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Even XXXXX, XXXXX XX, 2013 | TAB NAME Odd 2 TV ENCORE By Jacqui Wiens TV Media C oming of age is never an easy thing. As youths become adolescents and begin to stretch their boundaries, 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 existed, but Fox is putting a fresh — if mel- ancholic — 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 Vermelles" and was adapted by writer and pro- ducer 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 personal connection with the world "Red Band Society" will bring to life. In fact, Nagle's brother is rep- resented in "Red Band Society" by one of the patients — a young, comatose boy named Charlie, played by Griffin Cluck ("Private Practice"). Charlie isn't able to interact with the other characters directly, but the char- acter has been developed with collaboration from the real Graybeals Carpet 2 x 3" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" Harrison- Metzger 2 x 2" On the Cover Charlie — Nagle's brother. Drawing from personal experi- ence, the character Charlie will be able to hear conversations taking place around him. He will also act as narrator for the first season, giving viewers an inside look at the character that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Additionally, all of the stories in the show will have some basis in reality. The younger cast mem- bers, along with Nagle and co- producer Justin Falvey ("Falling Skies"), visited pediatric wards to hear from real children living with and fighting against the ill- nesses they will portray. Those interactions have worked their way into the very fabric of the show, inspiring details for many of the characters' backgrounds. 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 seri- ous things that these kids have to face, but this is not a show with a body count." Chafing from their confine- ment 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 sim- ilarity to the beloved 1985 film in an interview with "The Daily Beast": "She's sort of like the principal in 'The Breakfast Club.' My character is pretty strict, and it's not sentimental or sad; it's more life-affirming." "Red Band Society" is one of several series in Fox's new pre- miere schedule that received commitments to develop an entire season. It's a new move for the network, and it looks like it could work out in "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 Society's" pilot was origi- nally developed by another net- work, but it failed to pick up the series. In early May, Fox chairman Kevin Reilly announced bold plans to reinvent Fox's pilot sea- son. As it has always been, net- works all premiere 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 pilots throughout the year. This would Fox's 'Red Band Society' gives darkly comedic take on pediatric patients quell the desperate sprint to stay on the air, and the network was poised to give more shows series commitments, spreading out fully developed concepts and seasons while giving them a chance to build an audience. Later that month, however, Reilly 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 dialogue." Whatever they're going to do in the future, Fox has committed to "Red Band Society." The heart- warming dramedy will bring together a cast of diverse charac- ters who are all dealing with similar issues. Despite their differ- ences, unexpected friendships and romances are bound to pop up. 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