The staff at The Huffington Post are among the many TV reporters and journalists who have seen all the pilots for the 2012-13 season from all the major networks.
While they can’t provide reviews just yet (some pilots are tweaked before premiere), HuffPost TV did reveal their first impressions on all The CW’s new offerings and they echo what other journalists have said — Arrow and The Carrie Diaries are the standouts for the network’s new season.
Below is what they had to say about the mid-season Sex and the City prequel, The Carrie Diaries.
Maureen Ryan: DVR It
It’s cute enough, but pretty insubstantial. Also, I was a teenager in the ’80s. Not everyone wore that much neon. Just sayin’.
Maggie Furlong: Watch It
I was wary of the idea of a “Sex and the City” prequel, but AnnaSophia Robb is adorable as young Carrie, and the mix of high school life and exploring the big city is a fun balance.
Jaimie Etkin: Watch It
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy “The Carrie Diaries,” but I really did. The ’80s setting is fun, AnnaSophia Robb is wonderful in the role of baby Bradshaw and the homages to the HBO series — like Carrie’s pre-writing scrunchie — are very satisfying. But I can’t help but wonder: How does this well-adjusted 15-year-old become such a freaking basketcase on “Sex and the City”?
Chris Harnick: DVR It
Probably The CW’s hottest project, the “Sex and the City” prequel wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. I’d like to see more, but I’m not dying to.
Alex Moaba: Skip It
Not for me, but it’s watchable enough that I’d recommend it to my sister on the condition that the line about Carrie losing her virginity to a man named Manhattan gets edited out of the pilot.
Laura Prudom: Watch It
As a die-hard “Sex and the City” fan, I was honestly expecting to loathe this show, but I’m happy to admit that the pilot completely changed my mind. I’m refusing to view it as a “SatC” prequel, but taken as a standalone teen drama that just happens to feature a curly-haired fashionista called Carrie, it’s thoroughly charming, heartfelt and funny, with smart writing and a compelling group of characters. I’m just sad that we have to wait until midseason to see more.
Read what else they had to say about The CW’s other pilots at The Huffington Post.