Hear me out: Challengers is a teen drama.
Like with many things, I was late to the party and only recently streamed the film, which hit theaters back in April. I knew the basic premise, but imagine my surprise when the movie started off in the present day and then flashed back to high school and college.
In both timelines, the story is driven by a love triangle between the three main characters — and by sports. Those two threads are woven together, a la “One Tree Hill.” And just as we saw with the “One Tree Hill” characters with the season 5 time-jump, the Challengers characters in the present continue to deal with the fallout from the highs and lows of their youth.
Also like with “One Tree Hill,” I marveled over how hair and wardrobe changes aged the Challengers characters, truly making it seem like years had past since the high school and college scenes.
This line in a USA Today review caught my eye:
“While ‘Challengers’ falls nebulously somewhere between a coming-of-age flick, dysfunctional relationship drama and snazzy sports extravaganza, Guadagnino nevertheless holds serve with yet another engaging, hot-blooded tale of flawed humans figuring out their feelings.”
If that doesn’t describe a “One Tree Hill”-esque teen drama, I don’t know what does.
Teen Drama Links for August 6, 2024
Listicle Links
Reminder: All lists and articles relate to the teen dramas or teen drama stars in some way.
“21 Actors Who Played Teenagers Vs. Photos Of What They Actually Looked Like As Teenagers” (BuzzFeed)
Related: How the Teen Dramas Affect the Way We See Physical Appearances (TDW)
“From the archives: When a ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star was rescued off Wrightsville Beach” (StarNews Online)
Spot the mistake here?
“Christina Hall, Rachel Bilson and More Stars Who’ve Shared Their Co-Parenting Journeys” (E! Online)
“Autumn Reeser’s Family Album: The Hallmark Channel Star’s Sweetest Moments With 2 Sons” (Us Weekly)
“From Linda Lavin to Bill Cosby, what it’s like interviewing celebrities” (StarNews Online)
“The 10 Best Gossip Girl Episodes, Ranked” (CBR)
“14 Years Ago, Blair Waldorf Wore A Lingerie Dress Way Ahead Of Its Time” (Bustle)
“Blake Lively Wore A Sheer Dress With Blair Waldorf’s Fave Accessory” (Bustle)
“Blake Lively channels Serena van der Woodsen in her It Ends With Us press tour looks” (Glamour UK)
“Blake Lively’s Rise to Fame: From ‘Gossip Girl’ to ‘It Ends With Us’!” (E! Online)
“Blake Lively’s Style Transformation, From Traveling Pants To It Ends With Us” (Women)
“18 Best Blake Lively Quotes That Prove How Down To Earth She Really Is” (Brit + Co)
“The Stunning Style Transformation Of Taylor Momsen” (Glam)
“7 Most Divisive TV Show Storylines That Split The Fanbase In Half” (Screen Rant)
“10 TV Shows That Changed Cast Members After the Pilot” (Collider)
“10 TV Couples Who Took Multiple Seasons to Get Together” (Collider)
“32 TV Wives That Are Way Younger Than Their Husband” (Cinemablend)
“20 TV plot points that made absolutely no sense” (Yardbarker)
“15 Value-Oriented ‘90s Series That Deserve Another Look” (TV Fanatic)
“18 Great Shows Max Canceled in 3 Seasons or Less” (SheKnows)
“These 8 TV Series of the Early 2000s Are Full of Flip Phones, Low-Rise Jeans and A Whole Lot of Drama” (First For Women)
Catch the mistake here?
“How Gay Are the Books These Queer Shows Are Based On?” (Autostraddle)
“Everyone the Internet Wants to Play Britney Spears In Upcoming Biopic” (TooFab)
“Trap Cast & Character Guide” (Screen Rant)
“It Ends With Us Cast & Character Guide” (Screen Rant)
“Francine Pascal, ‘Sweet Valley High’ Creator, Dies at 92” (Variety)
“PHOTOS: Entertainment venues in the Wilmington area” (StarNews Online)
Related: Living in Capeside and Tree Hill (TDW)
“Today in History: Monday, August 5, 2024” (Programming Insider)
Look at the name of this Pet of the Day! (WRAL)
Best of the Rest
Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills, 90210) did more interviews about her new clothing line.
