london grammar

* Official episode description
In the small town of Bridgewater, Iowa, a new family has just moved in. There is nothing out of the ordinary about The Hollands: Dad, Mom, three kids, a minivan. They're a normal, middle-class American family. But beneath the surface, this family has a secret. First of all, their last name isn't Holland. Paul Rader (Donnie Wahlberg, "Band of Brothers," "Boomtown"), his wife Lily (Leslie Hope, "24," "Commander in Chief"), teenagers Henry (Dustin Milligan, "Butterfly Effect 2," "Final Destination 3") and Hannah (Sarah Ramos, "American Dreams"), and 8-year-old Tommy (Nathan Gamble, the upcoming film "Babel") are on the run, struggling to blend into a new life, hiding from the legal system that unjustly accused Paul Rader of a terrible and violent crime.

Just weeks ago, Paul was a successful attorney, and Lily owned an art gallery near their beautiful home in Potomac, Maryland. That comfortable life was shattered the night Paul was wrongly accused of the murder of Erin Baxter, a beautiful young associate in his law firm. When Paul started searching for the truth, the real killer's next move was to threaten the lives of the three children. Paul and Lily had no choice but to take their children and run.

Now their careers and beautiful home seem a world away, and the Raders are learning how to deal with the challenges of life on the run. Skills they never dreamed they would need -- stealing cars, monitoring police channels, and coming up with credible lies about why they have no evidence of a past -- are becoming second nature for Paul and Lily. For the Rader kids, the emotional strain of leaving familiar friends, schools and routines behind is already taking a toll. Henry deeply misses his girlfriend, Kylie, and sometimes takes foolhardy risks to stay in touch with her, and Tommy is having trouble keeping his lies straight. Hannah seems to be the only one who prefers the possibility of creating a new life where she isn't the social outcast she was back home.

Despite all the tension and upheaval, there is one undeniable improvement the Raders are starting to notice: they are slowly growing closer. In their former lives, there was a distance and sometimes even a resentment for one another. Paul was absent much of the time, giving so much of himself to his job that Lily and the kids barely saw him. As a result, Henry's and Hannah's days were ruled solely by their social lives (or lack thereof) and Tommy never took his eyes off of his video games. Now they are forced to depend on each other and trust one another. In the pretend world they've entered, the Raders are becoming more real with each other than they ever were in the "real" world they left behind.

The family is unaware that their case has been assigned to Angela Huntley (Karen LeBlanc, "Kevin Hill") one of the best agents in the U.S. Marshals Service. Relentless, intimidating, and as smart as they come, Agent Huntley has focused her considerable skills on finding Paul Rader and his family.

For the moment, though, the family is safely hidden away in a quiet corner of Iowa, where Paul finds unexpected help from the local realtor, Gina Bennett (Susan Floyd, "Law & Order"), an attractive single mom with a law school education.

As Paul works to protect his loved ones and uncover the evidence that will clear him, he lives with the daily fear that his wife or one of his kids will accidentally reveal the family's dark secret. Even worse, Paul and Lily both fear that the real killer will finally find them and carry out the threat of violence against the children.

"Runaway" is from Sony Pictures Television, Darren Star Productions and Golly Inc. with executive producers Darren Star ("Sex and the City," "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills, 90210") and Ed Zuckerman ("Law & Order"), creator/co-executive producer Chad Hodge and co-executive producer Susie Fitzgerald.

This show looks pretty interesting. I didn't see a thread for it. I apologize if there is already one.

Wildfire Girl

I have seen some icons for the show, so I was starting to wonder about it. Thanks for the thread. I'll edit it in the thread guide.

avaSpeaks

Here's a review for the show. It premiers tonight

New CW drama unlikely to be "Runaway" hit

Mon Sep 25, 1:39 AM ET


In "The Fugitive," only one person was on the lam, running to avoid capture for a crime he didn't commit while tracking the real criminal. In "Runaway," you have a whole family trying to evade the long arm of the law.

That they do so practically despite themselves cracks the foundation on which the series was built. At times, things veer so far off center that running from the feds seems like a distraction from the more important story of teen romance and angst, just another annoyance like a sudden zit or a dropped call.

