My tween niece informed me that the Jonas Brothers are so over. She felt the once beloved trio were more concerned with wives, solo projects and facial hair. She didn’t have time for that stuff. Since nature and tweens abhor a vacuum, she already has a favorite new TV band show in Big Time Rush. Naturally I was curious how the legendary Canadian power trio Rush ended up on Nickelodeon. Turns out Geddy Lee has nothing to do with the show. The four teens in Big Time Rush are hockey players from Minnesota that get an amazing break thanks to a music producer. So they’re like The Replacements without the drugs and booze. Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume One gives the first 11 episodes of how dreamers becomes sensations.
“Big Time Audition” is a double length episode about how the quartet seeks out their shot at fame. Sway from MTV News makes a cameo talking about how producer Gustavo Rocque (Stephen Kramer Glickman) wants to find the next boy band sensation. He’s part Simon Cowell, the creepy guy who discovered Backstreet Boys and Phil Spector minus the gunplay. The quartet do their best to get an audition to prove they’re more than hockey players with complete sets of teeth. Things look bleak since they have to audition solo. Will this be the end of their dream? Can they unite to show their true talent as a group? “Big Time School of Rocque” makes the quartet relocate to Los Angeles for the producer’s version of star school. They want to go to the Palm Woods school since it much more fun. These first two episodes were directed by Savage Steve Holland (Better Off Dead). David Anthony Higgins (Malcolm In the Middle and The Higgins Boys and Gruber) has a recurring role.
“Big Time Crib” has them spice up their apartment with stuff found at a movie studio. “Big Time Bad Boy” forces a fifth member into the group to give them a tougher image. What band can’t use an ex-con amongst the sweetness? Jonas Brothers might have lasted with new member from HBO’s Oz. “Big Time Love Song” is the classic tale of how each boy falls for the same girl. Since this is on Nick and not Spice, things need to get sorted out. “Big Time Mansion” makes them mansion sit for Gustavo. There’s an epic fail. “Big Time Photo Shoot” snaps the boys for the cover of a faux-Tiger Beat. Gustavo can’t help since he’s doing community service for a minor crime that isn’t a crime with minors. The shoot goes weird. “Big Time Break” splits up the boys since they’ve been around each other too much. Erik Estrada has a cameo. “Big Time Demos” nearly gets them deported back to Minnesota if their songs don’t get picked up by the record company. The boys face getting booted from their apartment if the have a “Big Time Party.” But they have a reason to celebrate. What would Axl Rose do? “Big Time Jobs” is the biggest nightmare for a pop star.
It is easy to see why Big Time Rush is a hit with tweens since it has plenty of energy without being completely cornball. This has just enough of The Monkees influence without looking like a desperate retread. The show is so much better than The New Monkees. The true star of the show is Glickman’s music producer. He’s perfectly out of control as he crafts his latest pop superstars. How come Glickman never appeared on Trailer Park Boys? Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume One is pop with staying power as long as the boys don’t experiment with goatees.
The Episodes
“Big Time Audition,” “Big Time School of Rocque,” “Big Time Crib,” “Big Time Bad Boy,” “Big Time Love Song,” “Big Time Mansion,” “Big Time Photo Shoot,” “Big Time Break,” “Big Time Demos,” “Big Time Party” and “Big Time Jobs.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are cleans with plenty of pop to the colors. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The guy sound good whether talking or lip syncing. The episodes are Closed Captioned.
“Big Time Break” with Trivia Options gives pop up balloons with factoids. Did you know the pool in the show was made by the guys who made the swimming pool on Melrose Place? Do tweens get that?
Photo Flipbook (1:13) are pics of the cast.
Digital Copy of Big Time Beach Party can be downloaded with a code if you use a Windows PC.
Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume One is more fun than watching Making the Band when they constructed O Town. Easy to see why the show appeals to Tween kids who dream of pop stardom if they only find the right producer.
Paramount Home Entertainment presents Big Time Rush: Season One, Volume One. Starring: Carlos Pena, Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, Stephen Kramer Glickman and Clara Bravo. Boxset Contents: 11 episodes on 2 DVDs. Released on DVD: March 29, 2011.
