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In a brief November 2005 review, Variety noted that South of Nowhere was evidence that the new network “wasn't screwing around.” But they found the cast too pretty to be taken seriously (“looking like they just stumbled out of the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog”) and classified the subject matter as “soapy antics.” The Hollywood Reporter (November, 2005) was only briefly distracted by the “super cool and hip look” of the show and the “political correctness” of its multi-ethnic and queer characters before acknowledging its “fundamental substance” and excellent character development. The reviewer ultimately decides, “It's solid and worthy of teenagers taking more than just a look.”

The initial minimal hype about SON in the mainstream media is due at least in part to the fact that it's a cable program on a relatively new network. But it also represents the general tendency of the culture—no matter how “youth obsessed” it seems to be--to diminish and dismiss the depth and importance of the emotional lives of children and teenagers. And the fact that queer content is not banished to the realm of gimmicky subplot on SON (as it is in the exploitive, media-darling The O.C.) means that the gay and lesbian press is expected to—and likely will—care more about the show and cover it more completely than the mainstream. (That is, until it's acknowledged as a hit.)

So where is the love? Try the internet.

The N hosts a message board that functions as much as a support group for its teen fans as a platform for them to speculate about the show. Sure, participants discuss which SON character they most like to be or to kiss, but there are also discussions of more serious topics like coming out to parents or being forbidden to watch the show because of its gay content. SON is one of the few shows currently on television that could be having a significant positive impact on young queer viewers. (And a common refrain among older queer fans is that they wish there had been a show like South of Nowhere for them to watch when they were coming of age and coming out.)

And just about any web search engine will deliver multiple references to the show on general fansites and fanfiction sites. While there are scattered Aiden, Clay, and Glen devotees, the online focus is largely on Spencer and Ashley and their budding lesbian relationship. It's a surprising divergence from typical fansites that highlight the pin-up appeal of favorite stars, as well as tabloid-inspired hunger to know more about the personal lives of the celebrities in question. South of Nowhere fansites, particularly those devoted to Spencer and Ashley as a couple, are more concerned with the lives and relationships of the characters.

This is particularly obvious when reading the sizeable amount of fanfiction already written about a relatively new show. Writers of all ages are creating their own plot developments, imagining couplings that we haven't seen on the show, and throwing the spotlight to favorite characters that aren't always in the on-air foreground (such as Madison). And fans impatient for the Spashley “hook-up” to finally happen are expediting the process with some NC-17-rated fiction!

There are also online “roleplay” sites in which South of Nowhere fans can log in as their favorite character and basically improvise scenes with other fans/characters. If the show had not been picked up for a second season, it's clear that fanfiction writers and role-players would have kept the SON characters and their stories alive and thriving.

The online press is also backing South of Nowhere. In a December 9, 2005 article, “High School Homos and the TV Viewers Who Love Them,” Slate.com lauded The N's pro-gay programming—DeGrassi:The Next Generation and SON—and depictions of queer teens as well-adjusted and popular. Of both shows, the reviewer wrote, “Yes, it's a different take on real life—or should I say a real take on real life. And bravo to The N for taking the shot and the chance.”

It's only a matter of time before the mainstream press and wider audiences jump on the South of Nowhere bandwagon, and when they do it will be because the young fan base for the show has led them there. It won't be the first time that teens have prospected pop-culture gold right under the noses of parents and older critics alike. Or the last.

Find SON articles, interviews and recaps in our
South of Nowhere section or at the official website.

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