Creative show on the WB network that premiered in 1999, I believe. It centers around Sam McPherson and Brook McQueen, two teenage rivals in high school. Brook is the uberpopular chick with her friends Nicole Julian, Mary Cherry, Sugar Daddy, and her (sometimes) boyfriend Josh Ford, while Sam is unpopular with her friends Carmen Ferrera, Lily Esposito, and Harrison John. The show is a mix of dramedy. It has a unique way of presenting teenage issues and morals which few other shows have accomplished. The writers use extreme and unreal situations all the time, but it still relates to normal situations so that the viewer can relate the issue presented in the episode to reality.

My opinion? One of the best non-action shows on TV. Teaches great moral sense, and it's really funny at times, too. The acting is fantastic, and the cast is spectacular. :) *gives it 9 thumbs up*

You can't tell it from Randofu's writeup, or from most of the ads for the show, but Popular was not a teen comedy in the vein of 90210, Dawson's Creek, etc. It was a spoof of these shows, taking the same themes to the point of the ridiculous. Nichole, the "evil girl" isn't just bad, she is the spawn of satan. Sam, the "unpopular girl" is beautiful, and has just as many friends as Brook, she is just arbitrarily labeled unpopular.

Every episode of the show was a surreal send-up of some cliched teen theme, usually with a innovative twist.

They had a beautiful homage to Dangerous Liasons episode for the prom which left us with the beautiful phrase "malkovitchian scheme", a play on machiavelli for the Dangerous Liasons theme.

The first season finale was advertised as incorporating "sweeps stunts," with an array of cliched trick to increase viewership, like killing off one of the characters, holding a wedding, etc.

They also had a deeply amusing mullet episode in which we see the pure evil of this hairstyle. "Did you use your evil mullet powers?" "(sheepishly)yes."

All in all, one of the most subversive spoof shows. Unfortunately, this didn't come across in the advertising, so most people who would "get it" didn't watch it thinking it was a 90210 clone, and those who watched for a 90210 clone were mostly left uninterested or confused. Truly a tragedy that it only went two seasons. If you can find some episodes, watch them with the right attitude and you will have fun.

Pop"u*lar (?), a. [L. popularis, fr. populus people: cf. F. populaire. See People.]

1.

Of or pertaining to the common people, or to the whole body of the people, as distinguished from a select portion; as, the popular voice; popular elections.

"Popular states." Bacon. "So the popular vote inclines." Milton.

The commonly held in popular estimation are greatest at a distance. J. H. Newman.

2.

Suitable to common people; easy to be comprehended; not abstruse; familiar; plain.

Homilies are plain popular instructions. Hooker.

3.

Adapted to the means of the common people; possessed or obtainable by the many; hence, cheap; common; ordinary; inferior; as, popular prices; popular amusements.

The smallest figs, called popular figs, . . . are, of all others, the basest and of least account. Holland.

4.

Beloved or approved by the people; pleasing to people in general, or to many people; as, a popular preacher; a popular law; a popular administration.

5.

Devoted to the common people; studious of the favor of the populace.

[R.]

Such popular humanity is treason. Addison.

6.

Prevailing among the people; epidemic; as, a popular disease.

[Obs.]

Johnson.

Popular action Law, an action in which any person may sue for penalty imposed by statute.

Blackstone.

 

© Webster 1913.

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