Teen Drama Links for December 27, 2022

It’s a year-end tradition for many outlets to reflect back on the last 12 months and spotlight the best and worst of the year. TeenDramaWhore is no exception.

Just as I compiled the highlights and lowlights of 2021, here’s a look at the biggest teen drama stories of 2022.

JANUARY: “XOXO” Premieres

Three teen drama rewatch podcasts simply weren’t enough. A fourth was added to the mix with the launch of “XOXO,” a “Gossip Girl” podcast hosted by Jessica Szohr (Vanessa). To be fair, this wasn’t a rewatch podcast initially. Szohr started off by doing interviews with key cast and crew members, including “Gossip Girl” creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and co-stars Ed Westwick (Chuck), Chace Crawford (Nate), and Taylor Momsen (Jenny). The podcast later embraced the traditional rewatch format (oddly beginning with season 2), and by the fall, Zuzanna Szadkowski (Dorota) became Szohr’s unofficial co-host. I didn’t intend to listen each week when it premiered, but of course I do — and I tweet my reaction. BONUS: I broke down the state of the teen drama rewatch podcasts in August.

FEBRUARY / MARCH: AnnaLynne McCord Ridiculed for Putin Poem

On the same day Russia invaded Ukraine, AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) posted a video of herself reciting a poem she wrote about how things might be different if she were Vladimir Putin’s mother. Yes, you read that correctly. The two-minute clip went viral, with McCord getting mocked worldwide. The actress’ poem was certainly weird, but I found the reaction rather overblown. There have been many more things worthy of our outrage this year.

MARCH: Sophia Bush Blasts Insider and People

As Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) promoted various projects, including a “Good Sam” episode featuring her “One Tree Hill” co-stars Hilarie Burton (Peyton) and Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley) and a live “Drama Queens” podcast, she objected to a journalist asking about the “unpleasantries” she experienced on “One Tree Hill” — so much so that she filmed a 15-minute Instagram video complaining about the interview. She even went as far as calling out specific outlets, Insider and People, and their writers for doing the story. I, as a former journalist myself, explained why I thought Bush was out of line.

JULY: Bevin Prince’s Husband Dies in Tragic Accident

The news was unfathomable: A man enjoying the Fourth of July weekend on a boat was fatally struck by lightning. It would be a tragedy no matter what. But it hit heartbreakingly close to home for us teen drama fans — and for those of us who live in Wilmington — because that man was William Friend, the husband of Bevin Prince (Bevin, One Tree Hill). The couple moved to the Wilmington area amidst the pandemic and started a local business. In an instant, and just days before what would’ve been Friend’s 34th birthday, everything changed. In recent interviews, Prince has shown remarkable strength and resilience amidst her ongoing grief.

JULY / AUGUST: Jessica Klein, Denise Dowse, and Joe E. Tata Die

Things in our teen drama world only got sadder and sadder over the summer. First, “Beverly Hills, 90210” executive producer Jessica Klein died of cancer in July. Weeks later, Denise Dowse (Mrs. Teasley, Beverly Hills, 90210) passed away after a battle with meningitis. Before August was up, we also lost Joe E. Tata (Nat, Beverly Hills, 90210) to Alzheimer’s complications. It was a triple gut punch in a stunningly short period of time.

AUGUST: TeenDramaWhore on “Welcome to the OC, Bitches”

August did have a bright spot, thanks to Melinda Clarke (Julie) and Rachel Bilson (Summer). The stars of “The O.C.” invited me on their podcast to talk about the teen dramas. I gave a little overview of TDW, asked the co-hosts some burning questions, and answered some of their questions about the genre. It was an unbelievable honor and an experience I will never forget.

OCTOBER: “Drama Queens” Goes on Tour

In late August, Burton, Bush, and Lenz announced they’d be hitting the road in October for live shows in several East Coast cities. When the time came, the trio traveled by RV from stop to stop, joined at each show by different “One Tree Hill” cast members. Unfortunately, a promised “live stream” of one of the New York shows was anything but.

NOVEMBER: “One Tree Hill” Cast Reunites for “A Week in Tree Hill”

While an August convention in South Carolina brought together a few stars of “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl,” “One Tree Hill” fans hit the mother lode this fall when almost every single “One Tree Hill” series regular (along with many recurring cast members) came to Wilmington for a bevy of fan events, including a charity basketball game. Ironically, as the city turned into Tree Hill, I was out of town. What timing!

