I checked out Rise because it sounded like Glee, which I liked (until the college seasons), and it kind of is. Once again you've got a passionate guy and a bunch of talented hopefuls singing and falling in/out of love, although the singing is more integrated, so that the approach is less camp musical and more drama-with-singing. But both are about equally nonsensical.
There are so many ridiculous moments and premises in this series, and the writers are drawn to showbiz cliches like moths to a flame. When a student is doing a poor line reading, the teacher says, "don't act, just be yourself" and suddenly he's great, because of course that's all it takes to get a great performance out of an amateur. Later the same thing happens when the teacher gets a great performance out of a struggling orchestra by snatching the baton from the teacher and saying, "hey, let's just try this. Everyone relax and go for it!"
Much of the series involves the teacher's grand dreams bumping up against reality, resulting in the teacher making grand speeches. But often his choices are false. In an episode involving an elaborate set, my girlfriend and I thought of several ways to achieve the round towers they wanted cheaply, and neither of us are even theater people. The series also had an interesting attitude towards stealing stuff.
Here's the thing though: I like the show. The cast is appealing, the corniness is often affecting, and the bits from the musical they're rehearsing make me really want to see it.
So in short; dumb but I enjoy it.
There are so many ridiculous moments and premises in this series, and the writers are drawn to showbiz cliches like moths to a flame. When a student is doing a poor line reading, the teacher says, "don't act, just be yourself" and suddenly he's great, because of course that's all it takes to get a great performance out of an amateur. Later the same thing happens when the teacher gets a great performance out of a struggling orchestra by snatching the baton from the teacher and saying, "hey, let's just try this. Everyone relax and go for it!"
Much of the series involves the teacher's grand dreams bumping up against reality, resulting in the teacher making grand speeches. But often his choices are false. In an episode involving an elaborate set, my girlfriend and I thought of several ways to achieve the round towers they wanted cheaply, and neither of us are even theater people. The series also had an interesting attitude towards stealing stuff.
Here's the thing though: I like the show. The cast is appealing, the corniness is often affecting, and the bits from the musical they're rehearsing make me really want to see it.
So in short; dumb but I enjoy it.