'Summerland' character is no role model for kids

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Jesse McCartney is indisputably a teen idol. He's 17, blond, good-looking, a best-selling recording artist and a star of "Summerland," which returns to the WB Monday at 8 p.m. on Ch. 30.

And his character on the show, Brandin, has developed quite a following among teen and preteen girls. Which is sort of interesting because Brandin is hardly a role model for young viewers.

"Through the character, I've been able to see what it's like for real kids out there who don't have any parents and what they go through and some of the things that they do," McCartney said. "Unfortunately, for my character, it's been the drugs and the alcohol and the promiscuous sex."

Not exactly the kind of behavior you want your kids to emulate. But executive producer Remi Aubuchon credits viewers with knowing that.

"I got a lot of feedback from a lot of a younger viewers that felt as if we weren't trying to give them a lecture and we weren't trying to make everything cool," he said "We were pretty much staying in a real pattern, and we're trying to keep that hallmark, especially with Jesse's character."

And he promised that we will see "consequences" that arise from Brandin's choices.

"Summerland" is a family show about a decidedly non-traditional family. The jumping-off point was the death of Brandin's parents, leaving him, 13-year-old Niki (Kay Panabaker) and 9-year-old Derrick (Nick Benson) in the custody of their aunt, Ava (Lori Loughlin) — a thirtysomething free spirit of sorts who's never been tied down with responsibilities. The three kids leave their rural, Midwestern home and move into a California beach house with their aunt and her friends, who serve as surrogate parents.

And who don't always do such a great job of parenting.

"Playing the role of Ava . . . validated for me that as a parent, you don't always have the answers," Loughlin said. "I don't always have the answers in real life with my kids, and I don't have the answers on the show. And I think that's truthful. You follow your heart, and you do the best that you can in raising kids."

In Monday's second-season premiere, Ava causes mixed emotions among the kids when she launches into plans to marry Simon. Derrick is excited; Ava is upset — and Brandin is considering performance-enhancing drugs to boost his performance on the surf team.