James at 15

Infobox Television
show_name = James at 15


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aka = James at 16
genre = drama
creator =
writer = Dan Wakefield
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starring = Lance Kerwin
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country = United States
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num_seasons = 1
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imdb_id = 0075519
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"James at 15" was a United States television drama that aired on NBC in the 1977-1978 season. The series was preceded by the 1977 made-for-TV movie "James at 15", intended as a pilot for the series. Both were written by Dan Wakefield, a journalist and fiction writer whose novel "Going All the Way", a tale of coming of age in the 1950s, had led to his being contacted by David Sontag of Twentieth Century Fox when an NBC programming executive expressed interest in a show about a teenage boy.Jerry Buck, Associated Press. "'James at 15' relives youth," "The Dallas Morning News", September 2, 1974, page 4.]

Protagonist James Hunter (Lance Kerwin) was the son of a college professor (Linden Chiles) who moved his family across the country to take a teaching job, transplanting James from Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts. James, who had Walter Mitty-like dreams and dabbled in photography, had a hard time fitting into his new surroundings.

Wakefield said he chose Boston both because he wanted to write about an area he knew well and also because he was tired of television's tendency to give programs a Los Angeles setting. To update his own memories of growing up, the writer spoke with adolescents from the Boston area.

TV movie

The movie premiered to high ratings, topping the ratings for the week of September 5-11, 1977,John O'Connor, New York Times News Service. "New shows put kids in spotlight," "The Dallas Morning News", October 25, 1977, page 7.] Rena Pederson. "'Washington' no 'Roots'" (TV column), "The Dallas Morning News", September 14, 1977, page 15: "... NBC landed "James at 15" and "Laugh-In" in first and second place."] with a 42% share of the viewing audience,Rena Pederson. "8 to air game — on tape" (TV column), "The Dallas Morning News", October 5, 1977, page 14: "And "James at 15", which scored a whopping 42 share of the audience with its pilot earlier in September, will move into the "Man from Atlantis" spot on Oct. 27."] quickly prompting NBC to approve a series. Associated Press writer Jerry Buck said of the pilot movie that it "captures the essence of growing up in America," adding, "It makes up for all the drivel we've had to put up with, such as "Sons and Daughters" and "Hollywood High (film)"."

eries: Critical reception and controversy

The show was highly praised for its realism and sensitivity, with a "New York Times" reviewer applauding the program's avoidance of stereotyping characters: "Sly, a jiving black student ... has solidly middle-class parents deeply involved in classical music" and a lower-middle-class classmate discovers that her father makes more money as a plumber than James' professor father. Tom Shales of "The Washington Post" said:

Not perfect, not revolutionary, not always deliriously urgent, "James at 15" is still the most respectable new entertainment series of the season. Consistently, it communicates something about the state of being young, rather than just communicating that it wishes to lure young viewers. And if it romanticizes adolescence through the weekly trials and triumphs of its teen-age hero, at least it does so in more ambitious, inquisitive and authentic ways than the average TV teeny-bop.Tom Shales. "Facing the death of an old pal," "The Washington Post", December 15, 1977, p. B1.]

Critics also approved of its handling of James' first sexual experience, with a Swedish exchange student (Kirsten Baker) in the episode which aired February 9, 1978— at which point the show assumed the name "James at 16". However, head writer Wakefield quit in a dispute with NBC over the use of the euphemism "responsible" for 'birth control' in the episode, as well as the network's insistence that James should feel remorse over his decision.fact|date=July 2008 Behind the scenes, the show's original executive producers, Martin Manulis and Joe Hardy, were replaced by Ron Rubin in December, 1977. Despite the critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season.

Legacy

Kevin Williamson, the creator of "Dawson's Creek", cited this show as a major influence on him and named it as an inspiration for his show:Ed Bark. "New WB show has racy edge: 'Creek' is full of kids in grown-up situations," "The Dallas Morning News", July 30, 1997, page 31A.] "'Dawson's Creek' came out of my desire to do 'James at 15' for the '90s. It was very provocative and way ahead of its time."Kinney Littlefield. "Drama's creator is addiction to adolescence: 'Scream' screenwriter Kevin Williamson translates teen angst to the tube with `Dawson's Creek,' "The Orange County Register", January 18, 1998, page F9.]

Notes

External links

* (pilot TV-movie)
* (series)---