Huge (2010)

Huge looks and feels like a show that knows what it's talking about.

Huge imparts lessons while avoiding the tenor of an instructional, and in many ways it feels like a hybrid of two distinct eras of adolescent television, one marked by a heartfelt languor and the other by a media-fluent sarcasm.

The clever, engaging script and Blonsky's performance--plus the refreshing idea of a teen drama not entirely populated by assembly-line pinups--promise a summer diversion with a little more than usual dramatic meat on its bones.

We're going to need a few episodes, though, to see whether the awkwardness will disappear, or if the show wants it to.

Huge, a new series about overweight teens at a weight-loss camp, starts tonight, and I couldn't be happier if I'd just discovered calorie-free potato chips.

Huge is one big circle of adolescent longing, and Holz-man and Dooley manage to find the pathos in the situation without condescending or going for cheap laughs at their characters' expense.

Huge is the latest addition to ABC Family's collection of shows targeted to tween and teen girls. Based on the two episodes I've seen so far, it's also one of the best, full of believable characters.

This appealing and emotionally engaging series about life in a weight-loss summer camp comes with high expectations

It's not a perfect show--a romance blooms too early and easily between Amber and a counselor, the soundtrack is more present than it needs to be and some moments tip from poignant to overwrought. But the richness of the characters and the story make it easy to overlook the flaws.