Everwood-A Less Smaltzy 7th Heaven w/ a few dashes of Gilmore Girls for good measure. (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Not being a fan of Seventh Heaven nor a regular viewer of Gilmore Girls (which I missed the boat on), I was surprised how much I liked this pilot. They have created interesting and three-dimensional characters in the father and son, whose motivations are completely understandable. The daughter (played by Vivien Cardone, Spoilers:the 'Marcee' delusion inA Beautiful Mind) isn't nearly as fleshed out, but holds potential for the unfolding series to come. Even the boy's love interest has a certain ambiguity that sets the character above the otherwise standard fare she's given.
Whether this would have been better as a television miniseries is a worthy question, as I don't know how long they can realistically carry on the father/son-angst bit but the show's off to a worthy start.
In a television season labeled by the critics as almost completely comfort food, this is probably the best made and best executed comfort food you'll find all season.

 

[Ken Chan]

In addition to the father/son thing, just how long can the other doctor continue to be a jerk? (I suppose if it's realistic, the answer is: a long time.) And the daughter certainly seemed to be smarter than average, just like Ruthie on 7th Heaven and Rory on Gilmore Girls.

//Ken