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Hex
However, taken on its own terms, and bearing its limitations in mind, Hex should not be dismissed out of hand - certainly not as "Hollyoaks-meets-Charmed", although this description is not entirely without justification. It certainly visited some dark and surprising places, particularly in its final episode. It's certainly sexy, albeit arguably occasionally gratuitously and unrealistically so, and - thanks to the different attitudes of British broadcasting guidelines - edgier and more risqué than BtVS, particularly in its language (there was even a "fuck" in there). And, while not overtly a comedy, it's not without a sense of humour, which is deployed subtly and to good effect. It's also very British, replacing the faster-moving action elements of its American mentors with a more introspective psychological tone and a creepy undertow. If Buffy grabs you by the hair, Hex, if you let it, gets under your skin.
There are two things Hex gets exactly right. First of all, it looks good; it's set in a beautiful location which is frequently made to appear just the right side of sinister, and the production values fooled me into thinking it originated in the USA until I noticed a car with a British licence plate. Second, Thelma - despite the unappealing name - surely deserves a place as one of the most memorable characters in the genre, even if her sexuality gets certain people overly excited; "vibrant, warm, and utterly humane" is an entirely accurate description of this unusual twist on the "dead lesbian" cliché. Almost as noteworthy is the ambiguity of the lead character Cassie; Christina Cole is far too beautiful to be a convincing high-school loner (but then so too was SMG), but her portrayal is sympathetic and believable; the best bit is the look she gives to camera with bloodshot eyes at the end of the fourth episode.
Michael "no relation to Susan" Fassbender is the best of the remaining characters, if a bit underused, playing the principal baddie in a understated way and looking suitably broody. But the storyline concentrates so much on these three that the supporting cast sometimes feel perfunctory, and indeed are mostly absent in the last episode (which, to be fair, is set just before Christmas). The two staff members we see most of are satisfactory, and Roxanne is a passable kind of Cordelia-lite; but her two male friends are respectively shallow and unlikeable, and none of these are drawn in sufficient detail to be at all memorable - compare how quickly we got to know Buffy's principal cast, for example. You have to wonder, too, about the nomenclature - what is the likelihood of a Leon, a Troy, a Thelma, and a Roxanne all ending up in the same year of the same British boarding school?
The plot, too, is hardly original, and as this article notes, pinches bits from all over the place. It feels as times like the writers tried to put too much in, especially since the plot itself consists of one storyline spread out over six episodes - the character of Peggy, for example, is unnecessary except as a provider of exposition. And there are plenty of points which need answering - most notoriously, if Thelma can raid a vending machine, why can't she touch Cassie or be seen by anybody else? And why doesn't Cassie use her powers more often? Rule One of creating anything supernatural: define your parameters, so you can explain everything. On a more mundane level, how many "remote English boarding schools" are located within convenient distance of what looks alarmingly like a BDSM-themed gay club? And then there's the almost glacial pacing of the first two episodes, which is very likely to put off those more accustomed to the likes of Alias or BtVS. This was either very brave or a symptom of something less creditable; thankfully, the demands of shorter episodes shook the director out of it.
Hex is guilty in places of appearing to try too hard to aim for the American market (lockers in the hallway?), and in others of losing its sense of proportion (the scene where Thelma invades Cassie's dreams is perhaps the most obvious). Nonetheless, the convolutions of the plot aside, it works reasonably effectively as a Buffy-derived supernatural metaphor for growing up. It gets better as it progresses; in particular the fifth episode is about a change of character which with a bit more finesse would not be out of place in the Buffy episodes it's obviously inspired by, and the finale is an unsentimental treatment of a very difficult topic which is mixed in with just the right amount of humour (see Jo's concern about the identity of the father) and a surprising (and more than a little shocking) twist at the end. It'll be interesting to see how the cynical take on the Christmas story is received in the USA.
In conclusion, Hex is certainly not without merit, promise, or potential. The writing and plotting really have to be tightened up and the supporting cast need more to do; but while it's unlikely to end up in the same league as Buffy, or even Roswell, Alias, or Smallville, a full season would be preferable to the likes of Charmed or The O.C. (Mischa Barton notwithstanding). A cautious and qualified single thumb up, then; the second series, with a more generous 13 episodes, is awaited with interest.