Hillside

Fifteen came out when I was 13, so I was in the target demo. I looked forward to it every week, and then right after would call my friend who also watched it and we'd discuss both how terrible/stupid it was and how we were dying to see what happened next. It was a 30-minute show but we'd talk about each episode for at least an hour.

Out of curiosity, now at age 43, I just watched some of it again, and I have a bit of a different take. It was obviously low-budget and hastily put together - the writing is basic, and the characters are stereotypes. But I do see a lot of good things. For one, the actors were actually the age they were portraying, and the awkwardness was realistic and actually kind of charming. Kids that age are insecure and have trouble striking up conversations and expressing themselves, and that came through clearly. Some of the more seasoned actors (those who played Ashley, Matt, Courtney, Dylan, Arseman and of course Ryan Reynolds who played Billy) actually were pretty talented and got better as the show progressed. And I appreciated that it was about actual everyday issues that teens deal with, basic stuff like homework, family issues, sports, clothes, not fitting in. A lot of higher-budget, slicker and more sensationalist teen dramas like Elite and Euphoria obviously excel at what they do but they're very dark and blatantly unrealistic. "Fifteen" was, at least, trying to meet its audience where it was in an authentic way. And although it's corny at times, it's not overly heavy-handed with moral lessons.

The biggest issue I have in rewatching it is that the kids are overly rude to each other. Almost every conversation seems to end with someone insulting the other and storming off. Most characters seem to be in a never-ending state of joyless worry. But maybe that's realistic; adolescents aren't exactly wellsprings of confidence and happiness.

Overall I think some of the comments here are a little mean and unfair. It was an ambitious project (26 episodes a season??) on a shoestring budget and did the best it could.

Fifteen was one of the coolest shows I watched when I was a little kid . And the plots were just like a teen show you would see on MTV . I totally remember the show , but not the episodes . I wish Nickelodeon would bring this show back with re-runs . Now Nickelodeon has c**p such as Catdog and Spongebob . They're not great as they used to anymore . Please bring back Fifteen , Roundhouse , Welcome Freshmen , and all those shows from the early 90s please !

Fifteen was THE premier teen angst show of our generation! I don't know what Gerald was smoking, but Fifteen's candid look at the problems facing today's youth was enlightening and original. It made it possible for Saved by the Bell to deal with pot smoking and Kids Incorporated to eventually tackle teen pregnancy!! Without this show, we would still be watching shows where all they do is play practical jokes on Ms. Bliss. In fact, even 90210 didn't tackle these serious issues until Fifteen forged the path ahead of them. On a personal note, when I had to go to detox when I was 16, the show's episodes on Matt's drinking problems really spoke to me and helped me through that tough time. I realized my friends were just trying to help me. Thank you, Fifteen! I unfortunately have never gotten over my intense crush on Ashley though. As I am getting married later this month, I hope that my passion for her will not be a hindrance in my marriage.

This show popped up in my memory one night as commercials for "One Tree Hill," "The OC," and "Smallville" bombarded my TV screen. I was in fifth or sixth grade when "Fifteen" was on the air, and I remember sitting with my sisters in front of my grandparents' TV on a random Saturday or Sunday afternoon, eagerly awaiting the next episode. I only watched it sporadically, since we didn't have cable TV ourselves, so Ashley would be dating Matt in one episode and then the next episode I saw had Ashley running off with Dylan. I was fairly young and easily bedazzled by the "drama," but I still vaguely remember thinking that there had to be more than just those ten people at the school!

It may have had corny plot lines, low-budget sets, and clichéd cardboard cut-out characters, but even so, I consider "Fifteen" to be one of the pioneering shows in the contemporary teen soap genre along with "Beverly Hills 90210." The WB network should thank their lucky stars that "Fifteen" ran and did well enough for this type of TV show to continue.

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.