Why You'll Love It:
At its heart, TOWIE is a character drama, much like the so-called reality series that spawned it. Shows like this live or die by their casting decisions, since their success hinges on whether or not we care about these people and their lives for the long haul. Luckily, while the drama itself is kind of a yawn (Will Lauren get back together with Mark for the 12,398th time? Will Arg finally get to the gym on tonight's episode?), most of the characters are pretty darn compelling. There's Gemma, the sensitive, romantic, life of the party, who struggles with her weight and self-confidence in a society obsessed with skinny women. There's Chloe, the former Playboy model, who's been Botoxed within an inch of her life and whose lips deserve a casting credit all their own. Her cousin is Joey Essex, whose real name is not Joey Essex but who does his best to live up to his moniker in his strange uniform of short shorts, aviators, and a metric ton of hairspray. There's Nanny Pat, who is five feet tall, adorable, and serves as the voice of reason, frowning adorably every time her grandson Mark talks about his sex life. And, then there's Amy, who I can barely understand, but who has this bizarre childish giggle and runs what seems like a business built entirely around selling "vajazzles."