OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : ‘My So-Called Life’ Reflects More Than So-Called Reality

“My So-Called Life” is a show about one adolescent teen and her friends struggling through high school life. When I first saw this show, I liked it.

Every Thursday at 8 p.m., I find myself watching and thinking how it relates to the real lives teens go through.

Unlike “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” where all the kids are rich, spoiled and take everything for granted, “My So-Called Life” is realistic.

Angela, the main character, who dyed her hair red, lives in a middle-class home with a kid sister who secretly admires her, a dad who’s going through midlife crisis and a mom who is constantly trying to be close to Angela but never succeeds.

Angela (played by Claire Danes) has one friend known for being slutty, another friend who is bisexual and, of course, there is Jordan Catalono (played by Jared Leto), a very cute guy on whom Angela has a crush.

Unfortunately, ABC has been thinking about taking “My So-Called Life” off the air. Why? Because it has fewer viewers than the shows it’s up against: “Mad About You,” “Friends,” “Martin,” and “Living Single.”

Luckily for fans, ABC this week decided to order four more episodes of “My So-Called Life,” bringing the total to 19. The network still has not committed to keeping the show for the whole season, though.

It’s not like people don’t like this show. It seems that all the critics have given it “thumbs up.” I know, too, that just about every person in my school watches “My So-Called Life.” It always has a good message. After every episode, I find myself learning something about life. There has not yet been one episode that I wasn’t thoroughly satisfied with.

It puzzles and greatly disappoints me that ABC is even considering removing this show, not only from Thursday night, but forever. I really wish they would reconsider.