#140RVW
Gone too soon, but not forgotten. Star-making series is just as good as people have told you it is. Heard about it for 15 years – it plays.
What’s more:
This show is the spiritual successor to the John Hughes films of the 80’s. Usually cult shows that get prematurely cancelled take on a mythic status that ultimately is impossible to live up to for those of us who missed them the first time, but this one really is just as good as everyone said.
I don’t know really how to review an entire series, other than to say that I couldn’t whip through these 18 episodes fast enough. I found myself so immersed in the world of these superbly written and realized characters from the pilot on. The writing is great, the acting is better. This show should have run for years.
The 1980 setting of the show is great, but interestingly it took me more than halfway through the pilot before I was sure it was a period piece, and even longer to realize exactly when it was set. I could tell we were late 1970’s, but other than that I couldn’t nail it down. What’s so amazing and uncharacteristic for television is the soundtrack. In addition to the Joan Jett theme song, there is a staggering amount of source music. They must have spent the show’s entire budget on licensing the music. These are major artists, the likes of whom you’ve never heard on a tv show before. I have no idea how they could afford to re-license them for the video releases, but the show wouldn’t be the same without it.
Sigh…
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: B (9 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Linda Cardellini Lindsay Weir (18 episodes, 1999-2000), John Francis Daley Sam Weir (18 episodes, 1999-2000), James Franco Daniel Desario (18 episodes, 1999-2000), Samm Levine Neal Schweiber (18 episodes, 1999-2000) |
| Rating | TV-14 |
| Release Date | Sat 25 Sep 1999 UTC |
| Director | |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama |
| Plot | A television show about two unique groups of teenagers dealing with life in high school during the 80’s. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 60 |
| Tagline | It’s 1980 and this is what high school was like for the rest of us. |
| Writers | Paul Feig (creator) |
| Year | 1999 |