Parents' Guide to Prom Queen

Each episode is so short that it can only hint at a story, but some appealing -- if caricatured -- personas are packed into each minute and a half. And what little plot there is involves romantic connections, the pursuit of sex, and the emotional turbulence of adolescence -- with a healthy dose of teen-oriented technology tossed in for authenticity. For example, in one episode, the tensely perfect Nikki Wagner (Alexandra French) records a video blog announcing her break up with Ben (Sean Hankinson) and, in an overly chipper voice, asks viewers who meet certain financial criteria to audition to be her prom date. After she turns off the video recorder, she breaks into tears, partly because she realizes how pathetic she's become and partly because her dream of the perfect night might not come true.

In addition to Prom Queen's high school pathos is its underlying mystery, which is alluded to its tag line ("Some Girls Would Kill for It") and in the promo that shows a girl applying lipstick, zipping up her dress, and sticking a dagger in her garter belt. Viewers know that someone will get killed (or at least almost killed), and that information causes viewers to look at every character with suspicion. Despite its less-than-original story, Prom Queen has a lot going for it as a guilty pleasure. Strong characters, quirkiness, universal themes, and a knack for building momentum join in a unique format that's inherently addictive.