Viva Laughlin: "Not a Musical," Says Exec Producer

Viva Laughlin is not a musical. "We're an episodic television mystery family drama with music," Robert Lowry, executive producer of the new CBS drama, told the audience at the Television Critics Association press tour. That's a mouthful. Critics suggested that the American version of the BBC series Viva Blackpool is a little more timid in its approach to the musical numbers, in which the actors sing along with familiar pop recordings. Lowry says that was intentional. His hope is that the CBS audience gets to know the characters better before cranking up the music. "There’s never any actor who bursts into song," adds costar D.B. Woodside. "The songs are the soundtracks of the characters' lives." Part of the challenge will be getting the rights to the right songs to tell those stories. Lowry says Pink Floyd already shot down a request to use "Money" in a casino scene. — Reporting by Stephen Battaglio

TV GuideNews July 19, 2007 at 8:59 p.m. PT