Colin Hanks has spent the last decade or so establishing himself as one of the more likable, boy-next-door lead actors in Hollywood.
Kiefer Sutherland plays Jack Bauer, the C.I.A. man, as a likable surfer boy gone serious, or maybe just middle-aged.
Freamon's expertise leads to the development of the sophisticated wire-tapping scheme that gives the series its name and is used against the Barksdales: Avon (Wood Harris), the leader; D'Angelo (Larry Gilliard Jr ., his nephew; Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), Avon's deputy; the enforcer Wee-Bey (Hassan Johnson); and the many street-level employees, including the likable corner boy Bodie J D Williamss).
Sepinwall and Handlen were disappointed that Rex did not appear in the episode; Handlen praised Rex, calling him a "likable teenage boy" who deserves more running time.
The two teenagers clicked immediately: in a milieu where toughness was valued, both were almost conspicuously laid-back; they brushed off the taunts of racists and bullies, and were regarded as likable popular boys.
The list of productions hewing to one of these formulas is long and diverse in quality, including the excellent ("Billy Elliot"), the likable ("Jersey Boys"), the guilty pleasure ("Rock of Ages"), the mediocre ("The Full Monty," "9 to 5"), the terrible ("Urban Cowboy," "Cry-Baby") and the atrocious ("Good Vibrations" and "Dirty Dancing," not yet seen on Broadway, and God spare us, please).
Dylan (played by likable actor/folk singer/posh boy Johnny Flynn) finds out he has chlamydia and must contact all the people he's ever slept with, to tell them the news.
Through his misadventures Mike metamorphoses from superannuated boy into likable grown-up with his endearing childlike traits intact.
One significant character, a likable but cautious young boy, is the refreshing antithesis of the psychically gifted, problem-solving superchild that is becoming one of Hollywood's most obnoxious cliches.
Brief synopsis of the show: It's about a bunch of likable but bland, white-boy stay-at-home dads from Austin, Texas, "who married up," as Nathan the newbie puts it.
