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Young Rock - Tuesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 8:00PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Young Rock focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson's life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family, to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he's met along the way.

Cast Details:

Adrian Groulx as Dwayne Johnson, Age 10
Ana Tuisila as Lia Maivia
Bradley Constant as Dwayne Johnson, Age 15
Dwayne Johnson as Dwayne Johnson
Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson
Stacey Leilua as Ata Johnson
Uli Latukefu as Dwayne Johnson, Age 18-20

Adrian Groulx (Dwayne Johnson, Age 10) is a young actor. Young Rock will be his first major starring role.

Ana Tuilsala (Lia Maivia) is an actress, known for Outrageous Fortune (2005), Samoan Wedding (2006) and now Young Rock (2021).

Bradley Constant (Dwayne Johnson, Age 15) is a young actor. Young Rock will be his first major starring role.

Dwayne Johnson (Dwyane Johnson) is a wrestler-turned actor who the show is based on, known for his many prolific roles in films such as the Fast & Furious movies, Jumanji, GI Joe, and many others.

Joseph Lee Anderson (Rocky Johnson) is an an actor known for his role on TV shows such as S.W.A.T., American Soul, and Timeless.

Stacey Leiula (Ata Johnson) is an actress from New Zealand. Young Rock will be her first US starring role. She is previously known for her role on the popular New Zealand TV series Shortland Street.

Uli Latukefu (Dwayne Johnson, Age 18-20) is an actor, best known for role in the film Alien: Covenant and the Netflix series Marco Polo.

Pilot Plot:

"Working the Gimmick" (Airs Tuesday, February 16 at 8:00PM ET)

As Dwayne Johnson runs for president in 2032, he reflects on his surreal life that's helped shape him into the man he is today. From growing up in a resilient family surrounded by wrestling icons, navigating rebellious teen years, to playing NCAA football at the U. This is how the boy became the man.

Analysis:

For a series that NBC is banking on appealing to wide, mainstream audiences starring a highly popular actor, Young Rock is a pretty odd show. It takes place between 4 entirely separate timelines, and also features an oddball sense of humor that you might not expect from a network sitcom starring The Rock, yet the show's cast (Johnson included) handles it well. The series is created by Nahnatchka Khan, who previously created Fresh Off the Boat and Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23. Fresh Off the Boat was another series that snuck in a lot of offball, off-the-wall humor into its family sitcom friendly premiere, so it doesn't surprise me to see Khan continuing that here. (Don't Trust the B was just a beautifully odd show all around, which is probably why it only lasted for two seasons). There are a lot of things about Young Rock that seemingly shouldn't work - there's just a lot going on here, and The Rock could ultimately prove to be a distraction, a way for a show to coast on its laurels and live off of its star power. Yet, there's some genuinely funny jokes here, and also some really interesting character work.

One of Young Rock's greatest assets is The Rock himself, as The Rock's likable presence translates well into a single-camera sitcom. He's a guy you want to root for, and that translates into all aged versions of The Rock. The actors playing Young Rock do a good job of capturing his energy. Additionally, the show does a really good job of painting its ensemble cast and turning Young Rock into a show that - underneath all the bells and whistles - is a family comedy. Khan continues her strong work on Fresh Off the Boat, creating a family dynamic that is relatable yet entertaining, filled with big and likable characters. The biggest question is if the "gimmick" (to borrow a word used often in Young Rock) of the show will ultimately distract from the solid family sitcom going on during the Young Rock days. The show's meat and potatoes is in its depiction of The Rock's younger days, and as good as The Rock is, the presence of "future" Rock in 2032 ultimately doesn't measure up to the really good stories being told about his childhood. If Young Rock wants to be as good as it can be, it'll spend as much time as it can in the past, only visiting the future when absolutely necessary.

Conclusion:

Young Rock is a lot of shows in one, but the best version of the show is the one that most heavily focuses on the sweet and well-drawn family dynamic of Young Rock's childhood. Granted, a show that doesn't star one of the most liked actors of our generation would likely not have a chance at being a hit, so it makes sense that the show wants to keep The Rock around and continue covering his "future" presidential run. However, if the show wants to be as good as it can, it'll use those not particularly interesting parts sparingly and focus on the strong family sitcom dynamics instead.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 8:00PM ET/PT on our message board.

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Following its debut as the #1 new series of the summer in 2008, Wipeout amassed an impressive following throughout its seven seasons on-air on ABC. The series has been formatted globally in 30+ territories including Argentina, Australia and the UK, and has inspired numerous spin-offs and specials.