Jonas (TV series)

Jonas
Also known as Jonas L.A. (Season 2)
Created by Michael Curtis
Roger S. H. Schulman
Developed by The Walt Disney Company
Starring Kevin Jonas
Joe Jonas
Nick Jonas
Chelsea Staub
Nicole Anderson
John Ducey
Opening theme "Live to Party" by Jonas Brothers
Composer(s) Kenneth Burgomaster
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 34 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Michael Curtis
Roger S. H. Schulman
(both; season 1)
Paul Hoen
Lester Lewis
(both; season 2)
Location(s) Hollywood Center Studios, Hollywood, California (taping location, season 1)
Camera setup Film; Single-camera[1]
Running time 25 minutes
Production company(s) It's a Laugh Productions
Mantis Productions (season 1)
Turtle Rock Productions
Distributor Disney–ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network Disney Channel
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Original release May 2, 2009 (2009-05-02) – October 3, 2010 (2010-10-03)
Chronology
Related shows Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream (2008, 2010)
External links
Official Website tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/jonas/index.html

Jonas, also known as Jonas L.A., is a Disney Channel Original Series created by Michael Curtis and Roger S. H. Schulman, starring the Jonas Brothers. The pilot was filmed in September 2008,[2] the series premiered on Disney Channel on May 2, 2009, and became available on demand starting on April 25, 2009.[3]

Jonas is the first Disney Channel Original Series since Phil of the Future not to be shot on videotape in a multi-camera format, be filmed before a live studio audience or use a laugh track.[4] The series was the first on the network to premiere on a Saturday night, part of a deliberate strategy by Disney to open up the night to original programming.[5]

On November 9, 2009, it was announced that Jonas was being picked up for a second season.[6] On May 5, 2010, it was revealed that the name of the series was changed to Jonas L.A., reflecting the move to Los Angeles, making it the first Disney Channel sitcom to have the show's main setting change during the course of the series. The second season premiered on June 20, 2010 and ended on October 3, 2010. In November 2010, Disney Channel announced the series was cancelled after two seasons.

About

Shortly after the Jonas Brothers guest starred on the Hannah Montana episode "Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas", development for a TV series and Disney Channel Original Movie called Camp Rock starring the Jonas Brothers, the TV show began.

The original concept for the TV series was about the band playing concerts as a cover while working as government secret agents to save the world and was entitled Jonas (an acronym which stood for "Junior Operatives Networking as Spies"). At the same time, they tried to hide their double lives from their mother and Frankie.[7] Meanwhile, Stella, ignorant of the Jonas' double lives, dated each of the famous brothers without informing the others and reported the details in her teen magazine column. Said Staub, "So pretty much the entire show, it's all of us lying to each other, and kind of everything backfiring, and us getting caught in awkward situations."[8] She described the concept as, "like The Monkees and a little of bit of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. There's going to be fun action sequences and still be a sitcom".[9]

The Jonas pilot was shot in 2007, but the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike impeded progress.[10] However, Disney Channel Asia aired it during the Sneak Peak 2008. Instead, Disney Channel filmed a mini reality show, the 2008 Disney Channel Original Short Series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream, which followed the Jonas Brothers on a concert tour and premiered May 16.[11] A few weeks later on June 20, 2008, the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock, in which the brothers starred as the fictional, non-fraternal band "Connect 3", debuted.[12] The Jonas Brothers also released Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, a Disney Digital 3-D concert film.[13] "After this rush of releases, the Jonas Brothers became too popular to imagine them as anything but more dramatic versions of themselves," explained executive producer Michael Curtis.[14] "The spy concept was very big and very ambitious and it started to not feel quite right. As the band got bigger and bigger, doing a show that captured more of their real lives and trying to turn that into a more grounded, real version of what they might be doing became more interesting to do and more fun to do.".[15] “It is now about us being a band and balancing a normal life,” Nick Jonas told Access Hollywood.[16] The title of the series changed from J.O.N.A.S. to JONAS, dropping the acronym but remaining in all capitals.[17]

Producers have drawn connections between Jonas and productions by earlier bands. Show creator and producer Roger S. H. Schulman claims that "It's hard not to make parallel comparisons to The Beatles in 1962 and 1963 when you see the kind of response that the Jonas Brothers' fans have to them," and describes the 1964 A Hard Day's Night and 1965 Help! as "very much a template" for the series.[15] Producers and critics have also compared the series to The Monkees, a popular but short-lived mid-1960s television comedy also following a real life band. At the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January 2009, Gary Marsh, entertainment president of Disney Channel Worldwide, described Jonas as a cross between The Monkees and Flight of the Conchords.[15] The Chicago Sun-Times remarks that Joe Jonas parallels "goofy Micky Dolenz", Kevin Jonas "quirky Michael Nesmith", and Nick Jonas "dreamy Davy Jones".[18] The Jonas Brothers reportedly watched episodes of The Partridge Family and The Monkees "for literally three days straight" for inspiration.[16]

Characters

Cast of Jonas L.A.

