Fifteen

I was talking to my nephew about bad television shows the other day when this one came to mind. I remember watching it with friends in junior high just to laugh at how stupid and badly-produced it was. All I can really remember is a character named Dylan (who was supposed to be a rebel) and Dylan's ugly girlfriend. Why were so many characters named Dylan in the early nineties? What a stupid name.

Anyway, in one episode, Dylan plays the guitar down at the local "teen scene"/maltshop place. They seem to have actually let the actor play...and he was HORRIBLE. He made several grating, audible mistakes and they just LEFT THEM IN. No post-edit! And, when the actor finished, the audience clapped and cheered. I remember laughing and laughing at this episode. And talk about wooden acting! Oh! They had the obligatory "anti-alcohol" episode. And one kid had to pretend to be drunk. Oh, God! I'd give anything to see this show again! A+ for camp, F- for quality.

It's been nearly 10 years since I've seen an episode of this but here's what I remember of it. There were a few characters but the main focus of the show was the relationship between Matt (the basketball star with a drinking problem) and Ashley (the princess). Then, in order of importance, there was Dylan (the guitar playing pretty-boy rebel), Brook the snob, then there was some kid who was Dylan's hanger-on, and another one who was Matt's hanger-on. I think there was some other girl in there who was important but not as easily stereotyped. I forget her name. Then this guy named Chris came along who was a bass-playing rebel who was a more evil version of Dylan. Quite a few other characters came and went each season (most vanishing without an explanation). I now will hang my head in shame for accurately remembering as much of that show as I can. This was the kind of show you would watch but dared not admit to anyone you watched. It was stupid, cheesy, but still quite fun to watch. This was a low-budget version of Degrassi Jr High.

I was 11 when this came out and I absolutely loved it. It came out shortly after 90210, which I also loved. I watched all of the Nickelodeon tv series back then. I found out that Amazon has FIFTEEN season 1 on Prime now so I decided to relive my teen years by re-watching it. Now looking back, I am realizing how corny it was and how BAD the acting was. But wow, did Ryan Reynolds change..from his Billy days. Who would have known that the little guy Billy on Fifteen would be a big time super star. My 11-13 year old self would rate this a 10, but as an adult, I have it a 7.

FIFTEEN is probably one of the worst shows I ever saw...but it was oh so fun to watch!!!! This 1991 Nickelodeon "teen soap opera" had welfare production values and the worst dialogue ever! But I couldn't help avoiding it! The high school itself had like 10 students in it. The cafeteria had like 3 tables and didn't serve hot lunch, for everyone had to bring it bagged. The lockers never really locked, for they swung back open. Oh..and the locker rooms..it was horribly obvious that that the boys locker room was the same room as the girls...with pink papers on the wall signifying femininity. Did this school have a school board? The characters in the show are so corny and ugly. No one was like friends with each other. They all bitched at each other and all the subplots are centered about what one kid "overheard" about that kid's drinking problem..I could go on and on ..anyway..this show ..which makes "Saved by the Bell" look like Jane Austen..as horrendous to watch as it is...is still a blast to watch because its so deliciously crappy!

Hi, I was a cameraman on "Fifteen" during it's second season, done in Ottawa at CJOH-TV (Ist season-Vancouver, last 2-Orlando); recently found a cast/crew photo which motivated me to look it up on IMDb. Both 15 and You Can't Do That On Television were produced there at the same time, but never on the same days, so I don't think that was where Ryan and Alanis 1st met, but it's a small world after all. We did the whole season's episodes in a few weeks, cramming several sets, along with cameras, booms, etc. into a relatively small space, circumstances which I think might explain the shortcomings in production value, but I'll argue that the cast often did exemplary work in light of their ages and experience at the time. Ryan and Laura's success is no surprise. Anyway, we did crank them out like sausages, but it was a fun show to work and the kids were great.