Sweet Valley High (TV Series 1994–1998) Poster

(1994–1998)

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5/10
Twins playing twins
bkoganbing27 May 2016
My niece who is now 30 was 8 when the series Sweet Valley High debuted. She read the books and watched the show faithfully. The show is gone though the books like the Hardy Boys never seem to die.

Sweet Valley High ran for four years on television. During that time my niece outgrew her liking of the books and the series. I think she got to see what real school was like. It never is populated totally with beautiful and/or funny people.

The center of the Sweet Valley stories was around those Wakefield twins Liz and Jessica. Unlike in Disney's Liv And Maddie the twins were played by real life twins Brittany and Cynthia Daniel. Made for better television I think than one girl playing two separate roles with trick photography.

Liz Wakefield was the sweet and serious minded girl and was a one girl boy. If the boy was star athlete Todd Wilkins why would anyone cheat. Todd was a good kid, maybe too much of one to be real. He got a change in looks if not personality when Ryan Bittle left and the role was taken by Jeremy Garrett mid point in the run. They were one star couple.

But things usually revolved around Jessica Wakefield who was flighty and irresponsible and usually set up the plot situations for each episode. But mean, never, in fact there really were no mean people in Sweet Valley High. No one like the people you see in a film like Cruel Intentions.

Sweet Valley High was a book series, a television series, and a place where really bad people don't exist. Good for an 8 year old's idea of high school.
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Fun..
dramaclub015 January 2001
Good show...though I just couldn't stand the third season with that stupid surfer dude.Bounced back in last season when Devon Whitelaw came.Second season was my fave.

This is a show for the 12-year old inside of you.
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8/10
either terrible or good TV show - yet awfully good. Not to be taken seriously, though
cineasten8931 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Well, I grew up reading Francine Pascal's book series of the twins Liz and Jess Wakefield in Sweet Valley so it grew naturally that I became a huge fan of the books and later discovered this TV show, making it a favorite TV show of mine. I couldn't miss a single episode of this TV show, which I followed through four years and have surely watched more than three reruns of this TV show.

And it was a long time ago, when I hadn't yet become a teenager. And really, this TV show is not to be taken seriously - all stuff in this TV show is all simply too "Hollywoodish" or too "beautiful and perfect", so to say. Well, this milks stereotypes - the twins are blonde, busty, one of them are beautiful cheerleader, a friend is a studious brunette, another is fiery redhead, etc. And worst of all, bad acting. Get the picture? Yes.

But it is yet all part of the fun, and I think no one takes the series to heart and starts to question the reality of it all because it is just another Hollywoodish TV show... And did you know, all TV shows from Hollywood are more or less un-realistic.

Well, the best you can do is skipping the seriously part and enjoy it as it is... why wouldn't we when there are similar stereotypes of this kind of show in other shows both formerly and recently - 7th heaven, The OC, Summerland, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place - all of them always have some beautiful blondin or brunette and similar unrealistic events that could just happen in either the movie or TV worlds. But hey, just enjoy it... when you won't experience it in real life.
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Books or TV?
sweetvalleygirl1623 August 2004
I am a huge fan of the books. I've been reading for 11 years and love them dearly with a collection of approximately 400. For those of you who have never read the books - please read them before making a judgment.

I grew up with Sweet Valley. Sometimes (I know it's sad) the SVH gang were my closest friends, they were always there. Imagine my delight in looking in my TV guide to see 'Sweet Valley High' I was as high as a kite. It first aired when I was 11. I'd never seen it and was so excited. I saw it. I watched quite a few episodes. Then I realized how much I hated it. I felt it took away all the values and the characters the book series had created. So I stopped watching. When I was 15 it re-aired. At 5:35 am. I remember that I hadn't seen an episode for four long years so I was feeling more open minded. When I got up that morning it felt like Christmas. Watching the episode I was so happy. I realized that yeah, they were different from the books, but last time all I did was sit there and pick faults. This time I just sat and watched. And enjoyed. I saw it for what it really was: a poor effort at a TV show about a brilliant book series. But at least it was an effort. However I must say the Sweet Valley I attended in my heart was the one of the books, not the TV show.

