Blossom: Seasons 1 & 2

Together with Clarissa Explains It All, this 1991-95 coming of age series ushered in a new generation of empathetic and empowering teen and ‘tween queens. Fifteen-year-old Blossom (the enormously appealing Mayim Bialik, who portrayed the young C.C. in Beaches) is the only girl in a house that includes her session musician father (Ted Wass), curmudgeonly grandfather (Barnard Hughes), and two brothers—recovering addict Anthony (Michael Stoyanov) and jock Joey (Joseph Lawrence in his teen idol-making role)—after her Mom abandoned the family to pursue a singing career in Paris. Bialik's high-spirited dance during the opening credits instantly draws viewers in with its exuberant girls-just-want-to-have-fun spunk, and within the first 40 seconds of the initial episode (in which Blossom attempts to buy her first box of tampons) the series broke the primetime mold. Blossom would deal with age-relevant issues that other series did not, including puberty, sex, substance abuse, and hurtful gossip. Blossom, who is not quite a beauty but also not exactly a geek (her participation in marching band notwithstanding), is both smart and reasonably popular. In the 37 episodes from the 1991-92 first and second seasons, Blossom and her chatty best friend, Six, (Jenna von Oy)—perhaps the best girl buddy team since Patty and Lauren on Square Pegs—navigate the hazards of adolescence. Will Blossom lie to her father about attending her first makeout party? Will she smoke a joint she finds on the bus? Will she go to “second base” with her new boyfriend? Refreshingly, Blossom leaves some episodes open-ended, offering families something to discuss. DVD extras include cast commentaries, the original 1990 pilot, and segments about the development of the series, Blossom and Six's friendship, and fashion on the show. To quote the theme song, in my opinionation Blossom still shines. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)