The crowded cable universe is filled with outfits that have "rebranded" themselves and moved on to what they hope are greener ratings pastures. UP TV is a recent example.
The Atlanta-based satellite and cable channel began life in 2004 as the Gospel Music Channel and morphed in 2010 into GMC TV in order to seek a broader base.
The change to UP TV (stands for uplifting) took place in 2013. The network, which reaches about 70 million households, states that it's "dedicated to providing feel good TV for you and your family," and hopes "to inspire people to do simple, everyday acts of kindness."
Current syndicated shows that fit that "feel good" bill include Family Ties, Growing Pains, Moesha, 7th Heaven, Heartland, Judging Amy, American Bible Challenge, Touched by an Angel and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Beginning this fall, UP will begin airing all seven seasons (153 episodes) of Gilmore Girls, starring Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel and Melissa McCarthy. That ought to make anyone feel good.
That brings us to UP's first original scripted series. Ties That Bind, starring Kelli Williams, debuts at 8 p.m. Wednesday. UP boasts the show "puts the family back in family drama."
Check your local cable or satellite provider for the channel number for UP.
Fans should recall the 45-year-old Williams from her six seasons on The Practice (1997-2003), where she played Lindsay Dole; as psychologist Dr. Gillian Foster on Lie to Me (2009-2011); and Jackie Clark on Army Wives (2012-2013).
In Ties That Bind, Williams portrays Allison McLean, "part mom, part cop," and a veteran police detective in the suburban Seattle town of Crestview.
The drama comes from Allison trying to balance her risky job with its inherent dangers with a family and its needs.
Johathan Scarfe (Hell on Wheels) plays Allison's husband, Matt. Their teenage children, Jeff and Rachel, are portrayed by Mitchell Kummen and Natasha Calis.
In the premiere episode, Allison's brother, Tim Olson (guest star Luke Perry, Beverly Hills, 90210) is convicted of aggravated assault "with special circumstances" and sent off to the slammer for two years.
With his wife, Jackie, in rehab, Tim leaves behind his two teens, Cameron and Mariah (Rhys Matthew Bond, Matreya Scarrwener). Allison brings them home, with Cameron kicking and screaming all the way.
"Why should we go with you?" a distraught and angry Cameron screams.
"Because we're your family," Allison sighs, "like it or not."
Putting the family back in family drama? It might be overkill since that makes four teens in one house. Their struggle to adjust to one another will be a major component of the series.
In a UP interview, Williams says, "I like that Allison is a pretty strong character. She's pretty tough at work and in her job, but I also like that you get to see the softer side of her in her relationship with her husband and her children.
"There are so many women out there trying to balance being a full-time mom with a full-time career. How does that work and how does that sometimes totally fall apart? You just try to do the best you can and get through your day. So, the series feels really real in that way."
Creator and executive producer Sheryl Anderson adds, "The thing that sets us apart is that we're working to truly be a hybrid between a police procedural and a family drama.
"I know there are other shows that have the family component, but the family component for us is almost inextricable from the police component because Allison is trying to be the best cop possible and best mom possible, there really is no boundary line for her. That makes her incredible in both sides of her life, but also makes it difficult for the people in her life.
"In the cop space, she can't turn off the mom part. Her 'superpower' is how she can emotionally connect with people. Suddenly, in telling her a story, people are confessing.
"We work hard to weave the two sides together, because as any working woman knows, it's really hard to compartmentalize your life."
Is Ties That Bind worth your time? Aside from the occasional scene chewing and sappy background violin music, the pilot does an adequate job of introducing all the characters and getting the series underway. Check it out to see if it makes you feel good.
Style on 08/09/2015