Will You MAKE IT OR BREAK IT?

ABC Family keeps me on my toes. After initially skipping out on the network’s hit show, GREEK, out of fear that it would be typical ABC Family goody two-shows television, I now feel the need to watch every new show the network airs.  What if one of their new shows is the next GREEK and I miss out?

After watching the premiere of MAKE IT OR BREAK IT last night, I can safely say this show is no GREEK.  It’s more what you would expect from an ABC Family drama, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – if you’re in the right demo; which I don’t think I am.

The show centers around the lives of four aspiring Olympic gymnasts who are training together in a gym known as The Rock – a premiere training facility led by coach Marty Walsh (Erik Palladino).

Payson Keeler is the team’s best hope for gold. She’s focused on winning, but luckily she has seemingly stable parents, played by Peri Gilpin (“Fraiser”) and Brett Cullen (“Lost”) to help keep her somewhat grounded.

On the opposite side of the parental spectrum is Steve Tanner, a father who will do just about anything to make sure his already spoiled daughter, Lauren, gets anything she wants – even if she doesn’t deserve it.  In the pilot the shenanigans of the Tanner’s not only come close to killing another gymnast, but also aim to destroy the Olympic dreams of all the girls in training.  Quite a pair those two. Oh and it’s worth mentioning that Steve’s executive assistant (also his secret girlfriend), Summer, is played by none other than Candace Cameron Bure. It’s nice to see the former “Full House” star back on TV. Little DJ has aged well – she looked great.  And I don’t mean to rush the relationship between Steve and Summer, but if they do get married Summer’s last name would be Tanner. Candace could be a Tanner again.  I refuse to believe that’s a coincidence.

Kaylie Cruz is a beautiful gymnast who looks as pretty as a dollar bill to her parents.  While mom and dad are focused on finding the best endorsements, Kaylie is focused on Carter, a fellow gymnast with whom she’s having a secret romance.

And finally there’s Emily Kmetko, the show’s ‘wrong side of the tracks’ girl if you will. Emily’s scholarship to The Rock conveniently brings her to town the day before a major competition – one that decides who moves on to compete in Nationals.  Seems all that fun jumping around in the playground has really paid off. With hardly any real training, Emily is able to compete at the highest level in her sport.  No thanks to her flighty but well meaning mother.

While the show certainly has some weak spots in both the writing and the acting, I can see the appeal it may have to some younger viewers. And I mean no offense if you’re an old fogey and loving it, but the coming of age stories baked into the competitive world of gymnastics really speaks to a younger crowd.  And I think it speaks to them in a very different way than say “Gossip Girl” does. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Kudos to the director for pulling of the gymnastic scenes quite well. I’ve seen enough Lifetime movies to know that the there is a fine line between looking realistic and cheesy.

For many shows the pilot is the “make it or break it” episode.  While it’s proven time and time again that the show can improve after its first airing, the pilot is crucial in showing potential viewers what they can expect from the series. While the premise has a certain built-in drama, the cliched and predictable moments as well as the over-acting demonstrated in last night’s episode, didn’t win me over. For me, MAKE IT OR BREAK IT lacked the substance necessary for me to tune in again next week.

Did you watch the show? I have to ask…will you MAKE IT or BREAK IT?