Hart of Dixie
Encyclopedia
Hart of Dixie is an American medical-drama television series, created by Leila Gerstein
. On May 17, 2011, The CW
officially picked up the series. It premiered on Monday, September 26, 2011, at 9:00 pm, following Gossip Girl
.
On October 12, 2011, The CW ordered a full first season of the series, which will total twenty-two episodes.
She quickly finds that Southern hospitality isn't always so hospitable—the other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice with this young outsider, and his daughter, Lemon, is a Southern belle whose sweet disposition turns sour when she meets Zoe. Zoe's only allies are the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes, her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella, and handsome lawyer George Tucker – who just happens to be Lemon's fiance. Zoe is out of her element and ready to pack her bags, but a surprise visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe's decision to stay in Bluebell for a while, discovering small-town life and a side of herself she hadn't known was there.
teen drama The O.C.
, created by Schwartz. The show's executive producer, Josh Schwartz
, compared the show to WB
classics such as Felicity, Everwood
, and Gilmore Girls
.
With the reveal of The CW's fall 2011 schedule, it was announced that Hart of Dixie would air on Monday at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central, following Gossip Girl
. It premiered on Monday, September 26, 2011. On October 12, 2011 the series was picked up for a full season, which will consist of twenty-two episodes. Along with pick-up for all other CW dramas, Mark Pedowitz said "We believe in the creative strength of these dramas, and by giving them back nine orders we can give our audience the chance to enjoy complete seasons of all three of them."
On May 20, 2011, it was announced that Nancy Travis
would not continue with the series due to her commitments with the 20th Century Fox
-produced ABC
sitcom Last Man Standing
. Travis was written out after the first two episodes. Meredith Monroe
will appear in at least one episode in the fall as a very important former Bluebell resident and JoBeth Williams
was cast as Candice Hart, mother of Bilson's character, for a role that will likely be recurring.
.
TVLine
has described the show as "Everwood
-esque". TVLine later said: "Beautifully filmed with warm, cozy tones, the Southern setting utterly envelops the glowing Bilson" adding that Porter's appearance "wins us over and makes you forget that clunky intro" and despite the "rom-coms clichés, the pilot is super-efficient at introducing us to those who will be the key players in Zoe’s story, laying the framework for storytelling places to go." TVGuide.com described the show as "Southern Exposure
" and added: "Expect culture clashes galore".
Writing for The New York Times
, critic Neil Genzlinger wrote, "...the premiere, at least, doesn’t find a convincing way to balance the clashing strands: the city-mouse disorientation, the medical emergencies, the girlfights, the daddy issues, the young-pretty-and-available stuff." Los Angeles Times
reviewer Mary McNamara described the show as, "a stack of familiar scenarios stitched together to form a pretty if not terribly substantial quilt."
from Spring, 2012.
Leila Gerstein
Leila Gerstein is an American television producer and screenwriter.Gerstein has written for television shows, including The O.C. and Life As We Know It, and written and produced episodes of Eli Stone. She was praised for her use of "sharp dialogue" in The O.C. episode "The Metamorphosis"...
. On May 17, 2011, The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
officially picked up the series. It premiered on Monday, September 26, 2011, at 9:00 pm, following Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
.
On October 12, 2011, The CW ordered a full first season of the series, which will total twenty-two episodes.
Synopsis
Fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart has it all figured out—after graduating top of her class from medical school, she'll follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will.She quickly finds that Southern hospitality isn't always so hospitable—the other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice with this young outsider, and his daughter, Lemon, is a Southern belle whose sweet disposition turns sour when she meets Zoe. Zoe's only allies are the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes, her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella, and handsome lawyer George Tucker – who just happens to be Lemon's fiance. Zoe is out of her element and ready to pack her bags, but a surprise visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe's decision to stay in Bluebell for a while, discovering small-town life and a side of herself she hadn't known was there.
Cast
- Rachel BilsonRachel BilsonRachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
as Dr. Zoe Hart; Zoe aspires to be like her father and become a cardiothoracic surgeonCardiothoracic SurgeryCardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax —generally treatment of conditions of the heart and lungs .-Cardiac / Thoracic:...
. After four years of residency at a New York Hospital, Zoe does not get a fellowship and takes up an offer to move to the SouthSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and work in a small medical practice in the town of "Bluebell". There, she discovers her biological father had given her the position; Hart decides to stay at the practice in order to learn from him. - Jaime KingJaime KingJaime King is an American actress and model. In her modeling career and early film roles, she used the names Jamie King and James King, which was a childhood nickname given to King by her parents, because her agency already represented another Jaime — the older, then more famous model Jaime...
as Lemon Breeland, the daughter of town doctor Brick Breeland. She is currently engaged to George Tucker, however, after she appears to be jealous that Lavon brought Zoe to her engagement party, it is implied that she has had a relationship with him. - Cress WilliamsCress WilliamsCress Williams is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the hitman, Wyatt in Prison Break and Detective Ed Williams in Close to Home. He is also known for his role as Inspector Antwon Babcock in the final season of Nash Bridges, and as D’Shawn Hardell in seasons 4 and 5 of...
