A show from the 90's. I was only little then and none of this concerned me. However, when I watch it now, I'd say that it's very real. Reality is lacking from television these days, so this is a good show.
My So-Called Life
(Rated TV-PG, Drama, Starring Claire Danes, Jared Leto, Devon Odessa, Where to watch: The N, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Mature teen angst at its best.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14–15
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of My So-Called Life was written by Jill Murphy
Parents need to know that this classic teen series tackles mature topics including casual sex, homosexuality (including a teen who struggles with coming out), drinking, drugs, child abuse, young love, infidelity, divorce, death, homelessness, and manipulation. Each storyline is handled in detail, delicately, and often with parental involvement.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about a wide range of issues, including fitting in at school, divorce, first crushes, homosexuality, drugs, parties, drinking, and dating. Each episode presents an opportunity to have a dialogue with your teen. Does making new friends mean losing your old ones? What are some unexpected things your teen has experienced in high school? Parents might use the series as an entry point to set some ground rules about curfew, sneaking out, and dating.
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More on My So-Called Life
What’s the Story?
Only 19 episodes ever aired of the 1994 cult favorite MY SO-CALLED LIFE, but those same 19 episodes are still airing in reruns, entrancing a whole new generation of teenagers with their realism and intensity. For teens Angela Chase (Claire Danes), Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto), Rickie Vasquez (Wilson Cruz), Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall), Sharon Cherski (Devon Odessa), and Rayanne Graff (A.J. Langer), life in high school is, like, hard -- or whatever. Angela's story follows the true transition of a suburban girl from a middle-class family as she breaks off from her best friend from junior high (Sharon) and the geek next door (Brian) and begins to discover herself in high school. Angela dyes her hair, befriends the school tramp (Rayanne) and her gay best friend (Rickie), and falls for the epitome of the dumb, hot upperclassman, Jordan Catalano (his first name is rarely spoken without his last name following).
Is It Any Good?
My So-Called Life handles standard high school woes with delicate insight, covering everything from zits, a gun at school, and the cool kid who can't read to censorship in the classroom, best friends' betrayal, a teen boy's struggle to come out, and other situations that run the sexual gamut.
My So-Called Life made TV history by being the first show to include "like" and "ya know" in its teen characters' dialogue. Unfortunate as that may be, it is relatable for the average American high school student -- My So-Called Life is a show that actually speaks their language. Also, the series' topics (and the maturity with which they were handled) put My So-Called Life ahead of its mid-'90s time -- which ultimately may have been part of the reason for its quick demise. But it has rarely left the airwaves since, airing over and over in repeats, a fact that speaks to its lasting quality and ability to deliver both entertainment and conversation for teens and their parents.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Oh, how I long for the 90's.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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