I make no bones about the fact that I watch teen movies, or read YA books, and how thoroughly I enjoy (the good ones). It's escapist entertainment at its best and, as I noted before, because there's little personal angst that the movies or books ever dredge up, they stay thoroughly entertaining throughout.
Funnily enough, I don't really watch television series aimed at teens because they fairly consistently annoy the hell out of me. Maybe it's because, having to run for several months on end rather than just a couple of hours, the repetitiveness of the pert dialogue and smart aleck attitudes that amuse so much in the movies wears thin. Whatever the reason, I avoid teen TV series because they rarely live up to expectation.
Except, of course, the two that are canon for not just teenage TV series but any TV series to aspire to. The two that aren't so much about teens as they are about the fucked up and funny and frivolous and frightening (side note: just call me 'F' tonight!) situations we find ourselves in, no matter what our age, trying to find out way around relationships.
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The similarities between My So Called Life and Freaks and Geeks go beyond the obvious geeky boy/girl has eyes for popular girl/boy and tries to fit in with the in-crowd while maintaining sense of individuality and navigating relationship with friends and family. If the shows were just focused on that, I suspect they'd not have been as successful as they were (err, critically. Obviously, the overwhelming common bond between the two is that they both got the network axe after one season). Both shows are so much the richer for all the supporting cast--make that main cast--and their storylines that just made each show so much more believable.
I won't bore anyone with the detailed analysis of each shows arc and the cleverly apt depiction of each situation and character, all of which you can find at multiple sites devoted to each show. What I am going to do is point how effectively they used music to help it story and character development along and let you be the judge of which one did it best.
(For what it's worth, Freaks and Geeks has the number one spot in my heart. I found Angela just a tad too precocious for my liking and as a younger sister myself, I felt some of her heavy handedness with the younger sister in the show was hitting a little too close to home at times. In the same vein, F&G followed arcs for both siblings, whereas MSCL focused almost exclusively on Angela which, while I understand was the whole point, again just grated at me a little.
If I were pushed to say which character I identified with best, out of both shows, it would be a draw--it started out as just Lindsay from F&G but gradually progressed to Patty from MSCL. It's sometimes eerie--especially when watching the character of Patty---to see and hear things that I know I've done and said.)
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So, first up we have the guitar solos from each show. There were more in both, but I like these for the fact that both performances and songs do exactly the opposite of what's intended: in once case, it mistakenly sends out a signal of love where not intended, and in another, it signals the death knell of a relationship even while it's trying to start the sparks.
Red - Jordan Catalano (played by Jared Leto)
Lady L - Nick Andopolis (played by Jason Segel)
My vote goes to Freaks and Geeks--that is just the most awesome exhibition of awkward crushing voiced in song ever.
Next up we have homecoming scenes from both series, complete, of course, with awkward teenage dancing or what passed for dancing at these events, which are more about who is with whom and scoping each other out, than actual dancing, it appears.
Homecoming - My So Called Life (including What is Love by Haddaway)
Homecoming - Freaks and Geeks (set to Come Sail Away by Styx)
Hands down, F&G, simply because of Sam's disappointment when he thinks he is finally about to get a slow dance with Cindy and gets her to the floor...only to have the music speed up. Although the little exchange between Brian and Angela and the comment about being heartless was very done...but it didn't really have anything to do with dancing. And of course the Butabi Brothers' standby song!!!And all the subtle and not so subtle responses to Ricky's breakout dance. Oh, heck, let's call it a draw!
Finally, it is the solo dance [off!] of the main character on each show. I'm not even going to wait to call this: hands down, Claire Danes win this award not just against F&G but pretty much any other teenager gone crazy inspired dance sequence out there.
Solo Dance - Sam Weir (played by John Francis Daley; set to Flamethrower by J. Geils Band)
Solo Dance - Angela Chase (played by Claire Danes; set to Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes)
