Based on the description of the drama pitch ABC recently bought from Michael Gans and Richard Register, The Lockharts sounds exactly like the kind of drama series ABC would be making back in the ’70’s if they were trying to appeal to today’s audience. That’ll make more sense when you hear the description.
On the surface, The Lockharts sound like The Partridges from the popular ’70’s series The Partridge Family, however judging by Deadline’s description for the project, this family is far from the perfect, all-American family they’re portrayed as. The Lockharts is described as a musical drama, which takes place in the ’70’s and follows a family that gets a variety show on national TV. They’re presented as the “perfect All American Family” but behind the scenes of their show, their lives are far from put together. To make matters even more dramatic (and even more soapier), “The series is framed by a slowly evolving present day mystery involving the scandalous disappearance of the family’s matriarch, Kitty Lockhart.”
This project sounds like it touches on a number of different TV trends, including period pieces (see Mad Men and the upcoming The Playboy Club, not to mention ABC’s Pan Am), musical themed shows (Glee, and NBC’s midseason drama Smash), and shows about shows (30 Rock, and the recently ordered Aaron Sorkin series coming to HBO). We'll have to wait and see what becomes of this project and whether it actually makes it to the small screen.
