MTV (Thursdays, 10 P.M. ET)
B+
Never a tight ship to begin with, MTV continues to loosen up the mix with shows like Hangin' with MTV, with its romper-room revelry, and this new program, which is like a '90s version of the Loud family epic. MTV calls it a reality-based serial. Place seven young strangers (ages 19 to 26) together in a fabulous Manhattan loft for three months and turn on the cameras. As they live in this glasshouse, the group members hang out, develop intra- and extramural relationships and pursue their individual interests (music, modeling, etc.).
As a social experiment, this project fizzles because of the imposing scrutiny (even the phone is tapped) and because of the artificial relationship foisted on these instant loftmates. But as television, it's rather intriguing. The more you get to know the seven, the greater your curiosity to see what happens to them. (Each of the 13 episodes will be repeated four times over the weekend.) For young adults, this show offers a more accurate reflection of how their contemporaries really talk and think than previous generations have gotten from TV.
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