PILOT REVIEW: All American

ALL AMERICAN

Starring: Daniel Ezra, Bre-Z, Greta Onieogou, Samantha  Logan, Michael Evans Behling, Cody Christian, Karimah Westbrook, Monet Mazur, and Taye Diggs

Created by April Blair
Written by April Blair, Directed by Rob Hardy

IN SHORT: For those who wish Friday Night Lights felt a little more like a CW show.

THE PREMISE:
Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) is a star high school football player from the wrong side of town. After fights, shootings and other concerns, he is recruited by Beverly Hills High coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) to play for them. Spencer has to try to fit in to a new, rich high school and a football team led by some resistant players including Billy's son, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling). Also in the cast are Spencer's mom (Karimah Westbrook), two potential love interests at Beverly Hills High (Samantha Logan and Bre-Z), and Billy's wife, Laura (Monet Mazur).

THE REVIEW:
All American is a show busting with potential and some pieces came together in the pilot while others did not. This show has a tall order from my perspective because I think Friday Nights Lights is one of the two best dramas in TV history and there are obvious comparisons here. I've also been re-watching FNL so it's even more fresh in my head and I'm going to try to not let that skew my opinion of All American, which has its own merits and a different story to tell.

The strongest element in All American are the two primary characters: Spencer James and Billy Baker. Daniel Ezra and Taye Diggs turn in strong performances and have already developed a natural rapport with each other that is fun to watch. I'm also intrigued by Spencer's home life and liked the scenes with him and his mom and brother. Where the show went off the rails a little bit was when it became a little too much like a teen soap or melodrama (there's two girls that like Spencer! The boosters aren't gonna be happy about this!). Those were times where it devolved into a standard teen drama or sports movie and it took away from the solid foundation of the show.

I think this is a really promising show overall if it can find the right voice. Right now, the tone is oddly trying to mix a sentimental drama where a harder edged drama about the culture clash. I think the culture clash element is an intriguing component but it needs to get itself rooted in the relationships. I can already predict some of the storylines that could happen this season because I've seen other teen dramas or sports movies. But, this show definitely seems to be aspiring to be better than that and it has all the right tools to be better.

BOTTOM LINE:
I'm rooting for All American more than most fall shows because I think its potential is very strong. It could become my first regular CW show I watch. I hope it does.