Flush with success from writing the hit film
Scream,
Kevin Williamson created the teen drama
Dawson's Creek for the fledgling WB network. The series was quickly embraced by a large teen following. A rating success from the outset,
Dawson's Creek never earned much critical praise. However, spawning hit songs and film careers for the four lead performers, the show left an indelible mark on the pop culture of its time. In the course of five seasons, the show saw Dawson Leery (
James Van Der Beek), Joey (
Katie Holmes), Pacey (
Joshua Jackson), and Jen (
Michelle Williams) fall in and out of love with each other and with new additions to the gang. The show occasionally courted controversy by including an affair between Pacey and his high-school English teacher, and by showing television's first ever onscreen kiss between two gay teens, but the squeaky-clean image of the cast always managed to deflect any serious protests. Owing more than a little to the '70s series
James at 15,
Dawson's Creek may remain a Generation Y pop culture touchstone for a very long time. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide