10 Things You May Not Know About "Dawson's Creek"

Twenty years ago, you couldn't find a teenager who didn't watch Dawson's Creek.

The show ran for six seasons, and was centered around the lives of a tight-knit group of friends living in Capeside, Massachusetts.  

Dawson Leery, Joey Potter, Jen Lindley, and Pacey Witter taught us valuable lessons in growing up, high school, falling in love, and finding your identity.

Here are 10 things you may have never known about one of your favorite teen shows!

1. Dawson was the last role to be cast.

Actor James Van Der Beek got the part the day before production started on the pilot. Talk about a close casting call.

Speaking of the actor, James revealed he found it difficult to watch his character on screen. Apparently it was "stressful" to watch after season three.

2. The first two seasons were based on real life.

Kevin Williamson, the show's creator, revealed that all the major plot points in the first two seasons of the show were inspired from his life, or from the life of other writers. He confessed that his family sometimes got uncomfortable watching the storylines.

3. The show was considered "racy" in the beginning.

Would a show about teen angst be relatable if it didn't contain explicit references to taboo subjects? Well, apparently for the late '90s it was a little too much. There were concerns over straightfoward references to masturbation and how the writers approached the subject of sex.

4. The Dawson Haircut was inspired by Brat Pitt.

Dawson's hair in season one was inspired by Brad Pitt's haircut in The Devil's Own. Yes, the resemblance is uncanny...

5. Pacey was going to be Dawson.

Actor Joshua Jackson auditioned for both roles, but the creators decided he was a better fit for Pacey. Imagine how different the show would have been if the roles were reversed...

6. No one was the right age.

Almost every actor was playing a character that was older or younger than them. While most were older, Mary Beth Peil, who played Grams, was much younger. They put shoe polish in her hair and added wrinkles to her face.  

Well, at least they all appeared to be the right age for the character they played.

7. Joey was the only character to appear in all episodes.

And they had the nerve to call it Dawson's Creek?!?

8. Andie returned in the series finale, but her scenes were cut from the show.

They blamed it on time restraints, but I'm not sure if I can forgive them for this.

9. Dawson's crying face was his own doing.

Teens nowadays are familiar with Dawson's Creek because of Dawson's cry-face. The actor revealed that it wasn't scripted: “You know, it was just high drama; you've been living with this character for a while and a scene like that just kind of drops in your lap and you just lose it.”

10. The creator thinks a reunion or revival with the original cast wouldn't work.

"One of the reasons we did the finale five years in the future was to put a button on it," Williamson said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "What would a reunion be? What would that look like? Why would you? I don't see it and I don't feel it. The finale was such a beautiful moment in time and the show was always meant to be a nostalgia piece. Let it stay there and live in its nostalgia and its nostalgic universe.

What did you love most about this show?