NIKKI INDELICATO
Special to The Leader
TikTok has been a strong platform where many teens can show and share their passion for people and pop culture, including television shows.
Months ago, the TV show “Criminal Minds” was taking over the app by storm. Fans were posting how much they loved the show and were obsessed with it. But now, a new show has taken over.
On Sept. 10 2020, Netflix debuted their original TV show titled “Julie and the Phantoms.”
The story follows high schooler Julie Molina, who recently lost her mother and her passion for music over the past year. She then meets members of the band Sunset Curve and finds out that they are ghosts.
Together, they join forces and start creating music once again.
“It’s not just a girl with high school problems. It’s a girl recovering from her mother’s death and how she falls back in love with music,” said Cameron Ransom, a senior English major at Fredonia.
While the show was originally created and intended for a young audience, it ultimately brought in a bigger one.
All over TikTok, teens and college students have been sharing their experience and reactions throughout watching the series.
“It is relatable and authentic, plus the music is really good. Everyone can see parts of themselves in the characters,” said Casey Kunzer, a senior music therapy and psychology major at Fredonia.
The show deals with many topics that are going on in today’s society.
“The biggest theme that we know is death. I think we can all relate because at some point, especially at our age, we probably have lost someone in our lives,” said Emily Richards, a senior video production and psychology major at Fredonia.
The show also follows the themes of LGBTQ+, high school bullies and family.
It seems that even though the target demographic was for younger kids, it touches on bigger themes that anyone can relate to.
The show is directed by Kenny Ortega. He is known for directing the “High School Musical” and “Descendants” trilogies and even the Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus.”
This brings back fond memories for fans of the show since they have grown up being exposed to his work from when they were children.
“It is really cool to see all the comparisons to the various other projects he has worked on. You can feel the nostalgia from his past projects in this show,” said Allison Richards, a senior early childhood and childhood education major at Fredonia.
There are many similarities between the characters that have been in his previous movies and they are carried into the characters that we now see in “Julie and the Phantoms.”
The cast themselves even have a big presence on TikTok to support the show. It has helped build a strong connection between them and the fans.
With all the interactions that are made between the cast and the fans, it shows how important and how much they value the loyal fanbase that has been created due to this small show that premiered on Netflix.
In a year where the world has lost so much, it’s the little things like a TV show that can bring so much joy and happiness back into people’s lives.