Take a dollop of “Desperate Housewives” and then toss that
into a blender with a cup full of “Charmed.” Now whip up elements of these two hit
show elements up until they’re light & frothy, then pour the whole thing
over the Stars Hollow sets from “Gilmore Girls.”
What do you wind up with? A new TV series that ABC hopes you’ll
like a whole more than Leno, “Eastwick.”
I actually got to see the pilot for this new Warner Bros. Television
production back in July when it was screened at Comic-Con. And I have to admit
that I was rather surprised by how well “Eastwick” (which draws its inspiration
from both the John Updike book
as well as the 1987 George Miller movie) translates to the small screen.
If you’re familiar with the movie or the book, you know that
“Eastwick” deals with three very different women:
(L to R) Lindsay Price,
Rebecca Romijin and Jamie Ray Newman of “Eastwick” Copyright 2009 ABC, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
- Roxie Torcoletti (played by Rebecca Romijn), a freethinking
artist and single mother who is currently bedding the much-younger Chad (Matt
Dallas).
- Joanna Frankel (Lindsay Price) a reporter at Eastwick’s
local paper who is frustrated with both her career options as well as her love
life.
- Kat Gardener (Jamie Ray Newman), whose marriage to the chronically
under-employed Raymond (Jon Bernthal) is running out of gas.
Paul Gross from the new ABC drama, “Eastwick” Copyright 2009 ABC, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
As the pilot episode of “Eastwick” gets underway, each of
these women longs for a change in their life. For something – or someone – to come
along and stir things up. But little do Roxie, Joanna & Kat realize that –
with the seemingly innocent toss of a coin in the town square’s fountain – that
they’d then be summoning up the man of their dreams. Or should I say their
nightmares?
That man (man?) is Darryl Van Horne (Paul Gross). Whose
arrival in town isn’t just the answer to Roxie, Joanna & Kat’s prayers. Though given how freely this enigmatic figure throws
his money around (Darryl quickly buys up the town’s newspaper as well as
re-opening its long-closed candle factory), every resident seems ready to embrace Mr. Van
Horne.
Yes, everyone in this quaint New England village appears to be
a Darryl fan. Everyone except Bun (Who – in a nice bit of casting that provides
some connective tissue to the 1987 movie – is played by Veronica Cartwright). As the
head of the Eastwick Historical Society, Bun knows more than most about
Eastwick’s dark past. Which is why she actually comes out of a coma to blurt
out a cryptic warning about Van Horne.
Veronica Cartwright as Bun
from Warner Bros. Television’s new production, “Eastwick” Copyright 2009 ABC,
Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yep, that’s the sort of show “Eastwick” is. Characters can suddenly come
out of comas, get struck by lightning and/or attacked by swarms of fire ants. Which suggests
that something not quite kosher is going on even as the townsfolk gather for
seemingly innocent events like Harvest Fest.
Mind you, given that this drama that is intended for
viewing after the little ones have gone to bed … “Eastwick” has a racy streak. Not to mention having a rather dark, twisted sense of humor.
All told, the pilot episode does an excellent job of
introducing viewers to the show’s main characters & its principal setting. Not to mention setting
up “Eastwick” ‘s backstory. Which Penny Higgins (Sara Rue) sets in motion in the closing moments of tonight’s program by handing Joanna a folder that allegedly proves that
Darryl Van Horne is not who he seems.
The main cast members of “Eastwick”
Copyright 2009 ABC, Inc. All Rights Reserved
But who exactly is this mysterious Mr. Van Horne? To get the
answer to that, you’re going to have to start watching ”Eastwick.” Which begins
airing tonight on ABC at 10 p.m. And – if all goes according to plan – this wicked,
warped Warner Bros. Television production will be the way the Alphabet network
does battle with Jay Leno every Wednesday night from here on in.
Your thoughts?