Teen Drama Links for August 22, 2023

Did Jenny Han rewatch “Dawson’s Creek” before creating “The Summer I Turned Pretty” season 2?

With all due respect to Han, her source material, and the show’s writing staff, some scenes throughout this season (which concluded last Friday) have so closely mirrored scenes in “Dawson’s Creek” that you might think “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was being a straight-up copycat in some ways.

Here are the key examples that stood out to me.

-Belly calls things off with Conrad after telling Jeremiah about their relationship vs. Joey calls things off with Pacey after telling Dawson about their relationship

-Belly and Conrad’s relationship falls apart at prom vs. Joey and Pacey’s relationship falls apart at prom — also see side-by-side photo comparisons (Belly and Joey are even both wearing purple dresses, for heaven’s sake!)

-Conrad tells Belly “I remember everything” (admittedly, this is from season 1, not season 2) vs. Pacey tells Joey “I remember everything” — see side-by-side photo comparisons

-Belly and her friends engage in golf course shenanigans vs. Joey and her friends engage in golf course shenanigans

-Conrad carries a drunk Belly over his shoulder vs. Pacey carries a drunk Joey over his shoulder

-Belly’s study party culminates in everyone jumping in the pool with their clothes on vs. Joey’s study party culminates in everyone jumping in the pool with their clothes on

Of course, some of these things are teen drama tropes. Like, for example, Belly breaking things off with Conrad after telling Jeremiah was not just similar to what happened with Joey, Pacey, and Dawson but also Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke on “One Tree Hill” (a comparison I also made between those shows back in 2009). And in the season’s penultimate episode, Belly basically begging Jeremiah for a second chance and deluding herself about where her heart truly lies reminded me of Lucas doing the same with Brooke. (And days after I clocked that on Twitter, I came across this video that goes even deeper with the parallels.)

So, yes, of course teen drama shows are going to have some parallels and they all take inspiration from one another. But the number of “Dawson’s Creek” similarities with this season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” just blew my mind, and even more so when you consider they both filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, and at some of the very same locations.

Maybe it’s true what they say — imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

See more “The Summer I Turned Pretty” teen drama content (and “Dawson’s Creek” comparisons) in “Listicle Links” below!

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SAG-AFTRA Strike Update

Some news and notes…

• There was no “9021OMG” podcast released again yesterday, still with no explanation. “Drama Queens,” meanwhile, did continue with the season 5 rewatch even though it didn’t sound like they would on last week’s edition.

  • FWIW: “7 of the Best Star-Studded Rewatch Podcasts to Listen to Amidst the Hollywood Strikes” (PopCulture.com)

• During last week’s “Bye, Bitches” fan Zoom chat hosted by Melinda Clarke (Julie, The O.C.) and featuring Norman Buckley (editor and director, The O.C. / director, Gossip Girl / director, 90210), Clarke did a really respectable job of toeing the line when it comes to the strike rules and not making specific references to “The O.C.”

  • Since Buckley’s unions aren’t on strike, he was free to discuss his work in detail and those details were so good.

• In case you didn’t see last week’s post-publication update, Chasing Midnight, the movie Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills, 90210) has started working on, was ultimately granted a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, allowing union members like Green to participate in the production.

• In a new interview tied to “Special Forces,” Green specifically referenced “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “BH90210” by name (and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), which is a no-no since these shows are considered struck work. It’s ironic, considering he also talks about the strike in the Q&A, saying, “It’s a bit convoluted sometimes what the strike entails, what it is we can and cannot do. I don’t know what the rules are. Who can I speak to, and who can’t I speak to? What can I publicize? The goalposts are continually moving.”

  • As I wrote on Twitter, I think it’s ridiculous for Green to say he doesn’t “know what the rules are.” They are all spelled out very clearly right here, and even if the “goalposts are continually moving,” it’s your responsibility to keep up with them if you want to ensure you’re abiding by the strike guidelines and not engaging in strikebreaking behavior.

• Along those same lines, as I shared in a long thread on Twitter, I’ve been very flummoxed by Ian Ziering (Steve, Beverly Hills, 90210) promoting Sharknado returning to theaters despite the actors strike.

