I thought I’d try something a little different today. While there were SO many great books from my younger days, let’s not forget the awesome TV shows that came on! Back in the 90s/early 2000s, the WB (back before it was called the CW) was THE channel for all things teen. I practically worshiped at the WB, scheduling my evenings around particular shows.
One of the first shows I remember watching on the WB and really getting into was Dawson’s Creek.
If you’ve never seen or heard of Dawson’s Creek, I’m sure it’s because you’ve been living under a rock. DC tells the story of four (sometimes 5) teenagers dealing with life, growing up, and sex. Sex, sex, sex. Best thing about the show? NO ONE ACTUALLY HAS SEX!
Well, except Pacey… because Pacey’s a pimp (direct quote from a high school friend).
Anywho… What I think I like best about this show and remember it for is that it’s about normal teenagers. They’re not glamorous NYC prep school kids. There’s no paranormal vampires or ghosts. The kids in Dawson’s Creek are just your average, normal, 28-year-old-looking teenagers who are faced with real problems. And those problems were dealt with in practically normal ways. Jen’s drinking, Jack being gay, Pacey shacking up with his English teacher, Joey’s mom being dead, Dawson’s pansy crying…
Seriously, if you want a real blast from the past, check out this show. It’s super cheesy, the kids talk way smarter than normal 15 year olds should be, the 90s clothing is TERRIBLE… but if you can get past that, then it’s super. Really, really super!
The Grown-Up YA 
I never watched Dawson’s Creek until the reruns started playing on TBS when I was in college. Given that I was in college, I managed to schedule my mornings around getting to watch an episode of Dawson’s Creek before class. Last year I finally finished watching the entire series from beginning to end. It’s pretty melodramatic, but I love it, love it, love it.
P.S. I named my dog Gretchen after Pacey’s sister. Yeah, I was really into the show in college.
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I watched it off and on while in high school and college, but I hardly remember anything from it. I’m excited about rewatching it on Netflix!
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Enjoy! I’m curious to hear how you feel about the characters nowadays… Dawson drove me nuts. But Pacey… my love for Pacey knows no bounds.
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This is very timely as I’ve been re-watching DC. I love the show, it takes me back to being a teenager! Pacey was one of my first crushes!
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Oh, I LOVED Pacey!!! It’s weird seeing him so young now, but he’s still as dreamy as ever!
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“The kids in Dawson’s Creek are just your average, normal, 28-year-old-looking teenagers” LOL I LOVE YOU
I keep meaning to watch this show and never get around to it. One day…
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Did you know that there’s a Dawson’s Creek in Canada? It’s in British Columbia. When I found this out I added it to my list of places I must visit before I die. Hopefully you’ll get around to it sometime! The show, I mean… not the town 🙂
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Haha, I was really excited to hear this one was available on Instant Netflix now! I never did make it to the end of this show, I quit watching several seasons in. Though believe it or not we used to watch it every week in my church youth group and talk about it…
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Every time my husband sees Dawson he comments on the size of his head (he says “that is a huuuuge melon”). What I remember most about this show, other than the awesomely ridiculous dialogue, is when Pacey’s girlfriend, Meredith (?) went to a mental facility for a short stay and later returned to the show with ginormous fake boobs. I mean, that must have been some hospital.
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Pacey’s girlfriend was Andie!!!! And yes, I too loved DC. Dawson, not so much. Pacey, oh yeah. ~dixie
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Watched this entire series when it aired on The WB. At first, my town didn’t get the WB unless you had satellite so we had a friend record it on VHS and then we passed the tape around our little group of friends. So many good memories. I watched the first episode again on Netflix the other day and laughed at the extraordinary cheese factor. Such good times.
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Favorite lines: “DC tells the story of four (sometimes 5) teenagers dealing with life, growing up, and sex. Sex, sex, sex. Best thing about the show? NO ONE ACTUALLY HAS SEX!” LOLOL. So true. I used to die over this show. I remember being a freshman in high school, showing up to class the day after a new episode had aired and talking about it with all my friends. Our conversations usually included some kind of remark along the lines of, “so when Dawson used XXX word, what did that mean?” Because I know ADULTS who don’t talk the way those kids did. And yet, we loved them. Except Dawson was kind of a big baby. I was always a Pacey girl. I could probably stand to rewatch them myself! Good to know it’s on Netflix!
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LOVE this post! I adored Dawson’s Creek and I scheduled my evening around it as well. I bet I would cringe if I watched it now. 🙂
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That crying is spectacular. You should watch “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23”! James van der Beek plays himself and lordy it is hilarious.
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loved DC. LOVED Pacey. Yum.
I remember watching it the first time & I was all into the Dawson/Joey love story (he was such a tool)…and one of my favorite parts was the first season when they all went to a movie and were walking home & Dawson & Jen start dancing to some random person’s radio playing in the background…I should know the song, but it’s slipping my mind. Also, I remember rewinding & watching Joey singing On My Own for the pageant episode about a thousand times. I was older, probably in my early 20s, but that show was it for me. Love this post! ~dixie
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Now that DC is on Netflix, I’m probably going to spend some time and watch it all the way through. i only watched it randomly. But I’m such a Joey + Pacey fan. Siiiiggghhh…
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I grew up with my grandmother(hands down best woman in the world) and we watched D.C every week together. I was in high school, a senior when the show ended. We loved this show! I’m going to watch it on Netflix because I can’t remember most of the show anymore. I can vaguely recall Abby dying, that’s about it.
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