Main

Recurring

Season 1

Season 2

Production

The series was originally set in New Jersey, before the setting changed to Los Angeles for the second season and was shot at Hollywood Center Studios, which has also been the home to several other Disney Channel sitcoms over the years including The Suite Life on Deck and Wizards of Waverly Place.[1][20] As of November 2010, Jonas L.A. was the only live-action Disney Channel Original Series, produced by It's a Laugh Productions, not filmed before a live studio audience.

Disney Channel has officially announced, in November 2010, that Jonas L.A. will not return. They mentioned that they will be working with the Jonas Brothers in the future.[4]

Casting

Nicole Anderson also auditioned for the role of Stella, but actress Chelsea Staub ended up winning the part.[9] According to Staub, her previous work with director Sean McNamara helped her land the role.[8] After the series plot changed, producers decided to create a best friend for Stella and offered Anderson, Staub's real life best friend, the role of Macy.[21]

Jonas was intended to star Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas, who lend their first names to their television counterparts. The role of Frankie Lucas was also created with Frankie Jonas in mind. In addition, Robert "Big Rob" Feggans, the Jonas Brothers real-life head of security, plays The Big Man, the JONAS bodyguard.[15]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
121May 2, 2009 (2009-05-02)March 14, 2010 (2010-03-14)
213June 20, 2010 (2010-06-20)October 3, 2010 (2010-10-03)

Broadcast

Season 1

The series originally premiered on May 22, 2009 on Disney Channel. It premiered in June 12, 2009 on Family Channel, on June 15, 2009 on Disney Channel (Australia and New Zealand) as well as on TV2 in New Zealand in April 17, 2010, on August 9, 2009 on Disney Channel (Southeast Asia), on September 11, 2009 on Disney Channel (UK and Ireland), on October 10, 2009 on Disney Channel (Europe, Middle East and Africa), an on November 30, 2009 on Disney Channel (India).

Season 2

The second season originally premiered on June 20, 2010. It premiered on July 23, 2010 in Canada, on September 6, 2010 in Australia, on the same date in New Zealand and on May 31, 2012 on TV2, on October 23, 2010 in Southeast Asia, on August 13, 2010 in the UK and Ireland, and on September 18, 2010 in South Africa.

Media

DVDs

Season 1
Title Release Date Episodes
JONAS: Rockin' The House September 22, 2009 (USA) Wrong Song, Groovy Movies, Pizza Girl, Chasing the Dream, Band's Best Friend, Cold Shoulder, Beauty and the Beat
Bonus features are five episodes from the series plus two never-before aired episodes and a special feature titled You've Just Been Jo' Bro'd: Surprising Chelsea Staub.
I Heart JONAS January 26, 2010 (USA)[22] Karaoke Surprise, Love Sick, Frantic Romantic, The Three Musketeers, Forgetting Stella's Birthday, Double Date, Fashion Victim.
Bonus features are seven episodes from the series and a special feature titled You've Just Been Jo' Bro'd: Surprising Jordin Sparks.

Beginning August 23, September 6, September 20. Three volumes making up the entire first season of JONAS were released on Region 2 DVD in the United Kingdom and Region 4 in Australia. The volumes include new cover arts and different titles for both volumes released in the U.S. (previously "I Heart Jonas" & "Rockin' The House"). The three new titles being, "Rockstars In the House" "Ready To Rock" and "Keeping It Real", with episodes released in airing order.

Video game

Disney Interactive Studios released a video game based on the series for the Nintendo DS console system. It was released on November 10, 2009 in America.[23] The game is based on many of the sets used in the TV show. The player can play as any of the brothers, play 6 concerts, and juggle school.[24]

The game was not well received, mainly due to shoddy graphics and bad gameplay, as stated on IGN, only earning an average score of 4.0 (out of ten.)[25]

Music

Season 1

Jonas
Soundtrack album by Jonas Brothers
Recorded 2009—2010
Genre Pop
Label Walt Disney
Producer John Fields

Jonas is a soundtrack by the American pop rock group Jonas Brothers featured the songs from the first season of Jonas L.A.. The soundtrack was never released. Only the songs from the second season were included in the official soundtrack, Jonas L.A.. Some songs from the first season were never leaked or released complete.

