'Jack & Bobby' adds depth to WB
The WB network has been a pioneer in pretty teen pouting. Borrowing atmosphere and a few fashion tips from "Rebel Without a Cause," it has redefined the youth market with picturesque broodfests such as "Dawson's Creek," "Smallville," and "One Tree Hill." No matter how blue those WB beauties get, they always seem to be wearing the right blue jeans.
"Jack & Bobby" stands out on the WB's lineup because it shows the network trying something broader than its usual anatomizing -- and accessorizing -- of angst. It represents the WB's attempt to add weight and resonance to its tried-and-true formula, to bring a hint of "The West Wing" to its "Everwood" vibe. Fittingly, two of the shows executive producers are Thomas Schlamme, one of the brains behind "The West Wing," and Greg Berlanti, the creator of "Everwood." With this unexpected combination of talent, the WB is reaching out to adult viewers while holding onto the young audience its advertisers covet.
"Jack & Bobby," which premieres Sunday night at 9 on Channel 56, imagines the high school years of the McCallister brothers of Missouri, one of whom will go on to become the president in 2041. The bulk of the show's narrative is the brothers' gentle coming-of-age story, complete with class bullies and sweet flirtations. But that material is punctuated with sharp flash-forward interviews set in the 2040s, featuring comments and recollections by White House staffers from the McCallister administration. If that innovative format sounds jumpy or confusing, it isn't. The storytelling in "Jack & Bobby" flows forth smoothly, as it examines the present through the lens of fate.
Named Jack and Bobby, the McCallister brothers have nothing to do with the Kennedys -- and everything. The boys weren't named after the late president and his brother, and they've probably never been east of Ohio. Still, the series is steeped in the sort of political nostalgia and idealism we identify with the Camelot era. As it explores the personality traits that might turn a boy into a great leader, into a mid-century president known as "the Great Believer," it has the aura of lively historical fiction.
Jack (Matt Long) is the dashing older boy, a runner who confidently goes after what he wants. Bobby (Logan Lerman) is the nerdy younger brother, whose greatest passion in life is to start a space club at school. An asthmatic, Bobby is also overly attached to their mother, Grace (Christine Lahti), a fierce, antiauthoritarian professor who smokes pot to dull the intesity of her intellect and her emotions. Into the mix comes an independent-minded student named Courtney (Jessica Pare) and her single father (John Slattery), both of whom will have a lasting impact on the McCallisters.
The young actors are strong, particularly Long, who gives his pretty boy many unexpected facets. But Lahti is the star of this show, as she delivers a multidimensional performance layered with idealism, narcissism, pain, and humor. Her brainy, difficult Grace talks fast, and she refuses to talk down to her children, even forgetting that they're children as she delivers lines such as, "Conflict is inherent in human relations." She's a middle-aged idealogue who has a few life lessons of her own to learn.
Early in the first episode, she goes off on a rant about the dangers of TV, noting that the majority of programming is "garbage." Too bad -- she hasn't had the chance to see "Jack & Bobby."
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com. 
