ABC’s new pseudo-documentary ‘My Generation’ attempts to bring a new look to the typical serial drama. But with so many new series premiering, will ABC’s television experiment pay off?
My Generation Series Premiere Review & Discussion
Following ABC’s first pseudo-documentary series of the year Detroit 187, it’s time to continue the trend with their new comedy-drama based series My Generation. Centered around a documentary crew following a selection of students from the class of 2000’s Greenbelt High School in Austin, Texas, My Generation sets out to tell the story of the Overachiever, the Beauty Queen, the Nerd, the Punk, the Jock, the Brain, the Rich Kid, the Rebel, and the Wallflower as they catch up – 10 years later.
Created by former Bones writer and producer, Noah Hawley, My Generation combines flashbacks from the past to further propel the present day storyline. This series is undoubtedly inspired by the slew of high school documentaries that were produced a few years ago. Although, even with a unique premise, ambitious storytelling, and a specific visual styling, My Generation is going to facing-off against some of television’s most popular series.
Preview (courtesty of ABC)
A documentary crew follows a disparate group of high school seniors from Greenbelt High School’s class of 2000 in Austin, TX as they prepare for graduation, and revisits these former classmates ten years later in 2010 – to see where they are now, what they’ve become, and where they’re headed.
The camera lenses reconnect with Steven Foster, “the overachiever” in high school, who succumbed to pressures and ended up escaping to Hawaii to surf and be a free spirit. However an unexpected call from Caroline Chung, the shy “wallflower,” has Steven returning to Austin, after discovering the pair has a nine-year-old son together, conceived on prom night. Upon returning, he bumps into Jackie Vachs, the high school “beauty queen” who went to Hollywood to become a starlet but came back and got married her plans didn’t pan out. Their chance encounter exposes some chips in her veneer of marital bliss with Anders Holt, “the rich kid” whose charmed life took an unexpected turn after breaking up with his high school sweetheart and first love, Brenda Serrano. Brenda was the class “brain” who is now doing very well for herself as a high-powered Congressional aide in DC.
My Generation ABC
The documentary filmmaker also catches up with Kenneth Finley, “the nerd,” who stayed in Austin and became a teacher – and dreams of starting a family of his own. He’s created a sort of surrogate family by allowing his former high school girlfriend, Dawn Barbuso, “the punk,” to stay at his house until her baby is born, since her husband, Rolly Marks, is away in Afghanistan serving a tour of duty. Rolly, “the jock,” ended up forgoing his athletic scholarship and joined the army after the 9/11 attacks.
Finally, Falcon, “the rock star” who was everyone’s friend, is on track to become a music producer. It’s his ties to his old friends that keep him rooted. As the lives of these nine friends are documented, we get an intimate look at how much can change over ten years and all that still lies ahead for them.
