|
|
"Fifteen," dubbed by Nickelodeon's as its "continuing high school saga," debuted in early 1991 on Sunday afternoons on Nickelodeon. It was meant to be a soap opera for teens, and was Nickelodeon's first real attempt at such a show. "Fifteen" was rather successful; it ran for four seasons (I THINK, see a cry for help for more details). The show tried to focus on problems of adolesence; drinking, friendship, and romance were three of the topics that were highlited on the program.
One of "Fifteen"'s definite plusses was its simplicity; there weren't many plot lines to follow, so anyone could get into the show, no matter if they were a faithful viewer, or just happened to catch bits and pieces of it weekly. Unfortunately, this simplicity often spread to the script, as certain activities happened over and over again. A prime example was the "overhearing" factor of the show; especially in the first two season, secrets (such as Matt's drinking problem or everyone's being annoyed by Janice) were revealed to all the other characters when someone would just happen to listen in, and then spread the word around the whole school. On the same account, due to the show's position on a children's network, some of the character's activities (and lives, for that matter) seemed very shallow. Kissing was rare, and when it happened, hardly romantic. Images of evil were not portrayed by actions, but rather by clothing, as in the case of Chris' and Dylan's "radical" leather jackets and cut-off t-shirts. Even the conversations between characters seemed very fake. One had to wonder: Is this all your life means to you?
But, that's about all I can rag on the show. In truth, it was very watchable, even if it was for a good laugh. And I apparently was the only one who thought so, because it lasted almost three years, being finally cancelled around the end of 1993. At the end of both the first and second seasons, "Fifteen" marathons ran, showing every episode of the season. After the second season, Nick devoted a whole "Fifteen Weekend" to the show, which included 13 hours of "Fifteen!" Towards the end of its run, Nick showed episodes of "Fifteen" Monday through Friday at 5:30 p.m. eastern time.
Well, now that I've whetted your appetite, enjoy the rest of the page! Click here to go back and learn more about the show!
