Sweet Valley High, the books & the TV series

[Dustyblue]

I was tempted to put this in the Telly section but this seemed better.

As a massive fan of the books (I have a few hundred of them... they're getting harder and harder to find in decent condition) I've watched many of the TV series episodes. Even though they butchered the books, I'm that much of a fan I kept watching 😁

The actors who played Elizabeth & Jessica, Brittany & Cynthia Daniels, are interviewed here years later. Wow, what a story... Francine Pascal herself didn't come up with this!

Brittany Daniel Had a Baby Using Her Twin Sister Cynthia's Donor Egg (people.com)

I remember the one where a serial killer comes to town and happens to look like the twins and tries to kill one so she can take over??

@Dustyblue Olivia is played by Jemima Rooper who is actually a really good British actress. I think I watched it on Paramount Plus which is a paid TV app; they have loads of the VA adaptions. The Dawn series has now been released too! You can discover those whilst I sink into SVH from Kindle Unlimited!

This is wonderful information. Thank you so much. I WILL find it somehow!!

These were my favourite ones!

@Namechangeforthisthread45 Found it! Bless you my darling for thou art fabulous (bring on kiddo bedtime tonight) 😃

Jemima Rooper was George in a Famous Five series. I always recognise her when she pops up in things for that reason!

This was a whole miniseries which ended in The Evil Twin. It was a wild ride!

Loving this thread!

I loved
svh/d
The babysitter club
Judy Blume
Virginia Andrews
Point horror

I re read forever recently. It's still a great book and very relevant

We have similar tastes 😄expect for Point Horror. Couldn't get into those myself, but sold a few as a 2nd-hand bookseller, quite popular they were!

Forever is still a classic isn't it? There was a made-for-tv movie in 1978, but I've only ever found one 14-min clip of it.

I would pay good money to see the whole movie!

I would pay good money to see the whole movie!

Treat yourself OP!

https://www.modcinema.com/

@isitjustmeme I re read Forever a couple of years back and I didn't like it.
I realised that the characters didn't have any personality and I couldn't see what Katherine's attraction to Micheal was. We (the reader) didn't learn anything about him.
I hated the storyline of the friend who had a baby and gave her up for adoption. I found it heartbreaking but in the book everyone just seems to not give it a second thought. I vaguely remember there's one comment about how this friend (I can't remember her name right now) won't be able to graduate school with an "academic" diploma just an "attendance" one or something because she missed school by having a baby - and the characters seem to care more about that than this poor girl giving up her baby.
There was the subplot too of the male friend being depressed and trying to kill himself because he thought he was gay (this went completely over my head when I first read it as a teen). It takes up barely a chapter!
Looking at it now - as an adult - I think it's a terrible book about first romance.
I love all the other Judy Blume books - even though some do have parts that are dated - but the characters are wonderful.
And lets face it - if anyone found out their boyfriend called his penis Ralph they'd be starting one of those "I've got the ick" threads on here 😂

Fair enough. For me what stood out was the safety and consent around sex. It wasn't the typical boy pressuring a girl and the girl feeling pressured. But that somehow being okay because they 'love' each other. It showed a healthy relationship with upfront conversation about sex and protection. And that was in the seventies when these things were a lot more taboo.
The adoption storyline I guess it depends on your views on adoption. A woman made a choice and put herself first.
The attempted suicide highlighted the pressure teens can feel to leave up to expectations.

It probably didn't need the extras in though as yes it did sidetrack from the main plot of first sex/love and I agree it could have gone deeper into their relationship and them as people.
I think they just fancied each other. There wasn't much more depth to their relationship than that.

@Needmorelego sorry meant to add I thought the attempted suicide was due to his father's pressure on what school he attends? I remember a discussion about him being gay with her best friend but I thought he concluded he wasn't?

@papersky it was in tv years ago it wasn't very good

I used to love these books. Also, the sweet valley twins series which came before when the twins were aged about 11.

I almost had the whole collection, I used to find them in charity shops as a kid for about 20p.

I was always more fascinated with the character Lila Fowler. She was Jessica's best friend, a very rich, spoilt little bitch who always used to get her own way! 😂

@isitjustmeme I found the whole thing about using condoms (or sheath as they call it) was only about preventing pregnancy not STDs (Katherine goes on the pill so they can stop using them) and the only mention of STDs is a joke about "VD".
It's obviously "of it's time" (1975 when published) but other than a slight disclaimer at the beginning in modern editions about using condoms as well as the pill it's not really made clear that it's a book "set" in the 70s so for modern teens it's not great.
It's actually sad to think the friend who was gay is of the era that he possibly caught HIV/AIDS 🙁
The friend who gave up her baby was hardly a "woman" - she was a High Schooler.

@isitjustmeme I think the suicide attempt was a mix of parental pressure and sexuality.
I might have to re-read again.

Does anyone remember what the historical ones were called. I loved the one I had - mum's side. I only realised from this thread that there was a dad's side version too. These days I'm really into genealogy (and I'm now wondering if this book was part of the reason actually!), so I'd love to find copies.

@PaperSky This has made my day, or week! I did treat myself!

It may not work when it arrives, but at that price I'll take the risk happily 😎

Few other good ones on that site... many thanks

Loving this thread! Even back in the 90s I remember rolling my eyes a bit at the:

"perfect size 6 figures"
"blue green eyes the colour of the Pacific Ocean" blah blah blah, whilst their brother and dad of course were tall dark and handsome.

@newrubylane abebooks has the historical ones 🙂

I do! They were 'Magna' Editions from the original SVH series. Not to be confused with the 'Super' Editions, nor the 'Thriller' Editions, nor anything else. You're right, they covered Mum & Dad's sides.

Magna Edition: Sweet Valley Saga 'The Wakefields of Sweet Valley"
Magna Edition: Sweet Valley Saga 'The Wakefield Legacy- The Untold Story"

There are more- 'The Fowlers of Sweet Valley' & 'The Patmans of Sweet Valley'.

These days I'm really into genealogy (and I'm now wondering if this book was part of the reason actually!)

That made me laugh a lot. I hope you're not descended from the Wakefield family, they are batshit 😆

@LenaLamont I had an excellent op-shop find today, a Wildfire book!

1983 US copy "Homecoming Queen" - I leapt on it! I vaguely remember Wildfire but had none in my collection. The book is surprisingly intact, and 218pp. That's much longer than the avg SD novel. I am happy.

Sorry had to share 😍

Excellent! Enjoy!

I agree somewhat with @Needmorelego on Forever. For me, the bit about losing her virginity stood out. Re reading it after, myself and my friends felt it very unrealistic and romanticised. None of us had an experience that good. Maybe we were just unlucky.