Big Time Rush - Review

Bottom line: Big Time Rush follows 4 good-natured hockey-loving Midwestern boys who, due to one of them winning the opportunity, are trying to make it as the newest, hottest boy band. The series follows their day-to-day Hollywood adventures and mishaps. The boys are pretty good kids, but parents should know that the show does contain some mild rude behavior, roughhousing, and lots of boy talk about girls and about being famous and rich.

TV Rating: TV-G
Genre: Comedy/Music
Guide Age Recommendation: 8+
Network: Nickelodeon

Big Time Rush - Overview

16-year-old Kendall gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he answers a nation-wide casting call and is chosen by the overbearing record executive Gustavo Rocque to be the next big thing. Not willing to leave his three best buddies behind, Kendall negotiates a deal to bring Carlos, James and Logan along, selling himself and them as the next big boy band. The four hockey-loving Midwesterners leave their home in Minneapolis and head for Sunny LA.

“Big Time Rush is about what happens the day after you win American Idol,” describes Nick Exec Marjorie Cohn (press release). The show follows the boys' crazy adventures as they try to adjust to life in Hollywood and turn themselves into stars. From battles over where they will attend school, to girl problems, to decorating mishaps, the boys find that living the easy life of fame and fortune isn't so easy sometimes.

Big Time Rush - Guide Review

In a day when American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are among tween and teens' favorite shows, it's easy to see why kids' sitcoms have a similar subject matter. As of the premiere of Big Time Rush, some of the most popular shows for kids and tweens are: iCarly: girl becomes an internet star when her webcast takes off; Hannah Montana: girl leads double life as a pop star/regular teenager; Sonny with a Chance: Midwestern girl gets discovered and has a chance to star on a comedy show for kids -- you see where I'm going with this. It's all about being a star.

Each of these shows is primarily for kids' entertainment, but a few of them develop a life lesson or have the characters' learn something in each episode. From the first few episodes of Big Time Rush, it seems that the show has less of an emphasis on a moral or lesson than some of the other shows. Big Time Rush is about comedy first, and second, it's about music. Kids can download actual songs from the show, and the door is definitely open for the Big Time Rush stars to pull off a career in the music biz as well as in acting. On the show, the boys are funny, engaging, and plenty cute to make it in the world of tween TV.

Big Time Rush - Content Overview

Much of the comedy in Big Time Rush centers around the boys battling with the loud and obnoxious record exec Gustavo. Gustavo has a big ego and wants things his way, but the boys soon figure out how to push his buttons and seem to always and easily get their own way in the end. Whether it's about which songs to sing, which school to attend, or how to look and dress, the boys will use silly, annoying, mischievous, or otherwise funny to kids antics to get their way. There is also a lot of bantering back and forth between the boys, with a few pranks and comical physical altercations here and there, as well as occasional mildly rude humor and use of words like "butt" or "jerk."

Of course, in a show about 16-year-old boys, girls come up quite a bit. In fact, the preview episode of the show has the boys going gaga over the Pussy Cat Dolls, and a brief clip of their performance is shown on their TV. The boys also try to attract the girls who live near them and attend their school. Sometimes girls are dressed in somewhat tight or skimpy outfits.

Another popular topic on the show is the idea of being famous and that fame will lead to getting girls. The boys do discover, though, that they really enjoy music and singing, so their new career choice ends up being about a little bit more than the fame and the money.

*This is an early review of Big Time Rush and may be updated as future episodes give further insight on the content and topics of the show. If you want to preview the show before letting kids watch, episodes are available on iTunes, or view clips of the show on Nick.com.