MY SO-CALLED LIFE was Your Favorite Show? Good News! It’s Back!

…Well, kinda. You’ll see:

Not MY SO-CALLED LIFE…but close!

Missing My So-Called Life? Check out MTV’s Awkward! – by An Nicholson

Jenna Hamilton is Angela Chase reborn. “Awkward.” embodies every single thing I loved about “My So-Called Life” and other ’90s teen dramas. Pretty boy Jordan Catalano? Check. Wacky minority friend? Check! Slutty female friend? Check. Check. Check!

There were three shows I loved in the ’90s which I felt perfectly captured my too-smart-for-the-world, all-black-wearing, undo-the-dominant-paradigm angsty, I’m-so-misunderstood teen self: ABC’s My So-Called Life (1994-1995), MTV’s Daria (1997-2001), ABC’s Life Goes On (1989-1993) as well as ABC’sOnce and Again (1999-2002). All included too-smart for the world brunettes who lusted after and eventually landed the perfect popular boy. While I have the Daria DVD sets on back order and both Life Goes On as well as Once and Again had full seasons, a hole always remained in my heart for My So-Called Life’s early cancellation. I loved the show because it perfectly captured how I felt at that age: lost, misunderstood, unpopular and adrift. Angela Chase (portrayed by Claire Danes‘ luminous old world eyes) embodied everything the ’90s teen felt and then some. After ABC cancelled it after only one season (one *#!&&#*@# season!!!), I mourned the show’s early passing.

Even as recently as last year, I STILL hoped My So-Called Life’s series creator, Winnie Holzman, would call together Claire Danes and her executive production staff to pen the show’s final seasons. Luckily, after watching two seasons of MTV’s Awkward. back-to-back I no longer have that desire. Awkward. ISMy So-Called Life: The Missing Years.

Awkward. surrounds incredibly normal, yet inexplicably unpopular “freak” Jenna Hamilton. After receiving an anonymous letter calling her a wuss through numbered points, she writes an anguished blog post in response and goes to take a bath. But, after taking a couple aspirin for a headache, she accidentally falls into the bathtub, knocking a hairdryer into the bath water while spilling aspirin onto the bathroom tiles. Yeah. Awkward. Unsurprisingly, everyone in her immediate social circle, including her parents, teachers, friends, and schoolmates assume that she’s a suicidal spaz. And, that’s just the pilot.

I love Awkward., not just because Jenna Hamilton gives me major Angela Chase vibes, but because it perfectly captures the teen angst experience without belittling it, slutting it up or turning it into saccharine words. It’s honest, raw and open. It’s everything I loved about My-So Called Life.

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We admit it. We’re intrigued. If you’ve been watching AWKWARD please get in touch. We have some reviews for you to write!

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