10 Things I Hate About You
Star Rating: 4 out of 5

Stars: Larry Miller, Lindsey Shaw, Meaghan Jette Martin, Dana Davis, Nicholas Braun and Ethan Peck

The Big Idea: In a boob tube version of the hit Heath Ledger/Julia Stiles movie from 1999 (and a contemporary remake of Shakespeare‘s Taming of the Shrew), sisters Kat and Bianca Stratford are about to begin their first day of school at Padua High, after transferring from Ohio with their overprotective doctor daddy (Miller, reprising his role from the movie). Social butterfly Bianca is all about fitting in, which means befriending the school’s queen bee-otch, Chastity. But that’s going to be tougher than she thought since her non-conformist sis has already had a literal run-in with Chastity in the school parking lot.

To Watch or Not to Watch: Set the season pass now. The brightest spot on the summer schedule so far, 10 Things belongs on that all-too-short list of smart teen TV series. Full of pop culture references (the Hogwarts sorting hat, Project Runway and Justin Timberlake among them), sharp dialogue and un-90210/Gossip Girl teens (Kat befriends a fellow outcast who, gasp, isn’t a size 0), the comedy retains the spirit of the movie, right down to the Stratford sibs’ sweet relationship with their single dad; Cameron, the adorkable, awkward guy who’s pining after popularity-obsessed Kat; and Joey, the dimwit jock who just wants to become a model. And, of course, motorcycle-ridin’ rebel Patrick Verona, who has his fellow Padua-ians fooled into fearing him, but who is both intrigued with and perplexed by Kat, who’s equally curious about the brooding bad boy.

TV Screener Tidbit: Peck, who plays Patrick Verona (the role that made the late Heath Ledger an official teen pin-up in the 10 Things movie), is the grandson of Oscar winner Gregory Peck.

10 Things I Hate About You premieres tonight, July 7, at 8PM ET on ABC Family