Entertainment Weekly, by Dan Snierson
September 1998
Fall TV Preview: Dawson's Creek
"Dawson's Creek" is the hottest drama on TV. Hundreds of pages in magazines and newspapers have hammered this into our collective consciousness, at once glorifying the show's exceptionally attractive, swimming-in-movie-deals cast and debating its precocious plotlines and (sometimes ridiculously) sophisticated dialogue. Yet in sleepy Wilmington, N.C., where "Dawson's" is beginning production on season two, the cast members look at Nielsen's list of last season's network shows (ranked by total viewers), and find themselves at 121 out of 156, just after a kiddiecom starring Bronson "Balki" Pinchot -- a kiddiecom that was canceled, no less. Now there's a scorching reality check. And as such, in its sophomore season, "Dawson's Creek" now faces its most critical test: The upstart WB is moving the jewel in its prom crown from a comfy Tuesday slot -- buh-bye, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" lead-in -- to Wednesdays at 8 p.m., opposite Fox's "Beverly Hills 90210." "Dawson may have a large teen following, but '90210' is the original teen ritual," reminds Fox Entertainment president Peter Roth. "We are dominant...and will continue to be so." Nevertheless, the eight-year-old "90210" isn't taking any chances: Old-school favorite Luke Perry will return, while "Melrose Place"'s Laura Leighton will guest-star on six episodes (for $100,000 per episode). None of which scares WB Entertainment president Garth Ancier: "Maybe I'm a fool, but I'm not worried. I really think '90210' has run its course."
Another reason not to worry -- Dawson and his high school sophomore pals are about to emerge from puberty with a vengeance. "None of us will be virgins after this season," teases Holmes. So does that mean you-know-which-couple finally gets it on? Hints Van Der Beek: "Joey and Dawson are media savvy enough to know what happens to a show when the two lead characters have sex."
If he sounds coy, there's a reason. To recap: Lifelong best friends Joey and Dawson sealed their flirtation with a kiss in May's finale (after Dawson was dumped by new girl in town Jen). That will be quickly back-burnered this season by the arrival of upper-crust tortured artiste Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith). While Jack and Joey go off to paint each other in the nude -- you read it here first! -- Jack's scrappy sister, Andie (Meredith Monroe), has some fun with Dawson's other best friend, Pacey. "It's a hate-hate relationship," notes Williamson. "All they do is bitch at each other until they finally bitch their way into a date."
Speaking of bitches: Abby (Monica Keena), Capeside's resident evil seed in last season's "Breakfast Club" episode, will terrorize the gang full-time; she'll abet the newly-empowered-but-still-searching-for-validation Jen in her quest to win back Dawson, while delivering overheated zingers like "He's a 15-year-old guy...all he knows is that he goes to bed every night jerkin' his gherkin and wakes up every morning humping his mattress." (Okay, who paid off the network censors?)
Of course, no plotline will be juicier than the one unfolding Oct. 7, when the show sets sail opposite a certain zip code. "People are totally going to want us to fail," says Jackson. "And we are primed for a fall. But there's only one way to silence the critics: Become an established hit instead of what "Dawson" is now -- a flash-in-the-pan sensation." Williams also relishes a challenge: "It's sink-or-swim time. And I like the pressure. Bring it on!"
