The My So Called Life - Complete Series on DVD (1994)

Mr Nightmare-on-Elm-Street from Stowmarket, England , 06/06/2005

This short-lived US TV series from the mid 90's starring Claire Danes is one of my favourite things ever. It?s Buffy without the supernatural; it?s Dawson's Creek only grittier.

I remember watching it when it aired here. I was the same age as the characters and completely identified with them.

It's set around Angela?s (Claire Danes) ?so called life? as she deals with the pains of growing up and her changing relationships with her family and school friends. At home there is her strict and suppressed Mum, her fun and soft Dad and her annoying but cute little sister. At school she has broken off from her best friend Sharon in favour of a friendship with the zany and troubled Rayanne and the sweet and rejected Rickie. There is also geeky Brian her next-door neighbour who has a long time crush on Angela but she is completely obsessed with the gorgeous and enigmatic Jordan (Jared Leto).

Episodes deal with all the usual teenage issues of belonging, rebelling, unrequited love, self-image, sex, drugs and school. But all these are also shown to parallel the adult? lives, the parents who are hitting 40 and going through their own problems. So whilst your sympathies always firmly stay with Angela you can equally sympathise with the adults.

I first fell in love with Claire Danes here, before she went on to do Romeo + Juliet, she has such a real presence and unconventional beauty. Like the rest of the characters they aren't gorgeous or rich or privileged or talented they are just real and yet all so appealing and empathetic.

It is dark, gritty, emotional, painful, beautiful and funny. When I bought the box set we watched all 19 episodes over a couple of days and it was every bit as wonderful as I remembered it, even better actually as I never managed to catch all the episodes on TV. The only tragedy is why it was pulled off air, apparently for being too depressing. Real life, especially teenage life, is at times painful but it?s also wonderful. Just like this series.

  50 out of 50 people found this review helpful

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A customer from N. Ireland , 28/02/2006

I watched this show at the time it aired and have been lucky enough to see it again. It is amazing and still very relevant for teenagers today. Hopefully it will be rerun on some channels as it helped me when growing up and in adulhood. Fine effortless acting from everyone involved. It just feels so real in every sense of the word. It's a pity only 19 episodes were made. I can't believe the series got axed what were they thinking.

  16 out of 17 people found this review helpful

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jaxmax from Amersham , 06/12/2007

I wouldnt really bother

  8 out of 8 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Sussex , 23/10/2006

Try e-bay rather than Amazon. I bought my box set from an e-bay seller for about £15.

  6 out of 8 people found this review helpful

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* * * This review contains spoilers * * *

A customer from ENGLAND , 28/09/2007

I ABSOLUTLEY LOVED IT I THINK ITS FUNNY REAL AND SO DOWN TO EARTH UNLIKE SO MANY OF TODAYS TEEN DRAMAS AND ITS GOT THE YUMMY JARED LATO 5 STARS ALONE JUST FOR THAT

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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A customer from Sussex , 23/10/2006

Try e-bay rather than Amazon. I bought my box set from an e-bay seller for about £15.

  6 out of 8 people found this review helpful

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