Songs information

Track listing

No.TitleEpisodeLength
1."Give Love a Try" (Nick Jonas solo)Wrong Song 
2."Pizza Girl"Pizza Girl 
3."Keep It Real"Keeping It Real, Exam Jam and The Secret2:47
4."Work It Out"Band's Best Friend, Beauty and the Beat and Exam Jam3:18
5."Tell me Why"Fashion Victim, Detention and The Three Musketeers2:53
6."Blue Danube"That Ding You Do 
7."I Did It All Again"Complete Repeat2:40
8."Love Sick"Love Sick and Exam Jam3:19
9."Give Love a Try" (Joe Jonas solo)Karaoke Surprise and Exam Jam3:27
10."Time Is On Our Side"Forgetting Stella's Birthday and Exam Jam2:38
11."Scandinavia" (Kevin Jonas solo)Cold Shoulder and Exam Jam2:55
12."Love Me Do" (Beatles cover)  
13."Rock and Roll All Nite" (Kiss cover)  
14."Live to Party"All episodes2:55

Season 2

Music videos

Year Album Title
2009 Jonas "Give Love A Try" (featuring Bridgit Mendler)
"Work It Out"
"Keep It Real"
"Live to Party"
"Pizza Girl"
"Tell Me Why"
"Love Sick"
2010 Jonas L.A. "L.A. Baby"
"Fall"
"Chillin' in the Summertime"
"Feelin' Alive"
"Make It Right"
"Invisible"
"Hey You"
"Your Biggest Fan"
"Critical"
"Set This Party Off"
"Things Will Never Be the Same"
"Drive"
"Summer Rain"

Reception

Critical reception

Jonas received mixed to negative reviews for its premiere. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly called the show "The Monkees for millennials" and enjoyed the featured Jonas Brothers music. Variety magazine reviewer Brian Lowry believed that Jonas Brothers' adorers would be pleased with the result, and that those who are not fans would still find an amiable charm within the series.[26] Paige Wiser of the Chicago Sun-Times found the series better than Hannah Montana, but commented that Nick Jonas's reserved nature made him the weak link of the premiere episode and that the boys' amateur acting is "endearing until they play a scene opposite someone with real comedic timing – like John Ducey."[18] The New York Times' John Carmanica was also disappointed with Nick's performance, particularly because, according to Carmanica, he gives off the savviest air in the band's off screen life. Carmanica also criticizes the series' script as blithe, unfunny, and "seeded with profound cynicism", but praised the believable fraternal interactions and Kevin Jonas's acting.[27]

Viewer reception

The series was the first series on Disney Channel to premiere on a Saturday night, part of a deliberate strategy by Disney to open up the night to original programming and compete with Nickelodeon's traditional dominance of the evening.[5] The show was paired with the established series Wizards of Waverly Place, which moved from a Sunday early evening timeslot, in the 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) slot. The series debuted on Disney Channel on May 2, 2009,[3] and drew a solid 4.00 million viewers in the US,[28] 73% of which was female. While this amounted to Disney Channel's best ratings in the time slot in eight months,[5][29] it was also Disney Channel's second-lowest rated live-action series premiere in nearly four years.[30] The Hollywood Reporter comments that "Jonas didn't do poorly, exactly. [...] It's just that one expects the premiere of a show by a heavily promoted major Disney brand like the Jonas Brothers to make a bigger splash."[20]

Viewership for the series second episode the following week fell sharply to nearly half its premiere audience—2.2 million total U.S. viewers and beyond cable's Top 100, which E!: Entertainment Television notes "in the grand scheme of things, is still a very good showing - unless you're trying to live up to the media's expectations for a world famous act." E! credits the decline to the premiere of Nickelodeon's hour-long iCarly special, "iDate a Bad Boy", which earned 6.5 million viewers.[31] Ratings improved over the following episodes, and the New York Times reported, "If “Jonas” can dent ratings for iCarly […] the brothers’ sitcom will be considered a big success internally.[30] However, just weeks after its premiere Disney Channel moved Jonas and Wizards of Waverly Place to Sunday and Friday evenings, respectively, and began airing movies in its old timeslot.[32] In its Sunday timeslot, Jonas has been doing well in key kids demographics and averaging 3.4 million viewers.[33]

