Clue

The decades-old crime-solving board game has withstood a mediocre movie, international TV game shows, and a series of thematic spin-off games that bear its name, but no one's ever attempted a drama series based on Professor Plum and his cronies. It takes some gumption to toy with a classic anything, and Clue is no exception to that rule. Happily, this miniseries does a good job of modernizing the characters and plot to appeal to a young audience while still retaining some ties to the original. The story incorporates the game's iconic weapons and assigns the classic characters' personalities to the cast members in subliminal ways (the color of a shirt or an affiliation with a particular club, for instance) that sometimes feel a little forced but are still fun for viewers who are familiar with the game.

Clue makes a real effort to show the diverse characters setting aside their preconceptions about each other and learning to work as a team. And puzzle buffs will enjoy piecing together the clues the teens find and trying to solve the crime along with the characters. Unlike in the board game, the villains and the weapon are recognizable; it's the "why?" that's the real mystery, and the discovery process is full of unexpected twists and turns. The result? An enticing blend of drama and mystery that will have tweens postulating about how all the clues fit together to answer that question.