Review: Jack and Bobby 101 – 103

A new show on the WB. While we’ve come to know what kinda of drama series they’ve been churning out over the years, this one is definitely a surprise. From the same Berlanti/Liddell/Taylor team that brought us Everwood, comes this quite ingenious idea of showing two brothers (and a very determined mother) in present day, of which one will become the future President. Interspersed are interview sections from the year 2046, talking about a multitude of subjects concerning the President, and how he got there. While the outline is seems far fetched, the present day showings seem more grounded, hence enhancing the drama. How the dialogue and complicated character interaction evolve, makes Everwood look like a superficial drama. Also helping, is of course the outstanding acting of Christine Lahti’s mother character (Chicago Hope), and relatively newcomers Matt Long and Logan Lerman (The Butterfly Effect) as brothers. As a small family, it alsmost packs the same punch as a fellow bigger family first season series in trouble, Party of Five. But the higher educational topics (the mother is a college professor) combined with the political flash forwards, while making it all the more interesting, don’t bode well on the teen focused network, and I fear a slow death for a great series on its maiden voyage.