My So-Called Life | |
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Genre | Teen drama |
Created by | Winnie Holzman |
Starring |
Bess Armstrong Wilson Cruz Claire Danes Devon Gummersall A. J. Langer Jared Leto Devon Odessa Lisa Wilhoit Tom Irwin |
Theme music composer | W. G. Snuffy Walden |
Opening theme | "My So-Called Life Theme" by W. G. Snuffy Walden |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 19(list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
Marshall Herskovitz Edward Zwick Winnie Holzman (co-executive producer) Scott Winant (co-executive producer) |
Producer(s) |
Alan Poul Monica Wyatt (co-producer) |
Running time | 47-48 minutes |
Production company(s) |
The Bedford Falls Company ABC Productions |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | August 25, 1994 | – January 26, 1995
Chronology | |
Related shows | Mein Leben & Ich |
External links | |
Website |
My So-Called Life (Music from the Television Series) | |
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Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
Released | August 25, 1994 January 24, 1995 (re-release) |
Length | 34:54 |
Label | Atlantic Records |
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995, and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions.
Set at the fictional Liberty High School in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it follows the emotional travails of several teenagers in the social circle of main character Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes. The critically acclaimed but short-lived show ended in a cliffhanger with the expectation that it would be picked up for an additional season, but it was officially canceled on May 15, 1995. The show was praised for its portrayal of adolescence and the commentary of its central character, Angela.
My So-Called Life dealt with major social issues of the mid-1990s, including child abuse, homophobia, teenage alcoholism, homelessness, adultery, school violence, censorship, and drug use. Many shows at the time used these themes as a one-time issue (a "very special episode") that was introduced as a problem at the beginning of an episode and resolved at the end, but on My So-Called Life these issues were part of the continuing storyline. The title of the show alludes to the perception of meaninglessness that many teenagers experience and encapsulates the main theme of the series. The show depicts the teenage years as being difficult and confusing rather than a light, fun-filled time.