IFC’s new semi-scripted series, “Z Rock,” revolves around a real life hair band-by-night called Z Rock and kid’s party band by day called Z Brothers.
And it’s at once adult and juvenile, fun and boring.
So, there’s some good and some bad.
The good: the concept, which is terrific. Bad: the writing which is high-school Internet level.
Not only is it not ready for prime time, this writing isn’t even ready for midnight cable which is basically where and when “Z Rock” is scheduled to run.
The guys in the band – real life Brooklyn-born brothers Paulie Z and David Z and their BBBF (Brookly-born best friend) Joey Cassata (doesn’t anybody call him Joey Cakes?) – have found a real- life way to pay the rent.
It’s by playing rich little kid’s birthday parties around Manhattan’s ritziest zip codes .
Right off, you see that the series could be a lot better than it is.
For one thing, the guys in the band are fun, but the whole thing tanks like the Titanic when they juxtapose innocent kids at parties with naked groupies (the kids’ moms!) who give the boys oral sex before and after parties. It goes from fun to flat-out yuck.
I mean, how jaded have we all become to think this is OK? It’s not.
But that’s not to say the writers don’t try to show restraint.
In the first four minutes for example, pubic hair is mentioned only twice and doesn’t get mentioned again until the fifth minute. And no, it’s not funny the first, second or third time.
Anyway, into the mix of fun and frolic is the band’s manager, Dina (Lynne Ko plitz) who is an Ari Gold clone.
Then there’s Neil (Jay Oaker son), the overweight, foul- mouth, closeted gay guy who says things to Paulie like, “I’ll nibble on your @#$-bag if you say I’m gay again.”
Joey’s got a girlfriend too, Becky (Alison Becker).
Each week, there’s a couple of recurring guest stars including Joan Rivers as Dina’s aunt, Greg Giraldo as music empresario Harry Braunstein and Joe DeRosa as a porn star.
Dave Navarro, John Popper of Blues Traveler, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, comics Dave Attell, Gilbert Gottfriend and Patrice Oneal pop up from time to time as themselves. Rivers may have gotten the best lines in the show.
“Your late father would be so proud of you,” she tells Dina.
Surprised, Dina replies that her father’s Still alive.
“He married your mother,” Rivers shoots back. “He’s dead to the family.”
The band is gold as far as kiddie parties go, but more like copper on the after-dark circuit.
The same can be said for the concept vs. the execution here.