Teen Drama Links for December 19, 2023
With a fall TV season featuring slim new pickings, “Sullivan’s Crossing” was one of the few shows I was somewhat looking forward to checking out.
As I wrote for CordCutting.com back in September, the previews I saw hadn’t “wowed me,” but the show seemed to “have vibes that harken back to the golden days of The WB.” Of course, my main reason for tuning in was that the series starred Chad Michael Murray (Lucas, One Tree Hill).
Unfortunately, though, after last week’s season finale, I can confidently say “Sullivan’s” never quite hooked me. I had a hard time getting invested each week and kept watching mainly due to light curiosity, not because I just had to see what would happen next.
For someone who was second-billed in the opening credits, it felt like Murray’s role was so small and on the periphery — his character didn’t feel like the show’s leading man, so to speak, at all. The plot moved very slowly. And everything with Maggie and her dad Sully felt repetitive. They would take one step forward, two steps back, and repeat, right through the end of the finale. I also found the show’s depiction of ALS a bit bizarre.
What does it say that my favorite part of the show was the theme song? Or that my favorite aspect of the whole season was the use of “Say Something” at the end of the finale?
All this to say… Will I tune in for season 2? I really don’t know.
Teen Drama Links for December 19, 2023
Listicle Links
Reminder: All lists and articles relate to the teen dramas or teen drama stars in some way.
“13 Wild Posts From People Who Straight-Up Saw Into The Future” (BuzzFeed)
“7 of Katie Holmes’ most iconic outfits” (i-D)
“What to Watch: ‘The O.C.’ Season 1, Episode 13 ‘The Best Chrismukkah Ever’ (Decider)
“The Gossip Girl Reboot Should Never Have Removed The Best Element Of The Original” (Screen Rant)
“Is This How Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen Would Dress in 2023?” (Vogue)
“Blair Waldorf Would Approve of Leighton Meester’s Classic Red Lip” (Marie Claire)
“Dove Cameron Channels Blair from Gossip Girl To Test Headbands” (Cosmopolitan)
“15 Best CW TV Show Couples, Ranked” (Screen Rant)
There’s a rather significant mistake here.
“10 TV Romances That Are Uncomfortable To Watch Today” (Screen Rant)
“10 Awful TV Characters Who Got A Much Happier Ending Than They Deserved” (Screen Rant)
“12 Best Love Triangle TV Shows, Ranked” (Screen Rant)
Related: The Essential Teen Drama Love Triangles (TDW)
“10 Amazing TV Couples Who Started & Ended The Show Together” (Screen Rant)
“10 TV Characters That Ended Up Being Completely Different From What We Were Expecting” (Screen Rant)
“10 Most Surprising Deaths From Teen Dramas, Ranked” (Screen Rant)
Related: Top 10 Most Shocking Deaths (TDW)
“10 TV Shows That Got Much Better After Time Skips” (Screen Rant)
“10 Teen Drama TV Series Where Best Friends Become Lovers” (Movieweb)
There are some mistakes in here and some strange choices where, despite what this list is titled, these couplings were definitely not “best friends” before they start dating.
“23 TV shows with characters who inexplicably disappeared” (Yardbarker)
“5 Shows to Binge During California's Rainy Season” (California.com)
“12 New Year’s Eve Shows to Help Ring in 2024” (Vogue)
“32 ultimate Christmas movies to watch on Netflix” (Vogue India)
“8 Hanukkah TV episodes to watch and stream” (New York Post)
Related: Being a Jewish Teen Drama Fan (TDW)
“Why Chrismukkah is ‘the greatest super holiday known to mankind’” (Salon)
“The Best Shows To Watch if You Love ‘Bridgerton’” (The Mary Sue)
“With Freeform Canceling Good Trouble, I Have A Bad Feeling About The Future Of Teen Soaps” (Cinemablend)
“
’s 6 favorite books that reveal juicy pop culture secrets” (The Week)“2023 in Review: The Stealthiest Castings and Very Coolest Cameos” (TVLine)
“Most popular baby names of 2023” (BabyCentre)
Catch the mistake here, too?
“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Stars Reunite to Support America Ferrera at Barbie Event” (People)
Best of the Rest
Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210) revealed son Liam underwent surgery after injuring his foot. (People)
Jason Priestley (Brandon, Beverly Hills, 90210) pointed out that he directed two episodes of “My Life with the Walter Boys,” which is streaming on Netflix. (Instagram)
Watch Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills, 90210) and his son Kassius in the trailer for The Night They Came Home. (YouTube)
Kassius’ mom, of course, is Vanessa Marcil (Gina, Beverly Hills, 90210).
Dean Cain (Rick, Beverly Hills, 90210) did press for the Hollywood Christmas Parade and the movie Bringing Back Christmas.
“Dean Cain’s new Christmas movie celebrates faith: A ‘trip back in time to Bethlehem’” (Fox News)
I hate linking to this outlet…
“Why Dean Cain Has No Regrets Leaving LA for Las Vegas: ‘California Has Gone Crazy’” (The Messenger)
Natalia Cigliuti (Chloe, Beverly Hills, 90210) was on “The Beverly Hills 90210 Show.” (YouTube)
Shawn Levy (Howard, Beverly Hills, 90210) will direct and produce an untitled heist comedy for Netflix starring frequent collaborator Ryan Reynolds. (Deadline)
Reynolds, of course, is married to Blake Lively (Serena, Gossip Girl).
