“South of Nowhere” Season 1 (2005-06, The-N) – “South of Nowhere,” about a conservative religious family that moves from Ohio to Los Angeles, has gotten a lot of press for main character Spencer Carlin (natural talent Gabrielle Christian) and her liberal approach to which gender she dates. That makes for good TV-pundit copy, sure, but I hope the buzz doesn’t drown out the fact that this is a very strong series overall.
The handheld, washed-out cinematography gives L.A. the feel of a smoggy urban sauna. The high school that Spencer and her two brothers attend is overcrowded, and one imagines the highways are as well – this is not Jack Bauer’s “be there in five minutes” L.A.
Those brothers have issues, too. Glen (Chris Hunter) is establishing himself as the best player on the hoops team while also trying to make friends. And the adopted Clay (Danso Gordon) is learning what it’s like to “really” be black in the race-conscious City of Angels, even as his well-meaning parents spout the cliché about being color blind.
With “Falcon Beach,” “Beyond the Break” and “Degrassi,” I’m tempted to use “guilty” before describing their simple pleasures. With “South of Nowhere,” there’s no need, and the word “simple” doesn’t apply either. A-
– John Hansen, “Aloha? Eh? You bet!,” Brainerd Dispatch, July 13, 2006