This summer, it seems, we have been overrun with reality shows. Some are worthy, while others are most definitely not. NBC has decided to toss another show into the fray, this one featuring former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. The premise? Tommy Lee, who in real life is a high school dropout, is going to college. Will wonders never cease. And will anyone really care?
For this experiment, NBC has chosen the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Tommy Lee will be living in a dorm, working in a dining hall, trying out for the band, and of course, partying. We are also supposed to believe that he will actually attend class, and to that end, has been assigned a tutor - Natalie Riedmann, a native Nebraskan, is heading to the University of Nebraska Medical Center this fall for med school. It doesn’t hurt that Riedmann is attractive and a former contestant for Miss Nebraska USA.
Matt Ellis, political science and philosophy major, will be Tommy’s roommate. Matt is a member Delta Tau Delta fraternity and the speaker of the student senate, which should prove an interesting contrast to Tommy’s over-the-top antics.
What the viewing audience will not know is that Tommy Lee wasn’t the first choice for this experiment. Steve Perry from Journey was supposed to do it, but scheduling conflicts necessitated a change in plan. Or, perhaps Perry had a sudden flash of clarity.
Will anyone watch this? NBC has a history of wavering when it comes to reality shows. These shows start out with lots of fanfare, and then, when they don’t draw the kinds of numbers necessary to keep sponsors in the cat seat, NBC drops the show like a rock. A recent example of this is the unceremonious dumping of The Law Firm.
Or, perhaps Tommy Lee Goes to College is so off-beat that it will draw an entirely new audience and be the hit of the season. We’ll see about that. The show premieres tonight at 9:00 EDT on NBC.
