Opposite Sex is an American comedy-drama series that aired during Fox's summer 2000 schedule. The series was one of the first teen dramas to primarily use independent artists on its soundtrack by such acts as Elliott Smith and Ben Lee.
Synopsis
The series chronicles the life of Jed Perry, a 15-year-old boy who moves to Northern California along with his father shortly after the death of his mother. After enrolling at the prestigious Evergreen Academy, Jed finds out the school was formerly for girls, and recently became co-ed. Along with Jed, only two other boys attend the school, Philip Steffan and Cary Baston. The boys run into problems when the girls of the school are resistant to the changes and make it clear that their presence is unwanted. It was initially shot in 1999 for the 1999–2000 season, but for various reasons the series was delayed until Summer 2000. The series lasted eight episodes before being canceled. It is unknown if anything from episodes 9–13 was filmed or completed.
Carole Horst of Variety wrote of the series, "Clever concept, sleek production values, a nice cast and thoughtful writing add up to the enjoyable Opposite Sex". In concluding her review she stated, "Despite all the good things in this gentle comedy-drama, it's hard to say who the series is aimed at: It's not intellectual enough for "Freaks" fans and too grounded for the WBcrowd. Young auds will have to seek it out. And therein lies the rub." Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter described Opposite Sex as a "far-fetched, overly earnest teen-oriented show" that "never manages to overcome its contrived premise and establish real emotional connections." He went on to say that "My So-Called Life and Freaks & Geeks have raised the bar for teen drama by providing keen insight into the awkwardness of adolescence" and that while not on the same level this series is "not nearly as cartoonish" as Saved by the Bell. Joel Brown, a New York Timessyndicated columnist published in The Spokesman-Review found that "Ventimiglia conveys Jed's frustration well" but that "bad TV cliches overwhelm this show's mild promise." The Modesto Bee'sTV critic, Kevin McDonough, describes the series as "hardly the worst teen show of the year." He continues by stating that "it lacks the soft-core exploitation that permeates Young Americans."
