Secret Truths

Last updated

"Secret Truths"
South of Nowhere episodes
SON--SECRETTRUTHS--Ep01.JPG
Spencer (right) meets Ashley in the school gym.
Episode nos.Season 1
Episodes 1/2
Directed by Donna Deitch
Written by Thomas W. Lynch
Production code101/102
Original air dateNovember 4, 2005 (2005-11-04)
Guest appearances
  • John Eric Bentley as Coach
  • Marcus Brown as Dallas
  • Edward Cannan as Counsellor
  • Aasha Davis as Chelsea
  • Marisa Lauren as Sherry
  • Dinah Lenney as Teacher
  • Dustin Meier as Cop #1
  • Quentin Prescott Price as Boz
  • Darryl Reed Jr. as Zak
Episode chronology
← Previous
—		Next →
"Friends, Lovers, Brothers, and Others"
List of episodes

"Secret Truths" is the two-part premiere episode of the American teen drama series South of Nowhere . It premiered on November 4, 2005 on Noggin's teen-targeted programming block, The N. It was written by series creator Thomas W. Lynch and directed by Donna Deitch. The episode introduces three siblings—Spencer, Glen and Clay Carlin—who start at a new school after their family moves from a small town in Ohio to Los Angeles.

Contents

Lynch conceived South of Nowhere from the idea of a teenager's coming out after hearing that his friend's son had come out to his parents. Lynch pitched the premise to Noggin LLC and was commissioned to write the pilot. After the casting process was complete, the episode was filmed in October 2004, but when the show was picked up for a full season, Lynch decided to recast many of the characters and the pilot was shot again in July 2005 with the new cast. The premiere of the episode was promoted with branded MetroCards that were handed out to teenagers in Manhattan. Generally, critics reviewed the pilot positively, particularly commending its treatment of current social issues; however, some critics found the show's introduction of these issues to be forced and inauthentic.

Plot

After their mother Paula (Maeve Quinlan) takes on a new job, the Carlin family moves from a small town in Ohio to Los Angeles, California. The three Carlin siblings start at King High School, where they each try to fit in. Glen (Chris Hunter), a talented basketball player, tries out for the school basketball team, upsetting the star player Aiden Dennison (Matt Cohen) and his cheerleader girlfriend Madison Duarte (Valery Ortiz). Tensions between Glen and Aiden escalate into a locker room fight over Aiden's ex-girlfriend Ashley Davies (Mandy Musgrave), and Glen takes the spotlight in his first game, leaving Aiden on the bench. Glen's sister Spencer (Gabrielle Christian) joins the cheerleading squad but ends up doing little more than take orders from Madison. She befriends the rebellious Ashley, but when Ashley indicates her interest in girls, Spencer starts to avoid her, only to admit later that she enjoyed their time spent together. That night, though, she dreams of being taunted by the cheerleaders and called gay, although she denies it. Glen and Spencer's adopted African American brother Clay (Danso Gordon) is smart but naïve, and he finds himself facing the racial tensions of LA that he never experienced in Ohio. After Clay strikes up a conversation with a girl named Chelsea Lewis (Aasha Davis), he is beaten up by her ex-boyfriend Dallas (Marcus Brown) when Clay tries to defend her. He then earns the respect of Sean Miller (Austen Parros), who is cynical about the way African Americans are treated in society, and when they go driving they are pulled over by the police for "driving while black".

At a school dance, Sean persuades Dallas to make peace with Clay while Clay dances with Chelsea. Spencer convinces Ashley to come despite her disdain for school dances, but when Madison sees them together, she alleges that Spencer is gay and kicks Spencer off the cheerleading squad. It is revealed that Ashley was once pregnant by Aiden and lost the baby in a miscarriage, and when Glen tries to force Spencer to leave, another fight breaks out between him and Aiden. Spencer and Ashley flee the dance with Aiden and end up at a lookout over LA.

