Dawson's Creek

Did You Know?

• The show placed at No. 90 on Entertainment Weekly's 'New TV Classics' list in 2007.
• It was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina.
• The series was produced by Columbia TriStar Television, which was renamed Sony Pictures Television before the final season.
• Dawson's Creek has been credited with kicking off a boom of teen-centered shows in the late 1990s that continued into the 2000s.

Series overview

The first season centers on a love triangle among Dawson, Joey, and Jen, which some critics likened to the Archie Comics dynamic. Episodes include homages to films like The Breakfast Club and references to Kevin Williamson's work on Scream. Jen's move to Capeside is revealed to stem from her being raped at age twelve, leading to a reputation as overly sexual. Pacey pursues losing his virginity and has an affair with a teacher. Dawson deals with his mother Gail's affair and his parents' attempts to reconcile. The second season covers the second half of the characters' sophomore year. Siblings Andie and Jack McPhee arrive; Andie, a high achiever, becomes romantically involved with Pacey and helps motivate him. It emerges that Andie's older brother has died, and her mother sometimes behaves as if he is still alive, leaving Andie to care for her. Andie herself struggles with mental illness. Joey is drawn to Jack, who initially reciprocates but later realizes he is gay, facing homophobic classmates and an intolerant father. Jen befriends the rebellious Abby Morgan and engages in self-destructive behavior. Dawson copes with his parents' divorce. The third season begins the characters' junior year, with a romance developing between Joey and Pacey. Dawson, discovering their relationship, feels betrayed and angry, leading to rivalry for Joey's affection. Joey tries to mend her friendship with Dawson, but by season's end, Dawson urges her to join Pacey sailing down the coast for the summer. Jen is pursued by freshman Henry Parker, initially finding him immature but eventually returning his feelings. Jack seeks his first gay experience while balancing football and finding new housing after his father sells their home.

Production

After selling his spec script for Scream, Kevin Williamson met executive Paul Stupin, who asked if he had ideas for television. Williamson conceived a teen series based on his youth near a North Carolina creek as an aspiring filmmaker who admired Steven Spielberg. Stupin liked the idea and asked Williamson to pitch it to Columbia TriStar Television the next day, prompting Williamson to write a 20-page outline overnight. He described the show as a blend of Some Kind of Wonderful, Pump Up the Volume, James at 15, My So-Called Life, and Little House on the Prairie, also drawing from Beverly Hills, 90210. Columbia TriStar requested the setting be moved to Boston, but Williamson settled on fictional Capeside and pitched to Fox. Fox, already airing Party of Five, passed. Columbia TriStar then sent the scripts to The WB, which was seeking fresh programming after launching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Williamson met with chief programmer Garth Ancier and entertainment president Susanne Daniels, who picked up the series for The WB's Tuesday night lineup. Procter & Gamble Productions initially co-produced but sold its interest three months before the premiere after stories surfaced about the show's racy dialogue and plot lines.

Reception

Before its debut, Dawson's Creek generated significant publicity, with critics and watchdog groups concerned about anticipated racy plots and dialogue. This controversy led Procter & Gamble Productions to withdraw as co-producer. Syndicated columnist John Leo suggested the show be called 'While Parents Cringe,' noting the first episode's extensive talk about breasts, genitalia, masturbation, and penis size. The Parents Television Council named it the worst program of the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons, citing an obsessive focus on premarital sex, references to pornography and condoms, and acceptance of homosexuality. Former UPN President Lucie Salhany criticized The WB for airing the show in an early time slot given its adolescent characters in adult situations. Conversely, the National Organization for Women endorsed it as one of the least sexually exploitative shows on air. Much criticism targeted the early storyline of a romantic relationship between a high school student and a teacher. Early reviews were mixed to positive, with many focusing on the show's perceived racy content and teens' unhealthy obsession with sex. Negative reviews faulted its lack of realism, particularly the verbose dialogue, which People said strained credibility. The Observer called it 'simply misguided and misconceived.' Tom Shales of The Washington Post described Williamson as 'the most overrated wunderkind in Hollywood.' Other reviews noted the show covered familiar ground, with LA Weekly comparing it to The Wonder Years, My So-Called Life, Degrassi High, Party of Five, Dangerous Minds, and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Merchandise

Dawson's Creek shaped television music culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s by curating popular music and breaking independent and alternative rock artists. Music supervision was overseen by executive Paul Stupin, music supervisor John McCullough, and co-producer Drew Matich, who used music to convey emotion and story, often underplaying entire sequences. Stupin spent hours in the editing room reviewing song candidates, sometimes considering ten to fifteen songs per scene. Recommendations came from writers, editors, co-producers, and Sony Music executives. The unaired pilot used Alanis Morissette's 'Hand in My Pocket' as the theme song, but Morissette declined its use after the show was picked up. The WB licensed Paula Cole's 'I Don't Want to Wait' from her album This Fire, which was incorporated late into promotion and became a hit on the US Billboard charts upon the show's debut. Adam Fields provided the first season's score, including the 'End Credits Theme' used throughout all six seasons. Because Sony Music did not secure rights for home video and streaming, most original broadcast songs were replaced in DVD editions and on video-on-demand. Starting with the third season, 'I Don't Want to Wait' was dropped from the DVD opening sequence due to budget reasons and replaced by Jann Arden's 'Run Like Mad.'