Netflix Removes Iconic ’90s Show

One of the most iconic TV shows of the 1990s — and one of the most popular shows for binge-watching — has been removed from Netflix. As of May 1, Dawson’s Creek is no longer available in the Netflix catalog. However, you can still stream the show on HBO Max, Hulu or on digital stores where you can rent or purchase it.

Dawson’s Creek has maintained its cultural clout and significance since it first aired, and it’s not hard to see why. The melodrama has a clear and visible influence on much of the media that has come after it, as well as a lasting impact on the people who watched it themselves. Dawson’s Creek starred James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery, Katie Holmes as Joey Potter, Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley and Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter. It followed the ups and downs of their lives as high schoolers in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts.

Dawson’s Creek was created by Kevin Williamson, but he only stayed on as executive producer and showrunner for one season. Williamson later revealed that Dawson’s Creek was “semi-autobiographical,” and that the character of Dawson was loosely based on him. He confirmed that there was a friend in his youth roughly analogous to Joey Potter. He returned to write the two-part series finale at the end.

Dawson’s Creek was also notable for helping to launch The WB, which was relatively new at the time. That network would become a huge part of the TV landscape of that era, and would eventually morph into The CW. It was the home of some iconic children’s TV shows like Batman Beyond, and of many other melodramas along the lines of Dawson’s Creek.

The show itself sought to combine tropes and themes from existing dramas like Beverly Hills 90210, along with older series like Little House on the Prairie. It tied these together with frequent references to other TV shows and movies. Williamson said that Dawson’s penchant for quoting Steven Spielberg movies was taken directly from his real life.

In fact, the meta aspects of Dawson’s Creek were one of the clearest clues about Williamson’s other famous creations. Outside of this show, he is best known for writing Scream in 1994, which not only revitalized the slasher genre but introduced the kind of self-referential jokes that would define much of the media to follow in that generation.

There are six seasons of Dawson’s Creek, with a total of 128 episodes, all-around 45 minutes each. You can find it on Hulu, HBO Max or on digital stores to rent or purchase.