Dawson's Creek(The WB)
Premiere: January 20, 1998
End: May 14, 2003
Dawson's Creek, in very much the same vein as 90210, follows the lives of four teenagers living in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. The characters included the title character, Dawson Leery(James Van Der Beek), who sees his once-happy family crumble to the ground as his dad, Mitch(John Wesley Shipp) learns of his mom Gail's(Mary-Margaret Humes) affair with a co-worker; Joey Potter(Katie Holmes), Dawson's best friend, a girl from a troubled home(her mom died of cancer and her dad is in jail for drug dealing) who lives with her adult sister Bessie(Nina Repeta) and Bessie's boyfriend Bodie(Obi Ndefo); Pacey Witter(Joshua Jackson), son of a prominent family(his dad is the local police chief), is an underachiever and the class clown, which he uses to hide behind the fact that he faces verbal abuse from his parents at home, due to his parents' lack of education, and the belief that their son is a slacker; and Jen Lindley(Michelle Williams), an outsider from New York who comes to help take care of her ailing grandfather, frequently clashing with her highly religious grandmother(May Beth Peil) over her promiscuous past and lack of moral values or religion. Other characters that popped up included siblings Jack(Kerr Smith) and Andie(Meredith Monroe) McPhee, the former coming out as gay in season 2 after briefly dating Jen, and the latter dating Pacey before suffering a mental breakdown; Doug Witter(Dylan Neal), Pacey's older brother, a policeman who often is left with Pacey's schemes; Abby Morgan(Monica Keena), a troublemaking friend of Jen's who gave the show its teen death storyline when she hit her head and drowned when she and Jen were drinking and goofing off on the bridge; Gretchen Witter(Sasha Alexander), Pacey's sister and Dawson's love interest in season 4; and Audrey Liddell(Busy Philipps), a party girl from Hollywood who dates Pacey in college.
End: May 14, 2003
Dawson's Creek, in very much the same vein as 90210, follows the lives of four teenagers living in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. The characters included the title character, Dawson Leery(James Van Der Beek), who sees his once-happy family crumble to the ground as his dad, Mitch(John Wesley Shipp) learns of his mom Gail's(Mary-Margaret Humes) affair with a co-worker; Joey Potter(Katie Holmes), Dawson's best friend, a girl from a troubled home(her mom died of cancer and her dad is in jail for drug dealing) who lives with her adult sister Bessie(Nina Repeta) and Bessie's boyfriend Bodie(Obi Ndefo); Pacey Witter(Joshua Jackson), son of a prominent family(his dad is the local police chief), is an underachiever and the class clown, which he uses to hide behind the fact that he faces verbal abuse from his parents at home, due to his parents' lack of education, and the belief that their son is a slacker; and Jen Lindley(Michelle Williams), an outsider from New York who comes to help take care of her ailing grandfather, frequently clashing with her highly religious grandmother(May Beth Peil) over her promiscuous past and lack of moral values or religion. Other characters that popped up included siblings Jack(Kerr Smith) and Andie(Meredith Monroe) McPhee, the former coming out as gay in season 2 after briefly dating Jen, and the latter dating Pacey before suffering a mental breakdown; Doug Witter(Dylan Neal), Pacey's older brother, a policeman who often is left with Pacey's schemes; Abby Morgan(Monica Keena), a troublemaking friend of Jen's who gave the show its teen death storyline when she hit her head and drowned when she and Jen were drinking and goofing off on the bridge; Gretchen Witter(Sasha Alexander), Pacey's sister and Dawson's love interest in season 4; and Audrey Liddell(Busy Philipps), a party girl from Hollywood who dates Pacey in college.
The best-known cast in season 5. From left to right: Joshua Jackson(Pacey Witter), Michelle Williams(Jen Lindley), James Van Der Beek(Dawson Leery), Kerr Smith(Jack McPhee), and Katie Holmes(Joey Potter).
Best Episodes:
Season 1, Episode 1 "Pilot"
Dawson, Joey, and Pacey are best friends, whose movie is interrupted by the arrival of Jen, the granddaughter of his next door neighbor. Joey is realizing that she has more than platonic feelings for her friend Dawson, and grows jealous of Jen. Meanwhile, Pacey develops a crush on an older woman, Tamara Jacobs, who turns out to be his English teacher, and Joey discovers that Dawson's mom is having an affair.
