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331 reviews for:
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television
Thea Glassman
3.88 AVERAGE
331 reviews for:
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television
Thea Glassman
3.88 AVERAGE
funny
informative
medium-paced
Nostalgic and insightful, this book is a must-read for pop culture fanatics and those of us who still rewatch our favorite TV shows from our teen years.
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek explores how seven teen shows (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My So-Called Life, Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, and Glee) impacted the TV industry.
Reading this book was such a good time. I'm a nostalgia freak and a TV addict, so this was right up my alley. The chapters on The O.C. and Glee had me literally crying because those shows were such a huge part of my identity growing up. Those were really the only two shows that this book covered that I had watched, but that did not make the rest of the book any less interesting. If anything, I now have 5 shows I have to go binge. The way this book explores the impactful, authentic, and emotional ways teen shows address serious and important issues was really awesome to me. Teen shows are so often looked at as trivial, but they tell powerful stories about growing up and self-discovery that teens need and adults can enjoy as well. I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of 90s and 2000s nostalgia or just really interested in the impact of pop culture.
Read Jan. 13, 2024.
Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek explores how seven teen shows (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My So-Called Life, Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, and Glee) impacted the TV industry.
Reading this book was such a good time. I'm a nostalgia freak and a TV addict, so this was right up my alley. The chapters on The O.C. and Glee had me literally crying because those shows were such a huge part of my identity growing up. Those were really the only two shows that this book covered that I had watched, but that did not make the rest of the book any less interesting. If anything, I now have 5 shows I have to go binge. The way this book explores the impactful, authentic, and emotional ways teen shows address serious and important issues was really awesome to me. Teen shows are so often looked at as trivial, but they tell powerful stories about growing up and self-discovery that teens need and adults can enjoy as well. I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of 90s and 2000s nostalgia or just really interested in the impact of pop culture.
Read Jan. 13, 2024.
I liked the back stories and information, but I think you get the most out of this book, if you’ve watched all the series, not just a few. Still an interesting listen, but I did feel disconnected when I hadn’t seen the show.
While I skipped two sections (the shows I’ve never watched), I devoured the rest of this in less than a day. There were so many fascinating details of some of my favorite shows that I had never known, and I honestly might rewatch some of those and then revisit this book periodically. Other than memoirs, nonfiction rarely holds my interest but this was a rare gem!
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
As a lover of teen shows, I was so excited to sink my teeth into this book. While I hadn’t seen a few of the shows highlighted, I thought this was a fun social history of some of the 90s, 2000s and early 2010s shows that made an impact on tv and culture. I think it speaks volumes to the book that after reading chapters about shows I hadn’t watched, I wanted to watch them to feel the feelings the author described. If you’re a fan of teen centric shows, this is a great read to pick up!
3.5
Very fun and up my alley (as anyone who knows me knows). I looked forward to listening to each chapter and learning behind-the-scenes knowledge of my favorite shows, as well as reflecting on the impact a lot of these shows have. As is said in the intro of the book, teen TV is sometimes light years more progressive than other shows, perhaps because teens demand that sort of authenticity. It really is incredible that shows like Freaks and Geeks and My So Called Life were more willing to showcase the realities of different walks of life than more “serious” adult TV.
I wish the book had gone a little more in depth (although it was well-researched!) on some of the shows and explored real time reviews, etc. There were also a few other shows I think that could’ve been explored, even in place of some included. (The focus on Dawson’s Creek is especially confounding to me.) But, overall it was super fun, and I would recommend for anyone who spent their teen years splayed out in front of the TV.
Very fun and up my alley (as anyone who knows me knows). I looked forward to listening to each chapter and learning behind-the-scenes knowledge of my favorite shows, as well as reflecting on the impact a lot of these shows have. As is said in the intro of the book, teen TV is sometimes light years more progressive than other shows, perhaps because teens demand that sort of authenticity. It really is incredible that shows like Freaks and Geeks and My So Called Life were more willing to showcase the realities of different walks of life than more “serious” adult TV.
I wish the book had gone a little more in depth (although it was well-researched!) on some of the shows and explored real time reviews, etc. There were also a few other shows I think that could’ve been explored, even in place of some included. (The focus on Dawson’s Creek is especially confounding to me.) But, overall it was super fun, and I would recommend for anyone who spent their teen years splayed out in front of the TV.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
Loved! Perfect for a background audiobook.
While I wish that this had more analysis, it is very fun. I really enjoyed following the thread of teen shows from Fresh Prince Of Bel-air to Glee. It could be argued that this is more like a YouTube summary of things that happened and it wouldn't be wrong... But there's a reason why those videos are so good and entertaining.