Reviews & Ratings for
"Life As We Know It" More at IMDbPro »

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59 out of 63 people found the following review useful:
Earnest and Realistic, 9 October 2004
Author: EchoingSilent from St. Louis, MO

Coming from a 14-year-old male, I was genuinely interested in seeing this. I knew it was going to be blunt, but I had no idea. The guys willing tell you that they're horny, and one even gets up and runs off to the bathroom, presumably to masturbate.

At least wait until you get home.

ANYWAY, this is one of the best teen dramas I've seen in a while. The idea of characters narrating the story does make it seem a bit like My So-Called Life, but "life as we know it" found a different way of narrating. The background freezes, and the character looks directly at the camera and comments. It felt a little forced at the beginning, but it soon meshed in and felt natural.

Each of the main characters (Dino, Jonathan, and Ben) have their own problems, aspirations and failures, and plenty of flaws. And they talk like any normal person would. I'm sick of hearing people on TV flaunting words I've never even heard of.

The characters were well thought-out, they appear to be contrived for a moment,(Stud, Skittish Nerd, A Student) but almost immediately reveal different facets to their personalities, making them seem multi-dimensional. By the time I finished the pilot I felt like they were my best friends, that I'd known them my whole life. The acting is very good, especially coming from kids, and Kelly Osbourne held up remarkably well.

Their reactions and emotions ring true, and thank God, Jonathan (the nerd) actually acts (although doesn't look) like a nerd. He stated, "I've only really been with one other girl, and she...well, we tried and I like, couldn't find anything. I mean, it's not like diagrams or even in the magazines, it's really complicated!! So...she just laughed and, um, left."

Ouch. But finally a "nerd" who has "nerdy" problems.

Anyway, this is one of the best, and most realistic teen dramas I've seen in a while. It's actually quite funny at points, so it's thankfully not a soap-fest. And it's also a relief to see a teen drama that isn't built around an outlandish premise...(cough, The OC, One Tree Hill, cough cough). It takes place in thankfully unremarkable Seattle. I just hope that this show doesn't fall into the same ratings no-mans-land that My So-Called Life did.

So, watch this show, it'll be worth your while.

44 out of 46 people found the following review useful:
Great Writing, Great Cast, 14 October 2004
Author: RandySavage from United States

The Yankees weren't playing, so I was flipping around and caught this show. Now, there have been many films/shows about hormone-driven high school boys.

What sets "life as we know it" apart is the writing. The dialogue and story lines are both funny (the one guy whose parents accuse of being chronic masturbator) and heartfelt (Dino's mother's affair). The performances from the three leads are top-notch: Foster is much improved from his brooding turn in "Door in the Floor," and Faris, who looks like Tom Cruise, Jr., is also a fine actor. With his looks and acting ability he is probably poised for superstardom.

The friendship that the three boys share is really at the center of this show. While on the surface it may seem like it is only about sex, most viewers will be able to see that this show is really about surviving adolescence in America and "getting by with a little help from your friends."

Highest Recommendation

41 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
AWESOME, 3 December 2004
Author: PMVart28 from Watertown, Massachusetts

I have watched the last 2 episodes and think the show is awesome. Anyone who thinks this show can be compared to Dawsons creek is dead wrong. Finally there is a show out there that takes things from a guys point of view and what they show is the truth. Most teen dramas, like those featured on the WB, make high school guys seem like babies when it comes to sex, 99.9% of guys just want to have sex and aren't all emotional about it, what I am trying to say is, it's nice to see Dino and the guys actually act like guys when it comes to sex instead of sitting around mulling over it with the girls and "analyzing" all the consequences of it. Great show, Jackie is gorgeous.

37 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
Great Show, 11 January 2005
Author: JohnMorey1 from United States

This has been one of the stand out shows of the new season. Not only is it entertaining, but it's characters closely reflect the angst that teenagers feel. I also like the fact that they don't shy away from how life really is for kids. They show them drinking and always trying to have sex. That's really the way it is for many if them.

They artfully handle story lines that deal with things like parents getting a divorce.

Although the show is from the three male lead's point of view, they are equally as good at painting the female characters.

My only wish is that it was in a better time slot. Perhaps ABC will allow it to build an audience.

34 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
Love It, 12 November 2004
Author: youngmom2016 from kentucky

This show is yet another teen show but it's better then most. The teens actually talk and act like teens, they don't sound like "Dawson's Creek". Don't get me wrong, I actually liked Dawson's Creek but there's more comedy in Life As We Know It. The teens aren't trying to find their soul mate, they are trying to get laid and that's how most teens are. The teacher affair storyline has been used a lot but it works with this show. It's a new show and they needed something to get our attention so why not. I think this show is really good, it's funny but with a little drama. But where you find teens you will find drama. So for what it's worth I think that this show is one of the best I have seen in a long time and besides the guys are really hot and Kelly Osbourne, I thought that she would suck at acting but she doesn't. She's the best of the three girls on the show.

