Ever since I heard the theme song to this show and read the little blurb in the "Television's Greatest Hits" CD booklet, my interest has been piqued. I've always read good things about this show, but unfortunately it was before my time and I've never had the opportunity to view it. As it has yet to hit DVD and doesn't seem to have been repeated at any point, I'm curious what the opinions are at MHVF (seems like it might be a hit with Mobians) and if it seems like a DVD (it belongs to Fox) is even a possibility.

Seemed good at the time, but I suspect that, like me, it has not aged well. My wife and I would buy a DVD in a heartbeat.

James: "Is it true what they say about Swedish girls?"

Exchange student: "No, but it is true what they say about American boys!" (sob)

He answers, "Yes, many of them have had their parents killed by blue-green vampires."

I seem to remember this show having somewhat of an edge...didn't James smoka da weed?

Now I'd be more up for an EIGHT IS ENOUGH box set...unless I missed that...do tell...

I don't remember that, but I do remember the media controversy about him losing his virginity in one episode.

Ha ha - that photo brings back so many memories! I was 13 or 14 and TV obsessed at the time (so I guess I was the demographic) but it being the 70's in San Francisco I was already a party monster and remember the show being rather tame as most TV was then. Spider63's review on imdb sounds pretty accurate to me - James was perpetually unhappy - but that being said I was devoted to the series. It had a fresh feel at the time and Kerwin was likable and believable.

I loved this show. I remember almost nothing about it, though, other than it was very gloomy in a very 70s way. The only episode I remember had James putting cotton in his ears, then putting on earmuffs and walking around the city to feel what it was like to be deaf. He was trying to relate to a friend of his that was deaf. It didn't really work because his friend pointed out to him that James could always just take off the earmuffs, while he (the friend) would always be deaf.

I also rememer the show's title changed to JAMES AT 16 for the second season and for some reason I lost interest. I liked my TV characters to stay in a perpetual, ageless, state of grace. Once he lost his virginity, I just couldn't relate anymore.

D.

Let's not forget the great leaked concert track "James at 15 (Heavy Medley)" by Soul Asylum - obviously Dave Pirner was a big fan of the show.

Didn't his Uncle buy him a hooker to help expedite the process?

I watched the first broadcast of the 1977 TV-movie pilot with the all-star 70s teen cast: Lance Kerwin, Melissa Sue Anderson, Marc McClure, Kim Richards and Special Guest Star Kate Jackson as the hitchhiker James meets when he runs away from home. I watched a lot of TV back then and Kerwin was always popping up on shows. I remember Kerwin and girlfriend Melissa Sue trying to loose their virginity in sleeping bags out in the snow.

I tried to watch every episode of the short-lived series. I was the perfect age. I found the show to be compelling, dreary, and scary. It made me afraid of being a teenager. In junior high, my friends and I would always discuss the latest episode. For its time, and for 70s teenagers, it was definitely edgy. Many stations wouldn’t show certain episodes or would broadcast the show at a later time than NBC’s official time slot. I haven’t seen the pilot movie or any episodes since, but I would love to.

On the first episode under the JAMES AT 16 title, his uncle did buy him a hooker to loose his virginity. My mom didn’t let me watch that one because of the promos and the TV GUIDE description. James did smoke the weed on at least one occasion. (Lance Kerwin was also a big pot smoker off the set.) In one episode, James got put in jail for shoplifting and told the kid who betrayed him, “Man, go suck yourself!”

I caught an update on Kerwin last year on the “Teen Screamers” episode of the E! channel’s CHILD STAR CONFIDENTIAL. At one point, he was the highest-paid teen actor in Hollywood until pimples and drug use curtailed his career. The SALEM’S LOT star is now a preacher. Seems like a nice, positive guy. Wish I could interview him.

Really?!?

That's pretty bold talk there on TV in the '70s... :blink: