Rickie Vasquez was the first openly gay teenager to appear on American network television.
Although he wound up being a series regular, Jordan Catalano was only supposed to appear in the pilot episode. Jared Leto almost turned down the opportunity to be a regular on the show, but he eventually accepted and Jordan was written in as a main character.
Rickie Vasquez dealt with topics such as domestic violence, abuse, sexual confusion, and teenage homelessness. He and Jordan Catalano subtly bonded over the fact that they both were victims of domestic violence.
A novelization was released in 1999 which continued the story of Angela and her friends. The book titled "My So-Called Life Goes On" was written by Catherine Clark.
Of the show's 19 episodes, 17 are narrated by the character of Angela. The two episodes narrated by other characters were both directed by Todd Holland.