My So-Called Life

My So-Called Life is a teen drama that aired on ABC and focused on the life of Angela Chase (Claire Danes), a 15-year old struggling to survive her high school years. Unlike other teen shows of the 90s that centered on the fun times of youth and made light of the conflicts of high school, My So-Called Life depicted the teenage years as brutal and wildly confusing. Angela is withdrawn, angsty, and completely self-aware of the, in her opinion, meaninglessness of life. Her friends, Rayanne Graff (A.J. Langer) and Rickie Vasquez (Wilson Cruz), have problems of their own; Rayanne is wild and often gets in trouble with drugs, alcohol, and the law while Rickie is abused and struggles to deal with his homosexuality and being an outcast. Classmates Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) and Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall) fare no better. Jordan, the object of Angela's affections, is nearly expelled from high school because he is dyslexic and cannot read. Brian, the school nerd, has an unrequited love for Angela but is alienated from his fellow high schoolers due to his socially awkward nature. Although Angela's family, mother Patty Chase (Benn Armstrong), father Graham Chase (Tom Irwin), and sister Danielle Chase (Lisa Wilhoit) worry about Angela, they cannot find a way to connect with her. While other teen-centric shows of the decade deal with social issues such as homelessness, homophobia, and alcoholism as one episode topics, My So-Called Life weaves such story lines into the arc of the entire show to mimic the harsh reality of growing up. Although the show is still critically acclaimed, it had low ratings on ABC and only lasted for one season, ending with an unresolved cliffhanger. MORE