TVSquad

How much of Swingtown is real and how much is pure fiction? According to Mike Kelley, Swingtown's creator, there are elements in the show that come right from his childhood memories of growing up on the North Shore, a trendy suburb of Chicago. But the sex and the swinging? That's mostly creative license.

So were there really sex parties and swinging in the Kelley home? "You know, it comes from imagination, for the most part."

Inspired by 1976, the era of women's liberation, disco-dancing, the end of the Vietnam War, and sexual freedom thanks to the pill and no AIDS, Kelley balances the fantastic elements with nostalgia.

For instance, the big Cadillac convertible that Bruce Miller drives with pride, that was right out of Mike's scrapbook. He has a picture to prove it. "There's dear old dad with his pride and joy. We had many family trips in that car."

Another real moment was the recent episode where the wallpaper was ripped off the wall. Mike's mom, Marcia Arnold, confirmed that fact. "We actually did that; we were going to redecorate and we were having a party and I thought, 'Gee, why don't we just write on the walls? It would be fun.'"

On Swingtown, the characters have lots of parties -- July 4th, Tupperware, fundraisers -- and that's reflective of Kelley's childhood. "They threw amazing parties, all theme parties. ...We use a lot of the parties that I remember specifically from the day."

Except without the orgies in the basement and the couple swapping, at least in the Kelley household. "No, I'm not naïve enough to think...maybe it was going on someplace, but no, personally, I do not know anything about that."

Which brings us back to Mike Kelley's vivid imagination. Why add the Playboy Club, Deep Throat and other sexual references from 1976 to Swingtown? Umm, to draw viewers? "Yeah it's provocative, but in a good way, and getting people talking always is good," said Mike.

The fate of Swingtown remains up in the air. The ratings have been acceptable -- for the summer when there's less competition for dramatic series -- but are they strong enough to warrant a renewal by CBS? Probably not. If Swingtown were on cable, where rating expectations are quite different, it would have a chance.

It might also be showing a lot more skin, especially if it were on Showtime or HBO as originally intended and have lesser expectations ratings-wise. For example, the premiere of Swingtown was tuned in by 8.6 million viewers. Mad Men, on AMC, just a year ago, drew only 1.6 million in its debut, 7 million less than Swingtown.