The TV Addict 

Sometimes, I just don’t know what people want. The critics were fairly brutal where SWINGTOWN is concerned, and yet I found it — and no one is more surprised than I to have this be the first word which comes to mind — charming. Every moment seemed to offer a new flashback to an era I kinda sorta vaguely remember (having been a pre-teen in 1976). People smoking on planes, the funky fashions, references to The Omen and oh, that glorious, wonderful parade of cheesy songs! I’m sure those who tuned in expecting a smutfest left wildly disappointed, as the series is driven more by character than plot and, despite having sexual mores as it’s central theme, tends to take a less-is-more approach. But if you go into it looking for a good time, well, you’re gonna leave as satisfied as the party guests who ventured down into Tom and Trina Decker’s basement. Sure, it’d would have been nice if the doe-eyed couple who move from Eden to Gomorrah had taken a tad longer to be corrupted. By the end of the first episode, Susan had popped a Qualude and ditched long-time gal pal Janet (the delightful Miriam Shor) for life on the swingin’ side of town. But heck, who could resist the charms of deliciously sleezy Tom as personified by Grant Show? Given the way Janet’s hubby was eyeing Susan (and that “Geez, do we really have to leave?” look he gave his wife after she accidentally wandered into an orgy room and demanded of her happy-to-be-there spouse, “Do you know what kind of party this is?”), I’m dying to see where things go. Sorry, but in a summer filled with reality and reruns, you’d have to be a total square not to dive into this groovefest. The writing’s on the (bathroom) wall: For a good time, call the residents of SWINGTOWN.

While I abhor the endless AMERICAN IDOL auditions which seem to stretch for months, I’m wishing that SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE would show us more of the episodes in which they search for finalists. In part, this is due to the fact that while IDOL focuses on the negative, DANCE nearly always finds a way to spin things in a positive manner. But more important is the fact that we seem to miss out on key steps in the audition process. Personally, I want to see the dancers trained by contestant-turned-choreographer Travis, which we get only snipets of. And certainly when we got to the highly hyped “Vegas week”, which consisted of a single episode, I was dying to see more of the grueling process through which these talented young people go. So while it’s true that with IDOL, less would definitely be more, the complete opposite is true where DANCE is concerned.

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Because this TV Addict really isn’t sure.

On the one hand it’s summer, which means there’s virtually nothing else on in terms of quality scripted television dramas. Also in SWINGTOWN’s favor is that it features MELROSE PLACE alum Grant Show sporting an awesome 70’s-porn-star-moustache and a series premiere that was compelling enough that I’m asking, “what happens next?”

On the other hand, was anyone else slightly perturbed with how quickly Susan and Bruce Miller threw caution to the wind and cast aside their oldest/dearest friends in order to sign up for this new and exciting lifestyle? Not to mention the far more pressing issue — the fact that SWINGTOWN is a series that CBS has relegated to the summer — meaning that it’s more than likely already cancelled in the minds of the proverbial Powers that Be. Thus should I really be investing my time into a show that’s sure to follow in MOONLIGHT and JERICHO’s footsteps?

With that in mind, please feel free to post away with whether or not you’ll be returning to SWINGTOWN next Thursday, what parent’s Susan and Bruce must have been smoking to name their kid B.J., and your prediction as to whether or not uptight neighbor Janet Thompson’s marriage is falling apart because she seems a little too attached to her best friend Susan! Yes, you know what I’m talking about!