Almost thirty years after it was unceremoniously removed from the network television, ‘My So-Called Life’ refuses to fade away. And that, according to Claire Danes, may be precisely the reason why it worked.
During a recent interview with Amy Poehler, the actor looked back at the unbelievable legacy of the short-lived teen drama, and made a startling confession: the show should not have existed at all. However, somehow, it did. And it transformed television in the process.
Claire Danes’ Breakout Role Was A Happy Accident
When ‘My So-Called Life’ was first aired in 1994, it did not resemble anything on television. As the sitcoms ruled the prime time, this silent, self-reflecting series was simmering inside the mind of a teenage girl, something that networks could hardly believe that the audience would be interested in. Danes, who was only 13 at the time of filming the pilot, recalls reading the script and feeling its strength.
Related: Most Underrated Thriller Shows
“I remember reading the pilot before the audition and just having a very profound experience. It was really powerful to have some woman, some writer, so perfectly articulate my internal life,” she shared with The Independent.
The show did not rush feelings. It sat with them. The clumsiness, the perplexity, the intensity of adolescence were recorded with the shocking candor of Angela Chase’s inner monologue. That is why Danes now says that the show should not have been produced.
Not because it wasn’t good, but because it went against every commercial instinct of the time. It almost failed to make it through the development process, and even after it was aired, it had a hard time competing with juggernauts like ‘Friends’ and ‘Home Improvement’.
However, what it lacked in ratings it compensated for in impact. The show addressed homophobia, alcoholism, homelessness, and identity much earlier than other teen dramas. It left complexity to viewers, particularly the young ones. That faith remains radical nowadays.
Why ‘My So-Called Life’ Still Feels Alive Today
Although it only lasted 19 episodes, ‘My So-Called Life‘ has survived longer than many other series. Danes believes that endurance comes from how deeply personal it was. The novel did not claim to be universal; it was highly specific, based on Angela’s perspective, her anxieties, her infatuations, her silent existential fear. It is that intimacy that continues to attract new generations. When watching the series, it feels like reading a diary.
Related: 10 Actors Who Played Teenagers Despite Being Way Older
According to Danes, the show had spent intimate moments with a teenage girl in a manner that television had never done before. The staying power is also largely contributed to by the writing. As Danes puts it, the show spent “intimate time” with a teenage girl in a way television rarely does, even now.
In retrospect, Danes does not regret the series at all. ‘My So-Called Life’ might not have been a TV show that would fit in the ’90s TV scene. However, that outcast spirit is exactly what made it eternal.
You might like to read: Millie Bobby Brown Set To Turn Her Debut Novel ‘Nineteen Steps’ Into A Netflix Film