Sonya Eddy, who appeared on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” posthumously won a Daytime Emmy at Friday’s ceremony. (TVLine)
Meanwhile, a few others with teen drama connections lost.
“Love Is Blind,” hosted by Vanessa Lachey (Camille, BH90210) and Nick Lachey, who appeared as himself on “One Tree Hill,” was renewed for a seventh season ahead of season 6’s premiere. (Deadline)
Busy Philipps (Audrey, Dawson’s Creek) revealed her daughter Birdie was hospitalized following a seizure. (People / Instagram)
Season 3 of “Girls5Eva,” starring Philipps and the first season to debut on Netflix, will premiere in March. (TVLine)
Oliver Hudson (Eddie, Dawson’s Creek) signed a development deal with Fox Entertainment. (Deadline)
Hal Ozsan (Todd, Dawson’s Creek / Mr. Cannon, 90210) revealed he got married, a few months after his engagement. (Facebook)
“Platonic,” starring Seth Rogen (Bob, Dawson’s Creek), was renewed by Apple for a second season. (TVLine)
Also: “Seth Rogen on ‘Platonic’s’ Future: ‘It Looks like We’re Going to Do More’” (The Hollywood Reporter)
Rogen will host an event during next year’s Netflix is a Joke Fest. (Nextflix)
Julie Plec (producer, Dawson’s Creek) will executive-produce a TV adaptation of The Art of Scandal. (Deadline)
Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) was on the “Club Random” podcast. (Apple Podcasts)
Wilson Bethel (Brad, The O.C.) was on the “Broad Ideas” podcast, hosted by Bilson, with whom he also starred in “Hart of Dixie.” (Apple Podcasts)
Colin Hanks (Grady, The O.C.) “Answers Every Question We Have About Orange County.” (Vulture)
Watch Lucy Hale (Hadley, The O.C.) in the trailer for Which Brings Me to You. (YouTube)
Here’s a “first look” at Shantel VanSanten (Quinn, One Tree Hill) in “FBI: Most Wanted.” (TVLine)
Joe Manganiello (Owen, One Tree Hill) filmed a video for the KDKA-TV Free Care Fund Telethon. (CBS News)
Gavin DeGraw, who sings the “One Tree Hill” theme song and appeared on the series multiple times, has been getting up to all sorts of things…
“Gavin DeGraw Joins Sony Music Nashville” (MusicRow.com)
“Gavin DeGraw’s giving fans that ‘hot cocoa moment’ with NYC Christmas residency” (WJJY)
“Grammy Nominee Gavin DeGraw to Hold Special Performance Benefiting Paws of War” (PRWeb)
“Gavin DeGraw on finding inspiration for new album in old school Christmas recordings” (ABC News)
Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) did interviews while at an Amazon holiday event.
“Leighton Meester’s Holiday Plans Won’t Look Like an Episode of Gossip Girl” (InStyle)
“Leighton Meester Explains Why There’s No ‘Secret’ to Her Marriage to Adam Brody” (Us Weekly)
Hilary Duff (Olivia, Gossip Girl) revealed she’s expecting her fourth child. (Instagram)
And then she later revealed she contracted COVID. (People)
Duff also did some interviews tied to a Target partnership.
“How Hilary Duff survives the holidays: ‘Lizzie McGuire’ star talks parenting stress, more” (USA Today)
“The One Thing Hilary Duff Buys Every Time She Goes to Target” (Parade)
“Hilary Duff Just Can’t Help Going Overboard for the Holidays” (E! Online)
“Exclusive: Hilary Duff Passed Down One Childhood Christmas Tradition to Her Own Kids & You’ll Want to Steal it Too” (She Knows)
Whitney Peak (Zoya, Gossip Girl spinoff) is part of the voice cast for a new scripted Audible series called “Big Envelopes.” (Deadline)
Fun fact: I went to college with one of the podcast’s creators.
Jason Gotay (Rafa, Gossip Girl spinoff) will star in a new stage musical called Teeth. (Theatrely)
AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) has joined “Days of Our Lives.” (Deadline)
Though I highlighted it on Twitter, I somehow forgot to include this last week: Ryan O’Neal (Spence, 90210) died at age 82. (Associated Press)
Alan Ritchson (Tripp, 90210) is making the media rounds for the new season of “Reacher.”
“Alan Ritchson on Doing His Own Stunts and Theme of ‘Reacher’ Season 2” (The Hollywood Reporter)
“‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson on Hard-Fought Lesson That Changed His Life: ‘I Almost Didn’t Survive’” (The Hollywood Reporter)
“‘Reacher’ Rises Again: Buff Ass-Kicker Alan Ritchson on Season 2’s New Cast and Harrison Ford’s Influence” (Variety)
“‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson beefs up for Season 2 of a ‘life-changing’ TV dream role” (USA Today)
“‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson on show’s success: ‘I don’t think anybody expected that’” (New York Post)
“‘Reacher’ star Alan Ritchson talks season two of hit show and how ‘Amazon took a risk’ on him” (Associated Press)
“Alan Ritchson on How Season 2 of ‘Reacher’ Delves into the Past to Solve Murders in the Present” (Parade)
“‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson on How Testosterone Therapy Helped Him Get in Shape for Season 2” (Men’s Health UK)
“Alan Ritchson on Fighting People on Reacher, Writing a Letter to Tom Cruise & Being on American Idol” (Jimmy Kimmel Live)
“Alan Ritchson and the Reacher Cast On Big Stakes and Even Bigger Action In Season 2” (Rotten Tomatoes)
…and more.