December 8, 1999
by Sandra P. Angulo

We can just picture ''Roswell'''s initial pitch meeting: ''Think 'Dawson's Creek' meets 'The X-Files''' Or perhaps: ''Imagine 'Dawson's Creek' crossed with 'E.T.' -- but with no ugly creatures!'' Either way, WB execs bought it, and the rest is Wednesday-night history (kinda). Even so, the similarities between the ratings-grabbing ''Creek'' and its freshman follow-up ''Roswell'' are so blatantly spooky that we HAD to tell someone.

DC: Stars six gorgeous teens living in small-town Capeside, Mass.

Roswell: Stars six gorgeous teens living in small-town Roswell, N.M.
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DC: Follows three locals (Dawson, Pacey, Joey) and three outsiders (Andie, Jack, Jen)

Roswell: Follows three locals (Liz, Maria, Alex) and three aliens (Michael, Max, and Isabel)
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DC: Features a vampy blond (Michelle Williams) and a doe-eyed brunet (Katie Holmes)

Roswell: Features a vampy blond (Katherine Heigl) and a doe-eyed brunet (Shiri Appleby)
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DC: Joey visits Dawson by climbing into his window

Roswell: Max visits Liz by climbing onto her balcony
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DC: Joey and Jack used to work at the Ice House, the local watering hole

Roswell: Liz and Maria work at the Crashdown Cafe, the local diner
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DC: Brooding heartthrob Dawson rejects Joey's sexual advances, claiming she's not ready

Roswell: Introspective heartthrob Max rejects Liz's advances, claiming he's an alien and she's not
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DC: Pacey is estranged from his blue-uniformed policeman father

Roswell: Michael is estranged from his blue-collar-worker foster father
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DC: Jason Behr played Chris, who bedded rebellious Jen

Roswell: Jason Behr plays Max, who's trying not to bed rebellious Liz