Recovery Road TV Show: ABC to Launch New Sitcom about Addiction

Image Source - TV.com We all knew it was coming. ABC has officially announced its plans to release a new series entitled Recovery Road. The new sitcom is based off a popular novel written by Blake Nelson. Recovery Road follows a young girl  named Maddie. Maddie is a party animal and clearly a high functioning addict. Maddie is living the life, or so she thinks. Suddenly Maddie's world comes crashing down. Maddie is confronted by a guidance counselor who gives her the choice between attending a rehab facility, or being expelled from school. Maddie makes the difficult decision to live with other recovering addicts in a rehab facility all the while facing the trials and tribulations of teenage life and confronting her inner demons. We all hope that the TV show Recovery Road helps positively influence young people who may just be starting to experiment with drugs and alcohol.

Cast and Production Changes

Recently, ABC family has announced some changes to the show. Young Brittish actress Jessica Sula has been cast to play Maddie, which is the leading role. Originally, the role was giving to Samantha Logan who played Maddie during the pilot. The project also will recast the role of the recovery house counselor, which was a guest star/recurring in the pilot but potentially could  become regular. Pilot regular cast members Sebastian De Souza, Kyla Pratt, Sharon Leal and Alexis Carra are staying on. Additionally, the role of Vern, which was a guest star in the pilot, now will be a regular, played by Daniel Franzese. Haley Lu Richardson plays Ellie Dennis Recovery Road will co-star Haley Lu Richardson, who played Tess Hamilton on Ravenswood. Richardson will play Ellie Dennis, a smart, ambitious “friend” of Maddie’s. Described as a “bitchy vixen,” Ellie is also a member of Speakeasy, her school’s secret society.

Influence Addiction has on Popular Culture

Even over the last 5 years, we have seen a steady influx of addiction and recovery being talked about within mainstream media. Many celebrities are openly talking about past drug abuse and their recovery. These celebrities are playing a role in bringing recovery to the mainstream media. The Recovery Road TV show is not the first time addiction and recovery has been displayed on screen. It is however, the first time a major network picked up a sitcom series that targets such a young market.

Addiction and Our Youth

More and more young teens are developing drug problems. We are seeing a steady rise in admits to inpatient treatment facilities and a higher demand for adolescent treatment centers. Understanding that a TV show will not do much to solve the addiction problem, it is comforting to know that mainstream media is not so terrified to create content centered around this once controversial topic.