The Secret Life of the American Teenager has proven itself a winner, not only because the ABC Family show has held strong numbers, but because it has molded itself into a fun and engaging series that moves beyond simply the hook of its title shtick, and it has continued to do so for several seasons now. ABC Family keeps surprising me with shows (and, sure, I'm not really in the demographic) … [Read more...]
Following the success of ABC Family's original movie My Fake Fiance (nope, totally serious), the dripping with nostalgic cuteness couple of Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence are back together for a new series. Melissa & Joey finds the pair, after a rather weak excuse for coming together, in a Who's the Boss? arrangement, complete with more or less appropriately-aged kids, except that they … [Read more...]
The more ABC Family moves to corner the market on a "Young Adult" niche, the more I seem to like it. Such titles as the soon to return Make It Or Break It, new effort Pretty Little Liars, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager aim at something that is otherwise underexplored. Though certainly not the best efforts television has ever known, and squarely in the guilty pleasure category for … [Read more...]
Pretty Little Liars premieres tonight on ABC Family, and it looks to actually be a pretty fun ride. The young-adult book series comes to life as the residents of Rosewood face a complicated mystery, and four friends find themselves looking over their shoulders with no idea what's going on. Rosewood is a perfect little town. So quiet and pristine, you'd never guess it holds so many secrets. Some … [Read more...]
ABC Family is really trying to work itself into a particular niche, and for the most part it is working out to a stronger showing than many might have expected. Greek, possibly the most interesting of the efforts aimed at expanding the boundaries of a network with "Family" in the name, now offers up it's fourth chapter DVD. The curious, more or less believable-ish, and at times surprisingly … [Read more...]
Another teen audience hopeful from ABC Family, 10 Things I Hate About You is not only a rework of the film, it's a rework with the same director. No one could be more skeptical of the idea of spinning this film into a series than I, but much of what made the movie work comes through. A lot of people might have to really open their minds to take the initial stab at the series, but they might find … [Read more...]
ABC Family really seems to have a winner on their hands with Make It or Break It, and as odd as it may sound, there are some good reasons for that. Yes, this is a somewhat strange teen-drama show that follows the lives of gymnasts who are gunning for gold medals at Olympics that are a couple of years away, and that limits your target market quite a bit. It even has the teen story necessity … [Read more...]