Production

Thomas W. Lynch first had the idea for South of Nowhere when one of his close conservative friends told Lynch that his son had just come out to him. The man asked his son, "How do you know you're gay?" and the son responded, "How do you know you're straight?" [1] When Lynch heard this, he says, he "knew there was a series in there about identity." [2] He wondered why such a noteworthy event—an adolescent's coming out to their parents—had never before been explored as an ongoing subject on a television series. [3] He "sat with the idea for a few days" and then wrote an outline of the show's pilot over a few weeks. [2] In an effort to maintain authenticity in depicting teenage experiences, Lynch spoke to high school counselors and asked drama students at a Los Angeles high school for feedback. [1] [2] He pitched the series—which he was then calling "Out"—to Noggin LLC executives Amy Friedman and Essie Chambers, who then commissioned him to write the pilot script. [2]

Gabrielle Christian first auditioned for the role of Spencer (then called "Zooey" [4] ) in July 2004, [5] though Lynch also had her read for Ashley's part. [6] Mandy Musgrave also auditioned for the role of Spencer, but Lynch liked her chemistry with Christian, so he paired the two up with Musgrave as Ashley. [4] The pilot was first shot in October 2004 and directed by Rose Troche. [7] After the series was picked up by Noggin for its teen block, The N, in January 2005, Lynch decided to recast many of the characters. [5] He said that "I didn't pick [Christian] up right away, I had her keep re-auditioning. ... I [had] to make sure that this combination [was] perfect." [8] Her contract was finally picked up in May 2005 and the pilot was re-filmed with the new cast in July. [5] Filming took place in Los Angeles, with a correctional facility used largely as the high school set. [9] Donna Deitch, who directed the second version of the pilot but no subsequent South of Nowhere episodes said that the pilot is "something I'm really, really proud of, because I think that show has a look, a style to it that really helps". She felt that the style she set suited the material and was "fairly inventive" for a low-budget series. [10]

Promotion

Before the airing of the pilot, The N joined with marketing agency Mr. Youth LLC to promote the show amongst teenagers in Manhattan. On Thursday November 3 and Friday November 4, 2005, street teams with chest-mounted televisions as well as branded Vespas were dispersed around lower Manhattan. They visited various high schools and offered South of Nowhere-branded MetroCards to teenagers who were traveling south on the N subway line. [11]

Reception

Most reviews of "Secret Truths" were positive, particularly praising its treatment of social issues. Maureen Ryan wrote for the Chicago Tribune that "The lack of either cutesyness or condescension shown by this program is promising." She also commended that the pilot "doesn't shy away" from issues pertaining to race, religion and sexuality. [12] Kate Authur of The New York Times compared the pilot positively to other series, writing, "If you took the plot of Beverly Hills, 90210 (a good-looking Midwestern family moves to Los Angeles), combined it with the identity issues of Degrassi (race, sexuality and class clash in a high school setting) and added a splash of One Tree Hill 's basketball backdrop, you would get South of Nowhere ... That's meant to be a compliment." [13] Alessandra Stanley, another critic for The New York Times, mentioned "Secret Truths" in a feature about racial issues on television. She felt that the pilot distinguished itself from other teen shows by including a subplot about race; however, she still found it to be "constrained and politically correct". [14] Variety 's Brian Lowry gave the episode a lukewarm review, comparing it to other teen dramas. He wrote that "the web of relationships doesn't feel particularly fresh, mirroring the recent spate of nighttime teen serials", but he felt the pilot was an "edgier treatment", noting that it "isn't screwing around" by addressing topics including abortion, drugs, homosexuality and racism. [9] Karman Kregloe of AfterEllen.com, a website focused on the portrayal of lesbians in the media, thought that the episode was "well-written, and the storyline for each of the lead characters is compelling". She praised the show greatly for its authentic portrayal of teenagers' questioning of their sexuality and the "big step" taken towards promoting tolerance. [15]

Other critics responded to the episode less positively. Joanna Weiss of The Boston Globe was more critical, feeling that the show "takes pains to introduce as many hot-button issues as possible" to give the illusion of authenticity. She found the characters to be predictable and to only serve as "plot vehicles". [16] The Seattle Times ' Kay McFadden also found a main problem of the show in the characters, believing that the pilot was more focused on plot development than it was on character development. She felt that the show was slightly hypocritical in trying to educate viewers on moral values but at the same time emphasising its own sexual aspects, setting "a weird standard for young viewers". [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Degrassi: The Next Generation</i> 2001 Canadian teen drama television series

Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Yan Moore and Linda Schuyler. It is the fourth series in the Degrassi franchise and a revival of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. It premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001 and concluded on August 2, 2015 on MTV Canada.

