Ah, to be young and in love on a ’90s television series. So much tension, so much betrayal, so many make-ups and too many break-ups. Remember that time Jordan Catalano enlisted Brian Krakow to secretly write his love letter for Angela Chase? Or when D.J. Tanner accused Steve Hale of canoodling with an ex-girlfriend at the school dance? What about when Steve Urkel transformed into Stefan Urquelle in order to win Laura’s heart? Most ’90s teenage relationships were trivial, others lasted seasons upon seasons, but we’re recalling the ones that still make us giddy — the ones that we thought, at one point or another, were meant to be. Take a trip down TV’s memory lane with some ’90s teenage power couples after the jump, and let us know in the comments whose relationship made you the most envious.
There’s no denying that ’90s television was chock-full of dope fictional bands, and it’s about time we cranked up our nostalgia and got jiggy with the fake musical groups of yesteryear. Some were boy bands, others were punks, but most just settled into their oversize, unwashed flannel shirts with some bangin’ alt-rock vibes. Remember that time Little Pete and meter-man Mel formed the Blowholes? Or when Doug and Skeeter ran into the Beets at the Honker Burger? What about that time Jordan Catalano, like, serenaded Angela Chase with that song written about her hair, or something? …Not! (Hold up, did we even use that right? It’s been a while.) Regardless, check out some totally fake ’90s TV bands after the jump, home-skillets. They’ve missed you. Read More »
Quick, think of your favorite character from film or TV. Got it? Now imagine someone else wearing that character’s clothes and saying that character’s words. Unless you’re thinking of James Bond, Doctor Who, or another notoriously replaceable face, it’s probably hard to picture a different actor playing the part. Alas, before there were “lights, camera, action” on all our favorite productions, there were auditions, and that role was up for grabs. Check out some silly successful, failed, and even fake audition tapes, featuring some very familiar faces, after the jump.
Only in its first season now, and just recently renewed for a second, MTV’s Awkward. is one of the most unexpectedly honest series about high school we’ve seen in years. Sure, we all like to gape at the impossibly glamorous teen dramas dreamt up by Josh Schwartz, of The O.C. and Gossip Girl fame. But in real life, high school is raw and uncomfortable and histrionically mundane, and it takes an exceptionally perceptive program to get at the mood of those terrible and wonderful years. In celebration of Awkward., we’ve rounded up the TV shows we think best capture the high school experience.
In case you couldn’t tell, we’re big fans of coming-of-age movies here at Flavorpill, so we’re really looking forward to seeing The Myth of the American Sleepover, which came out Friday and, promisingly, reminded New York Times critic A.O. Scott of Freaks and Geeks and Dazed and Confused. Although the movie isn’t entirely, or even mostly, about a slumber party, it can’t help but remind us of some our favorite sleepovers on film and TV. Ten of the most memorable, from Grease to Beverly Hills, 90210 to Superbad, are after the jump.
Sitcoms aren’t shy about their underlying formula: take a protagonist who’s thoroughly average in every way, give her a colorful best friend, and set their pun-laden exchanges to a laugh track. Not all shows sink to those depths of formulaic cheesiness, but even the greatest ones know it’s hard to misstep with the one-two punch of a pair of strong characters made even better by the depth of their friendship. After the jump, check out our favorite sitcom besties and be sure to chime in with the the ones we missed in the comments.
There are relatively few female stoner characters in pop culture — a fact that seems surprisingly given a recent study that shows that while teen boys are more likely to smoke pot than their female counterparts, the girls are more likely to become addicted. And while there is currently a stoner road trip comedy in development with Natalie Portman entitled Best Buds,who knows when the mom-to-be will actually find time to star in and produce it. So in the meantime, we’ve come up with a list of women from film and TV to help you get your heavy-lidded lady fix.
PaleyFest — an annual event where the casts and creative teams behind the most popular TV shows converge to geek out for the benefit of fans — is currently underway in Los Angeles, and Gallery 1988 has commissioned a handful of artists and illustrators to design limited-edition posters for this year’s honorees, which include Freaks and Geeks, Eastbound & Down, Parks & Recreation, True Blood, Glee, and The Walking Dead. Click through to check them out, and if you like what you see, be sure to pick up your favorite in Gallery 1988’s online shop where they’re currently available for $35 a pop.
Regardless of what we might think about his ancillary projects, we all know James Franco is a good actor. But sometimes, too much method acting can be a bad thing. The LA Times reports that, at a Paley Fest panel on Saturday, the cast of Freaks and Geeks reunited without Franco (who sent in a video in lieu of appearing) — and told a few stories that suggested they might kind of hate him.
First, Judd Apatow called him a drama queen. Then, Busy Phillips came in with the big guns. In one scene, where Phillips’s Kim Kelly and Franco’s Daniel Desario were arguing, the script called for Phillips to tap Franco on the arm. When she did, he cursed at her and threw her to the ground. “I had the wind knocked out of me,” she recalled, and once she got up, she went back to her trailer and cried. According to Phillips, Franco had decided Daniel had “maybe been abused by his father, and so he didn’t want any physicality between him and his girlfriend.” But, she added, “This was unbeknownst to me.”
Rebellious and delinquent teens are among TV’s favorite tropes. They’re dangerous, romantic, and compelling all at once — and they get away with antics that aren’t so attractive on older characters. Of course, compared to the wild things who populate Skins, the British series whose American version debuts Monday on MTV, many of our favorite out-of-control teens look like honor students. So, we’re paying them tribute one last time, before they become obsolete. (Note: If you’re the kind of person who gets upset about seeing years-old plot points revealed in print, consider yourself spoiler-alerted.)
