Make It or Break It

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Which Show's Return Are You Most Looking Forward To?

Mid-season TV is about to rev up, and I couldn't be happier!

Mid-season TV is about to rev up, and I couldn't be happier! I've already given you a sneak peek at what you can expect from the new season of Big Love and some insider scoop from Chuck's own Zachary Levi, but they're not the only shows that I'm marking on my calendar. Lost is especially high on my list of priorities; I cannot wait to see what tricks the writers are hiding for the final season. And I'm still holding out hope that more viewers get behind Damages. I have a bit of a soft spot for Patty Hewes, even if she is a cold-blooded killer.

There are lots of returning programs to choose from, so tell me — which has you excited?

Photos copyright 2009 ABC Family, Inc. and Source

TV

Stuff I Like Right Now: Make It or Break It

On the second episode of ABC Family's Make It or Break It, a group of world-class teenage gymnasts fights off some scary-looking guys by doing cartwheels and back handsprings.

On the second episode of ABC Family's Make It or Break It, a group of world-class teenage gymnasts fights off some scary-looking guys by doing cartwheels and back handsprings. Girl power via tumbling runs? That's when I knew I'd love this show.

Granted, the show wasn't a hard sell for me — or at least the part of me that gets obsessed with the Olympics every couple of years. But over the few weeks it's been on, Make It or Break It has become one of my favorite shows of the Summer. Why? A few reasons:

  • The girls themselves. I love three of the four main characters — and the fourth is gaining fast. I adore perfect Payson, the champion good girl; devious Lauren, the troublemaker with daddy issues; and newbie Emily, the playground recruit who works a secret pizza parlor job to pay for the gym. I relate least to girly-girl Kaylie, who might want romance more than a gold medal, but she's growing on me.
  • Ayla Kell. The serious perfectionist, Payson, could be the dullest character in the cast — but I am loving actress Ayla Kell, who gives Payson a sweet vulnerability to go with that tough tomboy exterior.
  • The capers. In one episode, Kaylie does a fancy gymnastics trick on a keg at a party. In another, the girls use a climbing rope to swing Emily to an open window so she can make her shift at the pizza place. Turns out, standard teen show situations are just funnier when there's tumbling involved.

For more reasons and a fun video, just read more

TV

First Look: 10 Things I Hate About You and Make It or Break it

When I was putting together my Summer TV top 10 list, I couldn't choose just one ABC Family show to include.

When I was putting together my Summer TV top 10 list, I couldn't choose just one ABC Family show to include. That's because the network has two new shows coming out over the next few weeks that seem like they could give old favorites like Greek a run for their money.

One of them is Make It or Break It, a show about an elite group of teen gymnastics champions whose world gets shaken up when a new hot prospect gets discovered — on a playground, no less — and comes to train at their gym. The part of me that grew up reading the Gymnasts book series and wishing I could do the splits can't wait to watch this show. (The part of me that watched a whole lot of the Summer Olympics is already getting judgey about the stunt doubles' gymnastics, but those who can't do a handspring shouldn't throw stones, right?) It premieres June 22 after the return of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

The other series I'm curious to check out is the TV version of 10 Things I Hate About You, and judging from these poll results, I'm expecting some split opinions on this one. On paper, the show has some good things going for it: The movie's director also directed the pilot; Aliens in America's Lindsay Shaw is taking Julia Stiles's old role as Kat; and Larry Miller reprises his part from the movie as the girls' father. Greek writer Carter Covington is the man behind the series, which is a plus in my book. 10 Things will premiere July 7.

Does either show sound like one you'll check out? To get a look at the first promos and some longer sneak peeks, just read more