24 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
Life As I Know It, 13 October 2004
Author: (PrettyInPnk187) from New Jersey

Maybe other people think that this show is cliché but I think it couldn't be any more realistic. I just graduated from high school and the way the guys acted on the show is exactly how I know them to be. Every single guy that I knew at sixteen acted exactly like that(I'm only seventeen). Not to mention the teacher on the show that reminded me so much of about four English teachers I have known. It was so realistic when it came to the "full-figured" issue where he likes her but doesn't want to be embarrassed. I think cliché would be high school cheerleaders, jocks, and nerds. I don't see any of those labels here. This isn't some "Saved by the Bell" episode. And I don't think the aim of the pilot was to so much feel for the characters without really knowing them, as it was to just have you understand them.

23 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
*Sigh* My New Guilty Pleasure, 7 October 2004
Author: tinkerbella from New York City, New York

Great! I saw the pilot about an hour ago, and I'm still itching to watch more. I can't help it! There are tons of teen dramas on television nowadays that I try to shy away from (The O.C, One Tree Hill, Degrassi), but honestly, I don't think I'll be able to not watch this.

It's edgy, and it uses a completely original (at least, as far as I've seen) format for how the three main characters' stories are told, through freeze shots where they relay their inner thoughts to the viewer. Our hero's aren't perfect, they all have flaws (for instance, the character Dino's sneaky schemes to get his girlfriend to have sex with him), but they are all endearing.

The music is great, the acting is decent (and nowadays, decent is all you can really ask for) and the subplots are all intriguing. I mean, it's only the pilot, and already there is loads of drama to have me in front of my T.V set next Thursday night!

I must say, my favorite character already is Johnathan, who's an awkward but sweet guy, desperate to keep up with his friends (especially the ladies man Dino), but also confront his feelings for his "fat" best friend, played by Kelly Osbourne (who, surprisingly, did really well!). Overall, if you're looking for an hour or so of some solid entertainment (nothing award-winning I admit), and you're a fan of this genre, you might want to take a gander at this show.

19 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
my life, 29 November 2004
Author: jlove1

WOW.."Life as We Know It" has been only on 3 times and i've fallen head-over-heals for this show! I can relate to it so much. I give my friends, family, and myself each a role in the show... it is like our lives but on TV. I've never seen anything like this before. The show seems so real, like you are there with the characters. When the characters talk to the TV screen and say what they are feeling, i thik its great. For all those times a girl has no idea what a boy is really thinking in his head (and vice versa) it is revealed; and its not revealed in a corny way either, it actually makes sense. I hadn't seen previews for the show in a few weeks and i thought it might have be canceled, which would be completely wrong. This show is basically a teen agers life in a nut shell, and the way they have to deal with different difficulties is so real. I look forward to it every Thursday night!!

24 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
Hope It Lasts!, 15 October 2004
Author: Rob Crespino (robc@exceedtech.net) from Macon, Mississippi

There have only been two episodes of this so far, but I am hooked already! Kudos to ABC for presenting a teenage drama that does not sugarcoat teenage issues or pretend to moralize. I look forward to seeing what develops in the future. I knew guys (and girls) just like this when I was in high school. Sex, drugs, drinking, parties...yes, parents, it all happens. This is very well-written and developed, and I hope it can escape the axe. ABC needs to give this show a chance to build a fan base. I also enjoy "The O.C.," but it is more fantasy escapism. "Life As We Know It" is more edgy and real. Also, Kelly Osbourne is such a natural actress! I am impressed with her acting and I love her character.

19 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
A smart, if not flawed TV show., 8 October 2004
Author: jojo2323 from Los Angeles, California

"life as we know it" (no capitalizations for supreme coolness), despite it's obvious flaws is a stand-out drama series. The coming-of-age story follows three high school boys whose mission is that of almost every real life high school boy- the name need not apply. Dino, the central character grapples with his need to be intimate with his less than willing girlfriend and a stunning secret he has just learned about his mother. His friends Ben and Jonathan are less secure with their social status and sex life, one coming to terms with dating the girl everyone makes fun of and the other beginning a relationship with his young teacher that definitely crosses the professional line. The show stands out from other soapy dramas because of it's ability to be frank in discussions of sex and the consequences (and even rewards) that come from it. The boys speak their minds and hold nothing back which may offend some. But it's a truthful depiction that shows both the careless desire of high school life and the maturity that must come with sexual relationships. But the package, unfortunately, doesn't come without some nicks. The style of the three leads speaking to the camera when blurting confessions, while sometimes amusing is also conventional and clichéd. As is some of the dialogue that veers the story from an original format to glorifying potentially cardboard characters. The three leads, however, are extremely charismatic and play very well off of each other. Other notable praises should be directed at first-time actress Kelly Osbourne, who plays Deborah almost too convincingly. Her ability to generate emotion and sympathy for an all-too-true character is stellar. In "life as we know it", there's much to be worked with but equally as much to be destroyed. If the cards are played right (and the ratings are high enough) this could turn out to be a sophisticated, enlightening teen drama in the vein of "The OC".

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