Misadventures of Dewey Finn, a rocker who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school as he teaches his unconventional and overachieving students to play and love rock ‘n’ roll.

Enough time has passed since the movie School of Rock that today’s tweens viewers are too young to remember it.  Now let’s say you’ve never seen School of Rock with Jack Black or School of Rock on Broadway. You’ll want to transfer to a new school after seeing this.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this show but there’s also nothing inherently great about it either.  The pilot establishes the scenario pretty quickly.  Tony Cavalero plays Dewey Finn, a graduate of the “look how hip I am, I’ll be a great teacher” school.  Teaching is not as easy as just showing up and writing on the blackboard (wait, there are still blackboards).  Want old school – look at the old white Mac Desktops in the back!

The kids in the school are ok as well.  We have the science nerd, the smart girl, the hip girl, the hip guy and the “I’m going to Yale” kid (surprise, surprise, he’s Asian!)  Add in the clueless principle and you have all the elements of a tween comedy.  Remember How to Rock on Nick?  A much better show.

So my pet peeves:

1. I hate it when TV teachers or TV students say they want to have fun – or school should be fun.  It shouldn’t.  It should be engaging.
2. Not every cool teacher needs to act like a doofus or a fool.
3. The show sends the message that if you fail at everything else, just go into teaching.
4. No one in the hallway hears them playing rock music?
5. Does Mr. Finn teach them every class or just English?  What about his other classes?
6. The kids seem pretty quick to jump on the rock band bandwagon.  A little resistance from them would have been nice.
7. The students sure picked up how to play rock music really fast.
8. Surprise, surprise!  Only the featured actors are in the band.  The rest of the class fill the role of background clappers.
9. I wonder how the students are assessed.
10. Should be interesting when Dewey has his formal observation.  I’m sure he will be commended for “innovative teaching!”

Hey, at least we got to see Vernee Watson back on TV (remember her from Fresh Prince of Bel Air).

I’d suggest not matriculating at the School of Rock.