Teen Drama Links for April 30, 2024

The more things change, the more they stay the same... in the world of teen drama rewatch podcasts.

In late August 2022, I penned, “The State of Teen Drama Rewatch Podcasts” — my assessment of the four rewatch podcasts covering “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “The O.C.,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Gossip Girl.”

Now more than a year and a half later…

What’s Changed: “Welcome to the OC, Bitches” became the first of the podcasts to meet its natural end, concluding last May after hosts Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) and Melinda Clarke (Julie, The O.C.) rewatched all 92 episodes. Now this week, Clarke is launching a follow-up podcast called “Beyond the OC.” Meanwhile, “XOXO” came to an unnatural end, going on hiatus in January 2023… and never returning. As far as I know, host Jessica Szohr (Vanessa, Gossip Girl) has never addressed the podcast’s discontinuation — but still promotes it in her Instagram bio.

What’s Stayed the Same: “9021OMG” and “Drama Queens” are both still chugging along, for better and for worse. Virtually all of my (I’d argue constructive) criticism from 2022 remains valid, with the pain points I highlighted then continuing unabated today. Case in point: These recent Apple Podcasts reviews…

9021OMG: “I was just listening to both Brian and Shannen’s podcast respectiviely [sic]. They both talk like thoughtful adults. There’s a genuine realness about it all. In contrast, Jennie and Tori are phoning it and come across as totally superficial. They’re performing. They (along with Amy) talk like simpleton teenagers putting on a show for dumb people. I don’t know if they’re dumbing it down, or they’re just that vapid. I actually think it’s a little of both. Even the way the podcast descriptions are written. Like we’re 12. ‘OMG YOU GUYZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!’ — That’s the basically every episode description. That’s basically every episode discussion, actually. ICONIC! I”M JELLY! TOTES! AM I CRAY CRAY? Maybe they’re just not all that smart or thoughtful. God knows they barely put any effort into this podcast. They just show up and ramble all over the place. They’re obviously just picking up a check.”

Drama Queens: “I grew up watching One Tree Hill while it was actually airing on tv. I have been obsessed with this show since then, I have rewatched probably almost 10 times. I am very late to hearing about this podcast, and I just got to the middle of season 3 episode 17 podcast and I’m just done with it.

They rarely talk about the actual episode. I was really looking forward to learning more about episode 16 of season 3 but they didn’t talk about it at all. What am I listening to? And FORGET IT if they have a guest on an episode. The episode turns into how many kids the guest has and what movie/show/business the guest is up to.

If I wanted to listen to a podcast about 3 women complaining about everything under the sun, I would find one. I really think it’s a slap in the face to fans, all they talk about is how stupid a story line is or how cold it was to shoot something. If y’all hate the show, why even do the podcast?

Also, the ads, my god. Over 5 minutes long intervals of ads, 3 different times in the podcast, minimum.

What a waste.”

However, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that while fellow fans have complained about the same flaws I see, plenty of others continue to unabashedly love both podcasts. That’s evident in these other recent Apple Podcast reviews…

9021OMG: “I’m am completely delighted by this podcast! I was a fan of the original 90210 from the start, and listening to this trio of ladies rehash the episodes is so much fun. Jennie, Tory [sic], and Amy all bring something a bit different to the show and it works best when they are all together. I can’t wait for each new episode each week.”

Drama Queens: “Thank you for giving all perspectives of the show! It’s great to see your lives continuing and all the new projects that you are all doing! Love the show talk and the real of all aspects of the show and off the show! It’s very refreshing to be able to watch you all grow and do projects that are passion projects! Thank you for continuing to support Wilmington and and the supporting characters and people! Can’t wait to hear more!”

I also have to give “9021OMG” credit. Hosts Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills, 90210) and Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210) are about to embark on season 6 of their rewatch when I admittedly thought they’d never make it past, say, season 3. So, good on them for sticking with it, but I’m sure their paychecks from iHeart are a great motivation.

Quite frankly, most weeks I dread listening to “9021OMG” and “Drama Queens” — but I can’t not listen. If I stopped, I’d be wondering what’s being said, what mistakes they’re making, whether I agree with them on anything. In other words, I’d have massive FOMO. So I continue to be a glutton for punishment, I guess, often telling myself, “I won’t take notes this week,” but then doing so anyway.

So I hope you’ll join me, even if you aren’t listening yourself, as I keep sharing my reactions to and observations from each edition on Twitter. If nothing else, at least going from four rewatch podcasts down to two has made my schedule a little lighter — and for that I am grateful.

Teen Drama Links for April 30, 2024

Listicle Links

Reminder: All lists and articles relate to the teen dramas or teen drama stars in some way.

• “‘She Went From Being Strong And Savvy To A Simpering Little Stereotype’ — People Are Sharing The 20 Times A TV Show Ruined A Beloved Character” (BuzzFeed)

• “13 Actors Who Almost Died, Developed Life-Long Fears, And More While Filming A TV Show Or Movie” (BuzzFeed)

• “10 TV Shows Critics Hated, But Audiences Loved” (Collider)

• “The 11 best celebrity friendships in Hollywood” (WHO)

  • Spot the mistake here?

