Back to the Creek: The Beginning
We’ve decided to go back to “our roots” with our latest blog experiment. Every month, we will feature a new “series” - a collection of posts about a TV show, movies, cooking, books, etc.
Both of us have been hit with some moments of nostalgia lately, so we’ve decided to start our blog series with a tribute to Dawson’s Creek. Not only was it our favorite show way back when, but… our passion for it is how we became friends in the first place (more on that later)!
Kevin Williamson (Scream) created Dawson’s Creek, based on his own childhood experiences - he too was an aspiring director obsessed with movies and.. shared a bed with his best (girl) friend who lived down the creek. But quickly, it became a show that we could all relate to in some way.
It premiered on January 20, 1998 on The WB and featured James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams as its lead cast.
To get us started, here’s a little bit about how we started watching, and why we continued to do so…
Red Velvet: I started watching Dawson’s Creek simply because it aired after Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was this mid-season show and basically since my TV was already on - I figured, why not see what this show is about.
I vaguely remember that watching the pilot for the first time didn’t immediately draw me in. Maybe it was their unrealistic use of words or all the sexual undertones that took me aback. There definitely weren’t any other shows like it at the time. But then I watched it again. I related to Joey’s feelings for a guy she had known all her life. I thought Pacey was adorable (especially once I realized why he looked so familiar - Mighty Ducks!). I enjoyed their candidness and psycho-babble. I became a fan after that and remained so until the end of the series (though I do try to block out most of their college years).
It even inspired me to take up web design - the first site I ever created was Pacey & Andie’s Place. It’s funny to look back and think about all the time I devoted to this one show. But I really did love it.
Funfetti: I was also a huge follower of the WB. I watched 7th Heaven, Buffy, and Felicity religiously. So watching Dawson’s Creek was really no choice at all; it was the natural thing to do.
Although my mom didn’t think so. Before the airing of the first episode, I remember tons of articles in the papers on how inappropriate the show was for teenagers (basically because of the storyline about a relationship between a student and his teacher). Of course my mom read all of these (she probably cut them out too), and she forbade me from watching.
But I did anyway. And I’m glad I was such a rebel (oh please). I was instantly drawn to Katie Holmes’ character Joey. She (and I) had feelings for a guy who was totally clueless. (Although my guy was more of a Pacey than a Dawson.) Their friendship was intriguing; I loved the way the characters interacted. Immediately, I took to my journal, writing week after week how much I was looking forward to new episodes. (Little did I know, I would soon be taking to the web with my admiration!)
Like Red Velvet, my interest did wane at a few points. But 7 years after the final episode, I still haven’t felt as strongly for a show as I did back then.
Stay tuned for the next three weeks… we’ll be writing more about what we loved (and maybe what we hated too).
