Revisiting TDW: Six Degrees of Teen Dramas

In addition to “Teen Drama Trivia,” there is another fun game we used to play on the original TeenDramaWhore: “Six Degrees of Teen Dramas.”

The “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” conceit posits that any actor can be connected to Kevin Bacon in six steps or less. Well, based on an idea from TDW reader SaneN85, I adopted that premise for the teen dramas. In each “Six Degrees of Teen Dramas” post, I would give an actor and then readers would have to find the way or ways that person was connected to the teen dramas. The only real difference was that the number of steps was irrelevant, even though I kept “Six Degrees” in the name. After all, this was just for shits and giggles — not something to be taken all that seriously.

For the first challenge back in October 2009, the person in question was Will Smith. A sample answer from reader g90210th: “Will Smith was the star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and he acted alongside Tyra Banks who had a recurring role. Tyra Banks recently guest starred on Gossip Girl!” BOOM. That same reader also pointed out, “Will Smith was an executive producer of ‘The Secret Life of Bees’, which both Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill) and Tristan Wilds (90210) played roles in.” DOUBLE BOOM.

Those connections were fairly straightforward, but not every week was. We wrapped things up more than 40 weeks later, in August 2010, with Matthew Fox. There were some epic answers, including this one from reader Melissa Pisan that took things to the teen dramas and back again:

“Matthew Fox was in Party of Five with
Jennifer Love Hewitt who was in I Know What You Did Last Summer with
Sarah Michelle Gellar who was in Cruel Intentions with
Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek) who was in Mighty Ducks with
Emilio Esteves who was in The Breakfast Club with
Molly Ringwald who was in Teaching Mrs Tingle with
Katie Holmes (Dawson’s Creek) who’s starring in The Romantics with
Adam Brody who starred on The OC with
Willa Holland who also starred on Gossip Girl which also starred
Michelle Trachtenberg who starred in Mysterious Skin with
Joseph Gordon Levitt who was in Stop Loss with
Channing Tatum who starred in Dear John with
Amanda Seigfried who starred in Mean Girls with
Lacey Chalbert who starred in Party Of Five with…

MATTHEW FOX!”

I was reminded of “Six Degrees of Teen Dramas” in April, when host and actress Krystina Arielle tweeted the below.

Krystina Arielle 🦖 @KrystinaArielle

I had an audition last week and they asked if I had any special skills. I told them that I can connect almost any actor they named to One Tree Hill. After three rounds I got the job.

She then went on to prove it as more and more Twitter users replied with names for Krystina to show off her skill. Even Bacon himself was suggested.

Krystina Arielle 🦖 @KrystinaArielle

@brodycinema Kevin bacon was in X-Men first class a series that spun off into X-Men days of Future past which started Evan Peters who guest started on one tree Hill

Just for kicks, let’s play today. I challenge you to find the connections of the below actor in either style: Six Degrees of Teen Dramas or just “One Tree Hill.” I myself haven’t thought this one through, so I’m excited to see what anyone comes up with.

DAVEED DIGGS

Good luck!

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