Cynthia Cheng

Swingtown, a show that takes a look at the sexy secrets behind the otherwise perfect-on-the-outside suburbia of the 1970s, premieres tonight (10/9 c) on Global (Canada) and CBS. The show focuses on two couples, the Millers and the Deckers. Bruce Miller (Jack Davenport) and his wife, Susan (Molly Parker) have moved to a new, affluent Chicago neighbourhood with their family. In the new neighbourhood, they meet the Deckers. The Deckers are, shall we say, decadent.

Tom Decker (Grant Show) is a pilot and is in an open marriage. His wife (Lana Parrilla) knows that he sleeps around. He even brings women home, with his wife fully knowing. This concept of open marriage is a little shocking to the newly moved in Millers, but they soon accept it and thus, is the premise of the show.

The good about Swingtown: Not only does it take a very different look at the 1970s (generally, period shows have a very nostalgic feel to it), it also looks at a very different perspective of marriage. We don’t normally think of proper married couples doing anything other than be proper married couples. Normally on television, when married people have sex with someone other than their spouse, there’s either a lot of jealousy or anger. In Swingtown, it’s considered normal.

The not-so-good: The very fact that this show is on a regular broadcast network limits on what they can and cannot show. I think a show about swingers would work much better on cable as they can be much racier. Think about the watered down versions of Sex and the City on TBS. Does anyone really like them? There are several plots revolving around the teenagers on the show which needs developing. We will have to wait and see on that.

The ugly: Grant Show. Sorry, people, but he looks like a 1970s dirty old man. The last time I saw him in anything of significance was over 15 years ago, when he was in Melrose Place. The man has not aged well.