The End

General discussion about the nineteen episodes of "My So-Called Life". Note: Our episode guide can be found here.
newmaks
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Low Ratings

Post by newmaks » May 25th 2003, 12:09 pm

I never understand why it had 'low ratings' either...i'm from the UK and almost every person I speak to thats my age watched my so-called life when they were 15 and look back on it as one of the best shows ever made for teenagers. None of the ones out now have ever even come close to making a teenager feel like they can really relate to the characters. That was the beauty of the programme...every teenager could relate to at least one of the characters. This may seem a little out there but now i'm 23 and when watching Six Feet Under I almost feel the same way when I used to watch MSCL. It's one of a kind again, unique characters.

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Post by Guest » May 25th 2003, 12:27 pm

Totally, "Six feet under" rocks

heater_05
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Post by heater_05 » May 25th 2003, 2:40 pm

Well I am going to go back to the MTV thread here.

I too loved MTV when it began. I remember I was very young and I thought it was so cool. Then when my parents forbid me to watch it I knew it was cool. We did not have cable so I used to sneak a peek at my grandparent's house. There was only one kid on my block who had cable at the time, so practically every neighborhood kid converged at his house to watch MTV all day long.

Remote Control rocked. It was the only game show where I knew the answers to the questions. Adam Sandler was hilarious. He was actually named Stud Boy. Great stuff.

Now I never watch MTV. I think The Real World needs to die. In the beginning it was interesting. The cast was older and the agruments seemed real and not everyone was so gosh darn pretty. Now they are all like 18 and they all look like models.

Now for mscl. Mscl was not a midseason replacment. I remember the first airing very well. It was late September and I had not left for my junior year of college yet. UCLA starts vert late. I watched it at my parents house. I saw almost every episode and I remember having to secretly watch them because that year I lived with a bunch of very cynical guys and I knew if they ever caught me watching it I would get crap for it, forever. It ran opposite a "new instant hit" show that which was Friends. I remember knowing the show would not make it. It was just too good and too real, I knew it would never attract a main strem audience, which is what you needed back then. I think today if it aired on like the WB it would have certainly made it to another season.

It is also very common for a show only to have like 19 episodes its first season. A standard number is 22. But if a show is on the fence so to speak then often less episodes are made. I remember the last one aired in late January. And I rememer knowing that was it. ABC put it on haitus and then officially canceled it in May. Although I knew long before that it was never coming back. I also heard the Claire Danes rumor of her not wanting to come back. But even if that is true it is still ABC's fault. They left it hanging for months. If they had talked of renewal earlier it not would have been a question weither Claire wanted to return. Waiting around trying to find out what you are going to be doing next year can be very frustrating and annoying. I believe if ABC had been more committed to the show it would have continued with everyone intact.

I also meet Winnie Holzman at a seminar at the American Film Institute. They showed the mscl pilot and an episode of Once and Again that Winnie wrote. She was very gracious and answered plenty of questions. It was funny because the interviewer thought mscl had run in like the 1998, he had no clue and Winnie had to set him straight. I think that is very telling because it still seems very new eight years later.

She did not say much abouth the next season. The people there were not really huge fans, and though I raised my hand I was not called on. Afterwards I met Winnie and Devon Gummersol. Both were very nice. Devon and I had like a half hour conversation about his white man's afro. Winnie swore she had met me before. I reassured her that I had not. I am sure I would have remembered meeting her. It was a little strange. But I remember that they did not even know when the show had actually started to air and when it had been canceled, they had to ask me and I was the one setting everyone straight.

Anyway I have rambled here. Just wanted to tell my story thanks.
"It just goes to show you, if it's not one thing it's another, but it's always something!"

Roseanne Roseannadanna

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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » May 25th 2003, 5:47 pm

TomSpeed wrote:My understanding is that it was a midseason replacement. ABC liked it, but it was always in ratings trouble. There was some doubt that 19 episodes would be completed. Winnie was asked to write more episodes. However, no more episodes were filmed. The show was canceled between seasons.
heater_05 wrote:Mscl was not a midseason replacment. I remember the first airing very well. It was late September and I had not left for my junior year of college yet.
MSCL did not air as a midseason replacement - the pilot debuted at the end of August; however, at one point the network did plan to air MSCL as a midseason replacement.

From the MSCL timeline:
March 01, 1993
The shooting for the pilot episode begins in Los Angeles.
The show is scheduled to air in September 1993.

Summer of 1993
ABC decides to not pick up the show in the fall '93 season. The crew calls the only shot episode: "The Greatest Pilot Never Sold" ;-)

January 1994
ABC presents the new show on the annual winter press tour.
ABC Entertainment president Ted Harbert orders eight more episodes. The show is scheduled as a midseason replacement - perhaps airing March '94

Spring 1994
There's no slot for "My So-Called Life" in the spring lineup. ABC orders six more episodes, bringing the total to 15 episodes.

End of June 1994
The episodes 1-8, 10 have finished shooting. The production stops for several months.
Note: Episode 10 ("Others Peoples Daughters") was shot before Episode 9 ("Halloween") !

August 25, 1994
The first episode of "My So-Called Life" airs on ABC !

November 30, 1994
"Operation Life Support" (OLS) is founded by Steve Joyner.

December 1994
The last episode has been shot. No one knows whether the show will be picked up for a second season.

May 15, 1995
10:00 AM PT: ABC officially cancels "My So-Called Life".
Natasha aka candygirl :: MSCL.com

Look, if this is weird for you, being tutored? I don't mind helping you a little longer.
You could have sex with me if you really want to help...I guess that's a "no"?

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TomSpeed
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Post by TomSpeed » May 25th 2003, 9:12 pm

Thanks, Candygirl. As usual, I'm almost right, but not really.
TomSpeed

Patty: If Rayanne's not seeing you, and we're not seeing you, who is seeing you?
Graham: And how much of you?
Angela: Dad!
Graham: Oh, I'm sorry! I asked a question about your life, didn't I? Woah, what came over me?
http://www.last.fm/user/TomSpeed/

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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » May 26th 2003, 3:59 am

I just know where to look!

:wink:
Natasha aka candygirl :: MSCL.com

Look, if this is weird for you, being tutored? I don't mind helping you a little longer.
You could have sex with me if you really want to help...I guess that's a "no"?

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the end

Post by Guest » Jun 9th 2003, 11:46 pm

How did this post end up being about mtv vjs? weird i tell you :?

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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Jun 10th 2003, 12:16 am

We like to go with the flow!

:D
Natasha aka candygirl :: MSCL.com

Look, if this is weird for you, being tutored? I don't mind helping you a little longer.
You could have sex with me if you really want to help...I guess that's a "no"?

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