Is New TV Series FINDING CARTER This Generation's THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON?

When I was in high school, I loved Caroline B. Cooney's THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON. I ate that book up and bought all of the sequels.I wanted to know all about Janie. Her story is so horrifying: One day at school, she sees a picture of a little girl on a milk carton. Somehow, she knows it's her, and life as she knows it unravels. I was enamored with these books. Why, I can't quite say. But I cared so much about Janie and truly wanted to know what happened to her!

On Tuesday night, I randomly had the TV on (And if you know how infrequently this happens, it makes the chance of seeing this commercial even slimmer!). I happened to look up during a commercial break and saw a commercial for FINDING CARTER. At first, I thought it was some upcoming movie, but then it was mentioned that the show was appearing later that night at 10 pm on MTV. The commercial reminded me of THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON, so I decided to check it out. I was wary about it being on MTV (I didn't even know they may anything other than reality shows, which shows you, again, just how little TV I watch) and had to search to find the channel itself!

Was it worth the hunt and the two-hours I invested into the series premiere? So far, the verdict is good. If I can remember, I'll try to watch this on Tuesday nights (Or maybe it will pop up On Demand if MTV has an On Demand Channel. IDEK, lol!). Then again, I'm at least a season behind on most of the shows I do watch, so we'll see how long that lasts...

The premise of FINDING CARTER is intriguing. When Carter and her friends illegally turn on and ride a carousel after hours, they're caught by the police. Eventually, everyone is let go and returned to his or her parents...except for Carter. Turns out that her dental records and fingerprints match those of a girl who was kidnapped when she was three years old. Carter's life is ripped away in an instant as she is immediately returned to her "real family."

The only problem?

Carter doesn't want to be with these people that she doesn't know. She wants her mom, her real mom. She wants her school, her friends, everything she knows and loves. She's cast adrift in a foreign world. Can something right also be wrong? The question is a psychological one, and the emotional core of the series. The show also looks at the way the kidnapping affected her siblings and birthparents, and the way everyone's life was permanently changed in an instant.

I'm intrigued enough to turn back in next week. (And Caroline B. Cooney, I'm blaming you for my interest in this one! ^.~)