They Don't Wanna Wait: The Stars of Dawson's Creek [Paperback]

Kathe Tibbs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Not since that famous Beverly Hills area code was etched into our minds has teen life been given such loving attention. TV's newest hit, A smart, articulate, sexy program showing "real" kids at the very top of their intellectual game, Dawson's Creek set exciting new standards for how television portrays young America. Created by Hollywood sensation Kevin Williamson, it does for the small-screen teen soap opera what his metafilmic Scream did for the slasher flick. In the small town of Capeside, a close-knit group of teenagers hang together and fall apart. Their rites of passage are familiar, classically adolescent, and as we follow Dawson, Pacey, Jen, and Joey through their exciting years we learn that life has everything to do with misbehaving. Covered in They Don't Wanna Wait are the stars: a compelling, captivating, talented bunch who leave the set each day, shaking their heads, marveling at the emotional and intellectual accuracy of the scenes they play. Revealed is what makes the show a nearly sacred experience for its participants and much Dawson Leary has in common with his creator, Kevin Williamson.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Kath Tibbs has written pop culture criticism, journalism, and is a regular contributor to many film theory journals. Kath's time is divided between New York and a cottage near Stayner, Ontario.

About the Author

KATHË TIBBS has written pop culture criticism, journalism, and is a regular contributor to many film theory journals. Kathë's time is divided between New York and a cottage near Stayner, Ontario. BIFF L. PETERSON is a freelance writer who has contributed articles and interviews to various newspapers and entertainment periodicals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press; First Edition edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550223895
• ISBN-13: 978-1550223897
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,159,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually there is more analysis than gossip in this book, July 26, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: They Don't Wanna Wait: The Stars of Dawson's Creek (Paperback)

"They Don't Wanna Wait: The Stars of Dawson's Creek" came out after the first two seasons of the recently departed signature show of the WB network. The title, of course, is inspired by the Paula Cole song that served as the theme song for the series and while this book clearly uses the young stars of the show a selling point, it actually provides a lot more insights into the series than you would expect. The first two seasons takes us through the Pacey and Ms. Jacobs, Jen and Dawson, Dawson and Joey, Joey and Jack, Pacey and Andie stages of the series. Authors Kathe Tibbs and Biff L. Peterson offer up standard cast bios of the six principles (the youngsters, not Dawson's parents or Grams), covering how each got involved in acting and was hired for the show, along with various movies in which they had appeared by that point in their careers.

However, despite the fact that "They Don't Wanna Wait" offers up the stars of "Dawson's Creek" as its selling point, these profiles are the second smallest part of the book. The second chapter is devoted to rather a detailed look at the Hollywood writing career creator of "Dawson's Creek," Kevin Williamson. "The Importance of Being Earnest," the third chapter, consists of a pair of critical essays. The first looks at "TV Teens in the 1990s," making the case for how the idyllic teen world of John Hughes films gave way to the demographic spurred youth boom of "My So-Called Life," "Party of Five," "Dawson's Creek," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The second, "Up the Creek: The 'Dawson's' Formula," refutes the dismissal of the series as simply a teenage version of "Melrose Place" ("Payton Place" is you are my age).

The final section of the book is an Episode Guide covering the episodes from the first two seasons. For each Tibbs and Peterson provide the title, writer, director, original airdate, and list of guest stars (Note: Williamson originally used movie titles as the titles for first season episodes but had to change them because of copyright problems; both titles are provided here). They do not simply provide a synopsis of the storyline for each episode, but a running commentary and analysis of what is happening (e.g., arguing Joey is the show's voyeur) that will make these sections of considerably more interest to those who have seen the show rather than the neophyte. When the authors claim that Episode 8, "Road Trip" is to Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" the way "Clueless" is to Jane Austen's "Emma," you have to admit that Tibbs and Peterson are going for more that mere summaries.

Most of the information provided about the cast and creator of "Dawson's Creek" is apparently culled from secondary sources, and each of the first three chapters concludes with a list of references. If Tibbs and Peterson ever actually interviewed Williamson or anybody else associated with the show there is no way of knowing from what is in this book (unless I missed something). I bring this up only because if this is indeed cobbled together completely from other sources you cannot find the seams. Besides, there is more than enough originality in the insights and analysis they provide in the last second chapters of the book. Those who pick up this book because they want to know more about what "Greek God" James Van Der Beek was like growing up or want another color photograph of Katie Holmes or Michelle Williams might be disappointed that the authors move on to more substantive issues than how Meredith Monroe got this acting gig, but I was pretty impressed they went for so much more in this volume. The only serious complaint is that "They Don't Wanna Wait" does not even get the gang out of Capeside High School.

12 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! This Book Is Totally Awesome!, December 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: They Don't Wanna Wait: The Stars of Dawson's Creek (Paperback)

It was so cool to read all the interesting background information on James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams! And I never knew that Kevin Williamson was really gay--he really is! Know I know why Dawson stands alone in the boat like that--he's a truth-seeker in an ocean of lies! This book tells you all the facts about the most important television show ever filmed. Yeah!