ABC realized that had to do something daring to attract
an audience to the 9 p.m. Thursday time slot, opposite “CSI” on CBS and
“The Apprentice” on NBC.
Filling the time slot with soft-core porn seems a bit extreme. Never mind
that “life as we know it,” which premieres tonight, is being billed as a teen
coming-of-ager. The new series is about teens getting it on, doing the wild thing. It
appears to be about little else.
Between the nearly full-on breast shot, the other
numerous bra shots, the three couples making out, several lingering crotch shots (of guys
and girls) and our three narrators’ near-constant references to sex, "life"
is one step away from a spot on Skinemax.
The show centers on up-and-coming heartthrob Dino
(Sean Faris), a hockey player with a gorgeous girlfriend and two best buds, Ben (Jon
Foster) and Jonathan (Chris Lowell), who share his obsession with sex.
The first 20 minutes of the show virtually steam
with it. The problem is that there’s nothing behind the steam. We learn that Dino is
dying to sleep with Jackie, Ben is hot for his teacher, and Jonathan may or may not want
to hook up with longtime platonic friend Deborah (a surprisingly well-cast Kelly
Osbourne).
The second half of the premiere episode improves
greatly as we move on to some actual issues. Dino makes an unexpected discovery about his
mom that will drive an entire season’s worth of plots.
Jonathan confesses that his wavering over Deborah
has nothing to do with how he feels about her – he wants her – but how people
will perceive it. Deb, you see, is no stick figure, and his friends already tease him
about his fat friend.
It’s a real tribute to Osbourne, who’s
been tagged a chub by the tabloids since “The Osbournes” premiered on MTV, that
she’s willing to tackle this issue. They’re one of the sweetest, realest couples
on teen television in a long time. But that makes it all the more frustrating that the
show only delves into this idea in its last 20 minutes.
Somewhere, buried underneath the heaps of sexual
innuendo, is a decent idea for a series that's held together by this trio of very likable
young actors.
But it’s very hard to dig deep enough to
find it. Perhaps ABC wanted enough shock value for the first episode to keep viewers
tuning in. Unfortunately, by the time the show actually shows some depth, many viewers
will already have left. Quality of show (on a scale of
10): 5
This is a qualified 5, with 7 potential if the
sex gets scaled back and the other plot points dialed up. Many of the show’s good
points are in direct struggle with its bad.
Good: The three main characters, all of them relaxed
and natural in front of the camera. Bad: Narrative technique whereby all three directly
address the camera and sometimes devolve into fantasy sequences a la NBC’s
“Scrubs.” It feels forced.
Good: Most of the actual writing, especially when
Jonathan confesses his phobia of being teased. He verbalizes a fear that most teenagers
have but that you rarely see expressed on television, that of fitting in with your peers
and knowing where to draw the line between what you want and what you feel is socially
acceptable. Bad: When those same writers pen lines like, “You better start giving it
up soon, because a lot of girls wanna do it with me.”
Good: An in-class discussion about the novel
“Crime and Punishment” wherein the protagonist’s fear of an unknown
punishment to suit his heinous crime mirrors Ben’s fear that his teacher knows
he’s lusting after her. Bad: The entire student-teacher sex plotline. It’s so
first-season “Dawson’s Creek.” And despite what every teen TV show would
have you believe, it almost never happens.
With a better balance between these goods and
bads, “life” as a whole could inch its way from a mediocre show to an enjoyable
one.
Positioning (on a scale of 10): 1
Is there a worse spot on the schedule than
Thursday 9 p.m. anywhere but CBS or NBC? The only saving grace for “life” is
that ABC knows it has to demonstrate a lot of patience. No rookie airing here is going to
generate enough buzz to take audience away from “CSI” or “Apprentice.”
ABC’s other new shows are doing so well that the
network may be more willing to coddle a loser on a night where just about anything would
struggle. It gave the canceled “Threat Matrix” a long time to develop on
Thursday last year as well. This is certainly the weakest of ABC’s otherwise quite
strong new drama/reality lineup, and the network really has little to lose on this night.
Of course, if all else fails, maybe ABC can just
insert more skin into the promos.
Cachet, or the “Arrested Development” factor (on a
scale of 10): 3
The show has received mixed reviews, with some
calling it an accurate portrayal of the high school years and others trashing its fixation
on sex.
Though the cast is virtually unknown outside of
Osbourne and D.B. Sweeney, who plays Dino’s sweet and oblivious dad, creators Gabe
Sachs and Jeff Judah worked on Fox’s critically adored “Undeclared” and
NBC’s cult favorite “Freaks and Geeks.”
And the show is based on the very popular novel
“Doing It” by British author Melvin Burgess.
Overall (on a scale of 30): 9
This is not a bad show, but it is a bad time
slot, which explains all the sexsationalization. If ABC would just tone it down a bit,
perhaps “life” could make it through the season and even thrive on another,
not-so-competitive night, like Fridays or Mondays once “Monday Night Football”
ends.
The Media Life Meter
Rating fall’s new shows |
| |
“life as we
know it” (ABC) |
Avg. for all
2004-’05 shows |
| Quality
of show (on a scale of 10) – Grading the writing, acting, premise and creativity of
the show. Is it any good? |
5 |
5.6 |
| Positioning
(on a scale of 10) – Does the show have a tough time slot or a compatible lead-in? Is
the subject matter appropriate to the network on which it airs? |
1 |
5.1 |
| Cachet,
or the “Arrested Development” factor (on a scale of 10) – Examining the
reviews, the star power and the prestige the network gets for the project.
“Arrested,” for example, has high cachet for being well reviewed and
intelligent, even though its ratings aren’t great. |
3 |
4.7 |
| TOTAL |
9 |
15.4 |
Probability
of Survival |
|
| 30-27 |
Odds are this show will make it to next season. |
| 26-22 |
Odds are this show will make it through this season. |
| 21-15 |
Show may not survive the season. |
| 15-9 |
Show will be canceled sometime this season. |
| 8 or lower |
Catch it while you can – this show may not make it to four episodes. |
| Source:
Media Life |
|
