Watching "All American," CW's new teen drama, you might flash back to a bygone era when high-school series treated every hookup and breakup like life and death, gossip was practically a sport and conflicts were resolved with a little teamwork on the basketball court or football field.

There haven't been many shows in the vein of "The O.C.," "One Tree Hill" or "90210" in recent years; instead, "Riverdale" and "Pretty Little Liars" opted for truly life-and-death stakes, with murder mysteries and bloody cliffhangers.

But CW has recaptured that early 2000s spirit with "All American," a good, old-fashioned high-school show that's perhaps a little too reminiscent of "O.C.," but also makes that familiar formula work. It doesn't need an ax-murderer to add drama; there's plenty already.

Created by April Blair ("Reign"), "All American" (Wednesday, 9 ET/PT, ★★★ out of four), based on the life of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, follows Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), a football star living in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles, who dreams of playing for the NFL.

His fairy godfather appears in the form of Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), who coaches at Beverly Hills High and wants to take Spencer away from his underfunded school and the violence in his neighborhood (we told you it was just like "The O.C."). He offers Spencer a spot on his team and promises that with an elite school on his resume, he'll have a far easier time going pro.

The transition from Crenshaw to Beverly Hills isn't all daisies and sing-a-longs, as Spencer and his classmates each go through culture shock. He feels disconnected from the rich, mostly white, students and teammates who bring laptops to school and spend afternoons partying on the beach. They see him as a threat, both on and off the field, to the privileged status quo they've worked hard to achieve.

More:Former NFL star Spencer Paysinger, and how CW's buzzy 'All American' is unlike 'The O.C.'

If the setup sounds familiar, "All American" quickly reveals itself as more nuanced than a standard fish-out-of-water story. Spencer's disdain for his teammates rises to a sense of superiority, because he had to work harder to get there and will suffer more from the team's failure. The writers refrain from painting the rich kids with the same, spoiled brush. One of Spencer's rivals-turned-maybe-friends is Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), Coach Billy's biracial son, who resents Spencer's chummy relationship with his dad.

"American" works because the writers often push its predictable plot lines further than you'd expect. When the police pull over Spencer and Jordan, it's not just about clashes between law enforcement and the black community; the series examines Jordan's biracial identity and how that affects his relationship with his father.

Once the series establishes Spencer in Beverly Hills, the writers don't depend on him for every plot, creating a rich supporting cast around him with their own resonant story lines. Spencer's best friend Coop (Bre-Z), an out lesbian struggling to navigate Crenshaw without Spencer's protection, is easily the show's most engrossing and unique character.

The casting is excellent, and Ezra is a brilliant find as a relatively unknown British actor (not that you'd know: his American accent is impeccable). Watching him is akin to seeing Michael B. Jordan in "Friday Night Lights" – it's clear he's a star in the making, all charming smiles and furrowed brows. Diggs adds familiarity and charm as the insecure coach whose white wife out-earns him, who measures his self-worth by the success of the Beverly football team.

There's certainly room for "American" to grow, particularly among its female high-school characters who are, at least in the first three episodes made available for review, largely defined by their romantic interests. Still, "All American" is fun, melodramatic and watchable. It's easy to see how much its writers love the genre, and how good they are at working in it.

Watching "American" is like a class reunion: Comforting and nostalgic, but with a few surprises tucked up its sleeve. It's the kind of show that's easy to cheer for, even if its football team isn't that great yet.