"Roadies" follows the backstage crew of a fictional rock band, and each episode will reportedly take place in a new city on their tour. By shining a light on the people whose efforts usually go unsung, the series is setting itself up to be a crash course in music appreciation from the other side of the stage. The passion of these dedicated workers makes the live connection between artist and audience possible, and the use of original music as well as featured "song of the day" tracks during the crew's sound check create a tangible atmosphere of excitement and discovery. I mentally squealed with delight when a scene used only a few instrumental notes of Landon Pigg's magnificently swoon-worthy 2007 ballad "Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop," so I genuinely hope that the series can become a vessel for viewers to find their own kindred songs.
Crowe, undoubtedly influenced by his own travels as a young music reporter, created the show, and he serves as executive producer alongside fellow TV impresarios J.J. Abrams ("Felicity" and "Alias") and Winnie Holzman ("My So-Called Life"). He also wrote and directed the premiere, which is evident in the easy-going appeal and charm of its characters and their dialogue. The cast is at the top of their game; leads Luke Wilson (tour manager Bill), Carla Gugino (production manager Shelli), and Imogen Poots (stagehand Kelly Ann) are pure Crowe naturals. Even guest star Ron White, known for his country-fried snark as a stand-up comedian, gives a memorably heartfelt turn thanks to the quality of the material. They all tackle Crowe's broader moments as well as his nuance with grace and investment, and I'm fully confident that they'll serve as effective ringleaders of this behind-the-scenes circus. Just in its first outing, they've already seen fireworks both figurative and very literal -- not to mention the lead singer's badly-behaved son, fake accents, gunshots, a skateboard chase, a vaguely clairvoyant security guard, and a stalker who gets up close and VERY personal with the lead singer's microphone. All allegedly inspired by actual events... and all before the band even starts to perform!
These antics, while certainly amusing enough to have long-term repercussions, are where "Roadies" could start to hit a few roadblocks if it's not careful. Having a series on cable does allow for a certain amount of creative freedom, but there are a few forced moments that don't really ring true to the rest of Crowe's output. Not one but two awkward sex scenes mark the pilot, and while they're supposed to be awkward in terms of the story and the people involved, they shouldn't be so uncomfortable in the way that they're shown. At the same time, there's a cynical edge that many of the characters are fighting off thanks to corporate intrusion from the record label in their artistic way of life. While this antiheroic tone is common on other, darker shows, it's a weary trend that threatens Crowe's hard-earned optimism. It's almost as if Showtime gave him a quota of subversive benchmarks just to be eligible for their network!
Most troubling is the centralized tension between Shelli and Bill. They're a former couple who now work together respectfully and have a winning professional dynamic, but we can already see the faintest of personal sparks reigniting. Which is problematic, of course, now that Shelli is married. (Is it rude to yawn?) Yes, people are flawed, but wouldn't it be almost radical in its own right to have characters who are good people who are good at their jobs and don't fall into those cliched traps, letting external curveballs do all the work instead? Crowe can successfully resist the urge to be "just another Showtime show" by standing up for his work through his creations. Let them do the walking and talking in a way that feels more authentic to his style, rather than bowing to network pressure. People will keep showing up to watch if they hear Crowe's voice in the words and actions instead of his voice filtered and distilled by "the man."
Overall, the show is a very promising baby that shouldn't be thrown out with the jeopardized bathwater. "Roadies" is smart enough not to shamelessly recycle elements from "Famous," but it carries over much of the same spirit, humanity, and vitality that made its forerunner such a relatable and picturesque love letter to the industry. Holzman, a gifted writer herself, is slated to pen the second episode, with Crowe once again directing. In fact, I would wager that the more episodes he and his inner circle write and/or direct themselves, the more the network will trust his vision beyond just one season. Kelly Ann's arc in this first episode -- and I would imagine the same of each character's journey over time -- reflects the message as well as the potential growth and impact of the series. How do people handle it when their dreams don't match their reality, and what are we supposed to do with those individual goals when they're linked so intrinsically to our career path and the experiences of others? In other words, what does it really take to succeed at something we love, beyond just blind ambition and the best of intentions, when fear and doubt start to creep in?
In true Crowe fashion, a clever, meta-level flourish in the episode's closing minutes finds Kelly Ann making an educated guess and ironically doing the very thing of which she's always questioned the honesty and legitimacy. How well Crowe and company avoid glib answers and explore these interwoven possibilities will determine the longevity and ultimate resonance of the show. If Kelly Ann can be deeply moved enough to take a chance on something that she holds so dear, then Crowe and the rest of his "Roadies" are definitely worth the risk.
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