medium-paced

Quite an interesting and enjoyable book if you have watched and enjoyed the shows included in the book, though there wasn't always quite enough about what the title implies the book is about. It does make it clear that these teen shows were at the forefront of various elements on network TV like LGBT+ rep, and daring to do something different in terms of format or tone, but the majority of the book felt like it was simply about the casting, the plotlines, directing, filming the shows, behind the scenes anecdotes etc, as opposed to much in depth about their impact on network TV. Still, I quite enjoyed listening to the audiobook, especially about the TV shows I have watched and like.

I know Fresh Prince of Bel Air very well, having watched it first in my teens and rewatched a lot as an adult, and then read Will Smith's autobiography, so not much new to me in that chapter. I loved My So Called Life and Freaks and Geeks so those were my two favourite chapters, and I fully intend to rewatch both those shows, so sadly cut short at the time. Of the rest, I had a brief Dawson's Creek phase many years ago, but I watched the pilot after reading that chapter and I honestly could not bear to continue that one :D . Of the other shows, I've only seen a few random episodes of Glee, nothing of The O.C. and I hadn't even heard of Friday Night Lights. I have little interest in watching them, but I will check out the pilots just so that I can see a little of what the book was on about.
fast-paced
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nullmoon's review

3.5
informative medium-paced
funny informative lighthearted

hollycoco's review

4.0
funny informative lighthearted medium-paced
informative reflective medium-paced

mabel60510's review

4.0
funny informative reflective fast-paced

This was really well written and I enjoyed it, but as someone who never actually watched the shows featured with any sort of regularity, most of it went over my head. 
inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced