James at 15
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James at 15 was a United States television drama that aired on NBC in the 1977-1978 season. The series was a follow-up to the 1977 made for TV movie James at 15.
Protagonist James Hunter (Lance Kerwin) was the son of a college professor (Linden Chiles) who moved his family across the country to take a teaching job, transplanting James from Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts. James, who had Walter Mitty-like dreams and dabbled in photography, had a hard time fitting into his new surroundings. The show was highly praised for its realism and sensitivity, especially in its handling of James' deflowering by a Swedish exchange student (Kirsten Baker) in the episode which aired February 9, 1978--at which point the show assumed the name James at 16. Despite the critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season. Behind the scenes, the show's original executive producers, Martin Manulis and Joe Hardy, were replaced by Ron Rubin in December, 1977. Its head writer, novelist Dan Wakefield, quit in a dispute with NBC over the use of the euphemism responsible for 'birth control' in the February 9, 1978 episode.
Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson's Creek, cited this show as a major influence on him and named it as an inspiration for his show.