Everwood

I urge everybody who hasn't seen this excellent family drama to start watching. Set in a town amidst the breathtaking vistas of Rocky Mountains in Colorado, the show tells the story of a world-renowned surgeon who, after the death of his wife, gave up his life in New York and moved his family of two kids to Everwood. Andrew Brown (Treat Williams) was suddenly faced with the challenges of raising his two kids, which he didn't play a big part while his wife was still alive. The son, Ephram (Gregory Smith), is a smart teenage boy who quietly resents his father for the lack of attention his father paid to him and his sister before the death of their mother. The daughter, pre-teen Delia Brown (Vivien Cardone), is as sweet as you can ever hope.

As the story unfolds, we discover that the arrival of the Browns was not entirely welcomed by the only other doctor in town, Harold Abbott (Tom Amandes). The two had tensions for a while, further amplified when Harry's mother, Edna (Debra Mooney), join Andrew's free practice as his nurse. Ephram also found himself secretly harboring a crush on Harold's teenage daughter, Amy (Emily VanCamp), who still can't get over the death of her boyfriend and place the blame on his surgeon, Andrew. We were introduced to other colourful characters as well, such as Amy's brother Bright (Chris Pratt), Edna's husband and school driver Mr. Irv Harper, and Andy's friendly neighbor Nina (Stephanie Niznik).

The show was unafraid to deal with many issues, such as teenage pregnancy and abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, a husband's homosexuality, and medical marijuana. It got me hooked instantly after I watched the pilot of Season 2 on TV. Every episode has something new to offer, and it never failed to touch my heart in many ways. The cuteness factor of Gregory Smith doesn't do any harm either. Go watch!

Interesting tidbits:
Marcia Cross, the oh-so-perfect housewife from Desperate Housewives also guest stars in several episodes, playing Linda, Harold's kid sister. Linda was returning home after traveling around the world to exotic locations and using her medical skills to help people in remote villages. As a result, she is very much a carefree individual. Talk about 180-degree difference.

Brenda Strong, also from Desperate, appeared in flashback sequences as Andrew's dead wife in the beginning of Season 1, much the same as her character in Desperate.