Well, TV fans, the die is cast. Last week, The CW green-lighted The Carrie Diaries, that Sex and the City prequel network television has been threatening to inflict on us for years. Set in the ’80s, the show will follow Carrie Bradshaw’s high-school years in Connecticut, where we’re sure she’ll be asking a whole new, teen-focused slew of pseudo-profound questions (“What does ‘going steady’ really mean?”) and lusting over shoes at Contempo Casuals. But forgive us if we don’t intend to watch the show for long enough to find out. Like Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon, we’ve had our fill of Carrie. In fact, the only good thing we can imagine coming from the prequel is that it inspired us brainstorm some adult TV characters who already have kid equivalents on other shows. Find out who Zack Morris grew up to be, and which kid reminds us of Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess, after the jump.
Is your boyfriend in love with his cousin? Are you in love with your neighbor? Is your neighbor in love with a jerk? Are you a cartoon? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might be a lovelorn teenage character on a TV series. When we brought you our favorite ’90s teen power couples, we neglected to mention the best friends, classmates, ex-lovers, and siblings of these perfect couples — the characters who, more often than not, are majorly lacking in the love department. This phenomenon is typically blamed on awkwardness, fickleness, or ugly duckling syndrome, but what if these misfits’ true TV match is just on another series? With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, we’re pairing lonely teenage TV characters with other lonely TV characters. Some are from current shows, others are from yesteryear, but all deserve a little more love than they receive. Check out the matches we’ve made after the jump, then hit the comments to recommend others. It’s pretty fun.
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 »
When word spread that Gossip Girl was going to set an episode at New York’s cultish “immersive theatre” production Sleep No More, fans of the show — who have been known to develop wallet-crippling addictions to it — were not happy. Would their favorite secret spot soon be overrun by teenyboppers keen on re-enacting Serena and Blair’s melodramatic intrigue? Would Gossip Girl give away any of the Macbeth-inspired experience’s secrets? Well, the episode aired last night, and we learned far more about Chuck Bass’s libido (or newfound lack thereof) and Ivy’s ex-boyfriend than Sleep No More. To commemorate this supremely odd moment of convergence, we’ve rounded up some of the best and strangest moments that have found TV shows appropriating cult, underground, and indie culture, from Saved by the Bell‘s rave to Roseanne‘s riot grrrls, after the jump.
Every now and then, we’ll come across a “successful” fictional musician that — you got it, releases a full-length music video for an original song within their respective film or TV show. Unlike the fake music videos that merely string together inconsequential scenes from footage we’ve already seen, the ones we’re noting are tiny, ridiculous masterpieces in themselves. Want some lovin’? Rex Manning’s got a whole music video about bringing it to your front door. Need a pink-haired Jonathan Rhys Meyers to glam up your life? We’ve got that, too. Kick back and enjoy as some daring actors fulfill their inner pop star fantasies in these over-the-top, awesomely fake music videos, and sorry in advance for getting these silly songs stuck in your head. You may proceed. Read More »
Joey Gladstone, Stephanie Tanner, Mr. Belding, and Kato Kaelin, of OJ Simpson-trial fame. This sounds more like the setup for some kind of joke than the cast of a new show. And yet, former Full House stars Dave Coulier and Jodie Sweetin truly are reuniting to star in a web series called Can’t Get Arrested, in which they play fictionalized versions of themselves, two actors trying to revitalize their careers. Coulier gave The Wrap a preview of the premise: “Jodie and I … we’re sitting at dinner and the paparazzi takes a picture of us, and they purposely Photoshop a nip slip onto her, and it hits the press… So she’s outraged, but I think it’s a real opportunity.” That’s when the scheming commences, and where Kaelin and Saved by the Bell‘s Dennis Haskins join in the action. The show will begin its initial five-episode run on CantGetArrestedShow.com at the end of this month, with new installments debuting every week thereafter. Coulier also teases that it’s possible other Full House alums will make guest appearances.We’d like to request Kimmy Gibbler, please.
Where were you when Jessie Spano had her epic caffeine pill freakout? Or Stephanie Tanner was almost bullied into trying a cigarette in the girl’s bathroom? Do you remember those speed-fueled dance moves that Carlton Banks whipped out at the prom? Children of the ’80s will recognize many of these clips pulled from “very special” episodes of classic shows like Saved by the Bell, Full House, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — unless you had the kind of super strict parents who wouldn’t allow you to watch Steve Urkel getting drunk the first time around. Either way, many thanks to Pleated Jeans for making this Monday afternoon a little more bearable with their fantastic compilation. Let us know in the comments which of these hilariously dramatic warnings — which, if we’re being honest, often traumatized us back in the day — is your favorite.
One of the best things we’ve come across lately is this photo of Kyle Chandler — aka Friday Night Lights‘ beloved Coach Eric Taylor — grilling enough meat to serve a famished army and looking utterly stoked about it. What really captured our imagination, though, was Vulture’s inquiry: “Does Coach Taylor–Ron Swanson fan-fic exist yet?” We don’t know that we’d be particularly interested in reading Coach/Ron slash, but it does make sense that they would enjoy each other’s company. Once we started thinking about characters from entirely different TV universes who would be best friends in real life, we couldn’t stop. So, you’ll find ten perfect pairs after the jump; add your own in the comments.
