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My Dad the Rock Star | |
---|---|
Genre | Animation Adventure Comedy |
Created by | Gene Simmons |
Directed by | Doug Thoms |
Voices of | Joanne Vannicola Lawrence Bayne Kathy Laskey Stephanie Anne Mills Don Francks Sarah Gadon Gene Simmons Rob Stefaniuk |
Theme music composer | Grayson Matthews Inc. |
Composers |
|
Country of origin | Canada France |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 26 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Marilyn MacAuley |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production companies | Nelvana Carrere Group |
Original release | |
Network | M6 (France) Teletoon (Canada) Nickelodeon (U.S.) |
Release | September 1, 2003 – July 5, 2004 |
My Dad the Rock Star is a traditionally-animated television series created by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, [1] co-produced by Nelvana and Carrere Group for France's M6 and Canada's Teletoon (now as Cartoon Network). The show aired on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons in the U.S., [2] from September 1, 2003, until July 5, 2004. Twenty-six episodes were produced.
The show focuses on Willy Zilla, a timid teenage boy just trying to be a normal person, despite being the son of a flamboyant, rich, lively celebrity rock star named Rock Zilla.
Gene Simmons wanted to create a cartoon series with a loud rock star for his children. The idea of the cartoon started when Gene's son, Nick, in his kindergarten days, brought in a picture of Gene drooling blood and spitting fire for a project of what his parents do, which may have influenced the character of Willy Zilla.
Before becoming a series, it became a book called "My Dad the Rock Star: Rebel without a Nose Ring" in 2001. Because Gene loved Nelvana shows, he called them for a cartoon idea. It was initially supposed to be about the band KISS itself, but it was later changed to a family of rock-star parents, which were based on Gene's family. Rock Zilla is actually a fictionalized version of Gene Simmons himself, counting his signature "long-tongue". Gene himself chose Lawrence Bayne as the voice for the character. Willy is based on Gene's son, Nick, and Serenity was based on Gene's daughter, Sophie. Crystal was also based on Gene's wife, Shannon Tweed, who, being Canadian, helped Gene to get Nelvana to make the show. Gene served as the executive producer and creator, while the rest of the production was done in Canada.
The series went on hiatus after the episode "Blind Date", until it was announced that the show ended, despite popular ratings, possibly for Gene to continue his music career. Also, there was an unaired episode that showcases Alyssa's true rapping skills, named "Silent Springs' Most Wanted" (which is a reference to the 2003 film Malibu's Most Wanted ), but it never got the chance to air. It was never returned in time to air the third season.
Canadian network Teletoon air dates [3] in parentheses:
1. Welcome to Silent Springs (September 1, 2003)
2. Zilla House of Horrors (September 8, 2003)
3. Mr. Zilla's Opus (September 15, 2003)
4. High Infidelity (September 22, 2003)
5. Angela D'Angelo (September 29, 2003)
6. The Candidate (October 6, 2003)
7. Willy Unplugged (October 13, 2003)
8. Dance Party (October 20, 2003)
9. Psychic Convention (October 27, 2003)
10. Call of the Wild (November 3, 2003)
11. Mr. Big (November 10, 2003)
12. Rebel Without A Nose Ring (November 17, 2003)
13. Meet the Zillas (February 2, 2004)
14. Going for Broke (December 1, 2003 )
15. Rock Is From Mars, Willy Is From Venus (February 9, 2004 )
16. The Sound of Zilla (February 16, 2004 )
17. Home for the Holly Daze (December 22, 2003 )
18. What's the Scoop? (March 15, 2004 )
19. Rock Bottom (March 22, 2004 )
20. Saving Sawchuck (May 3, 2004 )
21. King of the Desert (May 10, 2004 )
22. Big Willy on Campus (May 17, 2004 )
23. Metamorphic Rock (May 24, 2004 )
24. Kant Buy Me Love (May 31, 2004 )
25. Chip Off the Old Rock (June 7, 2004 )
26. Blind Date (July 5, 2004 )
Common Sense Media rated the show 4 out of 5 stars, stating, "My Dad the Rock Star actually offers positive social messages, although they're subtle and blended in with wit and irony. Willy is perfectly happy with his slightly goofy, non-rock star self, and so are his friends, a pair of cool kids who aren't bowled over by either the Zillas' fame or fortune. These friends are loyal, and so is Willy, who may not always approve of his family but never fails to back them up. At its core, My Dad the Rock Star is a simple cartoon about the difficulties of staying yourself and still fitting in. It's fun to indulge the fantasy of the childlike parent and mature child – and the lifestyle that goes with crazy money – but the series' point is always that even though Willy could have anything in the world, what he wants most is to stay put and lead a normal life with his friends." [4]
Gene Simmons is an American musician. Also known by his stage persona "The Demon", he was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss, which he co-founded with Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in the early 1970s until their retirement in 2023. Simmons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss.
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