Recently I’ve started watching My So-Called Life on Hulu after an enthusiastic recommendation from Kottke. This short-lived teen drama was on the air for only one season in 1994 before ABC axed the show for low ratings, but not before it attracted a small but loyal and dedicated fanbase who continue to run a popular unofficial fan site fifteen years after the show had been canceled.
The show was also a darling of critics, who praised the show for its authentic and nuanced depiction of high school and its sensitive portrayals of difficult topics of the time, including child abuse, homophobia, teenage alcoholism, homelessness, adultery, school violence, same-sex parenting, censorship, and drug use. 1994 was a time before networks catered to the youth and teen market as is routinely done nowadays, and ABC hardly knew how to market such a difficult show.
I was never particularly a fan of Claire Danes—she was completely forgettable in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and I haven’t yet watched Romeo + Juliet—but I used to listen to The Ataris a lot and on their ‘Looking Forward to Failure’ EP there is a song titled “My So Called Life”, in which Kris Roe proclaims his love for her ever since seeing her on My So-Called Life. That, plus the fact that the show is currently available on Hulu in its entirety led me to give it a try. And boy, am I glad I did.
And probably not a moment too soon, as there has been word that Hulu will officially start charging for content in 2010.
