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Hart of Dixie. 

Hart of Dixie is a new show to The CW that began this autumn. The basic plot line is about a young New Yorker, Dr Zoe Hart, who is probably the most dedicated and proficient medical student that the world has ever seen; however, slightly ironically, she lacks one thing: a heart. It is because of this that she misses out on a great medical fellowship and is told that she should come back when she has learnt to actually care about her patients - both physically and emotionally. She then decides to take up the offer from a complete stranger, Dr Harley Wilkes, to work in his practice. Every year since her graduation Zoe has received letters from Dr Wilkes asking her to come and work for him and every single time she has declined, but not this time. So, Dr Zoe Hart arrives in the small and cosy town of Bluebell, Alabama, which is possibly the furthest thing from anything she knows. Upon arriving in Bluebell, she is shocked to find out that Dr Harvey Wilkes has, in fact, passed away and left half of his practice to her. With many maladies completely unknown to the city doctor, and a less than warm welcome from the townspeople, she begins to feel extremely out of her depth and finally she decides to leave. That is until her mother turns up with a piece of news that changes everything.

Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) and the mayor, Levon Hayes (Cress Williams)

I didn't know anything about Hart of Dixie prior to watching it, but, from the looks of it, it didn't look like the sort of show I would be interested in. However, I decided to give the show a change just because the main star was Rachel Bilson. I haven't heard a lot about Rachel Bilson for a long while, but I still remember her back when she was in The O.C - a show that I was completely obsessed with - and I was curious to see her new work. I wasn't really sure how I felt after watching the pilot episode as I had a strong feeling that this show wasn't for me and yet I also had a desire to watch more. I'm so glad that I decided to keep watching because it's gone from strength to strength! The plot just gets better and better each week with more excitement and drama. For me, personally, I find Zoe Hart's love life, or lack of thereof, the most entertaining, hilarious and heartbreaking part of the show. Others may be interested in Zoe's social life, or lack of thereof (see a trend forming?), or her working life or, wait for it ... lack of thereof.

George Tucker and fiancee Lemon Breeland

As time goes on we see Zoe soften to Bluebell's customs and traditions which she ridicules at first. At heart, she's still a classic New Yorker; however, she learns to accept other cultures and respects Bluebell and it's ways. She realises that the only way she's going to survive in Alabama is to immerse herself in their culture and so, with the help of Levon Hayes, the mayor and her neighbour, she begins to make some friends. What I love about her 'love life', is that I have absolutely no idea where it's heading. There are several leads in the show, some of which are obvious that they won't last, but others are really interesting becasue I can't quite pinpoint how their relationship is going to end up. Personally, I think Zoe Hart will end up with either Wade, her cool and country neighbour, or George, a lawyer. The problem is, George (a former New Yorker himself) is engaged to Lemon, who has hated Zoe since the very first time she clad eyes on her. It looks like it's going to be a sticky one. To make matters more complicated there is another couple in Bluebell - a very unexpected couple - who's relationship is no doubt going to stir things up for all the other characters and may just change the whole game plan. I'm curious to see how this show will end given that Zoe is only supposed to be taking one year out to 'find her heart' and if she were to return to New York that would be the end of the show and I don't envisage that happening. We shall have to wait and see.

Learning the ropes

As for the acting, it's brilliant. I recognise quite a lot of faces from the show, but I can't remember exactly where I've seen any of them before. The five main characters are: Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson), Lemon Breeland (Jaime King), George Tucker (Scott Porter), Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel) and Levon Hayes (Cress Williams). All five of these actors are absolutely superb and they all interpret their characters perfectly. The accents of every single character in the show are spot on and I completely believe that they are genuinely from Alabama. This show can be both funny and serious at times and this is conveyed perfectly to the viewer, in just the right balance. Although Hart of Dixie is defined as a 'medical drama', it's nothing like, say, Grey's Anatomy, where the majority of the drama is based in a hospital where the characters work. There are, of course, a large amount of scenes which are shot in Zoe's practice; however, I don't think that her medical work is the focus of the show. It is much more focussed on the development of Zoe's character, rather than her career.

Things get hot in Alabama

All in all, I think Hart of Dixie is a warm and cosy drama, that is also funny and dramatic (quite a contrast, but trust me, it works!). It's not like anything that's currently on air at the moment, so if you're looking for something different, here it is. This show will appeal to most women as the youth of the protagonist combined with the traditional values of Bluebell make it great for all ages. If you're already watching Hart of Dixie, but are thinking of stopping, think again. It gets better, I promise! If you're about to start watching it, stick with it, right to the end, because it's definitely worth it. Hart of Dixie looks like a show about a New Yorker turned country bumpkin, but it's so much more than that, so I recommend you give it a go!