10 Things I Hate About You is an American televisionsitcom broadcast on ABC Family beginning in 2009. Developed by Carter Covington, the show is a half-hour, single camera series based on the 1999 film of the same name. It premiered on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 8 pm and brought in 1.60 million viewers, a record for a 30-minute comedy debut on the ABC Family network. Following its initial 10-episode run, a second set of 10 episodes aired from March 29, 2010 to May 24, 2010. On April 29, executive producer Carter Covington announced on his Twitter account that the series had been canceled by ABC Family due to low ratings. He later revealed his intended storylines for the next season in an interview with Entertainment Weekly Popwatch blog.
Plot
The series is based on 10 Things I Hate About You, which is itself based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The Stratford sisters, Kat and Bianca, have just moved from Ohio to California. As they start at their new school, they have very different goals. It's clear that one sister wants to stand out and the other just wants to fit in. Kat is a cool, smart, strong-willed, forthright feminist who is looking to save the world and get out of school as fast as she can. When she meets the intense Patrick Verona, sparks begin to fly. Bianca is a social butterfly whose main goal in life is to be popular, but when the head cheerleader makes her the mascot, she realizes she has a long way to go. As they start a bumpy year at Padua High, Kat and Bianca attempt to navigate the popular crowd, boys and their over-protective dad. Bianca tries everything to be popular and become a cheerleader – although getting involved with the boyfriend of the most popular girl in school creates new challenges.
In 2008, ABC Family announced their intention to create a comedy pilot based on the 1999 movie. The pilot was written by Carter Covington, a self-professed fan of the original 1999 film. ABC Family green-litthe comedy in October 2008. In November 2008, casting was announced for the pilot, with production following that fall. In February 2009, the pilot was picked up when ABC Family ordered 9 additional episodes. While Covington sought a "reimagined" adaptation, there are several connections between the pilot and movie, which gave the pilot the same feel. Gil Junger, who directed the movie, also directed the pilot and served as series consultant. Richard Gibbs, who was credited for the original music in the 1999 movie, also composed the theme music for the pilot. In addition, Larry Miller reprised his role as the overprotective father, Walter Stratford. A cover of I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick was recorded by KSM. A music video was shot which featured members of the cast with KSM. The pilot was shot at a high school in Tujunga, California. Due to budget constraints, future episodes were filmed at a soundstage in Santa Clarita, California, with only occasional external shots in Tujunga. Covington served as the series' showrunner, as well as an executive producer. He stated that he wanted the show "to feel like a John Hughes film every week." Junger remained on board, and directed seven of the first 10 episodes of the series.
Episodes
20 episodes were produced, 12 of them directed by Gil Junger, who also directed the original film.
Reception
10 Things has received a score of 66 out of 100 from review aggregator Metacritic. Several critics praised the series for containing clever dialogue and appealing and rooted characters. Brian Lowry of Variety described the show as "a solid roll for the cable network that was once an albatross around the neck of parent Disney." One critic proclaimed the series as "best thing that ABC Family has ever produced." Randee Dawn of The Hollywood Reporter thought that the series "has genuine appeal." Less favorable reviews came from Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times, who called the series "not very inventive," and The New York Post, whose mixed review concluded that the show is "silly, mindless fun" whose "actors are all terrific in that silly, mindless fun way that Disney teens tend to be." Mike Hale from The New York Times named the show to his top ten in 2009, stating that "in the dog days of July," the sitcom "may have been the best thing on television."
