Life as we Know it was a coming-of-age teen drama that aired on ABC in the 2004-2005 season. It starred Sean Faris as Dino Whitman, a star hockey player for Woodrow Wilson High School in Seattle, Washington, and his friends Ben, played by Jon Foster, and Jonathan, played by Chris Lowell. The series is basically about the boys' navigating their high school lives with their girlfriends played by Missy Peregrym, Jessica Lucas, and Kelly Osbourne. The series was a bit unique in that it had the characters breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience, and dealt with issues such as the effect of parents' separation due to an affair, the school-life balance, academic stress, and of course, the stress and pressure of sex. And, the show had a fairly controversial student-teacher sexual relationship storyline. The focus of the show was the teenagers, but the show had a strong cast of adult characters including Lisa Darr, D. B. Sweeney, and Marguerite Moreau, as well as a great guest cast which included Craig Ferguson, Peter Dinklage, Connie Britton, and Busy Phillips.
For those who get the DVD set, the thirteen episodes (two of which were not aired after the show was canceled) are spread across three discs. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a photo gallery. So, a good amount for those who like watching the bonus features, especially for a show that was canceled without airing all of the episodes.
Overall, the show is very good. It dealt with issues that many people go through as teens (and adults). The student-teacher relationship storyline was probably what tanked the show. Of course, it was not the first or last time such a storyline had played out on a TV series; Dawson's Creek did a similar storyline years earlier, and more recently Hulu had the series A Teacher. But, Dawson's Creek was on a smaller network, and that kind of storyline was much less controversial in 2020 when A Teacher was made than in 2004. While the show had a ridiculously attractive cast, the writing was very good, and the young stars were very good actors. I have been surprised that only Peregrym and Lucas really had strong TV careers after this series ended. Given that the series ended abruptly, it never really gets a proper ending. The last show that aired is actually a better series finale than either of the two unaired episodes, but those do give you an idea of how the series would have progressed had it not been canceled. But, just know that the show does not get anything close to a satisfying ending. That said, I do think it is worth watching as the main themes of the show are pretty timeless and hold up well even years later.
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Reviews with images
Outstanding Series!
This show featured a very talented cast facing everyday problems through the eyes of a teen. You love every character. Sean Faris was promoted as "The Next Tom Cruise" and I agree.But the plug was pulled as with many great series. You have a winner you dump it.I highly recommend this series if you have never seen it.
Top reviews from other countries
Trina
a "Best canceled series of all time"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2012em_b3
Can't believe this show got cancelled!
Reviewed in Canada on January 20, 2012