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Hart of Dixie: Series Premiere

By Meredith Alloway · August 29, 2011

Looks like this season the CW is turning to its old stars to bring new success. Both Rachel Bilson and Sarah Michelle Gellar are returning, partnering with producers that worked with them on Buffy and The O.C. But Bilson is taking on a completely new character and a very different viewer demographic with Hart of Dixie. The pilot, mostly just exposition, feels slightly familiar (how many medical dramas have we seen?) but it does possess a spark of something original: Alabama.

Zoe Hart graduates from med school and aspires to, with warp speed, become a successful cardiothoracic surgeon and join her father’s practice. But things don’t go as planned, and she ends up in Bluebell, Alabama: the last place she expected. The city girl’s suddenly taken back to the old south where plantations and porches are profuse.

She’s been left half the practice by Doctor Harvey Wilkes, who’s just passed away.

Within the first episode, we’re introduced to all the key players. There’s Lemon (Jamie King) who is the town beauty, Mayor Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams) an ex-NFL player, Wade (Wilson Bethel) the attractive bad boy and then George Tucker, the charming, promising young lawyer who happens to be engaged to Lemon. So, as usual, CW delivers a good-looking, young cast ready to jump on the cover of Vogue and get their big break.

Originally conceived as a law show, Zoe Hart was moved into a medical arena, where executives thought there’d be more story opportunities. And, I must say, they do provide us with some intriguing, attractive young Bluebell characters. Already, we see opportunities for any of these kids to hook up… and we get to witness an occasion involving a car and a box of Franzia. How Alabama.

At first, obviously a fish-out-of-water story, Zoe seems extremely negative and only able to gripe about her new surroundings. As her time in Bluebell progresses, we do see a glimmer of hope for her. This occurs during a scene, really the only time in the episode, where something happens. Zoe must deliver a child for the fragile, terrified Mabel. NAME. It’s the middle of George and Lemon’s engagement party and Mabel goes into labor. Zoe both saves the day and proves to Brick Breeland, the resident town doctor, that she’s worthy of half the practice.

Oh, and let’s not forget Zoe’s controlling, materialistic publicist mother. The more we get to know her, the more we forgive Zoe for her occasional shallowness. We also, I won’t give anything away, find out perhaps Zoe’s past contains some serious secrets, secrets that explain why the hell she ended up in Alabama in the first place.

Hart of Dixie is attempting to provide viewers with an escape. Leila Gertstein, executive producer, told the Television Critics Association (TCA),  “I call it ‘city girl porn.” She created the show as a way to break away from her own routine life as an urban mom. With past CW shows like Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill aiming at the young 20s demographic, it could be refreshing to have a show for an older crowd. Instead of watching Law and Order or New Jersey Housewives, perhaps mommies across America will come home, put their feet up, grab a Mint Julip and feel at home with Hart of Dixie. Gerstein emphasized, “In my pitch, I said, ‘It’s full of hot fisherman and there’s a great love story,’ so it was created really out of an escapist need that I had.”            

Well, I’ll just say, I think anyone likes a hot fisherman. Except for maybe straight guys… Oh, Ya, did I mention I don’t think Dixie will do well with the dudes?