Welcome to an emergency special episode of Leftist Teen Drama in which Maria pays tribute to teen drama icon James Van Der Beek, who sadly passed away at the age of 48 on February 11, 2026 after a battle with colorectal cancer. Thanks to Kelly Gilbert for submitting a reflection! Maria reflects on his iconic roles, including on shows we’ve covered – his legendary run on DAWSON’S CREEK (1998-2003) and guest-starring roles on ONE TREE HILL (2003-2012) and OVERCOMPENSATING (2025-present). We also mourn the fact that James spent the last years of his life selling off memorabilia and fundraising to be able to afford his cancer treatments. May this be a call to continue fighting for our vision of a collective future where every person has access to universal healthcare. Leftist Teen Drama is sending all our love and solidarity to James’ friends and family and all that knew him.
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ABOUT US:
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
MOVIE SPECIAL: 'Samantha: An American Girl Holiday'
Sunday, December 21, 2025 • Duration 01:59:30
Welcome back to our series of special episodes covering political moments in teen movies! To close out 2025, Maria is joined by Mo and Christina, the co-hosts of the Movies That Raised Us podcast, to dive into the American Girl cinematic universe via SAMANTHA: AN AMERICAN GIRL HOLIDAY (2004) starring a young AnnaSophia Robb. This deeply political story traces 1904, an unforgettable year in Samantha Parkington’s life, exploring class difference, child labor, women’s suffrage, and workers’ rights. Samantha goes on quite the journey, from plotting to jail break her friends from an orphanage to witnessing the harrowing factory injury scene that stuck with Mo as a child. In true American Girl fashion, Samantha ultimately gives an unsanctioned speech about factory working conditions at a school event, learning that sometimes you have to break the rules to fight for justice. Plus: we discuss Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia as THEE hottie brownstone socialist power couple, Mia Farrow gagging us as Grandmary, and how Samantha’s fits remain undefeated.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with SAMANTHA: AN AMERICAN GIRL HOLIDAY, rentable on YouTube and Apple TV.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
#44 - The Politics of Coming of Age in Northern Ireland During the Troubles as a Catholic Teen Girl, As Seen On 'Say Nothing' and 'Derry Girls'
Episode 44
Sunday, December 14, 2025 • Duration 02:53:48
In the Leftist Teen Drama Season 5 finale, Maria is joined by twins Kelly Gilbert and Mick Gilbert to contrast the experiences of Catholic teenage girls coming of age in Belfast and Derry during The Troubles on SAY NOTHING (2024) and DERRY GIRLS (2018-2022). For one set of teen girl characters – Marian and Dolours Price – the Cause and the war are all consuming, inseparable from their experience of girlhood. But for teen characters in the DERRY GIRLS universe – Clare Devlin, Erin Quinn, Orla McCool, and Michelle Mallon [and honorarily James Maguire] – the Troubles are simply the political backdrop of their girlhoods, with much more teenage problems often taking a front seat instead. Still, thorough lines run through the stories: a deep hatred for British colonialism; common socioeconomic conditions and the Catholic working class solidarity that comes with it; and, overall, a love for Ireland. We discuss all the political complexities explored on the two shows, ending with a lot more questions than answers.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with DERRY GIRLS Seasons 1-3, streaming on Netflix, and SAY NOTHING Season 1, streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
#43 - Bayside Teachers Deserve Better: The 'Saved By The Bell' Teachers’ Strike Episode
Episode 43
Sunday, December 7, 2025 • Duration 01:24:49
In the penultimate episode of Leftist Teen Drama Season 5, Maria is joined by fellow union comms girlie Diana Hussein to dive into the SAVED BY THE BELL (1989-1993) Teachers’ Strike episode. As the first of multiple Leftist Teen Drama episodes on this quintessential ‘90s teen show, we dive into this short-lived plotline in which Zack and Slater manipulate Principal Belding and union president Mr. Tuttle to ensure Bayside teachers go on strike so Zack and Slater can get out of school. Despite the shaky motives, the teachers do end the strike with a better contract than they started with, making this probably the weirdest strike episode we’ve discussed so far.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with SAVED BY THE BELL but especially the “Teachers Strike” episode, streaming on Tubi.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
DIANA HUSSEIN (she/her; recurring guest) has done Communications in the labor movement for nearly a decade. As a kid, Diana collected 1980s teen romance novels at garage sales and flea markets with her mom. This obsession later translated into a love for TV shows of that genre. From the days of My So-Called Life and Daria, to The O.C. and Gossip Girl, she still holds a passion for young adult storylines today — especially when they feature working-class narratives.
