You may have seen the film crews around Austin. They are part of a new show on ABC called “My Generation,” debuting this Thursday on KVUE.
At first sight it appears to be a documentary. The show has the look and feel of reality TV, yet the characters are actors and the plot is scripted.
The story centers on the lives of nine high school graduates from the class of 2000, and how major events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina shaped them. Each character resembles a high school archetype, from the overachiever to the beauty queen.
It all takes place in Austin. “We don’t hide the city at all,” said actor Michael Stahl-David. “We say it is Austin, and we use emblematic places of the city.”
“These characters go to places that are so familiar,” said actor Julian Morris. “Whether it’s Amy’s Ice Cream, East Side Showroom, or Barton Springs.”
One of the show's stars, Mehcad Brooks, even grew up here. After appearances on "Desperate Housewives" and "True Blood," Brooks says he is glad to working at home.
“I’m blessed and I’m really lucky,” Brooks told KVUE. “I get to go home and have home-cooked meals with my grandmother and my mom.”
Producers are taping 13 episodes. Bob Hudgins with the Texas Film Commission estimates it will pump about $25 million into the economy. To compare, he says, a big box office film pumps in around $35 million.
For Phil Schriber, the owner of a company that provides transportation and trailers for the cast and crew, the show has already been a hit.
“We just bought 10 new trailers last month,” Schriber said. “So we are really psyched up and hoping it just keeps rolling.”
Filming for “My Generation” is scheduled to continue into December.
