“10 Things I Hate About You” (7 p.m. Central Monday on ABC Family, one hour)
On air: 2009-10, one season
Why it was great: For some reason, traditional sitcom humor works for me only if it’s teenagers delivering the lines. When it’s adults, it all seems so juvenile. There’s something likable about teens who are quick with a quip yet also trapped in a high school setting (which can be absurd without sacrificing reality).
I especially root for Kat (the smart older sister) and Cameron (who was smitten with Bianca but later found self-confidence with her assistance). Others I find amusing, like the deep-voiced Patrick, the superficial but sweet Bianca and the overly protective dad.
Seasonal breakdown: Right now, it’s doing that annoying “rush to wrap up all the storylines” thing that canceled shows sometimes do (another recent example was “Dollhouse”). Otherwise, no complaints — “10 Things” knew what it wanted to be right out of the gate.
Best character: Cameron, who learns hard lessons about love but is sweetly self-deprecating about it.
Possible heirs: “Glee” can be fairly witty and whimsical. And I’ve heard that Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” is well written, although I’m guessing it’s not as edgy as “10 Things.”
Share your thoughts on “10 Things” in the comment thread.
Comments
I know a lot of people hate it when a series ends on a cliffhanger, but I thought it was cool that “10 Things” ended that way. It had more stories to tell, and it didn’t create one of those silly “giving the viewers closure” type of endings. So we’ll never know what will happen next between Joey and Bianca (who sees him kissing another girl on a reality show) and Kat and her dad (who walks in on her and Patrick). I don’t mind; it wasn’t intended as a one-season show, so it didn’t pretend that it was.
Overall, the last two episodes weren’t particularly funny. I liked how one of the teachers was named “Mr. Meanley” — that’s classic “10 Things.” There was some good character stuff, though, notably Kat’s impromptu speech out of frustration as she is preparing a campaign video as she runs for student council president:
“The truth is every morning I wake up and I think, ‘Who are these people? Why am I the only person who cares about anything that matters?’ And then every morning I remember they’re idiots, they have teeny-tiny little pea brains that can only process information in the form of a tweet, a ringtone or a status update, and if they’re not going to think for themselves, they need someone like me to think for them.”
It was nice that the show ended with Kat and Patrick back together, and his “I voted for Kat Stratford” sign was a nice gesture. But the relationships weren’t why I watched the show; it was the humor. In that sense, the storyline that really will be missed is the question of how — and whether — Bianca and Dawn get back on the cheerleading team. How do two characters who are obviously born to be cheerleaders find meaning outside of cheerleading? It would’ve been a nice question for Season 2.
I really don’t understand why ABC Family couldn’t find room to keep this show. It didn’t seem to be all that expensive, and when you’re a small network, sometimes it makes sense to keep a critically acclaimed show around just to create buzz. (I guess they already have that with “Greek” and “Secret Life,” but I’m not a fan of either.)# Posted By John Hansen | 5/25/10 3:36 AM