The Shallow End of the Pool

Two great new shows to talk about today: "Gene Simmons' Rock School" and "Tommy Lee Goes To College."

It should come as no surprise to most of you that I would be all over anything Simmons is involved with, and you would be right. "Rock School" (airing Friday nights on VH1 at 10:30, along with numerous replays during the week) is a real-life version of the Jack Black movie "School of Rock." Simmons (or MR. Simmons, as he is called here) travels to a stuffy British boarding school to teach a group of classically-trained pre-teens about Rock 'N' Roll, a subject they know nothing about. His goal: transform the straight-laced bunch into a bona-fide rock band, capable of opening a show for seminal British metal band Motorhead. Based on the premiere episode, Gene has a tough road ahead of him, but not as tough as these kids do. Simmons is in top form here, coming across as his usual bombastic, arrogant, self, but with a twist: When he's with the kids, you can see a softer side emerging. He's not just a rock star asshole; he cares about these kids. One of the youths in particular is a real misfit, and it's almost touching to see Gene empathize so well, and take the outcast under his wing, naming him lead singer of the band (understandable, as Simmons himself came to America at a very young age, without knowing a word of English, and spent most of his own youth ostracized from the "cool" kids). You don't have to be a fan of KISS to appreciate this show, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I'm also enjoying "Tommy Lee Goes To College" (Tuesday nights on NBC, and re-shown Fridays on VH1 right before "Rock School"). Lee comes across as such a nice, regular guy here, that it's almost hard to believe that he's a big rock star. Nothing much of real substance here, as Lee is not REALLY enrolled at the University of Nebraska; he's merely attending classes for the TV show. But he is really trying, and is taking the whole endeavor rather seriously. Recommended mostly because Lee is just so affable, it's hard not to root for him.