Review – Hollywood Hights

Rating: 3.  “Hollywood Heights,” a new series on Nickelodeon, premieres Monday, June 11, at 9 p.m.  Adapted from a Spanish telenovela, the show airs in a serial format through the end of October.  The reviews are mixed.

Variety says, “For a show with a pop undercurrent that proclaims itself ‘sizzling,’ ‘Heights’ is pretty tepid and lacks a hit song’s most basic element: A catchy hook.”  They also say that, while “From a business perspective, ‘Hollywood Heights’ could hardly seem timelier…It’s in the execution, alas, where the formula breaks down, less for being bad than uneventful, with breathy kissing about as intense as the opening installments get.”

Newsday notes that James Franco will appear in an arc of episodes, but that “There’s a reason broadcast networks don’t run prime-time shows nightly. They’re expensive. Or else they look cheap. As in cable’s ‘Hollywood Heights,’ which lacks the punch of a polished production.”  But they also add, “On the other hand: It’s nice to see teens and parents on varied paths that reflect real-world grounding. Families can watch this together nightly. The pace isn’t exactly taxing. And it’s summer. Who says the heights have to be high? BOTTOM LINE: Everybody wants to go Hollywood.”

The Detroit Free Press lists “Hollywood Heights” as a show not to miss, and some may interested in Entertainment Weekly’s note that Carlos Ponce, “who has also appeared on U.S. TV shows like ‘Lipstick Jungle’ and ‘7th Heaven,’ is set to play father to Eddie Wild, a rock star who strikes up a friendship with a young high school senior and aspiring musician Loren…after the girl wins a songwriting competition.”