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Belcher: Tampa Native Leads Improving 'Privileged'

The CW Network

Tampa native JoAnna Garcia, center, stars in 'Privileged,' a new show on The CW that's slowly building a following.

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By WALT BELCHER

wbelcher@tampatrib.com

Published: November 18, 2008

When "Privileged" debuted on The CW back in September, there were two reasons to root for its success:

• Its attractive star, JoAnna Garcia, is not only a Tampa native; she's talented and has a gift for comedy.

• Series creator Rina Mimoun wanted the show to follow in the glib-but-heartfelt mold of "Gilmore Girls," which arguably was the best CW series ever.

"Privileged" hasn't achieved "Gilmore" status yet, but it's getting better every week. And that's saying something in this lackluster season.

Garcia, formerly of "Reba," stars as Megan Smith, an eager Yale journalism grad who becomes the live-in tutor to wealthy and spoiled teenage twins in Palm Beach.

In addition to dealing with their problems, she has her own issues (with boyfriends and her blue-collar past in Palm Beach).

The series is based on the book "How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls." The rich kids in the series are twins Rose (Lucy Kate Hale) and Sage (Ashley Newbrough). Rose is the sweet one. She might be open to Megan's help. Sage is the protective one. She's not about to listen to Megan.

Although critics have acknowledged that "Privileged" is a quality effort, it hasn't generated a lot of buzz on a network where "Gossip Girl" and "90210" get a lot of attention.

It has, however, slowly built a following. The CW gave it a vote of confidence by ordering five more episodes above the initial 13. The series also was nominated in the People's Choice Awards' Favorite New TV Drama category.

To give it a push, The CW will premiere new episodes on successive Mondays, Dec. 1 and 8, after "Gossip Girl." Those episodes will be rebroadcast on Tuesday nights at 9 in the show's usual time slot.

BIBLE STUDY: A new two-hour "Nova" at 8 tonight on PBS, "The Bible's Buried Secrets," challenges some of the conceptions that fundamentalists have about the Old Testament.

This scientific look at biblical archeology contends that the first five books of the bible are a collection of stories that were handed down through the ages (not written by Moses) and that the Israelites were not slaves in Egypt but were Canaanite serfs.

Apparently there are two camps of scholars: the biblical minimalists (who believe very little in the Bible is historical fact) and maximalists (who believe it's reliable history).

VIDBITS: USA has renewed "Monk" for an eighth season - but it will be the last. The final 16 episodes, starring Tony Shalhoub, will debut next summer. USA has a special Christmas episode airing Nov. 29. Detective Monk comes across what appears to be a miracle.

• ABC and Epic Records have produced a music video combining scenes from the upcoming fifth season of "Lost," and live band performance footage from The Fray's new single, "You Found Me," from their sophomore self-titled album.

A sneak peek of the video premieres Thursday during "Grey's Anatomy." "Lost" returns in January. An extended version of the video will be available online immediately following the on-air premiere at www.ABC.com.

• CBS lists the "Victoria Secrets Fashion Show" on Dec. 3 as part of the network's Christmas holiday specials. What, you may ask, do models in lingerie have to do with the holiday? Officials at Victoria's Secret say Christmas and Valentine's Day are when the stores do the most business.

Look at the special, featuring models Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, Selita Ebanks, Doutzen Kroes, Adriana Lima, Marisa Miller, Miranda Kerr and the "Victoria's Secret Angels" as a gift-buying guide.

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