All Rise...

Judge Roy Hrab was once a member of The Never-Nude Brothers Band.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of The Naked Brothers Band: Polar Bears (published July 9th, 2008) and The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie (published April 3rd, 2007) are also available.

The Charge

Real brothers. Real band. Not really naked.

The Case

Why am I being punished like this? What sin did I commit? Have I turned into a curmudgeon at the ripe old age of 31? These profound and soul searching questions are not posed anywhere in The Naked Brothers Band: Season 2, but they are questions I asked myself many times while watching this painfully tedious and unfunny show.

Season 2 of the continuing antics of the pre-teen band led by Nat and Alex Wolff is presented on two discs:

Disc 1:
"Sidekicks"
"Great Trip"
"Three Is Enough"
"Talk Show"
"The Bar Mitzvah"
"Uncle Miles"

Disc 2:
"Everybody's Cried At Least Once"
"Cleveland"
"The Country Fair"
"Polar Bears" (3-part movie)

I cannot understate how much I disliked The Naked Brothers Band: Season 2. I started to cringe at the first scene of the first episode. My annoyance increased exponentially with every passing minute and every passing episode and every passing song.

What drives my disdain for this wannabe fusion of This Is Spinal Tap, A Hard Day's Night, and The Monkees? The problems are many. From a school dance to a bar mitzvah to a county fair to Cleveland and beyond, the plots make little sense…if they make sense at all (e.g., why would a rock band play at a county fair?). The dialogue and jokes are lame (let's have the kids dress-up in drag!). The songs are irritating (I dare not quote one lest my head explode). And, last, but not least, the acting is amateurish with gaping mouths, awkward pauses, and halting speech. Unprofessional acting is not necessarily a bad thing, but given both the lack of material and direction, it's a huge liability in the case of the The Naked Brothers Band.

There's really nothing positive I can say to recommend the show and just writing about it makes my eyes red. If you want to read a complimentary review take a gander at Judge Adam Arseneau's review of The Naked Brothers Band: Polar Bears and/or Judge Brett Cullum's review of The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie.

I will say this, however, in my opinion, given that the purpose of the show is to highlight the musical talent of Nat and Alex Wolff (the brothers write the songs for the show), the series would probably be much more compelling as a real documentary than the poorly produced fictional series that has been made.

With a full frame transfer and stereo sound, the audio and video presentations are fine. There's nothing fancy here, but nothing to complain about either. The picture and sound are clear.

There are some uninspiring extras on Disc 2. First, there are music videos for songs "I Don't Want To Go To School," "Mystery Girl," "Changing," "Everybody's Cried," "Body I Occupy," and "And Then There's You." Then there is the "Long Burp Contest," a short which features band members doing exactly as titled. Last, there are the two "Behind-The-Scenes" extras about "Spoon Flicking" and "Making A Sandwich."

Given that this show is in its third season, I have no choice but to assume that is somewhat popular with kids. The cause of such popularity is completely beyond my comprehension. However, I am certain that adults and anyone above the age of 12 will find The Naked Brothers Band unwatchable.

If your kids, or the children of someone you know, watch this show, it is your civic duty to turn the television off.

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