Dawson’s Creek
Dawson’s Creek, American television drama series that depicts the interactions of a group of teens in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and, later, Boston. The series debuted on January 20, 1998, and ran for six seasons (1998–2003) and 128 episodes. It became one of the flagship shows for the fledgling Warner Bros. (WB) broadcast television network, founded by Time Warner, and was an international success, catapulting many of its cast members to fame. It is credited with helping kick off a wave of teen-centered, emotional dramas in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Produced by Columbia Tristar Television (later known as Sony Entertainment), Dawson’s Creek was filmed primarily in Wilmington, North Carolina. It was created by Kevin Williamson, a writer, producer, and director who pitched the idea for a series that would be loosely based on his own childhood while growing up near a creek in North Carolina. Intended as a small-town take on popular teen-centric TV shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000), Dawson’s Creek originally centered on the titular character, Dawson Leery (played by James Van Der Beek), and his friends as they navigate high school, relationships, and life in general. Dawson’s background as an aspiring filmmaker obsessed with Steven Spielberg echoes details from Williamson’s own biography.
Dawson’s tomboy best friend and love interest is Joey Potter (played by Katie Holmes). Joey has long had a crush on Dawson, who is largely clueless about her feelings during much of the first season, but the two embark on a romantic relationship by the beginning of the second season. Joey, however, also develops a will they/won’t they relationship with their friend, the charming underachiever Pacey Witter (played by Joshua Jackson), which blossoms in an angsty season three of Dawson’s Creek. Pacey and Joey have a natural chemistry (Jackson and Holmes dated early on in the series, with Holmes referring to Jackson as her “first love”), and the love triangle between Dawson, Pacey, and Joey would become a pivotal plot point and the driving narrative of the series. Jen Lindley (played by Michelle Williams) rounded out the show’s original quartet of main characters. Jen is a New York City native and Capeside newcomer who captures Dawson’s interest and, early on, is in a short-lived love triangle with Joey and Dawson; she also struggles with self-destructive behavior and becomes the object of bullying.
Other main characters introduced after the first season were Andie McPhee (played by Meredith Monroe), who faces mental health challenges, and her brother Jack McPhee (played by Kerr Smith), who initially wrestles with his sexuality before admitting that he is gay. In the season three finale, which aired on May 24, 2000, Smith was part of a watershed television moment, as his character shares a romantic kiss with his love interest, Ethan (played by Adam Kaufman)—a moment media historians say was the first passionate kiss between two men on primetime television. As the group of friends embark on new adventures in Boston during season five, Audrey Liddell (played by Busy Philipps), was added to the core group of characters as Joey’s college roommate and, briefly, the girlfriend of Pacey. Many notable celebrities made cameos on Dawson’s Creek, including Seth Rogen, Jane Lynch, and Andy Griffith. The series ended with a two-hour finale entitled “...Must Come to an End,” which aired on May 14, 2003.
Dawson’s Creek was nominated for numerous awards and won several of them, including the 2000 GLAAD Media Award for outstanding TV drama series and the 1999 and 2000 Teen Choice Award for drama. In 2000 the series was the recipient of a SHINE Award for addressing sexual health issues. The Dawson’s Creek theme song, “I Don’t Want to Wait,” by Paula Cole, was inducted in 2022 into the Online Film and Television Association’s Television Hall of Fame. In addition to awards, Dawson’s Creek garnered high ratings and became one of the most watched shows among female teens. The series paved the way for teen dramas that followed, such as One Tree Hill (2003–12), The O.C. (2003–07), Gossip Girl (2007–12), and Riverdale (2017–23).
Dawson’s Creek stirred up its fair share of controversy, alarming parent watchdog groups for the show’s frank discussions of sex and causing a production partner, the Procter & Gamble Company, to withdraw from the partnership. The show’s verbose, witty dialogue was often dismissed by critics as requiring a level of self-awareness and snark that was unrealistic for teenagers, while others praised it as a standout feature of the show.
During a 2018 cast reunion for a special issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine, Williamson expressed support for a reboot of Dawson’s Creek, though he insisted he was unlikely to be involved in the project. “If someone else out there could…I would love to see someone else’s take on it, but I don’t think it’s gonna be me,” Williamson said.