As long as there have been boys and young men who could carry a tune better than most there have been a crowd of young girls creaming at the slightest glimpse of the singers. I remember when the Beatles landed in New York City in the mid sixties. The airport was swamped and the streets blooded by a horde of screaming teen and pre ten girls creating a decibel level that could rival the take off of a fighter jet. The emotional surge from these girls was so great that more than a few simply lost consciousness. In the generation prior to mine our parents had a similar reaction to Frank Sinatra and there is no sign that this trend will disappear any time soon. For the extremely lucrative tween demographic the latest heart throbs are the Jonas Brothers; Kevin, Joe and Nick. They burst onto the scene a few years back pre-packaged and expertly marked by the world’s leading expert in Tween entertainment The Walt Disney Studios. Boy bands like this have been a staple of the recording industry for many decades but now with the ancillary means of distribution such as download and DVD the money that can be generated can exceed hundreds of millions of dollars. In the case of the Jonas brothers the development of their talent and subsequent popularity took a well traveled road. First they were pushed into Disney network music videos followed by guest appearances on ‘Hannah Montana’ and opening for the Miley Cyrus concert tour and 3D DVD. Now they are a well received brand name able to stand on their own with their own concert film and television series. The show, aptly entitled ‘Jonas’ has become a central hub to the Disney Channel’s preteen line up. Right up front I have to disclose that I am not part of the target age or gender and therefore have to consider this series attempting to impose criteria on whether it reaches its demographic.

The age range for the brothers provides the perfect spread to cover the doe eyed girls that dominate their fan base. Kevin is the eldest and the least conventional. He is the wacky brother whose plans typically fail with disastrous yet humorous results. Next up is Joe. Considering the tween foundation he is the ‘dreamy’ one that the girls favor. In terms of his effect on the girls he is the ‘Paul’ of his generation. The youngest of the siblings is Nick who doubles as their band’s drummer. He is also the level headed one among the brothers. Originally Disney was going to go for a teen spy story line but thankfully abandoned that idea. The theme is the three boys play an alternate reality form of themselves as the Lucas brothers. They are world famous in their band ‘Jonas’ named for the street they lived. They have to balance their lives in a normal, albeit upscale high school and being rock stars. It is kind of the flip side of ‘Hannah Montana’ since their dual life is out in the open. Also in the cast is their childhood friend and stylist, Stella Malone (Chelsea Staub. She is the typical manic blond obsessed with fashion and somewhat smitten with Joie but they have decided to not become romantically involved to make sure their friendship isn’t threaten. Also making an appearance on a regular basis is their father and manager, Tom Lucas (John Ducey). He lives with the boys in a converted firehouse complete with a huge, brass pole. In some ways the show has a similar vibe as the old ‘Monkeys’ series. There are the wild antics that frequently defy the laws of nature accompanied with kooky sound effects. Besides Stacy, the producers have added another girl to pull in the male ‘tweens in the form of Macy Misa (Nicole Anderson), president of the Jonas fan club and best friend to Stella. She has a big crush on Nick.

The episodes typically go to a couple of standard plot devices. One is the quest for fame. Their youngest brother, Frankie, is always typing to find away to share in his older brother’s fame. The running gag with him is his uncanny ability to hide in strange places and his inhuman speed. Another is the growing flirtation between Stella and Joe. This touch of romance plays well especially since they don’t want to risk their valuable friendship. They continue to have feeling towards each other giving the girls in the audience vicarious hope.

The show is such that parents can have an enjoyable time watching with your kids. The stories are presented for pure entertainment usually with a nicely subtle message about the importance of remaining true to you or the importance of friendship. The rock band motif affords ample opportunity to include at least part of a musical number each episode. The producers may want to increase the music a bit since the young men are better playing instruments and singing than their acting. I know, they are just starting out but Disney is known for their multi-faceted grooming program acting lessons are definitely in their futures. The series is innocuous enough and a whole lot of fun to watch. The bottom line is it rises up to meet the goals set for it better than most shows around.