<i>Oobi</i> (TV series) American childrens television show

Oobi is an American children's television series produced by Little Airplane Productions for the Noggin channel. The show's concept is based on a training method used by puppeteers, in which they use their hands and a pair of glass eyes instead of a full puppet. The main character is a bare hand puppet named Oobi. The first season was a series of two-minute shorts. For its second season long-form series, with episodes lasting 13 minutes each. The show originally aired from 2000 to February 11, 2005, with reruns continuing until March 18, 2013.

Linda Wallem is an American actress, writer, and producer.

<i>Out There</i> (2003 TV series) "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000000-QINU`" TV series or program

Out There is a drama television series produced by Sesame Workshop and Noggin LLC for the Noggin channel. It aired as part of Noggin's nighttime programming block, The N. When the show started development, Sesame Workshop co-owned Noggin, and Out There was launched as a tween-oriented project for the network. The show was written, produced, and commissioned in New York, and it originated as an entirely American series with a storyline set in New York. During development, it became an American-Australian co-production, and filming took place mostly in Australia.

<i>South of Nowhere</i> 2005 – 2008 American teen drama television series created by Thomas W. Lynch

South of Nowhere is an American teen drama television series created by Thomas W. Lynch. It first aired on November 4, 2005, on Noggin as part of its teen programming block, The N. The show was produced by Noggin LLC in association with the creator's studio, Tom Lynch Company. It ran for three seasons and 40 episodes in total, the last of which aired on December 12, 2008. Live webisodes were also created to accompany each episode in the season-two storyline, and were seen exclusively through The N's website on the Click.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Cardon</span> American actress (born 1975)

Rebecca Lynn Cardon is a film and television actress, personal trainer, and product spokesperson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toshiko Sato</span> Fictional character in Torchwood

Toshiko "Tosh" Sato is a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London" (2005), Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood premiere episode "Everything Changes" (2006). The character appears in every episode of the show's first two series as well as Expanded Universe material including Torchwood novels, audiobooks and comic strips.

Thomas W. Lynch is an American television series creator and executive producer who is the head of his own production company, Tom Lynch Company based in Los Angeles, CA.

Gabrielle Christian is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Spencer Carlin in The N original series South of Nowhere, and her portrayal of Colby Robson in the web series Girltrash! and the film Girltrash: All Night Long. In addition, she has also guest starred on Drake & Josh, Windfall, Without a Trace and What Should You Do? along with several minor roles in a variety of other shows.

Amanda Marie Musgrave is an American actress and singer. Best known for her portrayal of Ashley Davies on the television series South of Nowhere, as well as portraying Misty Monroe in the web series Girltrash! and the film Girltrash: All Night Long, she has also appeared on a number of shows as a guest star.

Matthew Joseph Cohen is an American actor and filmmaker best known for playing young John Winchester and the archangel Michael in Supernatural, Aiden Dennison on the teen drama series South of Nowhere, and as Griffin Munro on the ABC daytime soap General Hospital. In 2019, he became a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight, but was laid off in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Carlin</span> Fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere

Spencer Carlin is a fictional character from South of Nowhere, a television series produced by Noggin LLC for its teen block, The N. Spencer attends King High, the central setting for the show. She is portrayed by Gabrielle Christian, and has a tempestuous romantic relationship with Ashley Davies. She was included in AfterEllen.com's Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Davies</span> Soap opera character

Ashley Davies is a fictional character from the television series South of Nowhere, a television series produced by Noggin LLC for its teen block, The N. Ashley is in a romantic relationship with the lead character, Spencer Carlin. She attended King High School before she got a $12.5 million inheritance, and is portrayed by actress Mandy Musgrave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Goldman</span>

Julie Goldman is an American comedian, actress, and podcaster. She is best known for her work on Bravo’s The People’s Couch, and HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2016, she started a podcast with her comedy partner Brandy Howard, called Dumb Gay Politics, which recaps politics and reality TV.

