# Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television - Hardcover

by **Thea Glassman** (Author), **Jennifer Keishin Armstrong** (Foreword by)

**The untold stories of seven revolutionary teen shows (_The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_, _My So-Called Life_, _Dawson's Creek_, _Freaks and Geeks_, _The O.C._, _Friday Night Lights_, and _Glee_) that shaped the course of modern television and our pop cultural landscape forever.**

The modern television landscape is defined by influential and ambitious shows for and about teenagers. Groundbreaking series like _Euphoria_, _Sex Education_, and _Pen15_ dominate awards season and lead the way when it comes to progressive, diverse, and creative storytelling. So how did we get here from _Beverly Hills, 90210_?

In _Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek_, entertainment journalist Thea Glassman takes readers behind the scenes of seven of the most culturally significant series of the last three decades, drawing on dozens of new interviews with showrunners, cast, crewmembers, and more. These shows not only launched the careers of such superstars as Will Smith, Michael B. Jordan, Claire Danes, and Seth Rogen, but they also took young people seriously, proving that teen TV could be smart, revolutionary, and "important"--and stay firmly entrenched in pop culture long after it finished airing. And while many critics insist that prestige dramas like _The Sopranos_ and _Mad Men_ paved the way for television, some of the most groundbreaking work was actually happening inside the fictional hallways of high schools across America in teen shows whose impact remains visible on our screens today.

### Author Biography

Thea Glassman is an entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in the _New York Times_, _Vanity Fair_, _Glamour_, VICE, and _The Hollywood Reporter_. Her writing goes behind the scenes of films and television shows, from an insider's look at the making of _The Office_ to a profile on prolific casting director Allison Jones. Glassman lives in Los Angeles and still feels a little bit emotional about _The O.C._ finale.

**Number of Pages:** 240

**Dimensions:** 1 x 9.1 x 6.2 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 27, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 28.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 28.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/freaks-gleeks-and-dawsons-creek-how-seven-teen-shows-transformed-television-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-21
