Double Pilot Review: Teen Wolf & The Nine Lives of Chloe King

Teen Wolf (MTV): Premiered June 5 at 11pm
The Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family): Premiered June 14 at 9pm

I make it a policy to review just about everything here at TV with Abe, and I do have to choose, every once in a while, not to include a post about a pilot for some reason or another. Most often (and it only occurs rarely), it’s due to the fact that I know that I don’t look anything like a member of the target audience and that my review wouldn’t contain much of intellectual or true critical value. I did that for “Bob’s Burgers” earlier this year, and had planned to do that for MTV’s “Teen Wolf” from last weekend. But when I was watching ABC Family’s “The Nine Lives of Chloe King,” it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up to take the two on together. Deciding that tens minutes into the latter episode, I didn’t realize that both shows would actually be so similar, featuring a far too young mentor who initially seemed like a threat, and that was before the same twist was played in both pilots: the major crush is the child of the man most directly responsible for hunting the protagonist. Originality isn’t meant to be emphasized on either of these shows, yet there’s still a level of creativity that could have been included. “Teen Wolf” is based on the original 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox, while “Chloe King” is adapted from a book series. The latter is certainly more exciting and appealing than the first, even though the dialogue is nearly as heinous and awkward. Skyler Samuels, who plays Chloe, has a distinctive appeal, though she’s not my kind of heroine. Tyler Posey, who plays Scott the teen wolf himself, isn’t anywhere near as charismatic, and I can’t imagine going back to watch more of that show. I also know that ABC Family stuff almost always isn’t for me, though fans of fare like “Pretty Little Liars” may well find it enjoyable. I can’t say I’ll be watching.

Teen Wolf: F
The Nine Lives of Chloe King: D-