Teen Drama Links for October 3, 2023

For a highly unusual fall TV season, my nightly viewing schedule is pretty packed.

Monday: “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” and, beginning later this month, “FBoy Island”

Tuesday: “Dancing with the Stars”

Wednesday: “Survivor” and, starting tomorrow, “Sullivan’s Crossing” (both of which I wrote about for CordCutting.com)

Thursday: “The Golden Bachelor,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” and, for the next few weeks, “The Challenge: USA”

True, this means I’m free on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but it still feels like a lot. And I say that as someone who absolutely loves TV!

Notably, everything on my list falls into the unscripted category, except for “Sullivan’s Crossing,” a Canadian import that The CW wisely ordered to help fill its schedule amidst the strikes.

Given that so many scripted series aren’t returning this fall and we aren’t being treated to the usual amount of new programming, I’d love to know: What are you watching these days?

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SAG-AFTRA Strike Update

News and notes…

• WGA West president Meredith Stiehm (writer, Beverly Hills, 90210) did interviews about the resolution of the writers strike and the tentative agreement that was reached.

  • “WGA Chiefs Ellen Stutzman & Meredith Stiehm Q&A: ‘Transformative’ Deal For Hollywood, Solidarity With SAG-AFTRA & The AMPTP’s ‘Failed Process’” (Deadline)

  • “WGA Leaders David Goodman, Chris Keyser and Meredith Stiehm on How the Deal Was Done: ‘We Got Something for Every Sector of the Guild’” (Variety)

  • “Writers Guild Leaders on Where Deal Landed With AI, How Gains and Concessions Were Made” (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Melinda Clarke (Julie, The O.C.) hosted another one of her “Bye Bitches” Zoom chats and once again abided by the strike rules.

  • She was joined by Michael Lange, who directed episodes of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “The O.C.,” and “One Tree Hill” (as he and I discussed in our 2010 interview). Lange’s union is not on strike, so he was free to talk about these series in detail — it was a lot of fun!

• Jeri Ryan (Charlotte, The O.C.) encouraged people to join her on the picket line. (Twitter)

• Chad Michael Murray (Lucas, One Tree Hill) did an interview to promote the U.S. premiere of “Sullivan’s Crossing,” with the piece beginning with a disclaimer stating, “SAG-AFTRA cleared the cast to do publicity for the upcoming season.” (TV Insider)

  • That also explains why Murray has been promoting the show on social media.

    • In response to a question about this on Instagram, Murray replied, “Sullivan’s Crossing is a Canadian produced show that was acquired by a U.S. network after the fact. It’s filmed in Canada under ACTRA jurisdiction so I’m contractually obligated to be available for press, etc… That being said, I very much support SAG(100%)in getting a fair deal from the studios. Stoked for the WGA that they worked out their deal and fingers crossed SAG will be next so everyone can get back to work and continue doing what we all love:)” (Instagram)

• Notably, while Trevor Donovan (Teddy, 90210) continued to promote A Harvest Homecoming on social media for its premiere last weekend, Jessica Lowndes (Adrianna, 90210) didn’t post anything at all for it.

• Interesting read: “Who can a showbiz reporter interview when Hollywood is on strike?” (The Washington Post)

Teen Drama Links for October 3, 2023

Listicle Links

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

• “15 Famous Actors Who Played ‘Blink And You’ll Miss It’ Roles In Iconic TV Shows And Movies” (BuzzFeed)

• “23 Pictures Of TV Dads And Grandpas When They Were Younger That You’ve Probably Never Seen Before” (BuzzFeed)

  • Related: The Teen Drama Dads (TDW)

• “Jennie Garth shares photo of teen daughter ... and she looks just like Kelly Taylor from ‘90210’” (Today)

• “The Biggest One Tree Hill Revelations From The ‘Drama Queens’ Podcast” (TooFab)

  • There are a lot of embarrassing mistakes in this.

  • Related: The State of Teen Drama Rewatch Podcasts (TDW)

• “Bethany Joy Lenz Movies and TV Shows + Her Best Hallmark Romances, Ranked” (Woman’s World)

• “15 New Drama Series to Watch if You Miss Gossip Girl” (Movieweb)

• “The Impact of Gossip Girl on Modern Day Fashion” (The Teen Magazine)

• “You Can Live Out Your Blair Waldorf Fantasy At This Hotel” (Bustle)

• “Gossip Girl Fans Gush Over Kelly Rutherford and Ed Westwick’s Reunion at Paris Fashion Week” (Us Weekly)

• “Penn Badgley’s Skort Suit Is Gossip Girl-Worthy” (Vogue)

• “Penn Badgley Just Channeled Serena van der Woodsen in Two Different Skirt Suits” (Glamour)

• “Blake Lively’s Siblings: All About Her Brothers and Sisters” (People)

• “Taylor Swift and Blake Lively’s Friendship Over the Years” (Today)

• “The CW’s Golden Age Is Something We’ll Never See Again” (Collider)

  • Related: The WB vs. CW (TDW)

• “TV Love Triangles That Fans Weren’t Happy About” (Looper)

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

• “The Worst TV Teachers, From 2000 To Today” (Bustle)

  • Related: The End of Student-Teacher Affairs? (TDW)

• “10 TV Dramas That Are Better Than Their Source Material” (Movieweb)

• “11 best sports shows on Hulu in 2023” (Yardbarker)

• “The 10 Best TV Families Fans Would Love To Be a Part Of, According to Reddit” (Collider)

• “The 10 Best Ariana Grande Needle Drops in Movies and TV, Ranked” (Movieweb)

• “The 25 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now” (CordCutting.com)

  • This isn’t an article I was involved with, but I certainly endorse a certain teen drama’s inclusion.

