REPORTING: Red Band Society is a must-see this fall

Red Band Society, FOX’s new comedy-drama television show, is on many people’s must-watch list this fall, including mine.

The coming-of-age series is set in the pediatric wing of a hospital and follows a group of young, teenage patients (and unlikely friends) battling an array of health issues. Here’s a peek at the series synopsis from FOX:

“What if a hospital was your high school, boarding school and summer camp rolled into one? What if it was the place where you fell in love for the first time and made friendships that lasted a lifetime? And what if it was all weirdly hilarious and the most fun you ever had in your entire life? This is the world of RED BAND SOCIETY. […] RED BAND SOCIETY is a provocative, unconventional and, at times, comic high school drama told through the eyes of a group of teenagers who meet as patients in the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital in Los Angeles. The series is part comedy, part drama, with a tone that’s unique unto itself.”

I recently attended a pre-screening of Red Band Society and was able to watch the pilot episode, which I enjoyed throughout. It was laugh out loud funny despite being set in a hospital, which is known for being a morbid place. Although I cannot review the TV show until it airs next month, as pilot episodes sometimes change before broadcasting on television, the content I saw was unique and promising. And I think the show will be something special. It’s like The Breakfast Club meets The Fault In Our Stars.

Red Band Society is based on the award-winning Spanish series “Polseres Vermelles” that premiered in 2011. In the same year Steven Spielberg aquired the remake rights, and an American adaptation has been in the works since then. Spielberg is now serving as an executive producer on The Red Band Society.

The show features a talented cast, starring Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Dave Annable (666 Park Avenue; Brothers&Sisters) along with a variety of young, fresh faces. Griffin Gluck (Back in the Game; Private Practice), Charlie Rowe (Neverland; Walking with Dinosaurs), Nolan Sotillo (Prom), Brian “Astro” Bradley (Earth to Echo; The X Factor), Ciara Bravo (Big Time Rush), and Zoe Levin (Palo Alto; The Way Way Back) all portray teen patients in Ocean Park Hospital.

Cast and crew are currently filming season one in Atlanta, Georgia. Red Band Society will premiere Wednesday, September 17th on FOX.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPEI4CnAC4c&feature=youtu.be