JONAS - Die Serie

The much ballyhooed Jonas show starring the Jonas Brothers finally made its debut on the Disney Channel last night. One hopes that when the brothers have had their run as teen idols they'll have invested their money wisely because it will take some considerable doing for them to have careers as musicians and/or actors when the vogue for them has passed.

As kids they're cute, pleasant and easy to take even for people over the age of 15. Their music isn't too bad either. What the Disney Studio did was reach back into rock and roll history and modeled this show on that first show about a rock band, The Monkees. The Jonas Brothers even have a fourth brother, little Frankie who can make it a quartet to have adventures just like the Monkees.

Don't look for much plot, the show is just another venue for their music which is in fact their bread and butter. Every show will have some kind of story to play between music videos. It worked fine for the Monkees, it should work for Joe, Kevin, Nick, and sometimes Frankie Jonas.

When I first heard that there was going to be a TV show starring the Jonas Brothers, I had to roll my eyes. Yeah, it's just another attempt for the JoBros' to milk their fame for all it was worth. But when I finally saw the show, I found it to be surprisingly entertaining.

Now, I'm not a teenage girl, so you can be sure I didn't watch the show to see the Jonas Brothers. Although, Chelsea Kane and Nicole Anderson were kinda cute. But no, the real reason I loved this show was the humor. It's a rare kind of humor we don't see much of anymore. It's a kind of humor based on antics as opposed to witty dialog. It was almost a throwback to the kind of antics we saw on Saved By the Bell. The show also didn't have a laugh track, so we didn't have to be told when to laugh.

The characters were great as well. The boys almost remind me of Alvin and the Chipmunks; Kevin, the lovable dumb one (Theodore), Nick, the smart one (Simon), and Joe, the egotistic one (Alvin). My favorite character had to be Macy, Jonas' "#1 Superfan." She's so sweet and lovable, and she so funny to watch.

Having said all that, I thought Season 1 was better than Season 2. Season 2 had less focus on humor and was trying more to be a teen drama. And there, I think it lost a lot of its appeal. But it was still a good show.

The show has been canceled, unfortunately, but if you can find it on DVD, I say check it out. I would mostly recommend it for teens and fans of the Jonas Brothers, but if you like comedies, this one doesn't disappoint.

I think this show has gotten too much criticism from people who dislike the Jonas Brothers. It needs to be kept in mind that JONAS was meant to be a kids' show targeted at fans of the boys. At best, JONAS is a kid friendly comedy sure to draw in young and old fans alike. I won't trash it - this is just my opinion.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the Jo Bros, but I am a fan of the Disney Channel in general. I'm eighteen years old and I still love watching shows like The Suite Life and Wizards. They have appealing, original characters, and the situations, while unbelievable, are engaging and creative. It's easy to get attached to the characters and their world. While I appreciate JONAS as a children's show, I think it lacks those qualities. The situations are used, the humor is trite, and the characters (particularly Macy and Stella) are stereotypical and shallow. It's just my opinion, but I find nothing engaging about their situations. In the last episode I watched the plot revolved around Joe accidentally dying their clothing blue. I was hoping for at least one laugh, but I was instead disappointed by a parade of unfunny jokes.

If you're a fan of Joe, Kevin, and Nick, then I'm sure you'll enjoy JONAS. But if you're simply looking for a quality Disney comedy, I would not suggest this one.

Okay, so this show isn't at all what I had expected. The format is much, much too similar to Hannah Montana. I was really disappointed that it wasn't given another angle other than a famous band trying to live as normal kids. That scenario is now a wee bit tired.

That being said, while you can't call them good actors by any stretch of the imagination, they are really, really endearing. Some jokes really made me laugh out loud and I think they all have great chemistry with one another, it's really super fun to see them just be brothers! The show definitely works best when it focuses on the relationship between the three brothers, whereas the episodes that explore love interests can get a little boring. The placement of the music in the show is hit or miss. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's hilarious and sometimes I wished I could have fast- forwarded through it.

The show didn't meet my expectations, but I find it cute nevertheless.

Yes, I'm an adult. Yes, my kids are mostly grown and certainly out of the age range of the usual Disney TV fan. But I am old enough to remember the happy randomness of Beatles movies and The Monkees on Saturday morning television -- and that's what "Jonas" brings to mind.

I love the innocence and silliness of this show. IMO, the brothers have an easy rapport on camera and great comedic timing. And I have to say that Nick should pursue a career in acting in the future if he doesn't want to be in the music business. He's got real leading man potential.

Do you remember when you were a kid and you just felt like laughing about nothing and didn't care what grownups (or anyone else) thought? When you could look at your brother or BFF and whisper something like "shoehorn" and dissolve into laughter? Please view this program with that mood in mind. Sit back, smile and don't take life so seriously.