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TV Media Weekly | September 13 - 19, 2014 "Red Band's" favor, especially since it wasn't guaranteed a whole sea- son when the show's concept was first bandied about. "Red Band So- ciety's" pilot was originally devel- oped by another network, but it failed to pick up the series. In early May, Fox chairman Kev- in Reilly announced bold plans to reinvent Fox's pilot season. As it has always been, networks all pre- miere their new shows at the same time, and those that don't draw enough viewers get axed. Reilly proposed to do away with the feeding frenzy by distributing pi- lots throughout the year. This would quell the desperate sprint to stay on the air, and the network was poised to give more shows se- ries commitments, spreading out fully developed concepts and sea- sons while giving them a chance to build an audience. Later that month, however, Reil- ly announced he would be leaving the network. This throws the future of Fox's pilot schedule up in the air, although Reilly said in a interview with "The Hollywood Reporter," "I hope it's the beginning of a dia- logue." Whatever they're going to do in the future, Fox has committed to "Red Band Society." The heart- warming dramedy will bring to- gether a cast of diverse characters who are all dealing with similar is- sues. Despite their differences, un- expected friendships and romanc- es are bound to pop up. Come visit the pediatric ward in "Red Band Society" when the premiere airs Wednesday, Sept. 17, on Fox. By Jacqui Wiens TV Media C oming of age is never an easy thing. As youths be- come adolescents and be- gin to stretch their bound- aries, they run into the adults who enforce limits for their own good. It's a topic that has been explored in literature, film and television as long as those mediums have exist- ed, but Fox is putting a fresh — if melancholic — spin on the whole idea. Set in a pediatric ward, the dramedy "Red Band Society" will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 17, on Fox. "Red Band Society" goes inside a tumultuous world in which the adolescents are all struggling with serious illness, and their authority figures are the doctors and nurses who care for them. The show is based on the highly successful Spanish series "Polseres Vermel- les" and was adapted by writer and producer Margaret Nagle ("Side Order of Life"). When she was young, Nagle's brother was in a lengthy coma. As a result, she spent a significant amount of time in hospitals and has a very person- al connection with the world "Red Band Society" will bring to life. In fact, Nagle's brother is repre- sented in "Red Band Society" by one of the patients — a young, co- matose boy named Charlie, played by Griffin Cluck ("Private Prac- tice"). Charlie isn't able to interact with the other characters directly, but the character has been devel- oped with collaboration from the real Charlie — Nagle's brother. Drawing from personal experience, the character Charlie will be able to hear conversations taking place around him. He will also act as nar- rator for the first season, giving viewers an inside look at the char- acter that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Additionally, all of the stories in the show will have some basis in reality. The younger cast members, along with Nagle and co-producer Justin Falvey ("Falling Skies"), vis- ited pediatric wards to hear from real children living with and fight- ing against the illnesses they will portray. Those interactions have worked their way into the very fab- ric of the show, inspiring details for many of the characters' back- grounds. It certainly seems like a grisly premise, but while at the Television Critics Association media tour this past summer, Nagle stressed that "pediatrics goes through age 24, and 85 per cent of all kids with any one of these diseases recover. It's really about that time you spend in the hospital, how it changes you and what you learn … there are serious things that these kids have to face, but this is not a show with a body count." Chafing from their confinement in the hospital, the teens form friendships by breaking the rules in what has been described as a "Breakfast Club" fashion. Spencer pointed out another similarity to the beloved 1985 film in an inter- view with "The Daily Beast": "She's sort of like the principal in 'The Breakfast Club.' My character is pretty strict, and it's not senti- mental or sad; it's more life-affirm- ing." "Red Band Society" is one of several series in Fox's new premiere schedule that received commit- ments to develop an entire season. It's a new move for the network, and it looks like it could work out in Nolan Sotillo and Ciara Bravo in a scene from "Red Band Society" Tender loving care Fox's 'Red Band Society' gives darkly comedic take on pediatric patients 2 | Cover story CHANNEL GUIDE Comcast Walton Cable- Vision Sammo ns of Indiana Tipton Cable TV Oak Hill Cable Swayzee AT&T U-Verse

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