Parents' Guide to Off Pitch

TV VH1 Reality TV 2013
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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Glee club-inspired reality is fun, but some iffy language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

OFF PITCH is an offbeat reality series starring The Grand River Singers (GRS), the only all-adult community glee-inspired club in the country. Headed up by co-directors Rob Jones and Tim Rotvedt, the members of the La Crosse, Wisconsin-based group travel around from opera houses to corn fields performing their song and dance routines. Hoping take their act to larger and grander venues, Rob, Tim, and their stage manager Scott Jenks push their performers to sing louder, dance better, and dazzle their audiences. But tensions fly as the members compete for solos, struggle over new routines, and contend with each other's big egos. But in the end they come together to dazzle their audiences, and deal with the mishaps that occur before, during, and after every show.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

Off Pitch offers a humorous look at the antics of an adult glee club, including rehearsals with less than talented members, behind-the-scenes jealousy, and of course, glittering performances at county fairs, shopping malls, and other locales. The individual performers' larger-than-life personalities and Rob and Tim's candid on-camera observations add to the fray.

They're not the hippest of groups, and watching singers' pants split and other mishaps unfold during some of their performances create some laugh-out-loud moments. Awkward responses from some audiences will also make you chuckle. The result is a show that's definitely on the goofier side, but one that allows you to appreciate the heartfelt passion these folks have for what they do.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about glees and glee-inspired music. What exactly is a glee? Why did this music and the types of singers who perform it change? Have shows like Glee made this musical tradition more popular today?

  • How does the media characterize people who perform in glee clubs and other kinds of performance-inspired pursuits? What are some of the stereotypes that exist about people who participate in these activities? Are shows like this one perpetuating these generalizations? Or are they challenging them?

TV Details

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