Dawson's Creek

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Mature, talky teens ponder life's complexities.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this series is all about teens who have a mature/adult vocabulary and general worldview (and quite the knack for pop culture references). As it follows them through high school and into college, the show deals with "typical" teen issues like sex, first loves, drinking, sexual orientation, depression, cheating in school, and parents' divorce. Of those, sex is probably one of the biggest themes; it's a frequent topic of discussion -- as well as action. Teens will likely find the characters' vocabulary, critical analysis, and maturity either inspiring or alienating.

  • The characters' talky nature promotes communication about the complications of adolescence. The teens' families also play important roles in helping them solve their problems, when needed.
  • Although teen characters make mistakes, overall, they're responsible and conscientious and strive to have good relationships. Rebellion and teen angst (ie., a teen has an affair with his teacher) is left to specific characters.
  • The rare fist-fght or car crash is used to teach an overall lesson.
  • Sex is an ongoing, central issue throughout the series, and in its original run, the show had a bit of a racy reputation. Jen has a promiscuous past, and sex is taken seriously by all of the characters. Some episodes deal with teens losing their virginity. Both heterosexual and homosexual relationships are dealt with.
  • Relatively mild on the swearing front: "damn," "hell," "bitch," "ass," etc. More significant is the constant dialogue among the characters to work out issues or express feelings in a mature, articulate manner.
  • Not applicable.
  • Occasional teen drinking, but consequences and/or discipline is usually the result.

What's the story?

DAWSON'S CREEK follows four teens -- Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek), Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson) and Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams) -- from the small, fictional town of Capeside, Mass. Joey is the girl next door who captivates innocent, wide-eyed Dawson, a naive movie-lover who has a happily-ever-after vision of relationships and a hard time dealing with their harsh reality. Through both high school and college, Joey and Dawson have an on-again, off-again romance that's interrupted by other serious relationships along the way -- including a very serious (and ratings-grabbing) tryst between Joey and Pacey, who is the typical bad boy around town. His father and brother are police officers, but he's busy having an affair with his math teacher, struggling with his grades, and falling for his best friend's girl.


Is it any good?

 

The series aims to portray Smalltown, USA, but it brings progressive issues into the mix as well. All in all,Dawson's Creek is far from the average teen drama. The characters are articulate -- more so than the average adult -- and don't use "like" and "you know" to complete their thoughts. They're introspective and create critical dialogue to question their own relationships, their peers, and the world around them.

The show's sometimes serious subjetc matter includes an openly gay character, questioning religion, the death of a classmate, sleeping with a teacher, drug overdoses, sex, first loves, college, an unstable mother, depression, divorce, lust, and infidelity. The characters' ability to explain (at length) how to navigate situations like these made the series a learning tool as well as a guilty pleasure.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how teens feel this series relates to more current teen programming. Are the experiences the characters go through still accurate or relatable? Can teens describe how they might handle one of the situations dealt with in the series? Do they feel like the characters on the show are realistic reflections of other teens they know? Do any of their friends talk like Dawson, Pacey, Joey, and Jen?


This review was written by Jill Murphy
Teen, 15 years old
July 17, 2011
 
f
this show is ok for mature teens , not to much kissng

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Parent of 10 year old
May 7, 2011
 

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Teen, 18 years old
May 20, 2010
 
Perfection.
My favourite show ever. Have it all on DVD, even before the box-set came out. You laugh, you cry, you feel their pain. Best show ever.

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Teen, 17 years old
June 28, 2011
 
Dawsons Creek
I think the show has very good messages and shows the life of close knit friends as they take the journey of adolecense to adulthood and I agree there are very sexual themes in the show but it shows issues that many teens deal with like finding there sexual identity when one of the characters becomes openly gay and drinking which it shows the bad effects it can have, but there is also alot of death in the show which can make some episodes upsetting. But it truley is a show that defined a generation and this is all coming from a 14 year old.

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Parent of 13 year old
January 25, 2011
 
Dawson's Creek is one of a kind
This is an amazing show for kids and adults who never fit in, for those of us whose like and concerns varied and perhaps set us apart from the stereotypes we wonder if we wouldn't have been more comfortable and well-accepted to emulate. The show can laugh at itself, often lampooning the idea of an angst driven, post-modern Bleak House, or Our Town set to top-40 pop. This is an important fact to remember when you consider the choices of the characters, which really represent the choices of the writers, and of creator Kevin Williamson, who really tried to fuse recognizable late-90s Americana with a pre-911/pre-speculative bubble hopefulness and progressive hope. I loved this show, for years. It's sad to say, but for the inner James Taylors in all of us, who find ourselves facing "lonely times, when we (sic) could not find a friend," the Capeside crew provides a slightly sad but satisfying fake friendship presence for those days when we pretend to stay home sick, just to look out of the window and wonder about life. I must recommend one not watch too many episodes in a row, as it can be like watching a magicians trick over and over, the worst could happen and the underlying formula could get revealed. It is a superior teen show, but I prefer to think of it as a unique look at a family of people we all wish we knew, or perhaps wish we were...so, therefore, literature at its cultural best. - A fan

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Adult
May 28, 2009
 
Great coming of age show!!!
To be completely honest i started watching this show when i was quite young like ten and i didn't really get all of the sex references however i really wouldn't say 14 and older. i would say 12 and older because it is not that bad and the show itself is really good

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This review was written by Jill Murphy
This review was written by Jill Murphy
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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