort of brand, just like most
people on social media these days. Jason has a sad career directing bad TV
shows while trying to get his indie film made. He also has a wife/publicist who
focuses more on his career than their marriage. Lastly, Gabrielle is the
president of SAG-AFTRA, just like in real life. And a new grandma. Really
playing up those Andrea is super old jokes.
The cast is suffering though a panel at the
convention (stop asking Brian about his much more famous wife!) when the host announces
a surprise guest. Shannen! Her huge live streamed image is projected on the
screen behind them. Apparently, she’s been saving wild cats all these years.
The crowd eats it up. Here former castmates aren’t so impressed. I love how the
writers play up the disdain for Shannen, always a constant rumor back in the
day.
Post-panel, the gang decides to hang out at the
hotel before flying home to LA. Jennie flirts with a douchebag by the pool with
horrible results. Then she and Jason end up in bed, despite the fact that she
can’t stand him. Gabrielle flirts with and actually kisses a female fan/bartender.
I haven’t read any, but surely there must be some Andrea lesbian fanfic out
there. Meanwhile, Brian and Tori seem close to possibly rekindling their past
off-screen romance. But she gets drunk and loses her shit. She decides that
Donna’s dress from the spring dance episode in season one, that is currently on
display at the hotel, belongs to her. A broken display case and a mad dash to
BAG’s wife’s private jet ensues. On the flight home, Ian discovers his wife is
cheating on him and decides to take it out on the group. Harsh words are
exchanged all-around. Making it worse, they land and find the police waiting
for them. Orange is the new BH?
The next day Tori and Jennie make up. Tori is
suddenly hit with inspiration after seeing her kids watch her on an old 90210
episode. So much meta. They should reboot the show! Jennie side-eyes her,
but considers it. Maybe this could work…dunadunadunadunadundun!
Other 9021Notes:
Jason’s wife announces she’s pregnant, stopping
him from revealing his romp with Jennie. Good timing!
Brian decides to give acting another shot. Maybe a
Mr. Mom remake?
Ian doesn’t tell his wife that he knows about her
cheating, but reads over their prenup.
Gabrielle keeps her bartender kiss a secret from
her husband.
In the final shot, they zoom in on Luke Perry in the old 90210
episode. It’s still hard to believe that he’s gone. There were a couple of other
brief mentions of him earlier in the show. I’m glad they found a way to honor
him.
When I was a little kid, I fell in love with soap operas.
Yes, I watched the normal kid shows, like cartoons or dumb sitcoms. But around
10 years old soaps became my thing. I took a peek in at almost every show at
that time. But my absolute favorite was One Life to Live. It was pure amazingness.
The history, stories, and characters. I watched it from sometime in the 80s
until it went off the air in 2012. This year OLTL would have celebrated its 51st
anniversary. The show may be gone (damn you ABC), but my memories of it and the
denizens of Llanview live on. So, to celebrate I’m making a list of my Top 10
OLTL characters.
10. Billy Douglas
Billy (Ryan Phillippe) has a special place in my heart. He
was the first gay teen TV character. Like Billy, I was a young teen coming to
terms with my sexuality. It helped so much to have a character like that on TV.
On my favorite show no less. Representation in the media is very powerful. A
young Phillippe made his acting debut in the part in 1992. He brought so much
to the role, playing Billy’s vulnerability and ultimately his strength. It’s
too bad the character was written out after only a year. But he still managed
to make a huge impact at that time and years beyond.
9. Megan Gordon
Megan (Jessica Tuck) was brought on as Viki Buchanan’s long-lost
daughter. Viki had a few of those. She had similar trials to her mother: love
triangles, heartbreak, and multiple personalities. But she was her own person.
Fiery, independent, and quick-witted. It was unfortunate when Tuck decided to
leave the show and they wrote Megan out. Her soap death broke my 12-year-old
heart. So many tears. But at least she came back as an angel from time to time.
8. Max Holden
Sexy, charming, and sometimes dangerous. Max (James DePaiva) was the bad boy that people loved. Even when he was doing wrong, you still rooted for him. And nothing was better than his toxic romance with Gabrielle Medina. Or his equally explosive one with Blair. In later years, he got a bit watered down. But Max was always a pleasure to see onscreen.
7. Tea Delgado
Tea (Florencia Lozano) came to town as a ruthless lawyer, ready to
decimate any opponent. She was ridiculously smart and cunning. Everyone’s go-to
lawyer. Especially Todd Manning. That was a delightfully dark
client/attorney/husband/wife relationship. But she had a softer side at times.
She cared about her community and her loved ones. And she had the best frenemy
relationship (this side of Viki & Dorian) with Blair. A truly multi-faceted,
rich character.
6. Blair Cramer
Two actresses played Blair over the course of the show. One Asian
and one white. Yeah, that really happened. It was the 90s. Mia Korf was first.
She was the scheming ice princess; ready to take down anyone or use them for
her own gain. After Korf left the show Kassie DePaiva came on as Blair. I was
reluctant to accept her in the role, but over time I grew to love her
portrayal. She softened some of Blair’s edges while still remaining razor
sharp. Fighting for (or with) her family and working her way to the top. And
pushing a bitch out a window, if necessary. You didn’t want to mess with Blair.
