Have you seen the promos on television for the new series debuting on ABC called Suburgatory? I saw a trailer for it over the summer and it looked funny. My daughter keeps talking about it because she says it looks funny too.
Here is the show’s synopsis.
Single father George only wants the best for his sixteen-year-old daughter Tessa. So when he finds a box of condoms on her nightstand, he moves them out of their apartment in New York City to a house in the suburbs. But all Tessa sees is the horror of over-manicured lawns and plastic Franken-moms. Being in the ‘burbs can be hell, but it also may just bring Tessa and George closer than they’ve ever been.
Tessa (Jane Levy) and George (Jeremy Sisto) have been on their own ever since Tessa’s Mom pulled a Kramer vs. Kramer before Tessa was potty trained. So far, George has done a pretty good job of raising Tessa without a maternal figure in their lives, but suddenly he’s feeling a little out of his league. So it’s goodbye New York City and hello suburbs. At first Tessa is horrified by the big-haired, fake-boobed mothers and their sugar-free Red Bull-chugging kids, but little by little, she and her dad begin finding a way to survive on the clean streets of the ‘burbs. Sure, the neighbors might smother you with love while their kids stare daggers at your back, but underneath all that plastic and caffeine they’re really not half bad.
Emily Kapnek (Hung) writes and executive produces this bitingly ironic single-camera comedy that combines Juno’s heightened reality with Father Knows Best’s heart. Tessa and her Dad may be out of their element, but at least they’ve got each other. When you descend into Suburgatory, it’s good to have backup.
I had the opportunity to check out the pilot for the series. From the start the father, George, was driving me crazy. He looked VERY familiar but I couldn’t place where I knew him from. I kept thinking of the movie Clueless. Sure enough I was right. He played the part of Elton in the movie. He was also in the movie Wrong Turn and Thirteen. Wow… he got older.
I happen to live in the suburbs of New York City. People around here are nothing like the people depicted in the series. The people in the series remind me of the “beautiful people” (attractive, rich…) you’d find living in Southern California. I’m not positive but I believe this series takes place in Connecticut.
My daughter (who is home sick) watched the pilot with me. She loved it. She says that she can totally relate to Tessa because kids are like that in her school.
The show is funny. I didn’t laugh out loud, but I did chuckle on several occasions.
I like the way Tessa thinks. A lot of the show is narrated by her character.
Tessa’s “buddy” at school is a girl name Dalia. Dalia is about as fake as they come. She’s a snooty, spoiled rich girl. Her mom, Dallas (played by Cheryl Hines), has a thing for Tessa’s Dad. It’s so obvious that even Dalia told Tessa that the only reason why her mom is being nice to him is because she wants to “hook up” with him.
Tessa feels like she’s be relocated to suburban hell. The way Tessa sees it you know you are in Suburgatory (Suburban Purgatory) when…
– Your dog’s haircut is more expensive than yours.
– The drinking fountains offer sparkling or still.
– The school cafeteria serves tuna tartar.
– The majority of medical procedures are elective.
– “Brunette” is a dirty word.
– The top three industries are tanning, spandex and peroxide.
I think I need to add to the list that people in Suburgatory drink way too much Red Bull. They put the biggest coffee addict to shame with the amount of Red Bull the people on the show drink.
George has a stalker in the pilot. I’m curious to see how that plays out.
From what I have seen from the pilot this is going to be a fun and entertaining show. I’m not sure it’s OK for young children (the pilot talks about condoms), but I am OK with letting my teen daughter watch it.
I’ll be tuning in for future episodes. It’s nice to see an actual comedy series on TV. I’m tired of reality shows and crime shows.
Suburgatory premiers on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 on ABC, 8:30 PM (EST) / 7:30 PM (CST).
You can also follow the show on their official web pages.
Official website http://abc.go.com/shows/suburgatory
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SuburgatoryABC
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/SuburgatoryABC
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I did receive a few product samples and an advanced online screening of the pilot. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own.
The Sleepy dreamer says
Seems like it is like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, since they are pregnant in high school.