''The Bedford Diaries'' is an American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television series that premiered on March 29, 2006, on

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

and concluded its first season on May 10, 2006. The series was created by

Tom Fontana Tom Fontana (born September 12, 1951) is an American screenwriter, writer, and television producer. Fontana worked on NBC's '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and created HBO's ''Oz.'' Early life and education Fontana was born on the west si ...

and Julie Martin. This series was canceled on May 18, 2006, after one season. A week prior to its premiere, The WB attempted to build buzz with scenes from the series' pilot posted on their website with more adult material not meant for broadcast, with those scenes edited out for the actual broadcast episode.

Plot

''The Bedford Diaries'' explores the excitement and intensity of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

college life through the eyes of six students with different backgrounds, experiences and ages, who are brought together in a provocative sexuality seminar. The seminar, which examines the human condition through sexuality, is taught by maverick Professor Jake Macklin, who will challenge and inspire his students as they question their assumptions about their own sexuality, life and identity. The themes include sexual responsibility, manipulation, and the differences between love and sex, passion and

abstinence Abstinence is the practice of self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol (drug), ...

. The students’ innermost thoughts and desires are told through video diaries they make to fulfill their weekly class assignments. Among the students are Sarah Gregory, the Student Government President, poised and assured but vulnerable in love, and her younger brother, Owen Gregory, a freshman pre-med major, who plans to take advantage of all the fun college life has to offer. Natalie Dykstra, a lovely, outgoing and emotional woman, has returned to campus after a suicide attempt. She now struggles with being stereotyped as “the jumper.” Natalie's ex-boyfriend, Richard Thorne, a former

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...

bad boy who turned his life around after Natalie's jump, is also a member of the class. He's now clean, sober and works as the college newspaper's editor, but he's still tormented by old demons. Lee Hemingway is a scholarship student from Queens with ambitions to become an art historian. Lee has a serious girlfriend, Rachel, but he's attracted to another scholarship student, Zoe Lopez. Zoe talks a fast and flirty game, but despite her brash veneer, she is still a virgin and struggles with her growing feelings for Lee. The series also stars

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

-winner

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acti ...

as Professor Carla Bonatelle, a Political Science professor and head of the Ethics Committee, who regularly clashes with Professor Macklin, as well as with Harold Harper (

Peter Gerety Peter Gerety is an American actor. He played officer, later detective, Stuart Gharty on '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1996–1999), and Judge Daniel Phelan in ''The Wire'' (2002–2008). Early years Gerety was born in Providence, Rhode I ...

), the fatherly, compassionate and often beleaguered dean of students.

Production

The series was produced by HBO Independent Productions, Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. and The Levinson/Fontana Co., with executive producers Tom Fontana, Julie Martin, and

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...

. Outdoor scenes were filmed at

Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...

in New York City.

Cast

Matthew Modine Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He shared the Venice Film Festival‘s Volpi Cup for Best Actor as part of the ensemble cast of Robert Altman film ''Streamers'' (1983). He went on to play lead rol ...

as Professor Jake Macklin *

Penn Badgley Penn Dayton Badgley (born November 1, 1986) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen drama series ''Gossip Girl'' (2007–2012) and Joe Goldberg in the Netflix psychological thriller series ''Y ...

as Owen Gregory *

Victoria Cartagena Victoria Cartagena is an American theater, film, and television actress. Cartagena is known for her role as Zoe Lopez in '' The Bedford Diaries'', and for portraying Renee Montoya as series regular in the first season of '' Gotham'' and the thir ...

as Zoe Lopez *

Tiffany Dupont Tiffany Dupont (born March 22, 1981) is an American actress, known for playing the lead character, Hadassah, a Jewish girl who will become the Biblical Esther, Queen of Persia, in the Hollywood film ''One Night with the King''. From 2007 to 2009 ...

as Sarah Gregory *

Corri English Corri English (born Corri Englisby; May 10, 1978) is an American actress. Life and career As a young girl during the late 1980s and early 1990s, she was a frequent host of '' Kid's Beat'' and a few other kids shows on TBS (prior to the mer ...

as Natalie Dykstra *

as Professor Carla Bonatelle *

Darien Sills-Evans Darien Evans, better known by his stage name, Darien Sills-Evans, is an American actor, writer, comedian, and director. He is best known for Darien in '' Cosby'' (1998-2000), Dr. Fields in '' Third Watch'' (2002-2005) and Andrew in '' The Recep ...

as Aaron Evans *

Milo Ventimiglia Milo Anthony Ventimiglia ( ; born July 8, 1977) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut on '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' in 1995, he portrayed the lead role on the short-lived series '' Opposite Sex'' in 2000 before landing his br ...

as Richard Thorne *

Ernest Waddell Ernest Waddell (born July 22, 1982) is a New York City-based actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles on two television series: Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, Fin Tutuola's son Ken Randall on ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', and Oma ...

as Lee Hemmingway *

Aaron Yoo Aaron Yoo (born May 12, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for appearing in the films ''Disturbia (film), Disturbia'' (2007), ''21 (2008 film), 21'' (2008), and ''Friday the 13th (2009 film), Friday the 13th'' (2009), as well as playin ...

as James Fong *

Scott Porter Matthew Scott Porter (born July 14, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama '' Friday Night Lights'', as George Tucker in The CW comedy-drama series '' Hart of Dixie'' and as Mayor ...

as Jason Miller *

Jason Jurman Jason Jurman (November 6, 1979 – October 11, 2014) was an American film, television and theater actor. He was best known for his starring role in the 2007 film ''Cougar Club'', opposite Warren Kole, Joe Mantegna, Faye Dunaway, and Carrie Fisher. ...

as Peter Wortman *

Emma Bell Emma Jean Bell (born December 17, 1986) is an American actress, best known for her role as Parker O'Neal in the films '' Frozen'' and '' Hatchet II'' (both 2010), as Molly Harper in ''Final Destination 5'' (2011), and for playing Amy in the firs ...

as Rachel Fein

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford Diaries, The 2006 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings 2000s American college television series 2000s American teen drama television series American English-language television shows Television series by HBO Independent Productions Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Television series created by Tom Fontana Television shows set in New York City The WB television dramas