Following on from the rom-com take on Jeff Buckley’s early days for forthcoming flick, Greetings From Tim Buckley, it seems another media outlet is looking to take advantage of another deceased musical icon’s legacy for some cringeworthy reasons.
SPIN reports that CBS has announced a forthcoming family sitcom called Smells Like Teen Spirit, the creation of writer David Goetsch, best known for developing TV series like The Big Band Theory and 3rd Rock From The Sun.
While the Nirvana reference seems to be in name only, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the new program will focus on the exploits of an “18-year-old budding entrepreneur who forgoes Harvard and instead opts to launch a multibillion-dollar Internet company from his garage.” So far so sitcom, but his .com enterprise is carried out with the assistance of his sister, his best friend, and – wait for it – “1990s indie-rock parents.”
We can reserve our withering sarcasm and pointed barbs until we actually see how these Grunge-era parents translate on screen, but it’s not hard to imagine them being apathetic stereotypes used for comic relief. Boiling Cobain’s tragic legacy and struggles with commercialism to a few yucks gilded by canned laughter.
Never mind (no pun intended) that lawsuit-baiting title, but considering that ex-spouse Courtney Love will take any opportunity to leap onto the misuse of her former husband’s legacy (including saying The Muppets “raped” Kurt Cobain‘s memory), she’ll be spitting bloody vengeance when she catches wind of CBS’ plans. Even though she has given up most the rights to Kurt Cobain’s likeness and Nirvana’s publishing.
Maybe now that Dave Grohl has more downtime, in light of news that Foo Fighters would be going on extended hiatus, perhaps he’ll find some time to crusade against the show’s producers. That is if he isn’t already preoccupied by the upcoming release of his feature documentary on Sound City Studios, which has been described as “a film about the truth, the craft and the integrity of Rock and Roll” (You know, the same principles that the writer of The Big Bang Theory holds dear).
Judging by the all-star list of names involved in the project, including Josh Homme, Trent Reznor, Mick Fleetwood and many, many more, it looks set to be added to the pantheon of greatest rock movies of all time as the ultimate rockumentary.
