Tuesday on TV: ABC Family's 'Chasing Life' needs to try harder

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I really wanted to like Chasing Life (10 p.m., ABC Family). The premise of the show is admirable - everything seems to be coming up roses for young, cute, vivacious April (Italia Ricci) until she runs into a major thorn.

She's just been diagnosed with leukemia.

But the drama is damaged by rather ridiculous writing that undercuts the characters and the show. And not just the ludicrous portrayal of her job - her internship - at a newspaper.

(FYI, The Salt Lake Tribune allows interns to write stories. Like just about every other real newspaper in America.)

April also has a family life and a love life, which she's afraid of disrupting if anyone finds out she has cancer. But she treats the leukemia like an annoyance - something to get in the way of the more important stuff. Which makes it extraordinarily difficult to identify with her.

I really wanted to like "Chasing Life." But it's just not that good.

Elsewhere on TV ...

NBA Finals (7 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Game 3 - San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat

America's Got Talent (7 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Auditions continue.

I Wanna Marry Harry (8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): One of the women isn't so sure she wants to be there anymore.

The Night Shift (9 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): An after-dark, hog-hunting event goes terribly wrong.

Pretty Little Liars (9 p.m., ABC Family): The girls set a trap for "A" and are surprised by who wanders into it in the Season 5 premiere.

Royal Pains (10 p.m., USA): Evan schemes to keep Hank in town in the Season 6 premiere.

Fargo (11 p.m., FX): Malvo changes course.