Taking the Stage (MTV)

In the documentary-inspired reality series TAKING THE STAGE, cameras follow five students at the Cincinnati-based School for Creative and Performing Arts on their long road to fame -- a path that's paved with plenty of hard work. There's Jasmine, an aspiring ballerina; Mia, an ambitious singer-songwriter; Malik, a well-rounded choreographer; Skaakira, a ballet dancer who seems to prefer hip-hop; and Tyler, a compelling new dancer who shakes things up on his first day at school. The series was conceptualized and executive produced by pop singer Nick Lachey (who enjoyed his own bit of reality-show fame with then-wife Jessica Simspon on MTV's Newlyweds).

Given the minefield of inappropriate reality show choices for tweens and teens, it's a pleasant surprise to find a series that showcases talented students who are working hard toward achieving their dreams instead of having their dreams handed to them on a silver platter. (Laguna Beach, anyone?) But that doesn't mean that Taking the Stage comes off as 100 percent genuine -- or altogether entertaining.

Conversations between students sometimes seem stilted and staged, and the slow-moving "scenes" often feel like they were set up by an unseen producer. So while we love the concept of shooting a documentary-style reality series inside a performing arts high school -- in essence, creating a real-life Fame -- the results here are a little disappointing. If we're being real, we'd rather watch something else.