#42 - ‘They Censored His Radio Show!’: Hillman College Students Stage a Sit-In on 'A Different World'
Episode 42
Sunday, November 30, 2025 • Duration 01:27:32
Maria is joined by Dondré Taylor-Stewart for Leftist Teen Drama’s first episode covering A DIFFERENT WORLD (1987-1993) – but it certainly won’t be our last. Once Debbie Allen took the helm in Season 2, she mde HBCU politics a cornerstone of the show, dealing with issues ranging from colorism and racism to HIV and date rape. We focus on Season 2’s “Radio Free Hillman,” a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day dedication episode in which Hillman College students stage a sit-in at a campus admin building after Dwayne Wayne’s radio show is abruptly pulled off the air. We talk about Freddie Brooks as a more natural protest leader than Dwayne; the short-lived movement’s demands, tactics, and strategy, or lack thereof; and the valuable lesson learned by Dwayne when he ultimately realizes that he jumped the gun in playing new, unreleased music without first listening to its contents.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with A DIFFERENT WORLD, but especially Season 2, Episode 10, “Radio Free Hillman,” streaming on Netflix.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
#41 - A Summer Romance Teen Drama Set in the Imperial Core: Postcolonial Class Consciousness in 'We Were Liars' Season 1
Episode 41
Sunday, November 23, 2025 • Duration 02:23:22
**SPOILERS INSIDE** DO NOT LISTEN BEFORE YOU FINISH SEASON 1.
At first glance, WE WERE LIARS (2025-present) might seem like any other rich kid teen drama, but this show goes much deeper with its anticapitalist and anticolonial messages than most. Maria and Kelly Diaz break down the entire first season as the Liars – Cadence Sinclair, Gat Patil, Johnny Sinclair, and Mirren Sinclair – begin to shift their perspectives on the private island where they spend their summers, and the high-profile capitalist patriarch Harris Sinclair who rules over it all.
For this episode, we STRONGLY recommend you first watch the entirety of WE WERE LIARS Season 1, streaming on Prime Video, and/or have read the entirety of the book We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a Research Program Manager at Yale University studying disability & chronic illness justice, access, and inclusion. She is also an adjunct instructor of Media Studies at the City College of New York (CCNY). She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!
#40 - Inside the Fleeting Yet Inherently Political World of 'Freaks and Geeks'
Episode 40
Sunday, November 16, 2025 • Duration 02:05:04
Maria is joined by fellow union comrade and FREAKS AND GEEKS (1999-2000) superfan Margaret McLaughlin to break down the political themes of the show’s one and only season, which is firmly set in the 1980-1981 school year. We discuss Lindsay Weir’s journey walking the tightrope between “freak” and “geek,” and the way she tests the waters of finding her political voice; the controversial yet revealing episode “Kim Kelly Is My Friend”; and Bill Haverchuck as a solid representation of the latchkey kid. We also analyze all the political themes of Season 1, Episode 17, which features groundbreaking intersex representation in the character of Amy, as well as a vice presidential visit to McKinley High that has all the characters talking politics and gives Lindsay the chance to speak truth to power.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with the entirety of FREAKS AND GEEKS Season 1, but especially Season 1, Episode 3, “Tricks and Treats,” Season 1, Episode 4, “Kim Kelly Is My Friend,” Season 1, Episode 17, “The Little Things,” and Season 1, Episode 18, “Discos and Dragons.”
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
#39 - Benny Scanlon’s Millennial Queer College Journey On 'Overcompensating' (So Far)
Episode 39
Sunday, November 9, 2025 • Duration 01:47:16
Maria is appropriately joined by two of her fellow millennial teen drama Internet friends, Abir Mohammad and Jillian Bonanne, to break down the queer college journey of Benny Scanlon on Season 1 of OVERCOMPENSATING (2025-present.) The vaguely 2010s campus setting of this show feels all too familiar, providing at times painfully accurate representations of the college experience for the younger end of the millennial generation – including the fact that many LGBTQIA+ millennials came out in college/university, rather than in high school. We analyze and celebrate the non-linear and unrushed way that Benny’s story begins to unfold, and what we hope to see in the upcoming second season.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with OVERCOMPENSATING Season 1, streaming on Prime Video.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
ABIR MOHAMMAD (he/him; recurring guest) is a London-based Writer and Casting Assistant with a passion for YA media. He likes to write about the specific experiences surrounding the queer, brown, Muslim and working class communities that he grew up in, and can talk your ear off about the casting of any TV show you can think of. Follow Abir on Twitter @abirmohxmmad or Instagram @abirmohammad.
