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The best TV show where the characters were, at one point, in high school?

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Double Down, Feb 24, 2011.

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What the the best TV show ever set in high school?

  1. 90210

    10.7%
  2. The O.C.

    2.7%
  3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    12.0%
  4. Veronica Mars

    9.3%
  5. My So Called Life

    8.0%
  6. Friday Night Lights

    24.0%
  7. Dawson's Creek

    1.3%
  8. Freaks and Geeks

    17.3%
  9. Glee

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  10. Saved By The Bell

    14.7%
  11. The Wonder Years

    28.0%
  12. The White Shadow

    12.0%
  13. Gilmore Girls

    5.3%
  14. Happy Days

    4.0%
  15. Welcome Back Kotter

    8.0%
  1. Double Down

    Double Down Well-Known Member

    I appreciate the reasoned argument and defense of TWY, although I still disagree with some of what you're saying. I think the socioeconomic stuff of East Dillon is fascinating, and hardly pithy, even when compared to the tumultuous 1960s. Never sending the Taylors to East Dillon means no abortion storyline, and whether you're pro-choice or anti-abortion, the maturity and nuance it was handled with by the writing staff was a high point for network TV.

    "I Think We Should Have Sex" actually handled Tammi's conversation with Julie in a really honest and interesting way. It's not as if they had that talk and then Julie decided to wait until marriage. She went and had sex with Matt anyway (eventually). And the look Julie gave herself in the mirror after she lost her V-card was one of the series most genuine, honest moments. I don't hear the "The More You Know" jingle playing there. I see a fairly realistic story about growing up. There was no pregnancy scare or moment of regret. Just a look that said, without any dialog, "Wow, I'm not a virgin anymore."

    One of the reasons I don't think TWY writing is as strong as the FNL stuff is the damn voice over on TWY. It's much harder to tell a story when half the beats have to be non-verbal. The acting has to be significantly better. I remembered "The Hardware Store" as being particularly good episode after you mentioned it, and so I went back and watched it. And it's is good. But it's not exactly subtle. At all. I think the clip of the ending makes my point. The Wonder Years was more popular for a lot of reasons, but one of those reasons was it spelled things out. It didn't leave much room for nuance.



    You can say that's a preference thing, and you might be partially correct. But FNL didn't rely heavily on exposition the way TWY did. And while I concede that's simply the way the creators of TWY were choosing to tell the story, a huge part of FNL's genius is all the things not said by Coach and Tami and Tim and Buddy and Matt. It's more organic to me. Dan Lauria was really the only great non-verbal actor on TWY.

    You could kind of make the analogy that TWY is like Gary Smith, with the all seeing narrator dominating the story, and FNL is S.L. Price, where the storytelling is more subtle and left to your own interpretations.
     
  2. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    Wonder what an episode of TWY would work like if we excised the narrator. I understand why that isn't fair, since the narrator was taken into account when the scripts were written and the directing plotted, but it would at least be interesting. Perhaps as an extra option in the event if ever, ever, ever comes to DVD.
     
  3. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    As good as ending was to FNL, TWY to me had the most perfect ending. Real and gut wrenching. Really got me when they said Kevin's father had died.

    Poor Dan Luria -- his two biggest rolls, dies in one and plays a dead guy in another.
     
  4. There would be a lot of awkward silences as Kevin contemplated his next move, whether that be flinging mashed potatoes in Wayne's face or taking that job at the country club.
     
  5. copperpot

    copperpot Well-Known Member

    I thought about the Wonder Years vs. FNL debate while watching the Wonder Years today. One conclusion I reached was that the Wonder Years did a great job delivering a slice of life in each show. FNL, on the other hand, had a stronger storyline. I couldn't wait each week to see what was going to happen on FNL. Would I hang on a promo about Kevin, Winnie and Paul trying to save Harper's Woods? No.
     
  6. StaggerLee

    StaggerLee Well-Known Member

    I voted for Saved by the Bell and Welcome Back, Kotter, because I guess I assumed that the show had to take place in a high school.

    Lots of people hate Saved by the Bell, but it was the one show I rushed home to watch every day after school and on Saturdays. Have all the DVDs and still watch them from time-to-time. Silly, I know, but I loved the show.

    Wonder Years is probably the best show of the list here, but like I said I voted strictly on the show being centered around high school life.
     
  7. farmerjerome

    farmerjerome Active Member

    Those were my two votes. I was very close to the Angela Chase character in high school. I was in love with a Jordan Catalano, I was best friends with a Rayanne Graf and a Sharon Cherski. A Brian Krakov (right down to the blond curly hair) had a crush on me. And I really liked Buffalo Tom. ;D
    I loved the Wonder Years too, but no connections there. The history of that show was just wonderful, and hit me in the gut when I saw it on the list. One of the best show ever.
    Freeks and Geeks was a great show too. It reminds me of all the crappy things in high school, but all the little victories too. FNL is a great show, but it's missing something to me. Not much, but something. Great show though.
     
  8. SnoopyBoy

    SnoopyBoy Member

    Leave it to Beaver.
     
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