  • In addition to multiple Facebook and Instagram posts and stories about that, Ziering is also promoting his upcoming appearance at “90s Con.” Here are all the strike rules he, Green, and the rest of the “Beverly Hills, 90210” cast participants will have to comply with during the convention.

• Production on Tron: Ares, starring Evan Peters (Jack, One Tree Hill), is not moving forward (at least for now) due to the actors and writers strikes. (Deadline)

• CordCutting.com, whose parent company I work for and to which I contribute, did a nationwide survey about public sentiment regarding the actors and writers strikes. The results are very interesting. (CordCutting.com)

• “Film industry shutdown’s economic impact in Wilmington to likely cause ‘spillover effects’” (StarNews Online)

Teen Drama Links for August 22, 2023

Listicle Links

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

• “17 TV Women Who We Thought Were Great Complex Female Characters, But Looking Back, Give Off Major ‘Not Like Other Girls’ Energy” (BuzzFeed)

• “21 Side-By-Sides That Show These TV Couples Vs. The Actor Who Portrays Their Kid” (BuzzFeed)

• “Luca Bella Facinelli: Does Jennie Garth’s Daughter Act?” (Screen Rant)

• “Were Jen & Joey Really Friends In Dawson’s Creek? Their Relationship Explained” (Screen Rant)

  • Related: Teen Drama Enemies Turned Best Friends (TDW)

• “The O.C. set a benchmark for teen love triangles; a spate of new shows is upping the ante” (The Sydney Morning Herald)

  • Related: The Essential Teen Drama Love Triangles (TDW)

• “The O.C. Was Wrong To Kill Marissa Cooper — But Her Exit & Season 4 Fixed The Show” (Screen Rant)

  • Related: Top 10 Most Shocking Deaths (TDW)

• “10 Best Characters in The O.C., Ranked” (Movieweb)

• “‘The O.C.’ Was a Breeding Ground for Very Famous People” (The Daily Beast)

• “Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin: A Timeline of Their Relationship” (Us Weekly)

• “Autumn Reeser: ‘Memba Her?!” (TMZ)

• “A One Tree Hill Revival Could Fix The Later Seasons’ Biggest Flaw” (Screen Rant)

  • What a clueless article oblivious to reality.

  • Related: I’m Begging: No More Spinoffs, Reboots, or Revivals (TDW)

• “8 Villains on ‘One Tree Hill’ Ranked From Bad to Worse” (CordCutting.com)

  • Edited by me!

• “No, Kevin Federline Did Not Sing In One Tree Hill, This Band Did” (Screen Rant)

• “Celebrity Parents Share Their Kids’ 2023 Back to School Photos: Jana Kramer, Ali Fedotowsky and More “ (Us Weekly)

• “Best India de Beaufort Performances, Ranked” (Movieweb)

• “How to Look Like You’re in Gossip Girl Using What You Already Own” (The Teen Magazine)

• “Blake Lively’s Hair Color Evolution Over the Years: From Beachy Blonde to Fiery Red” (Us Weekly)

• “Blake Lively, Zoey Deutch and More Stars You Didn’t Know Have Famous Relatives” (E! Online)

• “River Wild & the 3 best Leighton Meester movies to watch (and 2 to skip)” (Netflix Life)

• “Best Emily Alyn Lind Performances, Ranked” (Movieweb)

  • Reminder that Lind’s mother is Barbara Alyn Woods (Deb, One Tree Hill).

• “10 TV Show Couples Who Were the Worst Part of the Show” (Movieweb)

• “10 Couples Who Met on the Set of a Movie or TV Show” (Movieweb)

• “15 Great TV Shows That Defined the 2000s” (Movieweb)

• “10 Actors Who Played Themselves on Television” (Collider)

  • Might as well add the “BH90210” cast to this.

• “6 Shows Like The Summer I Turned Pretty to Watch if You Like The Summer I Turned Pretty” (TV Guide)

• “10 Shows to Watch If You’re Missing ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Like Us” (Us Weekly)

  • Love this line: “The show that changed the YA programming game forever, it can be argued that no one should even watch a teen drama before they’ve seen Beverly Hills, 90210.”