Dawson, Joey, and Pacey are best friends, whose movie is interrupted by the arrival of Jen, the granddaughter of his next door neighbor. Joey is realizing that she has more than platonic feelings for her friend Dawson, and grows jealous of Jen. Meanwhile, Pacey develops a crush on an older woman, Tamara Jacobs, who turns out to be his English teacher, and Joey discovers that Dawson's mom is having an affair.
Season 1, Episode 7 "Detention"
In a parody of the 80s teen hit The Breakfast Club, Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Jen get Saturday detention along with Abby Morgan, the school troublemaker. Abby initiates a truth-or-dare game, where Joey's feelings for Dawson threaten to come out.
In a parody of the 80s teen hit The Breakfast Club, Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Jen get Saturday detention along with Abby Morgan, the school troublemaker. Abby initiates a truth-or-dare game, where Joey's feelings for Dawson threaten to come out.
Season 3, Episode 23 "True Love"
Pacey plans to leave right after Mitch and Gail's second wedding, and Joey must make a choice between Dawson and Pacey. Dawson gracefully lets Joey go(seemingly), and she goes to find Pacey. Dawson's friends supports him after he cries out for Joey at the creek, while Joey joins Pacey on his boat, confesses her feelings for him, and they leave for the summer.
Pacey plans to leave right after Mitch and Gail's second wedding, and Joey must make a choice between Dawson and Pacey. Dawson gracefully lets Joey go(seemingly), and she goes to find Pacey. Dawson's friends supports him after he cries out for Joey at the creek, while Joey joins Pacey on his boat, confesses her feelings for him, and they leave for the summer.
Season 5, Episode 4 "The Long Goodbye"
The gang supports Dawson back in Capeside when his father Mitch is killed in a car crash. His friends let him know they are there for him, including Pacey, who makes Dawson understand that Dawson is not to blame for his father's death.
The gang supports Dawson back in Capeside when his father Mitch is killed in a car crash. His friends let him know they are there for him, including Pacey, who makes Dawson understand that Dawson is not to blame for his father's death.
Season 6, Episode 23-24 "All Good Things Must Come To An End"(Series Finale)
Five years later, the whole gang reunites to attend Gail's wedding. Dawson is a TV producer producing an autobiographical TV series The Creek, Jen is an artist living in SoHo with Grams and her baby daughter Amy, Joey is a publisher in New York who, despite having a new boyfriend, still loves Dawson and Pacey, Pacey runs the Ice House, and Jack is a teacher at Capeside High, in love with Pacey's brother. Tragedy strikes at the wedding when Jen collapses, she is revealed to be dying of a heart condition. She asks Dawson to help her make a video for Amy, and arranges for Jack to adopt her before she dies. Doug tells Jack he is willing to help raise Amy and spend the rest of his life with him. As Jen's final wish was for Joey to stop running and pick between Dawson and Pacey, Joey breaks up with her New York boyfriend and tells Dawson he will always be her soulmate, but that Pacey is the one she needs to be with. Pacey then moves in with her in New York.
Five years later, the whole gang reunites to attend Gail's wedding. Dawson is a TV producer producing an autobiographical TV series The Creek, Jen is an artist living in SoHo with Grams and her baby daughter Amy, Joey is a publisher in New York who, despite having a new boyfriend, still loves Dawson and Pacey, Pacey runs the Ice House, and Jack is a teacher at Capeside High, in love with Pacey's brother. Tragedy strikes at the wedding when Jen collapses, she is revealed to be dying of a heart condition. She asks Dawson to help her make a video for Amy, and arranges for Jack to adopt her before she dies. Doug tells Jack he is willing to help raise Amy and spend the rest of his life with him. As Jen's final wish was for Joey to stop running and pick between Dawson and Pacey, Joey breaks up with her New York boyfriend and tells Dawson he will always be her soulmate, but that Pacey is the one she needs to be with. Pacey then moves in with her in New York.