“The White Shadow” - The Complete Second Season
Still relevant a quarter century later
“Wow,” I thought as the first episode on the disc started. “This show hasn’t aged well.” The music, costumes, and slang are all very ‘70s (the episodes aired over the 1979-80 season). The acting in that first episode seemed adequate, but not outstanding. I kept watching for nostalgic reasons – I remember watching the show in high school, though I have no specific memories about the characters or stories.
The writing isn’t particularly tight, in any of the Season 2 episodes; a lot of scenes that show the kids hanging out could easily have been cut to make room for plot or better character development. Still, I somehow came to care about the characters, these wannabe pro-basketball stars, and the core messages in each episode can be found in teen dramas today – drugs, death, an affair with the teacher, sexually transmitted disease, illiteracy. Best guest stars – the Harlem Globetrotters – teach the team a lesson in humility. Maybe this show isn’t that dated after all.
It’s odd that several episodes seem to have aired out of order. They are on the disc by airdate, but for example, Coach Reeves is dating a fellow teacher in one episode – then meets her the following week.
Three episodes have commentaries. The two featurettes focus on creator Bruce Paltrow (Gwyneth’s dad) who died in 2002, and on actor Thomas Carter, now a successful film director, who got his start helming several episodes of “The White Shadow”.
Written by: Auriette Lindsey
Reviewers Rating: 7
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Added: 10-Apr-2006
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