• “Shows like ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ to watch next while you wait for season 3” (Insider)

• “'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Filming Locations Aren’t Really In New England” (Elle Australia)

• “The Summer Legions of Adults Copped to Watching The Summer I Turned Pretty” (Slate)

• “Why Are Forty-Something Women Obsessed With The Summer I Turned Pretty?” (Vogue)

• “‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Should Follow the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Second Boyfriend Model” (The Messenger)

  • I really don’t understand takes like this that see Jeremiah as the “second boyfriend” and as the Pacey of it all. He hooked up with Belly before Conrad did, and, as evidenced above, it’s Belly and Conrad who have the Joey and Pacey parallels, not Belly and Jeremiah, at least in my eyes.

    • In fact, I see Belly and Jeremiah having the same kind of childhood, innocent love that that Dawson and Joey did. That’s not the person you’re supposed to end up with.

    • I will concede, however, that Belly pining for her childhood crush Conrad and him being positioned as her first love interest is a lot like Joey pining for her childhood crush Dawson who was positioned as her first love interest.

    • Lastly, I just want to say, Jeremiah was right when he told Belly there would always be something between her and Conrad — just like there would always be something between Joey and Pacey and Lucas and Peyton. These loves and connections are in another league. Jeremiah is Dawson. Jeremiah is Brooke. The end.

• “‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ is Heading to The CW! Here Is Everything to Know About the Canadian Drama” (Parade)

• “The 20 Best Teen TV Dramas of All Time” (TVLine)

• “The 17 Best Swoon-Worthy Romance Series to Stream Right Now” (Paste)

• “From ‘Fuller House’ to ‘And Just Like That’: 30 Shows That Prove TV Reboot Culture Is Alive and Well” (The Hollywood Reporter)

• “The worst TV series finales of all time” (Yardbarker)

• “The Comfort Show You Should Rewatch, Based on Your Zodiac Sign” (The Everygirl)

• “Hallmark Movie Couples Played By Real-Life Lovers” (The List)

• “The Daily Beast’s Obsessed Critics’ Most Delicious Pans From the Last Year” (The Daily Beast)

• “Best Catherine Haena Kim Performances, Ranked” (Movieweb)

• “Fan poll: 5 best songs from the All-American Rejects” (Alternative Press)

• “These celebrities decided to leave California in recent years” (KTLA)

• “Out of the Closet and Into the Garden” (The New York Times)

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Best of the Rest

• I really hemmed and hawed about sharing this — it’s an interview with Charlie Shahnaian, ex-husband of Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210), about her recent personal issues (which I’ve largely refrained from writing about). It feels exploitative, especially since the interview is with the Daily Mail. However, I ultimately decided to include it because Shahnaian actually has nothing but nice and supportive things to say (which is very mature, given how their marriage ended). (Daily Mail)

• In an Instagram Story that’s no longer available, Spelling revealed that she had been in the hospital since last Thursday, but did not disclose the reason. Then on Sunday, the same day of her post, she was apparently released. (TMZ / TMZ)

  • Spelling’s hospitalization came one day after she was photographed filming an unknown project.

• The late Luke Perry (Dylan, Beverly Hills, 90210) is remembered in this “exit interview” with his “Riverdale” castmates. (Vulture)

  • “Riverdale,” which airs its series finale tomorrow, is executive-produced by Greg Berlanti (executive producer, Dawson’s Creek).

  • The show’s other significant TD connections include Marisol Nichols (Wendy, Beverly Hills, 90210), Kerr Smith (Jack, Dawson’s Creek), Madchen Amick (Nicole, Dawson’s Creek / Catherine, Gossip Girl), and Chad Michael Murray (Lucas, One Tree Hill).

• Shawn Levy (Howard, Beverly Hills, 90210) will receive the very first Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Deadline)

• Glimpse Michael Pitt (Henry, Dawson’s Creek) in the trailer for Reptile. (YouTube)

• Seth Rogen (Bob, Dawson’s Creek) and Olivia Wilde (Alex, The O.C.) are on the host committee for the Academy of Motion Pictures’ 2023 Academy Museum gala. (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • Also on the committee is Jodie Turner-Smith, wife of Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek). She’s also part of the aforementioned Tron: Ares cast.

