My So-Called Life

‘I’m sorry but Angela would want to f*ck right off’

This week on Up To 90, we talk Angela Chase and the seminal coming of age ‘ My So-Called Life ’

Appearing on TV screens a few months after the suicide of Kurt Cobain; the show went head to head for its first and only series with the heavy hitter ‘Friends’, before causing ripples of shock when it was cancelled after 19 episodes.

Many posit the reason for its lack of network support with the gritty reality it portrayed, controversy abounded at its exploration of drugs, alcohol and teenage sexuality. But the series made an indelible mark in many a teenage soul and of course gave the world the one and only Jared Leto-lazy eyelids and all.

The protagonist Angela Chase (played by Clare Danes) became synonymous with teenage angst and her comrades Ricki Vasquez and Riyan let her glimpse through the keyhole at a world much more complicated than her own; but it was the central storyline which explored her obsession with Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) which really captured our attention. The ‘will they/won’t they’ plot had us on the edge of our beanbags up until the open-ended finale which left My So-Called Life hardcore fans begging for more.

Was Angela a wreck the head? Did Emma really get a Gemini tattoo? Was it okay to wish to be adopted by your teacher? Why is Julie ruining a nineties dance anthem with her emotions? Also, Emma gives us a ‘how to’ American dream demo, Julie talks oil painting and top sandwich tips, Emma preaches her love for toxic substances and Julie talks her long running neurosis. In other words it’s just a regular Tuesday at Up To 90.

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