So a couple nights ago we were watching the season finale of Greek....
Okay, maybe we'd better stop right there. Yes, we'll admit it. We sometimes watch Greek, the show about college fraternities and sororities that's like Animal House run through a niceness filter. And no, we're not anywhere near the main demographic for this show, or anything else on the ABC Family Channel.
(What's the deal with that channel, anyway? A Disney-owned company originally spun off from the Christian Broadcasting Network, it now produces shows like Greek -- which prominently features underage drinking and barely-of-age sex, just like on a real college campus. And an ad for its upcoming airing of That '70s Show reruns consisted entirely of a pot-smoking scene. When they say "A New Kind of Family," they must really mean it.)
Anyway, we'll say it, even if nobody else will: Greek is a good show, a guilty pleasure with barely any guilt attached. The cast, led by Spencer Grammer (Kelsey's daughter), is attractive and not half-bad, acting-wise. The characters are more complex than you'd expect, and the plot lines -- mostly about romantic complications, but also about leadership and group dynamics and breaking down stereotypes -- are simple and fun. On the finale, everyone goes to spring break and learns some life lessons, and the worst problem anyone ends up with is a sunburn.
So sue us. Sophisticated adult fare is great most of the time, but once in a while you just want to see some kid stuff. We also enjoy Gossip Girl (though not as much as some bloggers), we think Kyle XY is a much better superhero show than Smallville, and we thought the first season of The O.C. was one of the best things on TV ever. (It doesn't hurt that these shows are hiring ever-more-beautiful people to play the parents, too. Hellooo, Kelly Rutherford!)
So what about you? Are you looking forward to the remake of 90210 far more than you should be? Did you continue to watch Degrassi High long after you were out of high school yourself? Do you actually know which Chuck star was in Saved By the Bell: The New Class? Tell us in the comments: Which shows about young people did you continue to enjoy even when you were well past that age yourself? (The more embarrassing the admission, the better.)
While you're pondering that question, we'll leave you with the promo for ABC Family's upcoming show The Secret Life of the American Teenager. From Seventh Heaven creator Brenda Hampton, it's about a high school band geek who gets pregnant. (Yes, it's Juno run through a niceness filter.) And her mom is played by Molly Ringwald, so there's really something for everyone.
Photo: ABC Family