Chris Evans made his television debut with Milo Ventimiglia in this Fox teen drama

Chris Evanshas taken on countless different roles throughout his career. Some fans learned about his comedic talent when he played Jake Wyler in 2001. Not another teen movie and as Ransom Drysdale in the hit comedy of 2019, Knives out, while comic fans discovered his work in 2005 Fantastic Four and later as the iconic Captain America in several different Marvel films. Recently, Evans has started to impress people with his dramatic acting in projects like 2020’s Defend Jacobbut no matter what genre he tackles, Evans has proven he can rise to any challenge.

The teen drama seriesOpposite genderwhich was released in 2000, was Evans’ first real acting gig, and perhaps the best part is that the series also featured another popular actor: Milo Ventimiglia. Yesbefore receiving Emmy nominations for his portrayal of the best dad ever, Jack Pearson, in this is usor as Rory’s boyfriend who brings bad news, Jess Mariano, in Gilmore Girls, Ventimiglia began his career alongside Evans in Other gender. Although Ventimiglia already had some acting experience at this point, he and Evans teamed up to bring the teen drama to the screen. The underrated series didn’t last very long, but it propelled these two incredible actors onto bigger and better things.

The Second Sex (2000)

Opposite Sex is a comedy-drama television series about 15-year-old Jed Perry, who moves to Northern California with his recently widowed father and enrolls in Evergreen Academy, a former all-girls school. Jed, along with the only other male students, Cary and Phil, navigates the challenges and dynamics of being one of the first boys in the school.

Release date

July 17, 2000

Pour

Milo Ventimiglia, Margot Finley, Kyle Howard, Chris Evans, Allison Mack, Lindsey McKeon, Paul Fitzgerald, Chris Hogan

Main genre

comedy

Seasons

1

Creator

Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein

“Opposite Sex” has an interesting premise and a solid cast

In the series, Ventimiglia plays teenager Jed Perry, whose mother has just tragically died. He moves to Northern California with his father, who enrolls him in the prestigious Evergreen Academy. But when he starts classes, Jed realizes that Evergreen used to be an all-girls school, which Only was restructured into a coeducational institution. Besides Jed, only two other boys attend the school: Cary Baston (Evans) and Philip Steffan (Kyle Howard). Of course, the girls who attend the school are not very happy about the new intruders and try their best to make it clear to the opposite sex that they are not welcome in Evergreen.

In addition to the interesting premise of a school where girls try to reclaim their power, the series also features an impressive cast. At the time of its broadcast, there were no major celebrities attached to the show, but looking back, there are several familiar names that stand out. Allison Mack plays Kate Jacobs, one of the girls at Evergreen who actually becomes friends with Jed. Mack later played the role of Chloe Sullivan in Smallvillebut she is now perhaps best known for her involvement in the real-life NXIVM cult (which was portrayed in the HBO documentary series, The vow). Reality TV star, Garcelle Beauvaisalso appears in the series, years before it officially became a Actors of The Real Housewives of Beverly HillsAnd Virgin River‘S Alexandra Breckenridge is also a guest star in three episodes. Even though these actors were not big stars at the time, They still helped create a quality show that attempted to break out of the mold of traditional teen dramas.

“Opposite Sex” received good reviews but was still canceled

The series first aired on Fox in July 2000 and received mostly positive reviews. diversity even called it a show with a “clever concept, elegant production values, a nice cast and a well-thought-out script.” Many praised the creator, Marc Silversteinbecause she had an idea that pushed the boundaries of what teen dramas could do at the time. Silverstein, who wrote the classic romantic comedy, UnkissedIn 1999, he developed storylines that he believed were perfectly tailored to the target audience of teenagers in the new millennium.

The show attempted to mix comedy and drama, which would be a pioneering approach for many future teen shows. Other gender was also one of the first teen dramas to use mostly independent artists for the soundtrack, proving that it was trying to forge its own unique path in the television world. However, the show seemed doomed from the start. It was supposed to premiere in the fall of 1999-2000, but was then pushed back to the summer, and back then, summer was a dead time for network television. This was a sign that the network was already losing trust in what the series could achieve before it even aired.

Related

Chris Evans was the best part of the Fantastic Four movies

The Fantastic Four movies weren’t perfect, but Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm certainly was.

The same diversity Review found that Other gender would never be able to compete with hugely successful shows like Survivors that were currently capturing viewers’ attention. Additionally, the series consisted of only eight episodes, which was a minuscule number of episodes per season for that time period (most shows had at least 20 episodes per season). To make matters worse, Fox decided to air only six of the eight episodes that had been filmed in the United States (other countries like Canada aired all eight) before officially canceling the series.

“Opposite Sex” set a precedent for what makes a great teen drama

There were some things that Other gender were destined for the rejects (including several storylines that viewers found predictable), but the series gave Evans and Ventimiglia’s careers a major boost. The two actors developed their resumes and were able to use their early acting experiences to hone their craft even further.

Although the series was short-lived, it offers a fascinating insight into the kind of series that were being greenlit in 1999. Television was just beginning to push itself to become edgier, especially in the teen drama genre, and Other gender was a necessary step for the kind of stories that could be told about teenagers And for the actors who appeared in it. The series remains an interesting highlight in Evans and Ventimiglia’s pasthas well earned a place in the category of classic teen dramas of the early 2000s.