The 100

Starring: Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Marie Avgeropoulos, Thomas McDonell, Christopher Larkin, Devon Bostick, Paige Turco, Henry Ian Cusick, Kelly Hu, Eli Goree, Isaiah Washington, & Richard Harmon

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

From the beginning of the series, the 100 had three strikes against it, making its success seem almost miraculous. This show is based on a trilogy of novels, in most cases the show/film is never as good as the books, but in this case it's better. Second, the show was a mid-summer replacement, something that almost never makes it passed it's first season, and finally it's on the CW, so most people assume it's just another teen drama, but the 100 is a lot more than that. The reason this show has survived and the reason it's been named one of the best shows on television that you're not watching, is because of it's terrific story lines, deep characters, and unique make up. When Entertainment Weekly said it's the most underrated shows on television they weren't kidding.

150 years in the future, Earth has been all but destroyed by World War 3, and the remains of the human race, the lucky decedents of people who escaped the cataclysm, live on a space station called the Ark. Resources on the Ark are extremely limited and for that reason, crime is met with death, unless you're under the age of eighteen, in that case the punishment is imprisonment. After nearly 100 years in space, the Ark is dying and the leaders know their only hope for survival is to return to Earth, but can they withstand the radiation? In order to test this, they decide to send 100 of the least violent juvenile offenders down to the planet as test subjects. As the kids set up camp and learn to live on the planet, their accomplishments quickly take a backseat when they learn, they are not alone.

Most TV shows that are based on books, never seem to be able to capture the essence of the main characters and for that reason people never really get a complete look at what the author intended. In the 100 saga, the skilled actors and the tremendous writing allow you to connect to characters in a way that goes above and beyond the original story. This is a show that also has many sub-plots, it's not simply about the kids on earth, the people in space, and the survivors on the planet. the viewer learns backstory through flashbacks and knows every character and their history intimately. As I watched this show, I really felt as though I was a member of this camp and I knew everybody, only a great show can accomplish this. 

This is a show that is so much more than just another CW teen drama, it is a look into the new direction the network is taking with shows like Arrow & The Flash. The 100 is a continuous story that you will not be able to stop watching. It is intense, exciting, and has more depth to the story than any show I've seen in a long time. If you can get over the fact that its a CW show and prominently features a group of teenagers, you will see one of the most interesting and dynamic science fiction shows to air on network television in years.