“Jennie Garth Admits Acting Is ‘Not My First Priority Anymore’ After Entering Her 50s with ‘New Clarity’” (People)
Part of this interview appears in the magazine’s August 12 issue.
“Jennie Garth Jokes Her Husband Is ‘Excited’ for Her to Be an Empty Nester — but She’s Not Quite Ready” (People)
“Jennie Garth Shares How Beverly Hills, 90210 Cast Leans on Each Other After Shannen Doherty’s Death” (People)
“Jennie Garth Says She Receives Messages from Luke Perry Amid Moments of Doubt” (Parade)
“Exclusive: Jennie Garth on ‘Just Jumping In’” (NewBeauty)
“Jennie Garth Is Embracing the ‘I Choose Me’ Mantra” (AARP)
“Jennie Garth’s QVC clothing line makes women feel ‘empowered and stylish’” (Yahoo)
“Jennie Garth’s go-to gadget is this ‘genius’ Drew Barrymore-designed air fryer” (Yahoo)
“Jennie Garth reveals how she got into lifting weights in her 50s” (Today)
“Choosing Yourself, 90210 and Everything in Between With Jennie Garth” (The CLS Experience)
Ian Ziering (Steve, Beverly Hills, 90210) is launching a wine club called Dabble Inn and hosting a launch party in Los Angeles next week. (Dabble Inn)
Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills, 90210) will be at Rhode Island Comic Con in November. (Instagram)
Denise Richards (Robin, Beverly Hills, 90210 / Denise, BH90210 / Gwen, 90210) was on the “MissSPELLING” podcast hosted by Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210). (Apple Podcasts)
Shawn Levy (Howard, Beverly Hills, 90210) will produce a Netflix adaptation of Never Lie. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Here’s more interviews with Levy tied to Deadpool & Wolverine.
“Shawn Levy in Conversation: The Man Who Figured Out Hollywood”
“The Director of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on Those Spoilery Surprises” (The New York Times)
“Shawn Levy Unpacks ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameos and Spoilers: Channing Tatum’s Gambit, Jennifer Garner’s Ben Affleck Divorce Joke, Henry Cavill’s Wolverine and More” (Variety)
Here, Levy reveals he’s the godfather of Blake Lively (Serena, Gossip Girl) and Ryan Reynolds’ son Olin.
“Deadpool & Wolverine ‘spoiler orgy’: Shawn Levy on conquering superhero fatigue, box office, and more” (Entertainment Weekly)
“Shawn Levy Explains Why They Made You Wait For That ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Mask Reveal” (Collider)
…and more.
Daniel Dae Kim, who appeared on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” and Ryan Eggold (Ryan, 90210) will star in Yellow Face on Broadway, with Eggold making his Broadway debut. (Deadline)
Watch Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek) in the first real teaser trailer for “Doctor Odyssey.” (YouTube)
Also, a behind-the-scenes promo featuring Jackson aired during last night’s “The Bachelorette.”
Jamie Lee Curtis reflected on the Entertainment Weekly Halloween: H20 cover shoot she did with Michelle Williams (Jen, Dawson’s Creek). (Instagram)
Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.), Josh Schwartz (creator, The O.C. / creator, Gossip Girl / executive producer, Gossip Girl spinoff) and Stephanie Savage (executive producer, The O.C. / creator, Gossip Girl / executive producer, Gossip Girl spinoff) hosted an event to celebrate the 21st anniversary of “The O.C.” and their 21Seeds partnership — with Phantom Planet, who sings the show’s theme song, performing. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Bilson did a few interviews at the event.
“Welcome to 'The O.C.’s 21st Birthday, Bitch!” (Cosmopolitan)
This one is an interview with Schwartz and Savage, too.
“Rachel Bilson Reveals Where Her O.C. Character Would Be Today — and Why She Thinks They’d Be ‘Rivalry’ Moms” (People)
“Rachel Bilson Gives Rare Update On Her 9-Year-Old Daughter Briar and Their ‘Inseparable’ Bond” (People)
“Rachel Bilson Says She's in a ‘Good Place’ with Ex Hayden Christensen as They Co-Parent Daughter Briar” (People)
Ben McKenzie (Ryan, The O.C.) was on the “Pop Culture with Chanté Joseph” podcast. (The Guardian)
Autumn Reeser (Taylor, The O.C.) did interviews to promote Junebug.