All in all not bad, if you can separate it from the books, otherwise you may hate it.
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Stereotypical, but who cares?
LouiseNZ28 November 2002
For all the people who watch Sweet Valley High expecting something deep and meaningful, you've come to the wrong place. Sweet Valley is pointless and kinda shallow, but hey, who cares? I used to love this show when I was about 12. Of course that was probably the demographic they aimed for, but it's a show that is definitely worth seeing if you're a fan of the books, or even if you just want to kick back and turn off your brain, because face it- it's a very cool show and well worth watching, but if you want to watch something deep, go watch ER.
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Awfully good.
I remember liking both the books and the show when I was younger, but it had been so long since I have been exposed to either until recently when I picked up season one on DVD. All I can say is that this show is so terrible, but at the same time, it's incredibly awesome. I don't remember the acting being as bad as it is. Everything seems so forced and fake. Both the lines and the deliveries are laughable. All of the situations that occur are unbelievable. For example, in one episode, Elizabeth's longtime pen pal, who just happens to be a prince, comes to visit Sweet Valley. During his visit, he falls in love with Jessica. Amazing. I definitely recommend watching this if you're in the mood for something terrible.
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Don't criticize it, just enjoy it...
gabymacdisney21 January 2005
I grew up reading the Sweet Valley series. These series have been my life-savers because they helped me learn English! my native language is Spanish and I started reading these books when I was 11 years old. At first it took me like a month to read a 60 page book, it was terrible, but now I can read and write and speak English with no problem at all, thanks to these novels. You can probably understand now why I would be so attached to them, and when I found out about the T.V. Series I was more than happy. I loved them, but then again, I love the books and I'm fascinated with twins, I think they're a miracle. The acting of course is not going to be out of this world nor the production itself, but all I can say is that if you are a true Sweet Valley series lover, you will love the show, I know I did and I even recorded them, they're not meant to be a golden globe winning show, they're meant to be just for fun and that's what it is, fun.
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A Great Show!!!
Sych0path66617 June 2002
During its brief three year run, SWEET VALLEY HIGH was my favorite show. Cynthia and Brittany Daniel were wonderful in their roles of twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield...I found that I couldn't miss a single episode, which was unlike me, and taped the ones that did air, watching them over and over...this was a truly underrated and mostly cleverly written show...I really wish it had gone on for a few more seasons, or at least continued on in SWEET VALLEY UNIVERSITY...I hope this reruns soon..
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i love it
teen_twin24 September 2002
i loved watching SVH and i love reading the books. this was one of my favourite tv shows ever. i think it was great. it was amazing watching how two identical twin sisters can have so different personalities but be so close to each other. i loved watching them go through the trials of being teenagers with each other and their friends/boyfriends
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Great Show
Crystalr1329 April 2001
Sweet Valley High is an incredible book series. I love this TV series because it brings the characters to life. Brittany and Cynthia are great actress and play the part of Elizabeth and Jessica very well.
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Well done show
daniel_hofverberg14 August 2000
This is a great TV show, well worth watching. Yes, there are better shows out there, but it´s still good and worth watching. And great actors, especially Cynthia and Brittany Daniel. I only wish that they could air all episodes here in Sweden (as I don´t think they have...).
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wish the print was better...
shimmer20046 March 2005
i was able to get a hold of the DVD a week before its release and i was so excited when i opened it the packaging is really nice and for some reason it smelled like a newly bought book:) however, the print is not DVD standards, i felt like i was watching it on VHS, they should have digitally remastered it to look sharp and clean...i use to watch this show when i was younger on ytv, thats the only reason i bought it as i didn't really even remember what the show was like exactly, i guess i just wanted to regain a peace of my youth...i wish they would put swans crossing on DVD, i wouldn't mind the bad print on that as i know its old and hard to get a hold of.
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Not quite as sweet as Teen Angel...
TeEn AnGeL28 June 2001
After Teen Angel and maybe Home and Away, i must admit that Sweet Valley High is just the best show ever!

I just love the *brilliant* acting and the set designs were superb! And that opening theme song... well what can i say, has there ever been a better song ? (Although that "you know we belong together" song from Home and Away came close and the entire Lost in Yonkers soundtrack is pretty good).

Anyway when i talk about the brilliant acting i am referring to one actress in particular - Bridget Flanery! She played the original Lila and then they replaced her for some reason. I considered not watching Sweet Valley High for awhile after that but there *are* several other good actors in it (such as the Daniel twins). But back to Bridget Flanery - not only was she brilliant in this show she did have a guest role in my favourite tv show of all time, Teen Angel. For those of you who watched it she played the role of Jessica. And she played it so well it brought tears of joy to my eyes when i saw her.

Sweet Valley High was a wonderful tv show and it is a pity they ended after so few seasons.
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The show for stereotype cheerleader bimbos!
zeppo-105 June 2000
I must say that I really hate this show... I don't know about the books (never read) but if they are as bad as this show, then I'll pass...

It's about these 2 twin "cheerleader-blonde-bimbos" that one of them is self-centered and ego, and the other a little more nice (and smarter).

There are 2 types of male character "groups": either are they jocks (or very sporty & muscular), ego, drive around in a brand new sport cars. Or they are geeks that everybody of them loves star trek and other stereotypically known for being "geeky" things.

The girl-characters in this show are most of them fashion obsessed and/or selfcentered. If those characters were meant to be funny by acting like this, then the script writers have done a very bad job!

All the characters are stereotypical and boring, the plot and story is also extremely stupid and pointless...
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Good Show
AeroSP7920 January 2001
I liked this show. I even used to record it (but it was Syndicated and kept moving from station to station). The show of course is based off the well known books created by Francine Pascal (but written by someone else). Sometimes the series would borrow the plots from the books, but mostly it did not. The show also had new characters in the series such as Manny. If you like the books, there is a good chance you will like this show - maybe.
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Rubbish show
ELAINEG2 March 2004
OK, I liked the books. I really did. They were sweet and perfect for the pre-teen me who used to read them, but the show. My God! There is no excuse for a show to be so ridiculous when it has a solid source (for it's genre) to work from. I mean, the whole tone of the show completely disregards the sensitivity of the books, with little sympathy being conveyed for any of the characters. I know that book-to-screen translations can be a little tetchy at best, but this is a joke!! It should have been made as a teen drama based on solid performances, not this tripe that has been dished out!!

And as for the acting...God! I've seen more range from a herd of cattle!
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Never as good as the books
QueenMakeda842 March 2004
Ugh! I had written something down and had one more line to go to make 10 for IMDB and the whole thing gets erased. Anywho, this show was a training school for actors. My title says it all. The show is never as good as the books, but everyone knows that. Hollywood and authors don't get along, but it irks me to see "based on so-and-so's..." and you know it's not. You spend the rest of the 1/2 hour wondering what part it's based on. The table of contents perhaps? The twins were cute, but merely decorative and the plots silly. I watched this in junior high, so you can understand why I supported it to some degree. It's a basic Hollywood formula, put pretty people in and let it sail. Have the one black person to shut NAACP up and carry on. It's a fluff show, nothing more. Not surprised it's canceled.
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