• “The 5 Perfect Autumn Shows Perfect for the Cozy Weather” (The Teen Magazine)

• “21 Comfort Shows To Cozy Up With This Fall” (Brit + Co)

• “10 TikTok Halloween Costume Ideas Everyone Will Recognize​” (Brit + Co)

• “12 Wilmington-made TV shows to stream while we wait for the industry to resume production” (StarNews Online)

• “Sorry for the confusion: The names of these Wilmington-area towns are known elsewhere” (StarNews Online)

• “Every Celebrity Look at Paris Fashion Week” (W)

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Best of the Rest

• I should’ve mentioned this sooner: The new cast of “Dancing with the Stars” has two teen drama connections: Mauricio Umansky is married to Kyle Richards (Anna, Beverly Hills, 90210) and Mira Sorvino is married to Christopher Backus, who appeared in an episode of “The O.C.”

  • Both Richards and Backus were in the audience for last week’s premiere.

  • Related: Teen Drama Stars on “Dancing with the Stars” (TDW)

• Peter Facinelli briefly talks about his daughters with ex-wife Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills, 90210) in a profile in the October 9 issue of People.

• Here’s more from recent interviews with Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills, 90210).

  • “Brian Austin Green Shares Insight on ‘Strong’ Tori Spelling’s Future” (E! Online)

  • “Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess Ruled Out This for Their Upcoming Wedding” (E! Online)

• Green and Burgess were on the “Whine Down” podcast, hosted by Jana Kramer (Alex, One Tree Hill). (Apple Podcasts)

  • I haven’t listened, but the description alone breaks strike rules.

• Tiffani Thiessen (Valerie, Beverly Hills, 90210) made the media rounds to promote her new cookbook.

  • “Tiffani Thiessen’s ‘Here We Go Again’ cookbook delivers recipes to level up leftovers, scraps and more” (Good Morning America)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen Shares Recipes From 2nd Cookbook Driven By Leftovers” (The View)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen Loves a Cold Plunge” (Live with Kelly and Mark)

  • “‘Saved by the Bell’ alum Tiffani Thiessen is happy to age naturally: ‘I like my lines’” (Page Six)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen Reveals Her Daughter’s Very Honest Review of ‘Saved by the Bell’” (Entertainment Tonight)

    • As you can see in the video, Thiessen herself doesn’t specifically mention her struck work, but the interviewer names her character.

  • “Tiffani Thiessen Shares the Importance of Family Dinners and How Cutting Down on Alcohol Has Changed Her Body” (Entertainment Tonight)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen Wants You To Eat More Leftovers And Has Written A Cookbook To Show You How” (LAist)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen Teaches How To Level Up Your Leftovers” (NBC New York)

  • “‘90s Icon Tiffani Thiessen Shares Her Diet Habits & Genius Leftovers Tips” (Eat This, Not That)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen on Turning 50, the Power of a Good Shoulder Pad, and Bean and Bacon Soup” (NewBeauty)

  • “Actress Tiffani Thiessen talks growing up in Long Beach, and all things food” (Long Beach Post)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen’s Pull-Apart Pigs in a Quilt Make the Perfect Leftover-Friendly Treat” (Us Weekly)

  • “Whip up these quesadillas with leftovers from your fridge!” (Today Show)

  • Thiessen was also on the “Just B with Bethenny Frankel” podcast and the “LadyGang” podcast. (Apple Podcasts / Apple Podcasts)

  • Hilarie Burton (Peyton, One Tree Hill) did a post plugging Thiessen’s book, writing in part, “Everyone knows that when I left OTH, working with @tiffanithiessen changed my life. She really helped me navigate the jump from teen dramas to playing an adult.” (Instagram)

    • Technically, due to the strike, Burton shouldn’t have mentioned “OTH.”

• Vanessa Marcil (Gina, Beverly Hills, 90210) shared a photo of her longtime partner MC Martin in the hospital, apparently for burn injuries. (Instagram)

• Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek) and wife Jodie Turner-Smith are divorcing. (TMZ)

• More yikes: This opinion piece is quite the takedown of Jackson and his Liquid Media Group. (The Globe and Mail)

• Busy Philipps (Audrey, Dawson’s Creek) is partnering with Vote Mama for an event tomorrow supporting Democratic congressional candidates in New York and state candidates in Virginia. (ActBlue)

• Sarah Shahi (Sadia, Dawson’s Creek) has signed with Independent Artist Group for agency representation and Untitled Entertainment for management. (Deadline)

• Jack Osbourne, who appeared as himself on “Dawson’s Creek,” did interviews to promote “Special Forces” and “Night of Terror.”

