Jane by Design

Jane by design is fast becoming my favorite show. Here are the pros: * Great acting. From excitingly explosive performances by India to the complex and non-stereotypical characters of Lulu and Nick, this cast has proved they have the chops. 26 year old Erica Dasher, who plays the main character of Jane, portrays a teenager quite well, as does Nick Roux, who plays her best friend.

* Creative plots. The plot lines are not contrived or cliché. Instead, most plots center around Jane at school, Jane at work in the fantasy world of fashion, and Jane's relationships with her friends and co-workers. This show is obviously very fashion related, so any fashionistas will enjoy its numerous references to the industry and cameo appearances by designers (like Betsey Johnson.) * Unique relationships. This isn't just your typical abc teen show drama...instead of constant breakups and such, Jane by Design presents Jane and Billy as incredibly close but (as yet) platonic best friends. Billy's devotion to Jane is something quite unusual and their relationship is one not really seen before.

* Really good clothes. Which is to be expected, since this is a fashion show.

So, in conclusion, go watch this show. It's positive, lighthearted, and actually has substance. The 10 episodes are airing in rotation on abc's site (a rerun is added every Monday) and abc has just ordered 8 more episodes for this summer. OR, if you can't wait that long, check out this realistic fanfiction story which carries over all the plot lines from the show (just search for "Kickstich" by Clarissa Rivers on fanfiction.)