TVSquad

With the news coming down this week that MTV is adapting the UK's teen sensation Skins for American audiences, it became obvious which show I was going to do next for this column. The thing about Skins that works so well is that it rings of authenticity, which is rare in teen programming. It also features teenagers who are truly acting their age; no old dudes with male pattern baldness pretending to be high school sophomores.

We've seen all this before. A long time ago, before The WB and UPN built programming models for teen audiences, there was a little show on ABC that nobody really knew what to do with. My So-Called Life tackled teen issues, not in "a very special episode" way, but in a raw, unfiltered way. It was wonderful.

"This life has been a test. If this had been an actual life, you would have received instructions on where to go and what to do."-- Angela Chase

Say what you will about My So-Called Life: It was a pivotal show in American TV History. Although it was canceled after only two years and 19 episodes, when MTV picked it up and began showing it round the clock, it acquired a cult following that keeps it resonant even today.

While Saved garnered quite a few good reviews, and some respectable ratings, it's no The Closer. And apparently the press and numbers weren't enough to convince TNT that there should be a second season of the Tom Everett Scott drama. Instead, the network is looking to bring two different pilots to series.

Holly Hunter stars in Grace as an Oklahoma City police detective who is visited by an angel and given a chance to redeem her life. It also stars Tom Irwin (Related), and Laura San Giacomo (Just Shoot Me). I'll watch anything with Holly Hunter, or Laura San Giacomo, in it at least once, so I plan to tune in when this show takes off. But based just on the tag line, my expectations are low.

Also on the schedule is Heartland. This one stars Treat Williams as the brilliant surgeon, Nathaniel Grant. His dedication to his work causes problems with his health and his relationships. Now, if you are thinking, "Hey, that sounds a whole lot like Everwood." then you and I are on the same page. The show even stars Gage Golightly as his daughter Thea, who doesn't seem so far removed from Delia. Still, Treat Williams is always worth a look. And it has the bonus of Morena Baccarin (Firefly) as well. The show is currently planned to follow The Closer.