“Autumn Reeser Looks Back on ‘The O.C.’, Dishes on Her 20th Hallmark Movie ‘Junebug’ and More!” (First For Women)
“Autumn Reeser Reveals Why New Hallmark Movie ‘Junebug’ Couldn’t ‘Have Been Made Before Now’” (TV Insider)
“Autumn Reeser on How Your Inner Child and Playfulness Relate to Hallmark’s Junebug” (TV Fanatic)
“Autumn Reeser Had Never Seen ‘Say Anything’ Before Paying Homage to It in Hallmark’s ‘Junebug’” (Us Weekly)
In connection with the movie, Reeser is co-hosting a four-week inner child workshop online — but it’ll cost you a pretty penny to participate. (Autumn Reeser)
Leila Gerstein (writer, The O.C. / co-executive producer, Gossip Girl) will executive-produce and serve as showrunner for Amazon’s “Every Year After,” an adaptation of Every Summer After. (Variety)
James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill) and Stephen Colletti (Chase, One Tree Hill) are rewatching select episodes of “One Tree Hill” on TikTok. (TikTok)
Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley, One Tree Hill), Shantel VanSanten (Quinn, One Tree Hill), and Emmanuelle Vaugier (Nicki, One Tree Hill) are the latest guests to be announced for Friends with Benefit’s “21TreeHill” event. (Facebook)
Here’s the full episode of Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” (ABC)
Bush hosted another Athleta Power of She event. (Instagram)
Bush and girlfriend Ashlyn Harris participated in Uber’s “One Minute With” series. (Instagram)
Tyler Hilton (Chris, One Tree Hill) released a new EP. (Instagram)
Leven Rambin (Chloe, One Tree Hill) will recur in season 3 of “Fire Country” on CBS. (TVLine)
Gavin DeGraw, who performs the “One Tree Hill” theme song and appeared on the show multiple times, was in the hospital a few days ago due to a throat illness that has forced him to miss performances. (Instagram)
DeGraw was supposed to be a judge at Sunday’s Miss USA pageant, but I can’t find any evidence that he was actually there.
In any case, here’s a new interview with DeGraw about his Chariot rerelease. (Songfacts)
Terrence Coli (supervising producer, One Tree Hill / co-executive producer, 90210 / consulting producer, BH90210) is developing an untitled spiritual procedural for Netflix, which he’ll write and executive-produce. (Deadline)
Lively announced a hair care line, Blake Brown, and did a bunch of interviews to promote it. (Instagram)
“The Secret to Blake Lively’s Incredible Hair? Stop Using Conditioner” (Vogue)
“You Know Blake Lively — Now, Meet Blake Brown” (Elle)
“Blake Lively on Her New Hair-Care Line and the Bad Cut Husband Ryan Reynolds Once Called a ‘Hit Job’” (InStyle)
“Blake Lively’s New Hair Brand, Blake Brown, Was the Hardest Beauty Secret to Keep” (Marie Claire)
“Blake Lively Is Aware of Your Dry-Hair Comments” (The Cut)
“Blake Lively Says She Channels a Character When Getting Dressed: ‘What Spice Girl Am I Today?’” (People)
Lively is also doing press for It Ends With Us, which hits theaters on Friday.
“‘It Ends With Us’ star Blake Lively on bringing Colleen Hoover book to big screen: ‘I’ve never had such a challenging experience in my career’” (Yahoo)
“Blake Lively Joins Her ‘It Ends With Us’ Castmates for the Ultimate Girl Talk Sesh” (Cosmopolitan)
“Blake Lively and Jenny Slate Gush Over Working Together in ‘It Ends With Us’” (Entertainment Tonight)
Chace Crawford (Nate, Gossip Girl) “Reacts to Keleigh Teller Turning Him Into a TikTok Sensation.” (Entertainment Tonight)
Evan Mock (Aki, Gossip Girl spinoff) covers the August issue of Vogue Man Philippines. (Vogue Philippines)
Thomas Doherty (Max, Gossip Girl spinoff) was on the “Your Last Meal” podcast. (Cascade PBS News)
AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) is mourning the death of her “first love.” (Instagram)
Meghan Markle, who appeared on “90210,” and husband Prince Harry were interviewed for “CBS Sunday Morning” about a new initiative called The Parents Network. (CBS News)
Okay! I’m keen to watch Challengers now!