There are a bevy of curious television outings this week, but none of them looks more quirky than KISS rocker Gene Simmons’ homage to, well, himself, in “Gene Simmons Family Jewels.” The show debuts with back-to-back episodes at 10pm Aug. 7 on A&E.
The lowdown? It’s another celebreality-type series – with a twist, of course. Here, we can expect to find the iconic tongue-wagging crooner moving through his own colorful life.
Along for the ride are his children, Nick and Sophie, who, at least at first glance, appear to be the “normal” ones in the Simmons household. It’s easy to see why. Even without the makeup, Simmons tends to be a scene-stealing machine.
What may be most notable here is how the show will feature Simmons’ wife, former Playmate of the Year, Shannon Tweed. Expect heads to turn, as I am sure the show’s producers will milk Tweed’s personal bond with Simmons. After “The Osbournes,” I’ve shied away from officially putting the channel clicker down for another celebrity family. Although, Bravo’s “Being Bobby Brown” did have a surreal fascination – if only to see Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown dig their own graves.
Much better was A&E’s “Growing Up Gotti,” which spotlighted – to surprising ends – the happenings of mafia daughter Victoria Gotti and her active, often unruly, teenage sons. You have to wonder what celebrity cable wants to feature next? After all the Danny Bonnaduce’s, Christopher Kinghts, Farrah Fawcetts et al, haven’t we dabbled in these waters long enough? Then again, with today’s celeb-obsessed culture, I doubt we’ll be seeing less of any headliner anytime soon.
If At First You Didn’t
Catch It …
Real sci-fi fans may want to take note of ABC’s poorly conceived “Night Stalker,” which got the ax last fall. Some of the show’s unaired episodes hit the SCI-FI network this week (8pm Friday).
I had hopes for this show, but the combination of odd pacing and a lead (Stuart Townsend) that didn’t quite rise to the occasion sent it tumbling into the network slush pile. See for yourself and let me know what you think at ga*****@**********rs.com.
I suspect some of the later episodes may have given the show its stride. Also, in case you want to remind yourself how good it was before the creative lampposts dimmed on “Desperate Housewives,” Lifetime is launching the cable series premiere of the show, beginning with the very first episode (8pm Saturday). Let’s hope creator Marc Cherry will watch. It could serve as a friendly reminder of why “Housewives” worked so well in its freshman season – its leading ladies were all united for a specific cause.
Who Wants to Be a Talent Star?
Regis Philbin may have taken a beating a few years back when the primetime version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” folded, but he’s back in full force with “America’s Got Talent.” The ABC show is so very post-modern “Gong Show” by way of “American Idol,” but its popularity continues to grow. A special Wildcard episode airs at 9:30pm Aug. 9.
In case you’ve been lost in other summer offerings, here’s a bit of 411 on the show: High-spirited personalities – the you’s, me’s and your neighbors of America – compete for a chance to win a million dollar prize and, oh yes, become “the most talented person in America.”
Best bets on this show are the amazingly gifted children that crop up from time to time. And it’s nice to see America’s attention span moving away from just good singing talent. (Haven’t we seen enough “Idol” winners in Kit Kat and Ford commercials?)
In the Wildcard episode, several acts that didn’t initially get to the semi-final phase of the competition will now compete for a ninth – and final – spot in the finale episode, airing the following week. Take note: Celebrity judges panel David Hasselhoff, Brandy and UK celeb Piers Morgan are the white gloves on dust here.
Greg Archer is an entertainment writer based on the Central Coast. He writes about the TV, film and being human. E-mail him at ga*****@**********rs.com or visit www.greg-archer.com.
