Scream is one of the most successful horror franchises, and while the creator of it has also brought other slashers, he also created a hit teen drama from the late 1990s that came out two years after Ghostface’s debut. The slasher genre saw its peak in the late 1970s and the 1980s, with movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th, both spawning successful franchises that continue to be quite popular. The genre seemed to have died when the 1990s kicked in, until Scream arrived in 1996 to successfully revive the genre.

Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, Scream took the audience to Woodsboro, California, where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends began to be stalked by a serial killer dressed as Ghostface. The success of Scream launched a franchise, with Williamson returning as writer in the second and fourth movies. In between horror projects, Williamson moved to TV, creating various TV shows, the first one being very different from what he created in Woodsboro: the now-classic teen drama .

Just two years after the release of Scream, and after writing Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Williamson visited the world of TV with something completely different from the slasher genre. Dawson’s Creek was a teen drama that debuted on The WB in 1998 and ran for six seasons, ending in 2003. Dawson’s Creek took the audience to the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, to follow friends Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek), Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson), and the new girl in town, Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams).

, with the many challenges, wins, and failures that come with being a teenager and entering young adulthood. Dawson’s Creek wasn’t scared of covering serious and sometimes dark topics, such as homophobia, mental health, age-gap relationships, and more. Dawson’s Creek was similar to Scream in terms of their focus being on teenagers, but they were completely different genres and stories.

Dawson’s Creek found great success during its initial run, but it also faced a lot of controversy. Due to some of the topics that had to be addressed as the show was a coming-of-age one, Dawson’s Creek was criticized for its “racy” plots and dialogue. The characters talking about sex, specific body parts, certain relationships, and more were criticized by many viewers and critics, including the Parents Television Council. However, these topics are a large part of why Dawson’s Creek was so successful.

to a generation that went through tough and traumatic world events, while also being smart and well-developed. , and some characters, like Jack, made history with their storylines (in Jack’s case, his coming out story). Dawson’s Creek has been highly influential in the genre of teen dramas, and it can be seen in shows like Felicity, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and The O.C., to name a few.

Dawson’s Creek was only the beginning of Kevin Williamson’s career on TV, as he continued to develop and produce many other TV shows, many of which fall into the realm of teen dramas. .

Based on the book series of the same name by L. J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries was developed by Williamson and Julie Plec. The Vampire Diaries follows Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenage girl who falls in love with a 161-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Their relationship gets more complicated when Stefan’s mysterious brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder), returns to town to bring his past love back, who is Elena’s doppelgänger.

The Vampire Diaries was a hit with critics and general audiences, launching a franchise with spinoff shows, comic books, and more. The Vampire Diaries is now considered one of the most influential supernatural teen dramas, and . Kevin Williamson has left his mark on TV in different branches of teen dramas, as well as on the slasher genre on the big screen, showcasing his talent in storytelling and his versatility.