The Best High School Drama Series That Only Lasted One Season According To Fans
The 1990s were a prime breeding ground for series that were targeted to teenage outsiders, and kids that were just trying to figure themselves out. Network television was full of angsty high school dramas about misunderstood kids trying to be who they want to be, and getting pushback from the adults in their lives. More successful shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" had a separate main focus, and the drama of the teenage years were secondary storylines. "Dawson's Creek," while it tackled some difficult issues, was also very popular in the ratings for its six seasons.
Then there were the shows like "Freaks and Geeks," highlighting the stoners and troublemakers, which is now more well-known for starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, and other future young stars than for the actual plotlines. Unable to pick up in the ratings department, it was canceled after one season. The predecessor to "Freaks and Geeks" was "My So-Called Life," which won Claire Danes her first Emmy Award. To this day, if you mention it to a fan, they will probably begin a diatribe related to how dreamy Jared Leto is, and how unreal it seems that so much was packed into one memorable season.
Fans wish My So-Called Life hadn't been canceled
In a Reddit thread in which u/CNMartin916 asks "What's the best show that only lasted one season not named Firefly?" Over 300 users upvoted "My So-Called Life." The 1994 show starred a 14-year-old Claire Danes as Angela Chase and Jared Leto as her crush, Jordan Catalano. The series portrayed the awkwardness of puberty and trying to figure out who you are as a teenager better than anything else on television, and the storylines focusing almost as much on the parents and adults of the show. The show tackled difficult issues like homelessness and sexuality. For the first time on network television a character — Ricky (Wilson Cruz) — says out loud that he's gay in the final episode (via Elle). When "My So-Called Life" was canceled, it was one of the first shows where fans began an online petition to save it (via CBR).
Unfortunately, despite its rabid fan base, ratings for the show weren't very high, and when Claire Danes declared she didn't plan to return if the show was renewed, it gave the network ammunition to cancel it. The show still resonates hard with fans, with u/Silverbow829 putting all of our feelings from the show into words: "Here for this one. Ultimate snapshot of '90s teen angst, every one of Angela's thoughts and words hit 15-year-old me so hard."