as Lavon Hayes, a linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for 10 years in the NFL and current mayor of Bluebell; he has a pet alligator. The storyline hints at an intimate relationship between him and Lemon Breeland, who is engaged to another man. Hayes develops a friendship with Zoe Hart. - Wilson BethelWilson BethelWilson Bethel is an American actor and the son of American author Joyce Maynard. Bethel is best known for his role as Ryder Callahan on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless; he has been playing the role since 2009...
as Wade Kinsella; a bartender and Zoe's neighbor. He is introduced to Zoe after a party at his house and an electrical circuit at Zoe's is blown as a result. - Scott PorterScott PorterMatthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...
as George Tucker; he is engaged to Lemon Breeland. A lawyer, Tucker previously worked at a large law firm in New York before moving to Bluebell. He and Zoe frequently bump into each other. George tells Zoe that he is marrying Lemon because she was a wonderful person in high school when he met her.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... release date |
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| Season premiere Season premiere In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:... |
Season finale Season finale A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program... |
Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
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Production
On February 1, 2011, it was announced that The CW had ordered a pilot for Hart of Dixie. On May 17, the network officially picked up Hart of Dixie to series, set to air in fall 2011. The series marks the second time executive producer, Josh Schwartz, and series star, Rachel Bilson, have worked together on television. The first time the duo worked together was on the FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
teen drama The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, created by Schwartz. The show's executive producer, Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
, compared the show to WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
classics such as Felicity, Everwood
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
, and Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
.
With the reveal of The CW's fall 2011 schedule, it was announced that Hart of Dixie would air on Monday at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central, following Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
. It premiered on Monday, September 26, 2011. On October 12, 2011 the series was picked up for a full season, which will consist of twenty-two episodes. Along with pick-up for all other CW dramas, Mark Pedowitz said "We believe in the creative strength of these dramas, and by giving them back nine orders we can give our audience the chance to enjoy complete seasons of all three of them."
Casting
On February 8, 2011, TV Line reported that Rachel Bilson was nearing a deal to star in the series. Her role was later confirmed by The CW in a press release. Soon after, Wilson Bethel joined the cast as Wade Kinsella, Zoe's "gorgeous bad-boy" neighbor. Scott Porter was later cast as good-looking lawyer George Tucker, a potential love-interest for Bilson's character.On May 20, 2011, it was announced that Nancy Travis
Nancy Travis
Nancy Ann Travis is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films Three Men and a Baby and its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady , Married to the Mob , Air America , Internal Affairs , So I Married an Axe Murderer , Greedy , and Fluke...
would not continue with the series due to her commitments with the 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
-produced ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing (U.S. TV series)
Last Man Standing is an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen and Nancy Travis that currently airs on ABC. The series premiered on October 11, 2011...
. Travis was written out after the first two episodes. Meredith Monroe
Meredith Monroe
Meredith Leigh Monroe is an American actress who portrayed Andie McPhee on Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2000. She was a series regular in Seasons 2-3, appeared in several episodes at the beginning and end of season 4, and was a special guest star in the final series episode in Season 6, though...
will appear in at least one episode in the fall as a very important former Bluebell resident and JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...
was cast as Candice Hart, mother of Bilson's character, for a role that will likely be recurring.
Critical reception
The show has received mixed reviews including a 43 out of 100 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
TVLine
TVLine
TVLine is a website devoted to information, news and spoilers of television programs.-History:In late 2010, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving EW after nearly two years in their employ to establish a TV-centered website with MMC, the media company founded by...
has described the show as "Everwood
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
-esque". TVLine later said: "Beautifully filmed with warm, cozy tones, the Southern setting utterly envelops the glowing Bilson" adding that Porter's appearance "wins us over and makes you forget that clunky intro" and despite the "rom-coms clichés, the pilot is super-efficient at introducing us to those who will be the key players in Zoe’s story, laying the framework for storytelling places to go." TVGuide.com described the show as "Southern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
" and added: "Expect culture clashes galore".
Writing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, critic Neil Genzlinger wrote, "...the premiere, at least, doesn’t find a convincing way to balance the clashing strands: the city-mouse disorientation, the medical emergencies, the girlfights, the daddy issues, the young-pretty-and-available stuff." Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reviewer Mary McNamara described the show as, "a stack of familiar scenarios stitched together to form a pretty if not terribly substantial quilt."
International broadcast
In the UK, the series will air on free-to-air channel, ReallyReally (TV channel)
Really is a digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV family of channels. The channel launched on 19 May 2009 as the UKTV's channel for female lifestyle programming and is available on satellite through Sky, cable services primarily through Virgin Media and...
from Spring, 2012.