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TCA Press Tour: What to expect in ‘Life Unexpected’

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If you tune in to the CW on Jan. 16 -- at, say, 9 p.m. -- and see Kerr Smith and Shiri Appleby on the screen, don’t think you’ve traveled back in time to the days of the WB. The show on the screen isn’t “Dawson’s Creek.” And it’s not “Roswell” either.

Smith, who played gay teen Jack McPhee in the popular teen drama, and Appleby, who played brainy girl next door Liz Parker in the sci-fi drama, are part of the CW’s new show “Life Unexpected.”

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“We’re lucky to be at a place that supported us in the past,” Appleby said.

“It’s good to be home,” Smith agreed.

The family drama centers on Lux, a surprisingly mature teen who searches for her emotionally challenged parents, Cate and Baze (played by Appleby and Kristoffer Polaha), in an attempt to gain emancipation from the foster care system. In the process, she discovers things aren’t always what they seem.

“Just because people are cool fantasy people doesn’t actually make them fantasy parents,” said creator and producer Liz Tigelaar. “That’s something Lux has had to learn: reconciling who she thought Cate was with who Cate actually is.”

That means exploring the thirtysomethings of today.

“For me, thirtysomething can mean a person who prioritizes professional life over relationships or a guy who still lives like a frat guy … and drinks Coors Light,” Tigelaar said.

It’s a twist on the coming-of-age story, with the grown-ups finally growing up. But will it match the success of the network’s teen fare?

-- Yvonne Villarreal

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