• The release plans for Dumb Money, starring Rogen, Shailene Woodley (Kaitlin, The O.C.), and Sebastian Stan (Carter, Gossip Girl), have been changed. (Deadline)

• Ben McKenzie (Ryan, The O.C.) did a new round of interviews for his book.

  • “From actor to crypto skeptic, Ben McKenzie on new book, ‘Easy Money’” (ABC News)

  • “Actor Ben McKenzie sounds alarm on cryptocurrency scams” (NBC News)

• Timothy Good (editor, The O.C. / editor, Gossip Girl) did an interview about his recent Emmy nomination for “The Last Of Us.” (Below the Line)

  • Good mentions Buckley as his mentor and discusses how “The O.C.” was a “major turning point” in his career.

• Murray announced the birth of his third child with wife Sarah Roemer. (Instagram)

• Hilarie Burton (Peyton, One Tree Hill), Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill), and Robert Buckley (Clay, One Tree Hill) have signed on for Friends With Benefit’s “A Holiday in Wilmington: Giving Back Celebration.” (Facebook)

  • Meanwhile, Kramer has pulled out of the event due to her pregnancy. Her “Whine Down” show that was slated to be a part of the festivities has been rescheduled for April 6.

• Burton announced her book tour for Grimoire Girl. (Instagram)

  • Danneel Ackles (Rachel, One Tree Hill) will be joining her at the October 4 date — which happens to be the same night “Sullivan’s Crossing,” starring Murray, premieres on The CW and the 33rd anniversary of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” (Harper Collins)

  • I’m very curious whether Burton will be doing a stop in Wilmington, where I live and where, of course, “One Tree Hill” was filmed. Then I’d have to decide whether to go…

    • Friends with Benefit has mentioned a “private book signing” with Burton as part of the “Holiday in Wilmington” event, but I’m talking a full, public tour stop like the other dates.

• Here are more interviews Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley, One Tree Hill) did about her new single and being in a cult.

  • “Bethany Joy Lenz Shares Inspiration Behind Empowering New Single ‘Strawberries’” (Access Hollywood)

  • “Bethany Joy Lenz Gets Honest About Cult Experience” (Access Hollywood)

  • “Bethany Joy Lenz on When She Knew She Needed to Leave Cult and How ‘One Tree Hill’ Was a ‘Lifesaver’” (Entertainment Tonight)

  • “Exclusive: One Tree Hill’s Bethany Joy Lenz on friendship, faith and fresh starts after years in a cult” (HELLO!)

  • “Bethany Joy Lenz chats about life and the release of her new single” (KTLA)

  • “EXCLUSIVE: One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz, 42, opens up about ‘excruciating’ decade she spent in an ‘abusive’ cult — revealing horrifying tactics they used to control her and how ‘encounters with powerful men’ as a child star pushed her into joining” (Daily Mail)

• With the real-life family that inspired The Blind Side in the news, Quinton Aaron (Tommy, One Tree Hill) has done several interviews about the film and the controversy.

  • “‘Blind Side’ Star Quinton Aaron: Sandra Better Keep Her Oscar ... She Has Nothing To Do With Oher Drama!!!” (TMZ)

  • “‘Blind Side’ star Quinton Aaron, who played Michael Oher, shocked by ‘unfortunate’ lawsuit, defends Sandra Bullock” (New York Post)

  • “‘Blind Side’ Actor Explains Why He Only Met Michael Oher After Filming: ‘He Wasn’t Available’” (People)

  • “‘Blind Side’ Star Hopes Michael Oher Finds Resolution with Tuohys: ‘I Pray for Both Sides’” (People)

  • “‘The Blind Side’ Actor Quinton Aaron Has a Message for Michael Oher Amid Tuohy Lawsuit” (Entertainment Tonight)

• Here are more Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) interviews about her partnership with GoGo squeeZ and Feeding America.

  • “Leighton Meester Opens Up About Relying on Food Stamps During Her Childhood” (Brit + Co)

  • “Leighton Meester on juggling acting and motherhood: ‘They appreciate seeing me out doing what I love to do’” (Yahoo)

• Kristen Bell (Gossip Girl, Gossip Girl) was on husband Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. (Apple Podcasts)

• Laura Benanti (Katherine, Gossip Girl spinoff) will headline Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s Cabaret benefit. (The Destin Log)