Hollywood Heights

Its honestly amazing and really unfortunate that it only lasted for so long

I tuned in to see two childhood favorites, Meredith Salenger (The Journey of Natty Gann) and Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables) acting on-screen together. And then I found myself pleasantly surprised by the show as a whole.

Hollywood Heights is current but pays homage to Hollywood's history too. There's a nice blend of pretty much every genre... family drama, witty banter like you'd find on Gilmore Girls or classic screwball comedies, romance, backstage musical/songwriter biopic/showbiz rise & fall stories, even crime drama and film noir elements near the end of the series. As a fan of classic movies, I got a kick out of picking up on certain references (to A Star Is Born and Gone With The Wind, among others), which were well-integrated and fun for those who get them, but not out-of-place and confusing for younger viewers.

I admit I've got songs from the show stuck in my head, and I can't stand most of today's popular music. It helps that it doesn't feel like the showrunners are aggressively promoting soundtracks they want to sell, and wallpapering every scene with songs that drown out the dialogue (unlike all those teen shows on The CW or whatever.) There's some interesting insight into the way the music industry works, and modern internet trends/fan reactions vs. the way rock & roll stardom used to be, and I think a lot of it rings true.

Plot aside, I've got to care about the characters to really get emotionally involved in a story. Hollywood Heights impressed me there too. Most of the acting is strong, and the characterization and continuity is better than I've seen on many recent (and more popular but overrated) shows. The actors and writers really know how to make you root for (or hiss and boo at) the characters and get invested in their story lines, which, again, isn't easy to find on current TV, in my experience.

I could go on about how satisfying the show is from a feminist perspective, with a rare emphasis on mother/daughter and female friendship scenes. I was glad they hired actresses based on talent and included a variety of body types other than the anorexic. And I think the show subtly delivers a good message promoting healthy romantic relationships between independent equals, which young girls probably need to see more examples of in their fiction these days.

I'd buy this on DVD, yes, all 80 episodes, as pricey as that may be. Personally, I'm fine with not getting a second season as this one wrapped up nicely. It's so refreshing to have closure in a TV series, instead of leaving us with unresolved cliffhangers. I felt like I was watching a really long movie, with a satisfying ending that rewarded the time & emotions invested in it. Definitely a rarity in TV. When 80 episodes fly by and never feel like a chore to watch, you know they're doing something right.

While I understand that there may have never been plans for a season 2 of this show I certainly hope decisions outside of the original plan are not determined based on the typical Gallup poll. Seems like most networks are still measuring the likability of a TV show based on who is watching the show at the regularly scheduled time but in this day and age of DVR's, TiVo, online viewers and social media trending there is a lot more to measure for the success of a show then the typical polls used 10 years ago. If you look at the amount of fans and followers of the various hash tags and cast on Twitter alone you can see how well this show is actually doing in the fans eyes. And if you were on the fence about having another season that should be reason enough. Seems like there is so much more that can be done with these story lines to continue for at least another season. At this point ending it where it is at would be leaving your loyal fans of 4 months 5 days a week hanging with no resolution and that is really pretty horrible to do to the dedicated fans (including myself) who want to see where this can go. Before making a decision please break away from the old ways of measuring success and look at all of the new ways this this new generation uses.

Very addictive show... Cannot wait for each new episode!!! Recommend this show to anyone who likes a good, romantic, suspenseful, drama...this is your show. My favorite parts of the show are the ones with the two main characters Eddie & Loren!!!! Cannot get enough of this show!! The only negative thing I can say about the show is there are a few actors who are less then impressive in there acting abilities.. Main person being Nick Krause who plays Adam one of Loren's high school friends. The other character I could do with out is Dr. Don, annoying is all I can say. If you are going to start watching this show would highly recommend first catching up from the beginning episodes to the current episodes so you can fully understand all of the drama going on and appreciate the relationships and friendships. All in all excellent show and hope there will be more seasons!!

I LOVE the show. I think more people need to watch it. It should be moved to a different channel. Its an adult show not a kids show. Please everyone rate this show amazing. I want it to come back for a second season! The love story between Eddie and Loren rocks. I really want to see how far her career gets. I wanna know what happens to Phil. I wanna know if Dr. Masters is still alive. I really miss One life to live and All my children. this show makes up for that. They never should of took those two shows off the air. They should of just moved them to a different time so people could watch them. Hollywood Heights comes on at the perfect time. You don't have to worry about missing it. and I wouldn't miss it for the world anyway. I look forward to seeing it every night.