Dawson’s Creek headed to Netflix next month without original theme song

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Netflix is gifting DAWSON'S CREEK and its late 90s teen angst to streamers next month, but it will be doing so without one of the key elements from its original run: its theme song. 

Paula Cole's "I Don’t Want to Wait” is the instantly memorable theme song that ran across all six seasons of the WB teen drama. The song was replaced for the home video and streaming release due to rights issues, much to the dismay of fans who grew up watching the show’s original run. Newcomers to the series in the streaming era were greeted by Canadian musician Jann Arden’s “Run Like Mad.” As it turns out, 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.” So, while fans will be happy to learn that all six seasons of Dawson's Creek will begin streaming on Netflix beginning on November 1, 2020, it will once again be without the signature Paula Cole tune. Netflix made the announcement on its official Twitter page which can be seen below:

Dawson's Creek ran from 1998-2003 and followed the lives of a close-knit group of friends beginning in high school and continuing into college. The series starred James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery, Katie Holmes as his friend and love interest Joey Potter, Joshua Jackson as their fellow best friend Pacey Witter, and Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley, a New York City transplant to the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, where the series was set. The show was created by Kevin Williamson, who was coming off the success of SCREAM, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and SCREAM 2, and the show was a critical success when it first premiered along with becoming a signature series of the teen-oriented WB network. The pilot episode drew 6.8 million viewers and had a 4.8 rating in the 19-49 demo, which was the network's highest rating at the time back in 1998. The series finale was watched by 7.8 million viewers, which was its largest audience ever. 

Can YOU watch Dawson's Creek without its signature theme song? The series hits Netflix on November 1, 2020.