"My So-Called Life" (1994) TV series 1994-1995

User Rating:

9.0/10   

Creator:

Winnie Holzman
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

25 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

"My So-Called Life" is a realistic mid-nineties teen drama series that takes a look at a 15 year-old girl and her trials and tribulations with being a teenager and dealing with friends, guys, parents and school.

Plot Keywords:

Teenager | Teen | Hidden Character | Drug Abuse | Teen Life

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Bess Armstrong	...	Patty Chase (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Wilson Cruz	...	Rickie Vasquez (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Claire Danes	...	Angela Chase (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Devon Gummersall	...	Brian Krakow (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
A.J. Langer	...	Rayanne Graff (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Devon Odessa	...	Sharon Cherski (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Tom Irwin	...	Graham Chase (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jared Leto	...	Jordan Catalano (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Lisa Wilhoit	...	Danielle Chase (18 episodes, 1994-1995)

(more)

Series Directed by
Mark Piznarski		(4 episodes, 1994-1995)
Scott Winant		(3 episodes, 1994)
Todd Holland		(2 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Writing credits
Winnie Holzman		(19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jill Gordon		(3 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jason Katims		(3 episodes, 1994)
Ellen Herman		(2 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Produced by
Marshall Herskovitz	....	executive producer (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Winnie Holzman	....	co-executive producer (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Edward Zwick	....	executive producer (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Scott Winant	....	co-executive producer (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Monica Wyatt	....	co-producer (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jill Gordon	....	consulting producer (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Alan Poul	....	producer (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Brooke Kennedy	....	producer (9 episodes, 1994)
Charles S. Carroll	....	coordinating producer (8 episodes, 1994)
Richard Kramer	....	consulting producer (8 episodes, 1994)

Series Original Music by
W.G. Snuffy Walden		(19 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Cinematography by
Charlie Lieberman		(10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Ernest Holzman		(9 episodes, 1994)

Series Film Editing by
Ron Rosen		(7 episodes, 1994-1995)
Robert Frazen		(5 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Casting by
Jeff Greenberg		(18 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Production Design by
Brandy Alexander		(10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Cate Bangs		(8 episodes, 1994)

Series Set Decoration by
Barbara Cassel		(10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jan K. Bergstrom		(4 episodes, 1994)
Michael W. Foxworthy		(4 episodes, 1994)

Series Costume Design by
Patrick R. Norris		(19 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Makeup Department
Candy L. Walken	....	hair stylist (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Isabel Harkins	....	makeup artist (18 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Production Management
Thomas H. Brodek	....	executive in charge of production (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Deirdre Paulino	....	production supervisor (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Arturs Rusis	....	post-production supervisor (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Ron Mitchell	....	unit production manager (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Charles S. Carroll	....	unit production manager (8 episodes, 1994)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nancy Jacobs	....	first assistant director (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Judith Moore	....	second assistant director (9 episodes, 1994-1995)
Wendy Peterson	....	second assistant director (8 episodes, 1994)
Concetta Rinaldo-Williams	....	first assistant director (5 episodes, 1994-1995)
Sara Fischer	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 1994)
Danny Irom	....	second assistant director (1 episode, 1994)

Series Art Department
Laurie Dalton	....	property master (17 episodes, 1994-1995)
Hugh Conlon	....	construction coordinator (13 episodes, 1994)
Hilda Stark	....	set designer: permanent sets (8 episodes, 1994)
Duke Tomasick	....	construction coordinator (5 episodes, 1994-1995)
Eric A. Holst	....	property master (2 episodes, 1994)
Robert E. Knight	....	paint foreman (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Bo Harwood	....	production sound mixer / sound mixer (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Patrick O'Sullivan	....	supervising sound editor (11 episodes, 1994-1995)
Chris Hogan	....	supervising sound editor (7 episodes, 1994)
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist (unknown episodes)
Sherry Klein	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Mark Lanza	....	sound effects editor (unknown episodes)
Robert Nichols II	....	sound recordist (unknown episodes)
Mike Olman	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Anthony G. Nakonechnyj	....	chief lighting technician (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Daniel C. Gold	....	camera operator / camera operator: "a" camera (15 episodes, 1994-1995)
Paul Threlkeld	....	key grip (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Thomas Bartolucci-Browne	....	key grip (8 episodes, 1994)
P. Scott Sakamoto	....	camera operator (3 episodes, 1994)
Michael Gallart	....	best boy / rigging gaffer (unknown episodes)
Steven R. Monroe	....	first assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Mary Goldberg	....	original casting (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Carol Goldwasser	....	casting associate (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Aaron Lemos	....	post-production assistant (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Elissa Loparco	....	post-production executive (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Hollyhart Galanoy	....	post-production coordinator (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jim Page	....	assistant editor (9 episodes, 1994-1995)
Anthony Scott	....	assistant editor (9 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jean Crupper	....	post-production coordinator (8 episodes, 1994)
Joanna Cappuccilli	....	supervising editor (6 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Music Department
W.G. Snuffy Walden	....	composer: theme music (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor (11 episodes, 1994-1995)
Patty von Arx	....	music editor (8 episodes, 1994-1995)
Carolyn Bahr	....	music editor (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Bill Myers	....	transportation coordinator (18 episodes, 1994-1995)