NOVEMBER: Trevor Donovan Finishes Sixth on “Dancing with the Stars”

Following in the ballroom footsteps of numerous teen drama stars, Trevor Donovan (Teddy, 90210) competed on “Dancing with the Stars.” He bounced all around the leader board each week, but went further in the competition than most predicted and performed some really memorable dances. The season also featured Jason Lewis (Rob, Beverly Hills, 90210), albeit briefly — he was the first eliminated.

DECEMBER: “Gossip Girl” Spinoff Returns

It may have taken a year, but the second season of the “Gossip Girl” spinoff finally debuted on HBO Max. Whether this new season is better than the first is debatable and depends on who you ask, and we’re still waiting for Georgina’s highly anticipated arrival. But the teen drama genre is continuing… for better or worse.

Besides more “Gossip Girl” episodes, it’s anyone’s guess what highs and lows 2023 will bring. However, there are a few things we can definitely count on: We’ll be marking 25 years since “Dawson’s Creek” premiered, 20 year since it ended, and 20 years since “The O.C.” and “One Tree Hill” premiered. Pretty amazing. (For the record, this year marked 10 years since “One Tree Hill” and Gossip Girl” ended.)

And you can bet TeenDramaWhore will be here all year long, keeping track of it all. If you’d like to show your support for TDW and help keep this newsletter free for everyone, you can make a contribution here.

Happy New Year!

Teen Drama Links for December 27, 2022

Listicle Links

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

• “17 Surprising Celebrity Friendships That Started When They Went To School Together” (BuzzFeed)

• “22 Real Names Of Celebs You Only Know By Their Famous Nicknames” (BuzzFeed)

• “These 32 People Are Considered ‘Nepo Babies,’ And I’m Curious If You Knew Exactly Where They Came From” (BuzzFeed)

• “I’m Sorry But The 16 Most Annoying Protagonists On TV” (BuzzFeed)

• “Here Are The Celebrities Who ‘Put A Ring On It’ In 2022” (BuzzFeed)

• “People Are Sharing The One Show They Could Never Live Without And I’m Glad We All Agree That ‘Golden Girls’ Was A Masterpiece” (BuzzFeed)

• “If You’ve Watched More Than Half Of These Christmas TV Episodes, I’ll Put In A Good Word For You With Santa” (BuzzFeed)

  • Related: Revisiting TDW: Favorite Teen Drama Holiday Episodes (TDW)

• “18 Former Child Stars Who Spoke Out About Changing Their Image Once They Grew Up” (BuzzFeed)

• “Casting Literally Makes Or Breaks A Film, And These 17 Examples Of Horrible And Great Casts Proves It” (BuzzFeed)

  • In Pratt’s defense, the movie isn’t even out yet — he’s being judged based on the trailer alone.

• “Benetton Deletes Photo of Kids in Underwear After Busy Philipps Slams Brand” (Newsweek)

  • To be clear, there’s no evidence Philipps is the reason Benetton removed the post in question. She was hardly the only one criticizing the company.

• “8 Things I Noticed Rewatching The O.C.’s First Chrismukkah Episode” (Bustle)

  • I never thought of no. 6 before!

• “10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching One Tree Hill” (Screen Rant)

  • A lot of interesting points here…

• “How Celebrity Newlyweds Spent Their 1st Christmas Together: Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz, Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma, More” (Us Weekly)

• “TV and Film Mistakes Spotted on Social Media: From ‘Gossip Girl’ Wardrobe Issues to ‘Friends’ Casting Mishaps” (Us Weekly)

• “How to Get the ‘Gossip Girl’ Look” (L’OFFICIEL)

• “Get to Know The Cast Of The ‘Gossip Girl’ Reboot!” (AfterBuzz TV)

• “It Looks Like 1 Of The Gossip Girl Girlies Might Be Pregnant” (Elite Daily)

• “The ‘Gossip Girl’ Reboot Doesn’t Know What to Do with Zoya Anymore” (Collider)

  • I largely agree with this.

