Charleston hosts exclusive premiere of South Carolina’s first TV series

It was Hollywood glamour on King Street, complete with white stretch limos, the glare of TV spotlights and stars on the red carpet at the American Theatre for the exclusive premiere of South Carolina’s first TV series, “Palmetto Pointe.”

The first episode of the new show debuts at 8 p.m. Sunday on “i” Independent Television, formerly known as the PAX network, and will be delivered to 90 million homes nationwide.

It’s not often that Charleston is host to stretch white Cadillac Escalade limousines with “Star” on the front license plates rolling down the street, but on Thursday there was no shortage of excitement from onlookers as the stars, producers and 400 guests took their places at the King Street theater after a stroll down the red carpet.

“Palmetto Pointe” is the coming-of-age tale of six friends as they find their way in life after high school graduation. Sunday’s pilot episode introduces Tristan Sutton, played by Tim Woodward Jr. of Georgetown. After the death of his parents, Sutton leaves Palmetto Pointe to play baseball, hoping to fulfill his dream of making it to the big leagues. While pitching for a minor league team, he returns home to face all that he left behind in Palmetto Pointe.

At the premiere, Woodward expressed confidence that the show, which is being filmed in the Lowcountry, will be a hit.

“I feel great. I’m on cloud nine right now. I go with my gut. I know everybody’s going to love it,” he said.

Woodward’s grandfather, Charlie Russ of Georgetown, attended the premiere in a wheelchair. “We’re all proud of him, the entire family,” Woodward’s father said.

Creator and executive producer John Kearns was also psyched for Sunday’s premiere. “I cannot wait until the whole world sees our show. We’re going to blow ‘One Tree Hill’ out of the water,” he said, referring to a teen drama on The WB network.

Amanda Baker of Mount Pleasant plays Callah O’Connell on “Palmetto Pointe,” an aspiring actress who will do anything to make it.

Most recently, she worked alongside Lacey Chabert (“Party of Five,” “Mean Girls”) in the ABC Family Movie “Same As It Never Was,” which is scheduled to debut in early 2006. Her additional credits include “One Tree Hill” and the CBS film “The Dead Will Tell” with Anne Heche.

Baker said her work in the recent CBS movie “Locusts” got her the role on “Palmetto Pointe.” Baker had been living in New Orleans, and said she is glad to be back in the Lowcountry. Until “Palmetto Pointe” came along, she was thinking she would move to Los Angeles to follow her acting career.

“I never would have thought I would be able to pursue my dreams in my hometown,” she said.

The “i” Independent Television network has ordered 17 original episodes of “Palmetto Pointe.” Baker said three of the episodes have been filmed so far.

‘PALMETTO POINTE’

Debuts at 8 p.m. Sunday on “i” Independent Television, formerly known as PAX

Where to watch

On cable TV:

Comcast, channel 15

Knology, channel 70

Time-Warner, channel 19

On satellite TV:

DirecTV, channel 255

Dish Network, channel 181