Series Other crew
Kathie Broyles	....	title design (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Debra Lovatelli	....	assistant to executive producer (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jennifer Catalano	....	assistant to co-executive producers (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Terry Edinger	....	production accountant (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jason Katims	....	story editor / executive story editor (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Gary Rieck	....	script coordinator / assistant to co-executive producers (18 episodes, 1994-1995)
Diane Durant	....	script supervisor (16 episodes, 1994-1995)
Jed Blaugrund	....	assistant to executive producer (14 episodes, 1994)
Diane Driscoll	....	assistant to co-executive producers (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Enid L. Kantor	....	production coordinator (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Michael Mann	....	location manager (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
David Clayton Miller	....	assistant to producer (10 episodes, 1994-1995)
Ron Dittman	....	location manager (8 episodes, 1994)
Liberty Godshall	....	executive story editor (8 episodes, 1994)
Mary Helfrich	....	assistant to producer (8 episodes, 1994)
Cheri Jacobs	....	production coordinator (8 episodes, 1994)
Betsy Thomas	....	story editor (8 episodes, 1994)
Robin Budd	....	assistant to executive producer (5 episodes, 1994-1995)
Kristine Greco	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1994)
Jack E. Herman	....	extras set coordinator (2 episodes, 1994)
Erin Fiedler	....	production coordinator (1 episode, 1994)
Pam Jackson	....	production coordinator (1 episode, 1994)
Ian Busch	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Josh Gummersall	....	key set production assistant (unknown episodes)
Ed Lippman	....	assistant location manager (unknown episodes)
Jeffrey D. Stevens	....	key medic (unknown episodes)
Korin A. Tarin	....	accounting assistant (unknown episodes)
Paul Wilson	....	assistant location manager (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Jennifer Catalano	....	special thanks (1 episode, 1994)
Mary McMartin	....	special thanks (1 episode, 1994)
Rebecca Smith	....	special thanks (1 episode, 1994)

Production Companies

• ABC Productions (in association with)
• ABC Video Enterprises (in association with) (episode 11)
• Bedford Falls Productions
• Capital Cities Television Productions (in association with) (episode 11)

Distributors

• ABC Distribution Co. (episode 11)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (USA)
• BMG Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista International
• Buena Vista Television (1995) (USA) (TV)
• Free Dolphin Entertainment (2008) (France) (DVD)
• Noggin (2005-) (USA) (TV)
• Shout! Factory (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Children's Television Workshop (CTW)  "Sesame Street" footage provided by (episode "On the Wagon (1994)")
• Clay Digital Sound  sound editing (episodes 9-19)
• Digital Magic Company  digital post-production (pilot episode)
• Encore Video  electronic post-production (episodes 2-19)
• Inner Voices  church choir (episode "So-Called Angels (1994)")
• L.A. Casting Express  extras casting (pilot episode)
• Rainbow Casting Service  extras casting (episodes 2-19)
• Soundelux  sound services (epiosdes 3-8)
• True Sound Inc.  sound post-production (pilot episode)

Also Known As:

"Someone Like Me" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min (19 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Burlington Arcade - 380 S. Lake Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

ABC Productions

Trivia:

Ranked #16 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Top Cult Shows Ever!" (30 May 2004 issue).

Goofs:

Continuity: Many sudden changes of clothes.

Quotes:

Angela: Walking into someone else's house for the first time is like entering another country. Not that I've ever been to another country.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Do You Speak American? (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Everybody Hurts

Why does this thing keep coming back to me . . .

For some reason I keep coming back to this show. Every year I get the shows out and watch them again. Every year I see new things. I understand more. I'm twenty-six now. What's going on?

When you're a teenager, and you have those problems, and you know your friends will make fun of you if you tell them, you look to film, music and TV for answers. Living in England, honest to goodness teen shows are pretty thin on the ground. There's 'Byker Grove', 'Grange Hill' and hints of 'HollyOaks' and that's about it. The trouble is that none of them quite has the audacity or time slot to cut to the heart of what its actually like to be a teenager. Most of the time you have to look to US shows like 'Dawson's Creek' or 'Buffy'. But standing above them all was 'My So-called Life' a television programme that answered all of our questions. When the show was transmitted on our Channel 4 in 1995 it was stupidly popular.

No one had seen anything like this. Suddenly you knew what to do about that older boy or girl you fancy. Or if you have feelings for the girl next door. Or if you weren't sure about your sexuality. Or of someone loved you but you couldn't return their feelings. Or if you got handcuffed to a bed. Your heart was broken by it week after week, but you came back before because you knew it was doing you good. A free hour of therapy with what amounted to being your friends.

Even if you didn't want to admit it, you were one of them. You were Rayanne Graffe, afraid of the world and overcompensating. Sharon Cherski, searching for your own identity beneath the expectations of others. You were Ricki Vasquez unsure who you were but quietly finding an equilibrium. You were Jordan Catalano torn between your friends and something else. You were Brian Krakow, the romantic with so many high expectations of people. You were Danielle Chase, always being kicked out of different rooms. You were Patty Chase fighting to keep your family together. You were Graham Chase fighting to keep yourself together. And you were always Angela, your world falling apart around you, every choice being wrong, every moment a battle, but somehow slowly working it all out.

Then, after nineteen episodes, it was gone. Replaced, I believe, by a rerun of 'Matlock'. The show should never have been cancelled. It wasn't fair goddam it. And not on that cliffhanger. But perhaps it had the right end. The perfect ending. The only ending this show could have had. Making a choice then watching in pain the road not travelled. So like life. So-called Life.

This year we would have had its sixth season. All of the contracts would have been up for renewal. The teenagers would have been twenty something. Characters would have gone, new characters brought in. The writing teams change. But it would not have been the same show.

The show I keep coming back to.