My so called media

No idea why it took me so long to see this series but I have been watching the 19 episode, 5 disk set this week. I just finished the Christmas episode 'So called Angels' which manages to channel Scrooge and 'It's a Wonderful Life' into a show which dances on the line of maudlin without ever going over and dealing with incredible powerful ideas ranging from abuse to homosexuality to family and relationships. I think the single scene which prevents it from tipping over the line is the help line scene where Brian Krakow -- maybe the most annoying teen character ever put on the screen ( and the one I identify most with for obvious reasons 8-) ) -- called the help line and reaches Rayanne, the teen bad girl character. He starts to cry from loneliness and Rayanne who is on the other end of the phone asks Brian what clothes he has own and then proceeds to talk about her low-cut tank top and she feels the need to take it off. Brian then asks her if he's reached the right help line and she responds with a total tag line: Do you still feel like crying? Must be the right help line. Then the show goes back into Rickey's abuse and abandonment story ending in the Church. This might be the single best dramatic show I've seen on TV. Boston Public, Felicity, American Dreams all pale by comparison and none of them could have been done without this show which canceled after 19 episodes and never had a 'final' show.'

I think I see MSCL as the follow up to The Wonder Years in a sense.

If oyu are looking for good viewing this summer you can't do better than
MSCL in any form.

--Thom