For the better part of the last decade, television has made a tremendous push into the land of genre. Mostly fueled by advancements in computer and camera tech, a post Game of Thrones era has proved that, on television, anything is possible. Unfortunately, this push has led to a decline in the kind of content that made the medium a hotbed of obsession in years past. And no series template has seen more of a decline than that of the teen drama. This is what makes The CW’s latest non-genre drama series, All American, so noteworthy in the modern era.
After a big game for his South Central LA-based high school, football player Spencer James is propositioned to join the football team of a Beverly Hills-based high school with the goal of furthering his dream of playing in the NFL. However, there is far more at work than just the betterment of a star athlete’s future career.
It’s been a hot minute since a traditional teen drama smacked the broadcast airwaves – and even longer since there was one that didn’t push on a gimmick to cut through the noise (looking at you, Glee). All American is a shining example of what The CW does best – prime-time, young-skewing soap-opera. And it heavily reminds of the kind of shows the network was originally established on, like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and Hart of Dixie.
Many will be quick to draw a comparison between All American and TV’s last great high school football drama, Friday Night Lights, but doing so would be a judgment error. The audience All American is gunning for and the audience Friday Night Lights was gunning for are not one in the same. They are shows built on entirely different mindsets. All American is a much more overt, in your face drama about what it means to seize an opportunity when presented with it.
There’s a lot to like about All American. While suffering from the classic broadcast flaw of tacking on a suspenseful twist at the end of the pilot that just kills the pacing of the first episode, by episode three, the show truly comes into its own and proves itself worthy of eyes.
Whether or not it becomes a breakout critical darling like Jane the Virgin or Crazy Ex-Girlfriend remains to be seen, but it will never be said the show didn’t put up a fight while trying to get there.
All American premieres Wednesday, October 10th at 9/8c on The CW
