I had a glance at the first episode and it’s less than 90 seconds before they crack open the first bottles of Coke. I remember watching it when it aired on youth channel Trouble here. I don’t think I even realised it was a Dawson’s Creek offshoot at the time. The main draw was that British actor Charlie Hunnam (who’d recently starred in the original Queer As Folk) was in it as a guest character.
I never watched the show, even when it became a bit more accessible when it aired at a regular time on Living. I know it’s commonplace these days but I remember thinking that the casting of a reality star (Kelly Osbourne) cheapened the show, in my eyes at least, so I didn’t bother with it.
Some Australian TV channels used to always do this too. They’d have these hyper melodramatic promos for Home and Away along the lines of “what happens tonight, will change their lives forever”. Then you’d watch the episode and it’d be something trivial like two characters having a disagreement.
I forget there was another connection (sort of) with Columbia Pictures ref Young Americans in addition to the Coca Cola one.
Young Americans was co produced by the television arm of Mandalay Entertainment, which was Peter Guber's company, and he had been the head of Columbia Pictures following the acquisition by Sony.
Mandalay had been acquired by the Canadian media company Lionsgate at the time Young Americans debuted. They owned it until 2002, and Peter Guber bought the company back.
To add, Steven Antin created Young Americans. His sister is Robin Antin, better known for forming the burlesque troupe The Pussycat Dolls, who evolved into the girl group featuring one Nicole Scherzinger.
