Two negative reviews to one positive. Time to check in. I had an odd schizophrenic feeling (intrigued by the romance, but put off by the neurotic woman stuff) about Parker's Carrie and never really got into it. So I was biased going into Diaries.
The pilot played twice tonight back to back and I started a recording on the first hour not sure if it was a two-hour pilot or an immediate repeat. I had reception problems so bailed out and was going to abandon my interest but just watched the second playing in real time as long as it was there. I was captivated almost immediately.
For one thing, I think AnnaSophia is cute as the dickens as well as a compelling actor having just seen her in Bridge to Tarabitha. But beyond that, I thought Diaries was even truer to the Sex in the City theme than the original, if that makes any sense. There's something about the innocence of an origin back story that's more interesting than the ongoing series of contrived situations that all seem the same from week to week. The acting in general is easy and realistic without all the jargon and cultural quirks of much of today's TV.
Prime time television dramas and situation comedies generally tend to all have the same smell to me like dumpsters and garbage trucks have no matter what people throw away. Diaries seems fresh to me. I may well lose interest somewhere into the series, but I am going to put this on my recording schedule and look forward to a new addition to my core viewing listing.
