'Dawson's Creek' to Move to Netflix Next Month - Still Without Original Theme Song

“Dawson’s Creek” is set to stream on Netflix next month, and long-suffering fans will not be surprised to hear that the streaming version show will continue to exist without Paula Cole’s iconic theme song.

Cole’s”I Don’t Want to Wait” was the instantly memorable theme song across all six seasons of the WB teen drama, but the song was replaced for the home video and streaming release due to rights issues, much to the chagrin of fans who grew up watching the show’s original run.

Instead, newcomers to the series in the streaming era have been greeted by Canadian musician Jann Arden’s “Run Like Mad.” (The song was actually recorded as the original theme song for the show and was used as such in international markets where Sony didn’t have the rights to “I Don’t Want to Wait.”)

Also Read: 15 Teen Dramas That Are Still Essential Viewing for Adults (Photos)

In a 2012 interview with the Huffington Post around the time of “Dawson’s” first streaming debut, executive producer Paul Stupin explained that it was low sales for the original DVD release that led Sony to use Arden’s song across all future releases as a cost-saving measure.

Sony owns exclusive rights to Arden’s song across all formats in perpetuity, whereas the company would have had to pay Cole and her label an additional fee to use “I Don’t Want to Wait.” As is the case with other pre-streaming era shows, a number of other changes had to be made to the music in “Dawson’s Creek” prior to its Netflix debut because of rights agreements.

Cole reflected on her song’s notoriety and its relationship to “Dawson’s Creek” in a 2018 essay also published in HuffPost. Cole described a messy split from her label, Warner Bros., and expressed disappointment at “being erased from the association with ‘Dawson’s Creek’ due to (what feels to me like) corporate greed.”

Also Read: Sorry, 'Dawson's Creek' Fans, You Probably Won't Get a Reboot -- But You Might Get a 'Reinvention'

“Everyone keeps asking me, ‘Why won’t you let them have the song?'” she wrote. “Of course I would consider it! I’m right here! Come talk to me, Sony. Let’s negotiate! I’m an independent artist open for business! But I won’t give my music for free and I don’t think any artist should give their music for free unless it’s helping out another independent artist ― and then you renegotiate once the project is successful. I think giving one’s art for free to giant corporations hurts artists and musicians and society across the board.”

Dawson's Creek — one of television's most beloved coming-of-age stories — is coming to Netflix in The US on November 1

…and before you ask, the episodes won't have the original theme song (sorry) pic.twitter.com/f07QkbdFJY

— Netflix (@netflix) October 19, 2020

'Dawson's Creek' 20th Anniversary: Where Are They Now? (Photos)

They grow up so fast. "Dawson's Creek," one of the classic '90s teen dramas that ran for five seasons from 1998-2003 on The WB, turns 20 this week. And most of those kids from Capeside have all gone on to bigger and better things. Heck, one of them is a four-time Oscar nominee, and another married Tom Cruise. Here's where they are now:
The WB
James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery

James Van Der Beek went from teen heartthrob to crying internet meme to spoofing on Diplo for his new series playing the famed DJ, "What Would Diplo Do?" He's also starred with Krysten Ritter in "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23."
The WB
Katie Holmes as Joey Potter

One of Katie Holmes's first post-"Dawson's" roles was as Rachel Dawes in "Batman Begins," a stark turn from the show's soapy charms, but her most recent role is a scene-stealing performance in Steven Soderbergh's "Logan Lucky," where she plays a sharp-tongued Southern belle.
The WB/Bleecker Street
Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley

Jen Lindley shook up the creek, and Michelle Williams has since shaken up Hollywood. In 2017 alone she starred in "Wonderstruck," "The Greatest Showman" and Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World" as she hunts for her fifth Oscar nomination.
The WB/Sony Pictures Entertainment
Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter

Joshua Jackson moved away from his lovably smart slacker persona with extended turns on the sci-fi series "Fringe" and most recently on Showtime's "The Affair."
The WB/Showtime
Kerr Smith as Jack McPhee

Kerr Smith has found another teen drama to lend his name to, having most recently appeared in a recurring role on Freeform's "The Fosters."
Getty Images
Mary Beth Peil as Evelyn "Grams" Ryan

Grams hasn't changed one bit, as she can shoot the same stern look in "The Good Wife" as she did back in the day.
The WB/CBS
John Wesley Shipp as Mitch Leery - "The Flash"

After serving as a father and mentor to Dawson, John Wesley Shipp now looks over Barry Allen on "The Flash" (he originally played Barry Allen in an early '90s series before joining "Dawson's Creek.")
The WB/The CW
Busy Philipps as Audrey Liddell

Busy Philipps was a late addition to the cast of "Dawson's Creek," but she's grown right along with the rest of the cast. She had a long stint on "Cougar Town" and most recently appeared in the HBO comedy "Vice Principals."
The WB/HBO
Michael Pitt as Henry Parker

Michael Pitt's Henry Parker was a recurring character in Season 3 as a football star and love interest for Jen, but he really made his bones as Jimmy Darmody in "Boardwalk Empire." He's also appeared most recently in "Ghost in the Shell" and the indie "I Origins."
The WB/Fox Searchlight
Chad Michael Murray as Charlie Todd

Just before he got his own teen drama in "One Tree Hill," Chad Michael Murray appeared in Season 5 of "Dawson's Creek" as a womanizing newcomer who dates both Jen and Joey. He most recently appeared on ABC's "Agent Carter" and CMT's "Sun Records."
The WB/ABC

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James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson have all thrived since leaving Capeside

They grow up so fast. "Dawson's Creek," one of the classic '90s teen dramas that ran for five seasons from 1998-2003 on The WB, turns 20 this week. And most of those kids from Capeside have all gone on to bigger and better things. Heck, one of them is a four-time Oscar nominee, and another married Tom Cruise. Here's where they are now:

View In Gallery

'Dawson's Creek' 20th Anniversary: Where Are They Now? (Photos)

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