Who woulda thought a teen series on the WB could hold my interest (I'm 45) for even 5 minutes, let alone make me a dedicated fan? It's got the kind of script, cast chemistry, and innate fun that most shows of its type can only dream of. It's true that quite a lot of it is just plain off-the-wall, but trust me, off-the-wall has never been done with such finesse!
When you discount the predictable who-looks-hottest comments, you start noticing things about the individual actors. All of them are excellent, but you have to admire two in particular for their skill. First, Leslie Grossman ("Mary Cherry") does an amazing job. It's VERY hard to play an over-the-top character on a show that itself is already over-the-top in many ways, but so far she always seems to get the weirdness exactly right, and that is NOT easy. Also, Christopher Gorham ("Harrison John") has something extra that I just can't place. According to one of the fan sites, he's the only one of the (non-parent) cast who has a degree in theater (from UCLA, I believe), and that may be what sets his performance apart.
Before I discovered Popular, both my TV and my VCR were programmed to *skip* the WB channel. Nuff said.
When you discount the predictable who-looks-hottest comments, you start noticing things about the individual actors. All of them are excellent, but you have to admire two in particular for their skill. First, Leslie Grossman ("Mary Cherry") does an amazing job. It's VERY hard to play an over-the-top character on a show that itself is already over-the-top in many ways, but so far she always seems to get the weirdness exactly right, and that is NOT easy. Also, Christopher Gorham ("Harrison John") has something extra that I just can't place. According to one of the fan sites, he's the only one of the (non-parent) cast who has a degree in theater (from UCLA, I believe), and that may be what sets his performance apart.
Before I discovered Popular, both my TV and my VCR were programmed to *skip* the WB channel. Nuff said.