Lindsey Shaw

As much as I bellyache about remakes, I have to admit that last year's 10 Things I Hate About You, ABC Family's small screen version of the beloved 1999 movie, was a huge surprise for me. The characters are unique enough from the originals, but the show still exhibits the same fun quirkiness. Happily, the series is back for its second season tonight, and I was able to chat with stars Lindsey Shaw and Ethan Peck, who play Kat and Patrick, about the return of the show and whether they still feel pressure to live up to the film.

• Lindsey, on what we can expect in the premiere:
  You can expect to come to the beach with us. We pick up exactly where we left off, which is awesome because I think it was kind of a teaser. And we pick right back up on the beach, making out. How better can you start off?
• Ethan, on the premiere:
  You gotta watch!
• Lindsey, on being complimented about the show's success:
  We really have worked since its inception to hear things like that. Obviously coming from a remake, you have a whole slew of things stacked against you. Nobody wants to see a remake because it's everybody's favorite movie. But we came at this and wanted to create something different and entertaining, and I think we've done that.

To read the rest of what Lindsey and Ethan had to say, including how things will stay hot for their characters and whether Ethan will ever perform a big song-and-dance routine like Heath Ledger, just read more

ABC Family's 10 Things I Hate About You, a half-hour comedy series based on the 1999 movie of the same name, premieres tonight. Greek's Carter Covington developed the series, which also shares a director and one star (Larry Miller, playing the girls' father) with the movie. You all have expressed some pretty split opinions on this idea, and now that it's here, will you be giving it a spot in your viewing lineup? I recently checked out the first episode, and swiping the format from my Pilot Watch series, here are some of the pros and cons.

What's it about? You know this story. Based on 10 Things I Hate About You — which itself is based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew — this series focuses on two sisters who are newcomers to Padua High: the abrasive Kat and the status-seeking Bianca.

Who's in it? Lindsey Shaw, Meaghan Jette Martin, Ethan Peck, Larry Miller, Dana Davis

The good: The show is wittier than we've seen in the previews, with plenty of lines that would feel right at home on Greek ("We have chemistry together!" a flustered Bianca exclaims after being caught in a closet with the boyfriend of Padua's queen bee. ". . . The class! Not the other thing.") Shaw — while, granted, not being Julia Stiles — has a take on Kat that's smart without being too sullen. I got a kick out of the nerdy Cameron, who instantly falls for Bianca, and his even nerdier friend Michael.

The bad: The biggest question facing this show is, well, why make it at all? The movie came out a decade ago, helped launch several careers, and has ardent fans. I almost wish this version of 10 Things had used a different name, just to give it some distance from the movie. It'll have to come up with some good, unique stories and characters fast if it wants to seem like more than a knock-off. I also wish the show had taken some time developing Kat's love interest, because he seems to glean an awful lot of information from just one nasty stare.

Will I watch? I'll check out a few more episodes. I'm curious to see if it can develop its own identity beyond just a TV version of a beloved movie.

To check out a preview, just read more