Technically, the feds are after only Dad, Paul Rader (Donnie Wahlberg), a successful lawyer who jumped bail rather than face overwhelming circumstantial evidence in a murder trial. The wife and three kids are along for the ride because, as we learn late in the pilot episode, whoever framed Dad is threatening them as well.

There's another new series, "Six Degrees," in which a character running for her life seeks anonymity in New York. In "Runaway," the Rader family takes the exact opposite tack, hiding from the law in a small Iowa town. Which strategy works better? We'll find out by who gets captured last. Or canceled first.

Intuitively, it would seem that prying small-town eyes would focus long and hard on these strangers with no identification. Mom (Leslie Hope) gets around all that by telling everyone they were caught off guard by Hurricane Katrina, an explanation that works much better for her than it did for FEMA.

Although it's the father who's in the biggest pickle, this is the new youth-oriented CW (indeed, this is the very first new CW series), and creator-writer Chad Hodge keeps closer tabs on the two teens in the family: sullen and angry Henry (Dustin Milligan) and sweetly sociable Hannah (Sarah Ramos).

That, in turn, considerably dilutes the suspense from any story about people trying to escape authorities. While Mom and Dad weigh every word and gesture, Junior is busy using traceable anytime minutes to call the squeeze he left behind. Sis, meanwhile, is concentrating on looking hot for her new social circle. Danger? What danger?

The Toronto area stands in nicely for Iowa, and director Peter Markle is skillful at juggling flashbacks with real time, as well as finding some interesting angles. Wahlberg and Hope show some emotional range, with their expressive faces perhaps the most palpable indication of danger throughout the pilot. The show will get a boost from its "7th Heaven" lead-in, but if NBC's "Heroes" catches on in the same time period, the only option for the Rader family will be surrender.

Cast:

Paul Rader: Donnie Wahlberg

Lily Rader: Leslie Hope

Henry Rader: Dustin Milligan

Hannah Rader: Sarah Ramos

Tommy Rader: Nathan Gamble

Gina Bennett: Susan Floyd

Agent Huntley: Karen LeBlanc

Executive producers: Darren Star, Ed Zuckerman; Co-executive producers: Chad Hodge, Susie Fitzgerald, Dana Baratta; Producers: John E. Pogue, Luke Schelhaas, Abram Hatch, Lynn Raynor; Director: Peter Markle; Creator-teleplay: Chad Hodge; Director of photography: Ron Stannett; Production designer: Ian Brock; Editor: Scott Vickrey; Set designer: Ian Wheatley; Casting: Susan Forrest, Sharon Forrest.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Enigma

I've seen the pilot already and I actually liked it alot!!!

london grammar

I'm going to watch it tonight. The TV critics are always harsh.

Moonlight~Pixie

I'm watching it now though it's almost over. I found it okay but I didn't really get hooked on it or anything.

xstarsgoblue25x

london grammar

Aw, I actually enjoyed the Pilot episode! It was a little slow, but it did get better. Henry seemed a bit rebellious and a tad ungrateful though. I'm glad he came back in the end.

mcdreamylover

From mediaweek.com:
Only around 2 million watched? Watch Runaway be cancelled in a couple of weeks.

avaSpeaks

Oh yeah, it will be cancelled. So just enjoy it while you can.

Enigma

Wow, the ratings were horrible. I'm one who's still upset that Everwood was cancelled but unfortunately there's nothing that can be done about it now. The CW should give Runaway a little time to build an audience before making a decision.

I love Donnie so it was great seeing him in this.

~AppleJacks~

I really enjoyed this show. I was hoping that it would have gotten better ratings, but hey maybe monday nights are just not the way to go

avaSpeaks

It's not that, it's just the show is just not that good.

I mean it's okay, but it's not that okay where a new network like, The CW will give it a full year.

It's another, The Mountain...a so-so show that didn't last a full year.

Jack & Bobby was better than this, and the WB didn't give it a second season. So my prediction is that Runaway will be a show they try to move around alot during the year....

Again, enjoy it while you can

london grammar

Aw. I liked it. They should move the time slot. A lot of people are still bitter about 7th Heaven being renewed. That's why they probably tuned out for Runaway.

~AppleJacks~

well I personally dont think that Runaway should be on after 7th , but ohh well