Hidden Palms

Genre: Teeny drama

Cast: Michael Cassidy as Cliff Wiatt, Taylor Handley as Johnny Miller, Amber Heard as Greta, Sharon Lawrence as Tess Wiatt, D.W. Moffet as Bob Hardy, Gail OGrady as Karen Hardy, Ellary Porterfield as Liza Witter, and Cheryl White as Helen Witter

Airs: The CW from midseason

Timeslot competition: Unknown

UK pickup? Sky One

Plot in a nutshell: Johnny relocates to Palm Springs, a gated community with some dark secrets.

What's it all about? Following the suicide of his alcoholic father, 17-year-old Johnny moves to the gated community of Palm Springs with his mother. There he encounters a new social setting and a community with some dark secrets. His next-door neighbour Cliff has a hidden sinister side while the outwardly confident Greta spars with Johnny in a bout of psychological powerplay.

Does it work? Make no mistake, this show is an O.C. clone. It has a similar opening sequence, similar theme music, similar dramatic moments and even three former cast members. But unlike most clones, this series actually manages to capture the zeitgeist. It's everything that made The O.C. so great in its early life, with a good balance of mystery, emotional drama, comedic moments and - the most crucial ingredient - eye candy. As far as guilty pleasures go, this ranks amongst the best of the season.

You'll like this if you liked... The O.C. at its best

Chances of success: Given the right marketing and a decent slot, this could do very well. At a time when The O.C. is heading downhill (and in the direction of cancellation), this could be an opportune moment for Hidden Palms to come along and fill the Seth Cohen-shaped void. Over here it may appear to be an odd choice for Sky One - such a show is normally destined for the likes of E4 - but could well bring in the young female demographic the channel fails to cater for at present.