• “TV’s Cutest Little Sisters Are All Grown Up! See Photos of 13 Former Kid Actresses, Then and Now” (People)

• “Scene-stealing Secondary Characters Who Changed a Show’s Direction” (TV Fanatic)

• “Taylor Swift’s ‘TTPD’ Songs as Fictional Characters: Daisy Jones, Lucas Scott, Katniss Everdeen, More” (Us Weekly)

• “Famous Actors Who Almost Played Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (Movieweb)

• “Netflix’s Heartbreak High Is the Deliciously Messy Teen Drama We’ve Been Missing in the Genre” (TVLine)

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Best of the Rest

• Garth is among the stars in QVC’s new “Age of Possibility” campaign and attended the company’s recent summit in Las Vegas. (Instagram / Instagram)

• Spelling and Shannen Doherty (Brenda, Beverly Hills, 90210) released second parts of their respective podcast conversations with one another. (MisSpelling / Let’s Be Clear)

• Spelling hosted iHeart’s “Live in the Vineyard Goes Country” event. (Instagram)

• Hilary Swank (Carly, Beverly Hills, 90210) announced a fashion collaboration with Daily Look and yesand. (Instagram)

• Vivica Fox (Sherice, Beverly Hills, 90210) is doing press for Not Another Church Movie.

  • “Vivica A. Fox on cameo-filled new movie, ‘blessed’ to be turning 60” (Today)

  • “Vivica A. Fox discusses new film ‘Not Another Church Movie’ and Jamie Foxx clone conspiracies” (Page Six)

  • “Kevin Daniels and Vivica A. Fox on parodying Tyler Perry” (FOX5)

  • …and more.

• Films featuring Fox, La La Anthony (Shay, BH90210), and Bush will screen at the American Black Film Festival. (Variety)

• Ryan Seacrest, who appeared on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” celebrated 20 years of hosting the KIIS morning show with “Ryan’s Riding the OC to LA: The 20th Anniversary Thank You Tour.” (Inside Radio)

• “NCIS: Hawai’i,” starring Vanessa Lachey (Camille, BH90210), was canceled by CBS. (Deadline)

  • Lachey said she was “blindsided” by the decision. (TVLine)

• Busy Philipps (Audrey, Dawson’s Creek) was on the “Everything Iconic” podcast. (Apple Podcasts)

• Philipps did another interview for her partnership with Altos Tequila. (Forbes)

• Jensen Ackles (CJ, Dawson’s Creek) will guest-star on “Tracker.” (TVLine)

• Seth Rogen did press for his Hilarity for Charity initiatives and Netflix is a Joke event set for the Hollywood Bowl.

  • “EXCLUSIVE: Seth and Lauren Rogan Announce New Educational Initiative HFC Universe” (The Talk)

    • How do you get their last name wrong in the title of your clip?!

    • There are additional clips.

  • “That Laugh! Seth Rogen & Tanya Rad Recall Their Puppy Playdate Encounter” (KIIS-FM)

• The Exorcism, which was produced by Kevin Williamson (creator, Dawson’s Creek) and shot in Wilmington, will hit theaters in June. (Deadline)

• Greg Berlanti (executive producer, Dawson’s Creek) is executive-producing “Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series” for Netflix. (Deadline)

• Here’s another interview Paula Cole, singer of the “Dawson’s Creek” theme song, did about her new album. (People)

• McG (executive producer, The O.C.) will direct an adaptation of Way of the Warrior Kid starring Chris Pratt (Che, The O.C.). (Deadline)

  • The pair will also produce the film.

  • Evidently, based on what McG says in this article, he does not correctly remember which season of “The O.C.” Pratt appeared in.

• Paris Hilton (Kate, The O.C.) will produce a docuseries based on the book Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s. (Variety)

• Hilton poses nude on the new cover of Flaunt. (Flaunt)

• Chad Michael Murray (Lucas, One Tree Hill) and his “Sullivan’s Crossing” co-star Morgan Kohan were on “Etalk.” (YouTube)

• Bush came out as queer, spoke about her marriage to and divorce from Grant Hughes for the first time, and confirmed her relationship with Ashlyn Harris in a Glamour cover story. (Glamour)

  • Bush and Harris made their red carpet debut as a couple a few days later at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. (JustJared)

  • Also: “Sophia Bush On Learning to Listen to Her Intuition” (Glamour)

  • And: “‘One Tree Hill’ Stars Praise Sophia Bush After Coming Out: Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, More” (Us Weekly)

• Margaret Colin (Eleanor, Gossip Girl) will reprise her Three Wise Men and a Baby role in a sequel called Three Wiser Men and a Boy. (Deadline)

• Thomas Doherty (Max, Gossip Girl spinoff) signed with Gersh for agency representation. (Variety)

• Glimpse Zion Moreno (Luna, Gossip Girl spinoff) in the trailer for Prom Dates. (YouTube)

• Lori Loughlin (Debbie, 90210) covers the May 6 issue of First For Women. (First For Women)