• “Every Time Lily Collins Has Defended ‘Emily in Paris’ Against Critics Since Its 2020 Debut” (Us Weekly)

• “‘Emily in Paris’ Outfits: Lily Collins’ Best Looks So Far” (People)

• “Great Outfits in Fashion History: Lily Collins’ Bow Dress at the 2013 Costume Designers Guild Awards” (Fashionista)

• “The most daring looks Lily Collins has ever worn, from dresses with thigh-high slits to sheer fabrics” (Insider)

• “Lily Collins Has Revolutionised Her Off-Screen Wardrobe” (Vogue UK)

• “17 Times Lily Collins Was The Best Dressed Person On The Red Carpet” (Bustle)

• “Woah: From ‘The Mortal Instruments’ to Now: See Lily Collins Transformation Throughout the Years: Photos” (J-14)

• “5 of the best and 5 of the worst time jumps on television” (Insider)

  • There’s a significant mistake here: “One Tree Hill” did not “skip over” high school graduation. On the contrary… (TDW)

• “30 TV shows that went on way too long — sorry” (Insider)

• “10 Best Hanukkah-Themed TV Episodes” (CBR)

  • Related: Being a Jewish Teen Drama Fan (TDW)

• “10 Film & TV Couples Who Got Together On New Years’ Eve” (Collider)

• “The 10 Best Teen and YA Dramas of 2022” (Paste)

• “2022 in Review: Best First Kiss, Worst CGI, Most Improved Series, Lamest Cameo and 80+ More TV Superlatives” (TVLine)

• “These Actors Had Gone Through Puberty Long Before They Played These Teen Roles” (TheThings)

  • Related: How the Teen Dramas Affect the Way We See Physical Appearances (TDW)

• “TV shows worth binge-watching over your holiday break” (The Grio)

• “Relive the Nostalgic Fashion Trends Celebrities Brought Back in 2022” (E! Online)

• “See Hollywood’s ‘Nepotism Babies’ Side-by-Side with Their A-List Parents in Their Breakout Roles” (People)

Best of the Rest

• Um, could there be a job any more perfect for me?! “Get Paid $1,000 to Binge-Watch Teen Dramas” (Shane Co.)

• Here are more interviews with Darren Star (creator, Beverly Hills, 90210) about the third season of “Emily in Paris,” which stars Lily Collins (Phoebe, 90210) — see more interviews with Collins below.

  • “Emily in Paris showrunner breaks down season 3 twists and Eurovision hopes for season 4” (Entertainment Weekly)

  • “‘Emily In Paris’: Creator Darren Star Breaks Down Season 3, Talks Finale Bombshell & Its Fallout, Season 4’s Theme & More” (Deadline)

  • “‘Emily in Paris’ Creator Darren Star Wasn’t Going for a Millennial Stereotype” (The Wall Street Journal)

  • “Darren Star Talks Girlbosses and Attachment Style in Emily in Paris” (TIME)

  • “Your Emily in Paris Season 3 Questions, Answered: Darren Star Explains Everything About That Shocking Finale” (Glamour)

  • “‘Emily In Paris’: Darren Star Says Season 3 Is All About Consequences” (Forbes)

  • “After three seasons of ‘Emily in Paris,’ the City of Light might be starting to love Darren Star back” (Toronto Star)

• In an Instagram Story that’s no longer available, Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210) revealed she was hospitalized days before Christmas. (Us Weekly)

• Spelling was on the “ReWives with Bethenny Frankel” podcast. (Apple Podcasts)

• Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills, 90210) and Sharna Burgess did more press tied to their Movember partnership.

  • “Sharna Burgess Says She Struggles with ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ Thoughts Since Becoming a Mom” (People)

  • “‘DWTS’ pro Sharna Burgess opens up about her postpartum ‘dark thoughts’” (Good Morning America)

  • Also, missed this one earlier this month: “Brian Austin Green opens up about his unexpected health journey as he advocates for cancer prevention” (HELLO!)

• Sonya Eddy, who appeared on two episodes of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died unexpectedly at age 55. (The New York Times)

  • Eddy also appeared in Coach Carter, which has a number of teen drama connections.

• Vivica A. Fox (Sherice, Beverly Hills, 90210) made the media rounds for A New Diva’s Christmas Carol.

  • “Vivica A. Fox talks holiday traditions, new Christmas movie” (Today)

  • “Vivica A. Fox stars in ‘A New Diva’s Christmas Carol’ with Ashanti, Robin Givens and more” (KTLA)

  • “It’s a diva-licious holiday for multi-hyphenate star Vivica A. Fox” (PIX11)

  • “Vivica A. Fox on her new Christmas movie — ‘A New Diva’s Christmas Carol’” (CBS San Francisco)

  • “Actress Vivica Fox talks starring in ‘A New Diva’s Christmas Carol’ alongside Ashanti, Mel B, Ashanti, more” (WISH-TV)

    • I love how Ashanti is in this headline twice.

