R.J. Cutler, whose "American High" established him as a premier documentarian of teenage lives, moves up the postpubescent timeline with a reality series about the lives of college freshmen. While it may not be a perfectly accurate depiction of the first year on campus -- there's practically no footage in the first couple of episodes of classes or outside assignments -- there are a lot of interesting, sometimes even poignant, stories. The setting is the enormous campus of the University of Texas at Austin, chosen as much for its diverse student population as for its giving permission for Cutler to film there.

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