5. Natalie Buchanan
Natalie (Melissa Archer) was one of the most polarizing characters
on OLTL. You either hated her or loved her. I fell in the latter category,
always ride or die for my girl. She was the bad girl turned heroine, suffering
through several kidnappings, lost loves, and that dolt John McBain. Ugh Jolie. She
was always getting involved in some tragedy, much like her mother, Viki. I
loved their relationship, btw. But through it all Natalie kept going. Always
the fighter.
4. Dorian Lord
It’s easy to call Dorian (Robin Strasser) a villain. Yes, she was treacherous, devious, and a pathological liar at times. And she kinda killed a man. Only kinda because of the retcon. But underneath that armor of bitchery was a huge heart. She loved her family and some of her husbands. And even Viki at times. Strasser was one of the best actresses on the show and in daytime in general. Dorian’s death row storyline really stands out as a winning moment. Strasser could turn any plot, no matter how small, into gold.
3. Viki Lord
All roads lead back to Viki (Erika Slezak). She was the heart of
the show from the very beginning. It was her life to live. For years we saw
drama swirl around her. A horrendous father, a career in journalism, a long
line of husbands (many who died on her), dissociative identity disorder,
numerous Dorian schemes, and enough maladies to kill the average man (well she
actually did go to heaven…twice). Slezak deserved all six of the Emmys she won,
if not more. There’s no better actress in daytime.
2. Gabrielle Medina
Coming in at a VERY close 2nd is Gabrielle (Fiona
Hutchison). Usually female characters go from bad to good in some dumb
redemptive arc. But Gabrielle went from virginal ingenue to one of the baddest
bitches in Llanview. I grew to love her during a twisty baby switch storyline.
So, she swapped a few brats? She had her reasons. I could excuse any Gabrielle
scheme. And I wanted her to be with Max. Even though they were horrible for one
another. You can’t deny the heat they had. But whether she was entrenched in a
bad romance or on her own, Hutchison always shined in the role. And she did it
with great hair. Can’t say enough about that hair!
1. Tina Lord Roberts
Tina, Tina, Tina (Andrea Evans)! There is no better character, in
my opinion, in soap opera history. Sorry Erica Kane. Tina was everything for
me. Most importantly she was the reason why I started watching One Life. One of
the first scenes I remember watching was when she accidentally killed her wicked
mother-in-law, Maria, by spilling poison on her. Of course, Maria was trying to
kill Tina, so she had it coming. Tina was always getting involved in crazy
stuff like that. This is the same woman who went over a waterfall (while
pregnant) and lived to tell the tale. Typically, her own schemes put her in
these precarious positions. She always wanted more. More love, money, jewels!
And she never went about getting these things in the right way. How boring
would that be? Unfortunately, Tina got derailed when Evans had to leave the
show because of a crazed real-life stalker. She made a return years later, but
was bogged down by bad writing. Luckily, before the show ended, she came back
one more time and had a happy (and zany Tina-like) ending with her long-time
love (and four-time husband) Cord.
Even though the show has ended and these characters are out of sight, they’ll always be in my heart (sorry for the cheesiness). And on YouTube. Cause you only have One Life to Live! Dun, dun, dun!
I remember exactly where I was on May 21, 1999. In my
apartment, with my friend Jessica, watching Susan Lucci win her Emmy. Where
else would I be? Back then I would never miss an Emmy telecast. I was a huge soap
opera fan, having watched them since I was 10 years old. All My Children and
One Life to Life were my favorites. But I had checked in on most of the other
shows, at one point or another. Every soap fan, no matter which one they
favored, knew Susan Lucci, though.
Susan played Erica Kane on All My Children since day one
(January 5, 1970). Over the course of serval decades and episodes, Erica had
done everything. So many careers, husbands, and bitchslaps. When you thought of
soaps you thought of her. And then her history with the Emmys was a soap opera
in itself. For 19 years (non-consecutively) Susan had been nominated in the
Lead Actress category. And every year she lost. That’s a lot of disappointment.
And a lot of fake smiles after the camera cuts to your losing face.
It’s not that she was a bad actress. She just wasn’t an Emmys
actress, I suppose. It also didn’t help that she chose so-so clips for her
submissions. While everyone else was doing serious drama, she did camp. But in
1999 she submitted scenes where Erica was dealing with her young daughter
Bianca’s eating disorder. The change must have resonated with voters. Or maybe
they were worried that the world would truly end in Y2K and they’d never have
the chance to give Lucci an Emmy before it did. Who knows?
But, finally, that historic night arrived. Shemar Moore, a popular actor from The Young
and the Restless, was in charge of presenting the Lead Actress category. They
played the clips of all five actresses and then it was time to open the
envelope. As soon as Shemar shouted, “The streak is over…” I knew, as did
everyone else, that she had won. The crowd in the auditorium lost its mind! As
did I. I gasped and leapt to my feet with them. Jessica had to tell me to stop
saying “Oh My God!” I couldn’t help it. The seemingly impossible had happened.
Susan took to the stage. It felt like the standing ovation would never end. She was still in a state of shock, but she managed to give a great speech. Touching, sweet, and funny. It went on for quite some time despite efforts to play her off. You can see it in all its glory on YouTube. 20 years later, it still makes me weepy. She wrapped up with a very dramatic proclamation, fitting for a soap queen, “I’m going back to that studio on Monday and I’m going to play Erica Kane for all she’s worth!” A truly soaptastic moment.
NostalGeoff 