South of Nowhere

Teen drama television series are so popular they're sort of taboo. But, South of Nowhere is one of the few original teen dramas. South of Nowhere was a series broadcasted on The N and the series tackled a lot of controversial subjects like homosexuality, racism, and abortion. And, most of the leading characters were homosexuals, which was a first for teen dramas.

Most of the episodes concerned problems which were realistic for most teenagers. Problems like religion, habitual drug use, peer pressure, military, and divorce. For this reason, the show is sometimes considered edgy. South of Nowhere follows the Carlin family who move from Ohio to Los Angeles, California. One of the defining relationships of the show is between Spencer Carlin and Ashley Davies, who is Spencer's lesbian friend. This relationship makes Spencer wonder about her sexuality, which is a major part of the series.

A few things the Carlin family has to deal with are the fast paced lifestyle of Los Angeles and the overcrowded public school. And, as any teenager living in Los Angeles can tell you, these are problems they face every day. One thing that makes this show significant is it gives both sides of the story, when a controversial subject comes up. So, not only is the show honest and unique, but it's also objective. One example is one of the Carlin parents is faithful towards the Democratic Party, while the other is more for the Republican Party.

Sexual encounters are also a major part of South of Nowhere. In the first season, while Ashley is making a documentary about sex, it comes out that Clay Carlin is a virgin. The news about Clay's virginity brings about advice from pretty much everyone on the show, which makes Clay feel like there is something wrong with being a virgin. Homosexuality is another main aspect of South of Nowhere; in fact, for most of the first and second season Ashley pressures Spencer Carlin to announce to her family that she is gay. But, these controversial subjects make the show great.

South of Nowhere is one of the more unique teen dramas because of the methods the writers use. In fact, ratings for the show have consistently been favorable. And, fans continue to praise the show for its originality and realistic plot lines. So, if South of Nowhere sounds interesting to you, you might want to check it out.