We're Getting NowhereThe Terrible Three talk back to your TV is a vlog that is posted Thursdays on AfterEllen where the three regular hosts Karman Kregloe, Jill Bennett and Dara Nai, talk about new episodes of various programs related mainly, but not exclusively to lesbian themed TV-shows. Series covered in the vlog include South of Nowhere, America's Next Top Model and The L Word. In the broadcasts episodes are recapped, re-enacting of various scenes with and without the use of sock puppets and other props may occur, relevant and irrelevant trivia and general opinions on the episode in question are shared with the audience. After recapping Season One of The L Word, WGN was retired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Sylvester</span> Fictional character from the Fox series Glee

Susan "Sue" Rodham Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and appears in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009, through the show's final episode, first broadcast on March 20, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noggin (brand)</span> Former American childrens edutainment brand (1999-2024)

Noggin is an American edutainment brand launched on February 2, 1999. It was co-founded by MTV Networks and Sesame Workshop. It started out as a cable television channel and a website, both centered around the concepts of imagination, creativity, and education. From 2015 to 2024, Noggin was a streaming service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The N</span> Programming block on the Noggin television channel

The N was a prime time and late-night programming block on the Noggin television channel, aimed at preteens and teenagers. It was launched on April 1, 2002, by MTV Networks and Sesame Workshop.

References

  1. 1 2 Kennedy, Sarah (November 7, 2005). "The OC? Oh, please". The Advocate . No. 974. p. 27.
  2. 1 2 3 4 McCallum, Kate (July–August 2006). "The Creation and Making of South of Nowhere". Scr(i)pt Magazine. p. 28–31.
  3. ↑ Aurthur, Kate (December 24, 2006). "Enthusiasm that is almost like a kid's". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Nelson, Courtney (October 2, 2006). "Interview with Mandy Musgrave of "South of Nowhere"". AfterEllen.com . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Kregloe, Karman (November 10, 2005). "Interview with South of Nowhere's Gabrielle Christian". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Gabrielle Christian Interview, January 2010". South of Nowhere Online. January 2010.
  7. ↑ "New TV Series "South of Nowhere" to Feature a Lesbian Teen". AfterEllen.com. June 2, 2005. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Tom Lynch Interview 11/2/09". South of Nowhere Online. November 2, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Lowry, Brian (November 2, 2005). "South of Nowhere". Variety . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  10. ↑ Kregloe, Karman (June 3, 2007). "Interview With Donna Deitch". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  11. ↑ Hall, Steve (November 3, 2005). "The N's 'South of Nowhere' Promoted With Metrocards". Adrants. Adrants Publishing LLC. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  12. ↑ Ryan, Maureen; Smith, Sid (November 4, 2005). "8 shows to watch this weekend". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  13. ↑ Aurthur, Kate (October 20, 2005). "The week ahead: Oct. 30 -- Nov. 5; Television". The New York Times . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  14. ↑ Stanley, Alessandra (November 4, 2005). "Two Fictional Families, Neither Colorblind, but Only One Really Sees Black America". The New York Times . Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  15. ↑ Kregloe, Karman (October 31, 2005). "Well-Written South of Nowhere Features Queer Teen Girls". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  16. ↑ Weiss, Joanna (November 4, 2005). "'Nowhere' is a scary place for school". The Boston Globe . Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  17. ↑ McFadden, Lay (November 11, 2005). "Teen drama "Nowhere" hooks up values, vices". The Seattle Times . Retrieved December 7, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.