James

In the last 30 years there have been exactly three halfway realistic TV series about teenagers--"Freaks and Geeks", "My So-Called Life", and this one which is the oldest and by far the most obscure. They were all critically acclaimed, but all three of them put together didn't last even half as long as crap like "Beverly Hills 90210". It's ironic that as obsessed as Hollywood is with teenagers, they rarely show real teenagers, but instead these incredibly good-looking, articulate, acne-free versions usually played by actors in their mid-20's. I remember this show from when I was kid, and then again when it was on some cable network again briefly in the early 90's. It was about three normal middle-class 70's teenagers with normal, middle-class teenage problems. It was a little preachy, but lacked the ridiculous melodrama of "90210" and its ilk. I also vaguely remember this series and the TV movie it was based on being somewhat controversial for their sexual content (tame by today's standards and REALLY tame compared to the things that were actually going in the late 70's). Part of the problem might have been that the sex was portrayed as awkward and fumbling (and the actors were real teenagers) In other words, the teenage sex was too real and not sexy enough--ironic, isn't it? Anyway, I'd really like to see this again someday.

I was 16 when this show came out. It made me distinctly uncomfortable, and worse as the show went on. I kept thinking, man, what is it with this twerpy kid? I loved how another commenter stated that this was great, like "My So Called Life", another show that depicted teens saying things like no teen on earth says them. If that is the kind of show you like, this show is for you.

The show was boring, strange, and off putting. I remember it was on a night where nothing else was on, and I carried through like four episodes, and that was enough. I remember the novelty of the show changing names when he went another year.

The reason why this show didn't continue is it really stank.

I found this to be a very entertaining program and wished it could have stayed on the air longer. It looked at the world through a teen-ager's eyes and dealt with subjects that many adults did not think dealt with teens,such as, alcoholism, pregnancy, dying, venereal disease. The acting was believable with Lance Kerwin as "James". Susan Myers was also very good in the role of "Marlene", the plain-looking but intelligent friend of "James".

I was about the same age as "James" when this show started, so I enjoyed seeing someone else have issues like I was at that time.

I guess I always love the underdog, too. I watched a great deal of NBC's prime time shows during this time, as they were dead last in the ratings. I can't even count the number of programs that came and went in a short period of time. And when they tried something original, like "James" it got pulled down by the sinking shows around it. Now, granted, your average teen isn't in the desired demographic a network wants as they are all poor, but it might have gotten some of the older set to watch.

It's a shame that this one seems lost to the ages, and probably won't appear on some network like "TVLand"...but it would make a nice add to Netflix.

I was reminded of this show, when I found a paperback book James at 15, that was published as a companion to the show. I remember watching it when it aired, it had quite the following among my friends. What this show had, which many other shows didn't, was have actors close in age to the characters they were playing. Story lines that revolved around driving, dating, first sexual experiences, alcohol abuse, handled in a matter that a kid in the 1970s could relate. James and his friends came off as a bit goody-goody for a inner city Boston school, but they were likable. I haven't found it online or available on dvd.