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originally published on WildWeb, 5/3/99
Who Shot
Felicity?
Younger-Skewed Nighttime Soaps Revive the Genre
By
ALLYSON KRIEGER / I strongly believe that everyone needs a little cheese
in their lives. We use euphemisms like "guilty pleasure" and
"self-indulgence" to excuse such preferences, as if there was
something to be ashamed of! I say, escape proudly. If you escape by book,
boldly flaunt that occasional Grisham in your reading list, maybe a Maeve
Binchy; if you like movies, drag all your friends to "10 Things I
Hate About You" or "Forces of Nature." And if you're truly
a TV junkie at heart, proclaim your love for the shallowest of genres:
the lusty nighttime soap.
In the early days of the nighttime soap, your choices were limited to family oriented, rich clan epics like "Dallas" or "Dynasty." Then came the next generation: twentysomething sexfests such as "Melrose Place," teen clique studies like "Beverly Hills, 90210" and the successful combination platter "Party of Five." In between fell countless failures: "Models Inc.," "2000 Malibu Road," "Central Park West." With its current revival, circa 1999, the focus of the nighttime soap has shifted primarily to the high school and college set. And, I've finally come to accept, the move has revived the genre.
Almost subconsciously this year, I found myself flipping past old faves like "Melrose" and "90210." The stories on "Melrose" were just too absurd -- the kitsch appeal of this kind of show gets trampled when the same cards are played over and over. On "90210," I started losing track of the characters, not caring if or when Dylan ever came back, who Kelly was sleeping with, or what color Donna's hair was that week. Even "Party of Five" has disappointed as of late; last week I found myself repeating "who cares?" over and over. Slowly, a hole in my TV viewing began to develop.
So, as much as I believed I was betraying my innate urge to stay true to the old school, secretly I started to tune into the up-and-coming shows. Fifteen minutes of "Dawson's" here, half of "Felicity" there, an episode of "Zoe" now and again. What I found is that these new teen shows are more than ready to replace the mighty veterans.
"Felicity," in particular, has managed to find its way into my permanent viewing schedule -- often on tape delay because of "Sports Night" but still a perfect fix for that sudsy craving. The WB's savvy rerunning of the series pilot last month is what finally got me for good -- a little behind schedule but never to late to join up.
I like "Felicity" because it makes me laugh, and it handles soap-like storylines with fairly consistent intelligence. So many of the college settings ring true: the bonding of the dorm life, fragile new relationships, the angst of finding your place in it all. Though the writers are off the mark on occasion (Felicity's one night stand sending her flowers the next day? Come on now!), there's enough realism (Noel's drunken mauling of Felicity -- perfect!) to resonate with anyone who's been to college. Plus, the show doles out great little hooks to keep you coming back, like the ongoing question of what's inside the mystery "box" Felicity's nasty roommate keeps by her bed.
I also like Keri Russell's portrayal of Felicity in an against-my-will kind of way, mostly her tendency to speak her mind with often painful results. She's not perfect, we're meant to think, and she could be any one of us, unlike the plasticine Kellys and Donnas of "90210." Her affectations are quirky and sometimes annoying, but so are your best friend's, right? This difference from early '90s soaps is what makes "Felicity" an improvement on "90210" -- more realism, flawed characters and imperfect beauty. Yet, the key plot mechanics are classically soap: sex, relationships, friends, dating, biological mom quests.
Tonight's episode is typical, as Felicity reveals her "true love," and Ben finds himself in trouble with gambling. Neither plot development is a surprise, of course, it's a serial story after all. Still, I'll tune in to see how they play out -- addicted, gloriously, to my new favorite escape.
What's your
guilty pleasure? Are you into "Felicity" or "Dawson's,"
or do you still watch the oldies? Tell us.
Read Ultimate TV's article on the WB shows' season finales.
"Felicity" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on the WB.
WildWeb | May 03, 1999