It's a little too facile to simply label "Hidden Palms" the "Dawson's Creek" of the new millennium. Or call it a cross between "Dawson's Creek" and the "Scream" movies (as The CW's top programmer did).

But ... in both cases, that's sort of true. And in neither case is it a coincidence.

"Hidden Palms," which begins an eight-episode run tonight at 7 on CW/Ch. 30, comes to us from writer/producer Kevin Williamson, the man behind both "Creek" and "Scream." And there are certain similarities.

The teens in "Palms" are ultra-smart, mature behind their years, self-aware and played by actors in their 20s. And there's what appears to be a murder mystery with some really creepy stuff going on.

Williamson told TV critics he "tried not to do a hybrid." That he "just wanted to do ... a very suspenseful story." And he's succeeded at that.

As the show opens, Johnny Miller (Taylor Handy, who was a psycho kid on "The O.C.") is a happy, well-adjusted 16-year-old living in Seattle. Then his father shoots himself and dies in front of Johnny's eyes.

Jump to a year later. Johnny is just out of rehab, his mother (Gail O'Grady, "American Dreams") has married her late husband's business partner (D.W. Moffett) and they've just move to a swanky, gated community in Palm Springs, Calif.

Johnny is befriended (sort of) by the boy next door, Cliff (Michael Cassidy, a nice kid on "The O.C."), who isn't what he seems. Cliff's mom, Tess (Sharon Lawrence of "NYPD Blue"), is an aging beauty queen with a taste for younger men.

Johnny himself soon acquires a taste for Greta (Amber Heard, "Alpha Dog"), a hot girl who's hiding something. And he's oblivious to the interest that the smart girl across the street, Liza (Ellary Porterfield), has in him. But he goes to Liza for help in solving the mystery.

It seems that Cliff's best friend/Greta's boyfriend, Eddie (J.D. Pardo), died in the bedroom Johnny now occupies. His death was ruled a suicide ... but was it?

"Hidden Palms" sort of defies description, at least to the man who created it. Williams called it "a mystery." A "suspenseful story." A "family drama." A "teen drama." An "unusual quirky drama."

"But I would say the answer is more suspense. And there are some jumps, there are some scares, there is some creepiness and unsettling and nervy moments," he said. "But we tried to keep it all character-based. ... The characters inform the mystery as opposed to it being just plot-based."

He's also promising a resolution to the mystery — an important point given that not only did The CW only order eight episodes, but then the network scheduled it during the summer.

(Yeah, like The CW has so many good shows on the air. "Hidden Palms" may not be a great show, but it's light-years beyond "One Tree Hill," "Search for the Next Pussycat Doll," "All of Us," "Girlfriends," "The Game" and "Smackdown!")

"Yes, there is a wrap-up," Williamson said. "Yes, we do reveal everything we need to reveal. And yes, it continues."

In other words, he's got more story to tell even after we find out what happened to Eddie.

Whether he gets to tell any more of the story will depend on the ratings.

Given that just about everything else the broadcast networks are giving us this summer in the way of original programming is cheesy reality show after cheesy reality show, spending eight weeks in "Hidden Palms" looks like a fine vacation alternative.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com