My Guide To Becoming A Rock Star: Cast Photo - Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries

My Guide To Becoming A Rock Star aired from March 14-21, 2002 on FOX.

In this bizarre sitcom, which must have been inspired by either the movie Spinal Trap or by a bad dream, Jace Darnell ( Oliver Hudson) was the tall, cocky, lead singer of the stuggling rock band SlipDog. Jace just knew he would become rich and famous in the music business, despite the band's troubles and the lack of support from his father Eric ( Michael Des Barres), an over-the-hill former heavy-metal rock star who still sported shaggy hair and tight pants. ( actor Des Barres was an authenic former rocker , having been in bands including Silverfish and Detective in the 1970's and 1980's. Jace's mother Gina was played by former adult film star Shannon Tweed.) Other members of SlipDog were Doc ( Kevin Rankin), a spaced-out guitarist who made his living as a panhandling " blind" priest, punky bassist Joe ( Lauren Hodges), who worked as a guide at a local Seattle science museum, and dumb-jock drummer Danny( James DeBello).

In the premiere episode, Jace made a deal with thuggish junkyard owner Doyle( Rick Overton) to be their manager. Jace who had been living on unemployment insurance for 18 months, also offered Sarah ( Emmanuelle Vaugier), the sexy lady from the unemployment office, a job with SlipDog as a DJ and keyboard player.

In the second episode Danny was killed in a bizarre touch-football accident-he drowned in a mud puddle-and was replaced with baby-faced, Gay Lucas (Kris Lemche). Jace provided enthusiastic and frenetic narration.

Based on the popular British comedy created by Bryan Elsley. Although 12 half-hour episodes were produced, The WB pulled the plug after only 5 had aired.

A Review From entertainyourbrain.com

"My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star" Review

By Shawn McKenzie 03/17/2002

I should start out this review by making a confession: I love portrayals of musicians! Whether it be A Hard Day's Night, "The Monkees," The Blues Brothers, or Almost Famous, I am a sucker for a hard-luck rock band story.

Actually, it doesn't even have to be a rock band. It could be rappers (CB4, Fear Of A Black Hat), country musicians (Coal Miner's Daughter, Dill Scallion), or even boy bands (MTV's "2gether.") Heck, one of my favorite shows on TV currently is Showtime's "The Chris Isaak Show."

That is why I am going against the grain and saying that I really liked the WB's new show "My Guide To Becoming A Rock Star."

I am fully aware that I am in the minority here (as a burgeoning entertainment web site, I don't have the opportunity yet to review advanced tapes of TV shows, so I have to watch them at the same time as everyone else.) Most reviews I have read have been negative. They say it is another clich餠"struggling rock band" show (kind of like the WB's dearly-departed Sixth Sense-meets-rock 'n' roll show "Dead Last," which I also liked.) Well...

There are a couple of clich鳮 The show does have the stock characters of the handsome lead singer, the scruffy bearded guitarist, and the tough-as-nails punk chick bassist. Plus the drummer dies in the second episode (This Is Spinal Tap anyone?)

That is where the clich鳠end, at least in my mind. This is the first so-called "struggling rock band" to employ a DJ in the band, something (at least lately) that is becoming a staple in rock bands. Also the drummer is gay (which is actually less of an original character and more of a plot device to further the romance between the lead singer and the DJ.) But I am getting ahead of myself...

The show is an adaptation of a British hit TV series ("A Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rock Star" about a guy giving the audience a mock-tutorial about how to become a rock star. (If anyone really thinks they are going to actually learn something about being a rock star from watching this show, then they will be destined to singing "Margaritaville" with me at karaoke night.) Oliver Hudson (Kate's brother) plays Jace Darnell, the lead singer and narrator. He is backed by his guitarist Doc (Kevin Rankin), bass player Joe (Lauren Hodges), drummer Auggie (Kris Pope), and DJ/love interest Sarah. Together they are a band called Slip Dog.

The show follows each step they take on their way to their hoped-for superstardom. In the first three episodes, they got a manager, auditioned a new drummer, added a DJ, and dealt with fans. The show is a comedy, but it has been following the latest trend of single-camera, no laugh-track "dramedy." This isn't a show that is going to win many Emmys, but it does serve its purpose of entertaining me. I'll be adding it to my watching schedule.

Finally, I think I have another theory as to why other critics don't like this show. As a whole, critics are all geeks (myself included.) If you watch the Comedy Central game show "Beat the Geeks," you will notice that most geeks are very specialized in their area of interest and knowledge. As a geek, my interests and knowledge lie mainly in movies, TV, and music. I think that is why I tend to like a music-themed show more than most critics. Sure, they have an appreciation of music, but they probably are not as engrossed in it as me. Just a thought.

Check it out before you automatically chalk it up to being bad based on other reviews. You might have a rockin' good time! (Okay, I may have gone too far with that one...)

1/2

A Review From The Michigan Daily

'My Guide' shows life in the music industry
By Ryan Blay, TV/New Media Editor
3/13/02

It may not be "This is Spinal Tap," the ultimate guidebook to making a mockumentary about a band with revolving drummers. But the WB Network's new comedy, "My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star," is still a charming show about the music industry.
Based on the long-titled British series "The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star," "My Guide" stars Oliver Hudson (brother of actress Kate Hudson, son of Goldie Hawn) as 22-year-old Jace Darnell, frontman for the young band SlipDog. Hudson is charismatic as Jace, the creator/energy center/surprisingly decent singer of the band. Unfortunately, the rest of the band, including the large, sleazy manager often retracts into stereotypical backup musicians. There's the no-nonsense female, reminding viewers that they're not watching "Josie and the Pussycats." Then, of course, there's the constant stream of new drummers. This definitely needs to stop to increase the band's dynamics with one another.

Rather than create hour-long episodes of the new series, the WB has instead decided to show two half-hour episodes each Thursday. This keeps with the often frenetic pace of the show. While one episode might deal with "the Yoko factor," another might delve into the band's constantly depleted funds to record a demo and sign with a record label.

Though the humor occasionally falls flat, the charming presence of Hudson and the creative idea of the show does give this freshman comedy a chance to succeed. Refining the idea to focus on the band members themselves is vital to the future. With a bit of retooling, the network could have another cult hit on its hands.

For a fanlisting of Oliver Hudson go to http://www.sky-reflection.com/oliver/