However, the move to Sundays and Fridays and declining ratings, along with the change in setting and ill-fated strategies in promoting the show would result in Disney's decision to pull the plug on "Jonas L.A." On November 8, 2010, It announced that the show will not return for a third season. In a statement from a Disney Channel spokesperson: "We've been fortunate to work with the enormously talented Jonas Brothers on several projects, including the Emmy-nominated series JONAS L.A.," adding that "We look forward to working with them on new projects in the future."[34] The aftermath of "Jonas LA" is fireworks.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Refs
2009 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Comedy Jonas Brothers Won [35]
Choice TV: Breakout Star Female Chelsea Staub Nominated [35][36]
Choice TV: Breakout Star Male Frankie Jonas Won [35]
Choice TV: Breakout Show Jonas L.A. Won [35]
2010 2010 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite TV Actor Joe Jonas Nominated [37][38]
Nick Jonas Nominated [37][38]
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actor: Comedy Jonas Brothers Won [39]
Hollywood Teen TV Awards Teen Pick Actress: Comedy Chelsea Staub Nominated [40]
Emmy Award Outstanding Children's Program Jonas L.A. Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards Mexico Favorite International Character Male Joe Jonas Nominated [41][42]
Nick Jonas Nominated [41][42]
Favorite Show Jonas L.A Nominated [41][42]
2011 2011 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite TV Actor Nick Jonas Nominated [43][44]
Joe Jonas Nominated [43][44]

References

  1. 1 2 Huff, Richard; Hinckley, David (September 8, 2008). "Inner Tube". Television. New York Daily News. p. 78. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  2. Julie (January 1, 2008). "J.O.N.A.S. Series Put on Hold". DisneySociety.com. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  3. 1 2 Lyons, Margaret (April 3, 2009). "Jonas Brothers's Disney Channel Show: There's got to be a Better Idea". EW.com. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  4. 1 2 Rice, Lynette (April 24, 2009). "The Jonas Brothers Take On TV" (1044/1045). Entertainment Weekly: 94. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  5. 1 2 3 "Show Tracker". Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  6. Abrams, Natalie (November 9, 2009). "Jonas Brothers' Disney Channel Show Picked Up for Season 2". TV Guide. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  7. Robert Lloyd (May 2, 2009). "Jonas". LATimes.com. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  8. 1 2 Michael J. Lee (November 20, 2007). "Chelsea Staub on 'J.O.N.A.S!'". RadioFree.com. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  9. 1 2 Michael J. Lee (April 29, 2009). "Chelsea Staub on 'J.O.N.A.S!'". Radiofree.com. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  10. Roanoke.com
  11. "Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream". zap2it.com. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  12. "Jonas reality show: The episodes!". TigerBeatmag.com. May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  13. "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience". ComingSoon.net. June 4, 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  14. "Television: Jonas Brothers channel inner Monkees". Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Disney backing them up again; Jonases promoted into a sitcom". U-T San Diego. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  16. 1 2 "Jonas Brothers Hit the Small Screen with J.O.N.A.S., SNL Appearance". Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  17. "'Jonas'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  18. 1 2 Wiser, Paige (April 30, 2009). "Here they come, walkin'down the (same old) street". The Chicago Sun-Times. p. 22. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Disney Channel Medianet". Disney Channel Medianet. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  20. 1 2 James Hibberd (May 4, 2009). "Disney's 'Jonas' Doesn't Quite Pop". THR.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-07. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
  21. Sprinklepoponline.com
  22. Walmart.com
  23. "JONAS game". Disney Interactive Studios. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  24. "Disney Interactive Studios - PRODUCTS". Disney.go.com. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  25. Jack DeVries (December 9, 2009). "Jonas Review - Nintendo DS Review at IGN". Ds.ign.com. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  26. Lowry, Brian (May 1, 2009). "Jonas". Daily Variety Gotham. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  27. Caramanica, Jon (May 2, 2009). "The Private Lives of Pop Stars, Male Division". The Arts/Cultural Desk; SECTC. The New York Times. p. 3. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  28. Reynolds, Mike (May 4, 2009). "'Jonas' Sounds Solid Start For Disney Channel". Multichannel News. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  29. EW.com
  30. 1 2 Barnes, Brooks (May 25, 2009). "Boy Band Is Starting To Feel The Heat". The Arts/Cultural Desk; SECTC. The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  31. Are the Jonas Brothers Over…Again? Archived May 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  32. "Inner Tube". Television. New York Daily News. May 28, 2009. p. 76. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  33. Archived January 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  34. "Disney Channel Cancels JONAS L.A." from TV Guide (November 8, 2010)
  35. 1 2 3 4 "Announcing the Winners of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards!".
  36. "Teen Choice Awards 2009 nominees".
  37. 1 2 "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2010 - Nominados".
  38. 1 2 "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2010 - Ganadores".
  39. "2010 Teen Choice Awards Winners List".
  40. "Hollywood Teen TV Awards". Archived from the original on 2013-05-27.
  41. 1 2 3 "Nominados a los Kids Choice Awards México 2010".
  42. 1 2 3 "Ganadores de los Kids’ Choice Awards México 2010".
  43. 1 2 "2011 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards - Nominees".
  44. 1 2 "2011 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards - Winners". Digital Spy.
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