#38 - 'Genera+ion' Takes On The Messiness and Complexity of Gen Z Teen Politics
Episode 38
Sunday, November 2, 2025 • Duration 01:47:16
In fulfillment of a listener request from @vanesawye on Tumblr, Maria and recurring guest Dondré Taylor-Stewart break down the HBO Max teen drama GENERA+ION (2021). This short but impactful show is packed with political moments, from Chester’s recurring experience of getting dress coded for being visibly queer to Delilah subverting the activist character trope. We talk about Greta’s asexuality, Nathan’s experience of coming out as bisexual while having conservative parents, and how cruel of a decision it was for HBO Max to cancel and pull a show that so many queer teens could see themselves in.
For this episode, we’d usually recommend you first watch or have familiarity with GENERA+ION Season 1, but it’s incredibly hard to find so we mostly just wish you luck in trying to watch it.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
DONDRÉ TAYLOR-STEWART (he/him; recurring guest) is a Jersey-born, Jamaican-raised TV writer in Los Angeles. His writing focuses on Black and queer characters finding themselves amid society's margins. By day, he works in environmental public policy; by night, he's busy crafting original pilots and DJ-ing.
#37 - ‘We’re Not Moving Until It Gets Fixed’: Isaac Goodwin, Aisha Green, and Disability Justice on 'Sex Education'
Episode 37
Sunday, October 26, 2025 • Duration 01:53:58
Maria is joined by recurring guest Kelly Diaz and disability rights activist Sasha Blair-Goldensohn to talk about disability justice on both SEX EDUCATION (2019-2023) and in real life. In Sex Education Season 4, wheelchair user Isaac Goodwin disrupts mock exams to protest the chronically broken elevator at Cavendish College, inspiring the entire student body to hold an impromptu sit-in until the lift is fixed. We talk about this inspiring direct action and how it parallels the real-life fight to make the New York City subway system fully wheelchair-accessible, a fight of which Sasha is part! Kelly and Maria also generally break down disability representation on the show, as shown through the characters of Isaac Goodwin and Aisha Green, a deaf character introduced in Season 4 who also plays a pivotal role in the sit-in.
For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with SEX EDUCATION Seasons 1-4, but especially Season 4, Episode 7, “Episode 7,” streaming on Netflix.
MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.
KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a Research Program Manager at Yale University studying disability & chronic illness justice, access, and inclusion. She is also an adjunct instructor of Media Studies at the City College of New York (CCNY). She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!
MO CRUZ (she/her; guest) and CHRISTINA SCHMIDT (she/her; guest) are co-hosts of Movies That Raised Us, a weekly film review podcast. Once Upon A Time (aka freshman year of college), Mo and Christina met in the big apple. While neither became Princess of Genovia or found their long lost twin sister, they did bond over the movies that put those ideas in their heads. If you long for the days of talking through movies with your best friends, analyzing every juicy detail, and making whatever film you just watched your entire personality- look no further. Sit back and relax, as Mo and Christina cover formative movies, flip phones, and growing up on Movies That Raised Us. Listen to the pod anywhere you get your podcasts, plus find MTRU on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
KELLY GILBERT (she/her; recurring guest) is a student (phd in Twilight), sometimes activist, teen drama aficionado in Brooklyn! Find her IRL every night drinking her sorrows away at Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Experience!
MICK GILBERT (they/them; recurring guest) is a comic based between Upstate NY and Brooklyn, and Kelly’s identical twin! They love Degrassi: The Next Generation and turn to it for wisdom on how to be the best 32 year old Canadian teen they can be.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
DONDRÉ TAYLOR-STEWART (he/him; recurring guest) is a Jersey-born, Jamaican-raised TV writer in Los Angeles. His writing focuses on Black and queer characters finding themselves amid society's margins. By day, he works in environmental public policy; by night, he's busy crafting original pilots and DJ-ing.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
MARGARET MCLAUGHLIN (she/her; guest) is a Philly-born, LA-based labor organizer and aficionado of both high cinema and trash tv. Her favorite movie of the last five years is LA CHIMERA (watch it!) and most disgusting, trainwreck watch of a tv show is Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (please don’t do mental harm to yourself by watching). She’s offline but sometimes you can find her on Twitter at @mags_mclaugh
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
JILLIAN BONANNE (she/her; guest) is a content creator, podcaster, and certified teen drama superfan in NYC. Whether she's breaking down love triangles, visiting filming locations, or ranking heartthrobs, she brings nostalgia, humor, and a pop culture brain that never sleeps. Follow Jillian on IG, TikTok & YouTube @previouslyon_teentv
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.
CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).
Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.
intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats
All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.
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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:
Joyce, M. (2025). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Voices and Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. 4th Annual Symposium for Disability and Accessibility at Yale, New Haven, CT, United States.
Bradley, D., Pombier, N., Rodriguez, M. T., and Sonneborn, L. (2025). Access as Invitation: Challenging the Constraints of Normative Arts Participation [Conference presentation]. 4th Annual Symposium for Disability and Accessibility at Yale, New Haven, CT, United States.
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