CBBC SHOW ANALYSIS

Word Count: 495

ANDY & THE BAND: Series 3, Episode 1

SUMMARY

Planet Rock faces peril, prompting Rock God Brian May to send his goddaughter Emerald to Earth. Her quest: find a band whose rock music can save their world.

ANALYSIS

CHARACTER: Casting Brian May as a literal Rock God from outer space was a fun idea, though his flat performance jars with the intended effect. I get that there’s a limited budget, but imagine if we had a Rock Star who could really poke fun at themselves, diving headfirst into playing a flamboyant rock deity from another world. John Lydon, Rod Stewart or Robbie Williams could have nailed that mix of satire and pomp.

Imagine a Rock God oozing that unapologetic Glam-Rock vibe — that kind of flamboyant energy would click way better with kids. Brian May's got the star power, but his deadpan vibe just isn’t hitting the mark. The goal? To craft a character that not only captivates kids with its over-the-top charm but also reels in the parents with the star's willingness to self-parody, making sure this show has something for everyone in the family to talk about.

WORLD BUILDING: Planet Rock was just a rock in outer space. The pun may raise a chuckle, but its low-effort. It would have been amazing to see ⚡PLANET ROCK ⚡ leap off the page with flair and imagination. Picture a Roger-Dean ‘hanging island.’ Bowie-inspired lightning splitting the sky, a stairway to the heavens, a Metal Zeppelin cruising by. Rainbows emerging from a mighty black pyramid.

Adding these fantastical elements could really grab the imagination.

Even just one matte painting as the establishing shot could make Planet Rock a place kids (and adults) want to dive into and explore, finding all those hidden 'Where's Wally?' details.

Making ROCK part of the landscape would really get kids fired up and invested in the IP.

NARRATIVE:

The first act kind of dragged. Everyone just stood around talking in a circle. It would've been more interesting if the band was up to something whilst talking; tuning their guitars, checking their mics—just doing band stuff, really. Bonus points if you can intertwine these actions organically into the dialogue somehow.

It would raise the stakes if the band weren’t so easily on-board with this mission from outer space to save Planet Rock. Maybe throw a bit of a strop over Planet Rock's “Studio Interference” like true rock divas. Picture Emerald trying to rally the troops, and they're all, "Save the planet? Mate, we can barely agree on a setlist."

The ending kind of just... happened. I had to flick through other episodes to figure out if Planet Rock was saved, or if this whole "Saving Planet Rock" thing was the over-arcing narrative.

A cliffhanger at the end would've provided clarity. Maybe a hologram message from Brian May popping up, to remind us of what's at stake? That would've made it super clear and hooked me into watching more.