  • “Vivica A. Fox’s Christmas Day tradition includes a pause for some self-care” (WTMX)

  • “Vivica A. Fox gives us the ‘deets’ on her new Christmas movie” (WUSA9)

  • “Vivica A. Fox Explains Why She Was a ‘Diva’ at One Point in Her Career” (WFAA)

  • People also had an interview with Fox in one of its recent print issues, but I can’t remember which one and it’s not online. Womp womp.

• Aaron Paul (Chad, Beverly Hills, 90210) has legally changed his last name. (TMZ)

• Kevin Williamson (creator, Dawson’s Creek) did another Scream interview… that was broken up into multiple stories.

  • “‘Scream’: Kevin Williamson Confirms Matthew Lillard’s Stu Is Dead” (Collider)

  • “‘Scream’: Kevin Williamson Wishes He Could Bring This Character Back from the Dead” (Collider)

  • “‘Scream’s Kevin Williamson Reveals the Key Quality that Neve Campbell Created for Sidney” (Collider)

• Greg Berlanti (executive producer, Dawson’s Creek) has signed with CAA for agency representation. (Deadline)

  • There’s an interesting backstory behind Berlanti’s jump from WME to CAA… (Puck)

• Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) shared the “Easiest Hack to Manage Stress During the Holidays.” (StyleCaster)

• Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley, One Tree Hill) will star in Hallmark’s A Biltmore Christmas. (Variety)

• Fashionkind, co-founded by Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill), is opening a retail store in Mexico. (WWD)

• Kieren Hutchison (Andy, One Tree Hill) is the first star to sign on for Comet Con, a “One Tree Hill” convention to be held in the UK in May. (Twitter)

• Here are a few more cast interviews for season 2 of the “Gossip Girl” spinoff…

  • ‘Gossip Girl’ stars Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, and Thomas Doherty tease ‘ups and downs’ and ‘lots of drama’ for the triad on season 2” (Insider)

  • “‘Gossip Girl’s Thomas Doherty, Emily Alyn Lind, & Evan Mock Discuss Throuple Dynamics and Challenges in Season 2” (Collider)

  • “Thomas Doherty isn’t trying to be Chuck Bass” (i-D)

  • “‘Gossip Girl’ Star Thomas Doherty Unpacks Season 2 So Far, Reveals His Dream Cameo From Original Series” (The Hollywood Reporter)

• As for whether there will be a third season of the new “Gossip Girl,” Joshua Safran (executive producer, Gossip Girl / creator, Gossip Girl spinoff) says, “It depends on how well we do.” (Twitter)

• Pico Alexander (Mike, Gossip Girl spinoff) did an interview promoting The Honeymoon. (KTLA)

• Cole Doman (Rex, Gossip Girl spinoff) shared his pre-show routine for Your Own Personal Exegesis, which marks his off-Broadway debut. (Playbill)

• Rumer Willis (Gia, 90210) revealed she’s pregnant with her first child. (Instagram)

• More “Emily in Paris” interviews with Collins…

  • “Lily Collins, Her Emily in Paris Costars, and Creator Darren Star Tease Season 3’s Loves and Losses” (Rotten Tomatoes)

  • “The Stars of Emily in Paris React to the Shocking Season 3 Finale” (E! Online)

  • “Emily In Paris Stars Express Season 3’s Joie De Vivre” (Screen Rant)

  • “‘Emily in Paris’: Lily Collins, Ashley Park & Camille Razat on the Season 3 Finale and Facing New Decisions” (Collider)

  • “Lily Collins Says ‘Emily in Paris’ Cast Would’ve Had ‘Panic Attacks’ If Show Ended After Twisty Season 3 Finale” (People)

  • “Lily Collins, Ashley Park, and Camille Razat React to *That* ‘Emily in Paris’ Pregnancy Twist” (Cosmopolitan)

  • “‘What’s It All About, Alfie?’: Lily Collins and Lucien Laviscount Break Down ‘Emily In Paris’ Season 3’s Most Romantic Scene” (Decider)

  • “‘Emily in Paris’ Star Lily Collins on Her Own Trauma Haircut” (The New York Times)

  • “Lily Collins Breaks Down Her Emily In Paris Outfits” (Vogue France)

  • “Lily Collins: ‘Estoy cómoda detrás de cámara, siendo parte del proyecto, que se escuche mi voz’” (Harper’s Bazaar Spain)