▁ratings ▁success ▁among ▁the ▁general ▁television ▁population , ▁Daw son ' s ▁Creek ▁did ▁very ▁well ▁with ▁the ▁younger ▁dem ographic ▁it ▁target ed ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁defining ▁show ▁for ▁the ▁W B ▁Network . ▁The ▁pilot ▁episode ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁ 6 . 8 ▁million ▁view ers ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁ 4 . 8 ▁rating ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁network ' s ▁highest ▁rating ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁first ▁season ' s ▁highest ▁ranked ▁episode ▁was ▁the ▁finale , ▁which ▁was ▁fifty - n inth , ▁while ▁the ▁second ▁highest ▁r ated ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁episode ▁( pro bably ▁scoring ▁so ▁well ▁partially ▁because ▁the ▁other ▁major ▁networks ▁carried ▁President ▁Cl inton ' s ▁State ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁address ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Lew in sky ▁sc andal ▁rather ▁than ▁their ▁regular ▁programming ). ▁The ▁finale ▁itself ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁ 7 . 8 ▁million ▁U . S . ▁view ers , ▁which ▁was ▁its ▁largest ▁audience ▁ever . ▁ ▁Sp in - off ▁The ▁show ▁had , ▁in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁television ▁exper ts ▁Tim ▁Bro oks ▁and ▁Ear le ▁Marsh , ▁a ▁" sem i - sp ino ff " ▁– ▁Young ▁Americans . ▁The ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁Young ▁Americans , ▁Will ▁Kr ud ski ▁( R od ney ▁Scott ), ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁three ▁episodes ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁show ' s ▁third ▁season , ▁as ▁a ▁former ▁class mate ▁of ▁Daw son , ▁Jo ey , ▁and ▁P ace y , ▁who ▁had ▁moved ▁away ▁some