Whistler - TV-14

Gloomy teen ski resort drama leaves viewers cold.

TV Rating: TV-14 Network: The N Cast: David Paetkau, Jesse Moss, Amanda Crew Genre: Drama

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that some of the characters in this series -- adults as well as teens -- aren't the best role models. Priorities are skewed: A dad wants his snowboarding-champion son to sign endorsements and do talk shows, but restricts the son's choices; meanwhile, the son should be focusing on promoting himself positively but is drawn in by the hard-partying lifestyle of the rich and famous. Plus, rich people make lower-class people feel worthless and friends as well as siblings are sarcastic and condescending toward each other.

Families can talk about the central death and how it affects the Whistler community. How do the other characters handle it, depending on their relationship with Beck? How would you feel if a friend or relative of yours died under suspicious circumstances? Families can also discuss the relative realism of the show -- is this what you think life at a ski resort like Whistler would really be like?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Larisa Wiseman

The N's teen drama WHISTLER, filmed on location in Vancouver, BC, transports viewers to a world-class ski resort where, apparently, there's much more to the town's pristine slopes and charming exterior than first meets the eye.

As the resort gears up for the 2010 Olympics, a devastating incident sends a jolt through the community. One of Whistler's young residents, snowboarding champ Beck McKaye (David Paetkau), is found dead on the slopes. Although his death is first deemed an accident, Beck's brother, 17-year-old Quinn (Jesse Moss), conducts his own investigation and uncovers some disturbing information. Not only was Beck murdered, but he also harbored some shocking secrets that cast an unfavorable light on him and many other townspeople -- even his own friends and family.

As Quinn, Beck's innkeeper parents (Nicholas Lea and Ingrid Kavelaars), Beck's girlfriend Carrie (Amanda Crew), and his other friends struggle to come to terms with Beck's death, the dark mystery surrounding the incident -- and enshrouding the seemingly innocent town -- slowly unravels.

Whistler's fundamental conflicts are nothing new to teen dramas -- romantic and/or sexual relationships, friction between the upper and lower classes, families struggling to make ends meet, bickering siblings -- but the dark subject matter sets the series apart from other teen-centered primetime soaps. No sunny beaches or idle coffee-shop chatter here -- the tone is decidedly gloomy.

Although Whistler's premise is intriguing enough (even if it is rather morbid for a teen series), the show is unfortunately weighed down by a script that spends too much time focusing on the negative side of almost every character or relationship. Not only are the teen characters condescending toward each other, but many of the adults don't seem to like or respect each other, men treat women in a demeaning manner, and everyone lacks the maturity to get along. It gets old pretty quickly, and one can only hope that some of the characters will lighten up or experience a major turnaround as the series progresses.

The all-Canadian cast generally does a decent job (especially the younger actors), but they can't overcome the mediocre script, and some of the more wooden performances by the adults are decidedly cringe-inducing. There's little warmth to any of the characters, which makes it hard to care about their plight.

In the end, while it's admirable for a teen-oriented series to take a risk and address life's not-so-sunny side, Whistler goes too far in that direction -- kids will probably prefer more lighthearted teen fare.

For a better teen-centric murder mystery series, try Veronica Mars. Teens might also like Degrassi: The Next Generation, which offers an edgy (but not depressing) take on real-life teen issues.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Couple making out; girl with top off but wearing a bra; sex is vaguely implied but not shown or talked about explicitly.
Violence Some fistfights; also, a dead character is shown lying in a pool of blood.
Language Mild language ("jerk-off").
Message
	Social Behavior An upper-class character acts condescendingly toward a middle-class character because of money issues; a male character offers a respectable female character money for sex, knowing she's desperate for cash.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Liberal use of alcohol by teens at a party.