Wasteland

By James Poniewozik

You could base a drinking game on how many times someone makes a sweeping generational statement in this postcollege soap from Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek). Dawnie (Marisa Coughlin) is writing her anthropology thesis on the "second coming of age" of her "lost" demograph--sorry, "generation"--and the ensemble illustrates it, suffering romantic and career woes and showing how sad it is to be young and gorgeous in the city. Reminiscent of Melrose Place's earnest, unfortunate first season, Wasteland adopts Dawson's chatty self-awareness but lacks its flashes of sweetness and magic.

--By James Poniewozik