31 Years Ago Today, One of the Most Important ‘90s TV Shows Ended (And Gave a Controversial Actor Got His Start)

While a lot of people consider the 2000s to be a golden age of television as it gave rise to so-called Peak TV, the reality is it’s an era that owes a lot to the 1990s. It was a decade of iconic series and programming blocks, giving us shows like Friends, ER, Dawson’s Creek, The West Wing, and so many more. These were shows that helped define the decade in entertainment and pave the way for many of the incredible series that would come in the new millennium. But of all the iconic television shows of the decade, there is one that, while short-lived, was one of the most important and it ended 31 years ago today.

On January 26, 1995, My So-Called Life aired its finale, “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities”, ending its one-season run after just 19 episodes. Set in a fictional suburb of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, the series followed 15-year-old high school student Angela Chase and the realistic life and emotional trials and challenges she and her social circle face. The series, which debuted to wide critical acclaim and even won numerous awards, took on major social issues of the day and boasted a very talented cast, serving to launch the career of not only Claire Danes but also of controversial actor Jared Leto, whose role as Jordan Catalano made him a household name.

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My So-Called Life Was a Series Way Ahead of Its Time

While it may seem strange to think of a time when teen and young adult dramas were unheard of, in the mid-1990s they were actually very rare. Television programming just was not specifically for that demographic which is what made My So-Called Life so essential and very much a risk. The series, created by Winnie Holzman, was not only unique in its audience and subject matter with a story anchored around a teenage girl, but it was also a serious, authentic series that treated its subject matter and difficult themes such as homophobia, homelessness, school violence, censorship, drug use, and child abuse as part of the overall storytelling rather than being a one off or a “very special episode”.  The challenges and problems in My So-Called Life, like in real life, continued from episode to episode, grounding Angela and her friends’ experiences in something that the real teens in the audience could identify with. There was nothing else like it on the air at the time. And that’s part of why it ended too soon.

Despite critical acclaim, My So-Called Life was never a ratings hit. It was the only youth-oriented drama on network television, which contributed to that, but it was also up against a pretty stacked deck. My So-Called Life aired Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET, a time slot that put it up against massive hits Mad About You and Friends. In a time before DVRs and streaming, viewers had to make a choice of what they would be watching every week — and they simply weren’t choosing My So-Called Life. However, despite not being a ratings juggernaut, the series did have a devoted fanbase, so much so that fans tried to save the series with one of the very first online campaigns to save a television series. Unfortunately, the series was officially cancelled on May 15, 1995, the show’s niche appeal being the reason for the cancellation.

Somewhat ironically, in the years almost immediately after the end of My So-Called Life, the television landscape and culture radically changed and suddenly, teen shows were a huge part of the conversation. In particular The WB, which launched just two weeks before My So-Called Life’s finale, debuted Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997 and, following that show’s success, then launched Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Charmed, and more, firmly establishing that there was, in fact, an audience for teen dramas. That boom of teen programming continued into the 2000s and beyond, carving out its own corner of popular culture to the point that it’s hard to imagine television today without it. But all of those shows, and the teen genre more broadly, wouldn’t exist without My So-Called Life, which is today rightfully one of the best shows of all time.

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