  • “Jack Osbourne on Working With Family, ‘Special Forces World’s Toughest Test’ & ‘Night of Terror’” (TV Insider)

  • “Jack Osbourne’s Famous Family Warned Him to ‘Be Careful’ on ‘Special Forces’: ‘You’ve Got Kids’” (People)

  • “Jack Osbourne Recalls the Moment His Mom Sharon Stopped Breathing During Ghost Hunt: ‘I Was Really Scared’” (People)

    • A short interview with Osbourne is also featured in the magazine’s October 9 issue.

  • “Sharon Osbourne’s Son Jack Reveals She Predicted Her Mysterious Medical Scare Moments Before” (Entertainment Tonight)

  • “Jack Osbourne Dishes on His Intimate Secret Wedding to Aree Gearhart” (Entertainment Tonight)

  • “Jack Osbourne talks about ‘Special Forces’” (FOX7)

• Osbourne’s ex-wife Lisa Stelly and their children were granted an order of protection amidst a dispute Stelly is having with a former employee. (The Blast)

• Susanne Daniels, who was president of The WB when “Dawson’s Creek” hit the air, wrote a column on “How The [TV] Development Process Should Change.” (Deadline)

• EUE/Screen Gems studios in Wilmington, North Carolina — where “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill” filmed — were sold to Cinespace Studios. (WilmingtonBiz)

  • Related: Living in Capeside and Tree Hill (TDW)

• Ben McKenzie (Ryan, The O.C.) was on the “Money Rehab” podcast. (Apple Podcasts)

• There’s a short interview with Mischa Barton (Marissa, The O.C.) in the October 9 issue of People.

• Autumn Reeser (Taylor, The O.C.) is slated to take part in “Christmas Con” in December. (That’s 4 Entertainment)

  • This event is hosted by the same organization that puts on “90s Con.”

• Paris Hilton (Kate, The O.C.) and her 11:11 Media company have signed a deal with X (Twitter) to partner on content and commerce initiatives. (Variety)

• Burton added a meet-and-greet opportunity to her book tour stop this Sunday to raise money for her Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO). (Instagram)

• As part of her press rounds to promote Grimoire Girl, which comes out today, Burton wrote an essay for the fall issue of NewBeauty but I don’t see it available online yet. (Instagram)

• Burton was on “Live with Kelly and Mark” to promote the book as well. (YouTube)

  • There is an additional clip.

• Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) wrote an opinion piece for the Daily Beast on how last week’s “GOP Debate Ignored the Candidates’ Callous Assaults on Abortion Rights.” (Daily Beast)

• Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley, One Tree Hill) announced in an Instagram Story a personal newsletter called “BJL” that is an “extension” of Modern Vintage News. (Modern Vintage)

• Lenz was named one of the “25 Most Beautiful People” by Nashville Lifestyles magazine. (Instagram)

• Shantel VanSanten (Quinn, One Tree Hill) has signed on for Friends with Benefit’s “A Holiday In Wilmington: Giving Back Celebration.” (Facebook)

  • There are a lot of great comments here on the outrageousness of the $5,000 price tag for this event. (Instagram)

• Here are more interviews Kramer gave at the iHeart Radio Music Festival.

  • “Why Jana Kramer Decided Not to Elope With Fiancé Allan Russell” (Entertainment Tonight)

  • “Jana Kramer Says Fiance Allan Russell Is the Best ‘Bonus Dad’ to Her Kids: ‘He Is so Intentional’” (Life & Style)

  • “Jana Kramer starts over with new fiancé after multiple affairs wrecked prior marriage” (Fox News)

    • I hate linking to this outlet.

• Tyler Hilton (Chris, One Tree Hill) announced his new single, “When It Rains,” will drop on Friday. (Instagram)

• Joe Manganiello (Owen, One Tree Hill) will host “Deal or No Deal Island” on NBC. (Entertainment Weekly)

• Deep Fear, starring Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl), will be released in November after Gravitas Ventures secured the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights. (Screen Daily)

• Chace Crawford (Nate, Gossip Girl) spoke about his support for the Malibu Triathlon. (The Messenger)

• Kristen Bell (Gossip Girl, Gossip Girl) hosted and was honored at the inaugural United Nations Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund gala. (Instagram)

  • Rachel Bilson (Summer, The O.C.) was among those in attendance. (Instagram)

• Brittany Snow (Young Lily, Gossip Girl) “opens up about her mental health journey and how it inspired her latest projects.” (The Retaility)

  • Also: “September Letter’s Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest Toasted at Backyard Party in L.A. with Anna Kendrick” (The Hollywood Reporter)

• AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) did a new interview about her dissociative identity disorder. (Daily Mail)

• And then there’s this: “‘90210’ actress AnnaLynne McCord, co-star Dean Cain bonded over US Constitution” (Fox News)

  • Sigh.

• Donovan sings an original song in the aforementioned Harvest Homecoming. (Parade)