Lake Neuron

I saw promos for “Viva Laughlin” all summer without realizing it was a musical, something CBS no doubt deliberately kept close to the vest in fear of scaring people off. I only learned the truth when I saw a feature story about the show last week.

CBS’s fear was well-founded. With “The Simpsons” pre-empted by baseball tonight, I decided to check out “Viva Laughlin.” I love a good movie musical, and I’m always happy to see TV shows branch out and try something new (actually, I discover that “Viva Laughlin” is a remake of a British show, “Blackpool”), but this is just … dumb.

Instead of original music, like the unsuccessful but ambitious “Cop Rock” some years back, “Viva Laughlin” takes songs from the 70s and 80s (i.e., “songs to which we could afford the rights”) and shoehorns them into the plot. What was a stroke of anachronistic genius for “Moulin Rouge” is just stupid here. At least “Cop Rock” had the great Randy Newman writing its score.

With all due respect to Hugh Jackman, one of the executive produers and an occasional villain on the show, he should have taken his adamantium claws and shredded this one.

Tags: musicals, TV, viva laughlin