TV TUESDAY S03E01: RED OAKS [2014]

In all honesty, HERC is non-plussed by what he's seen of upcoming fall shows from the major networks.  This past Labor Day, he hunkered down and watched Amazon's latest round of FREE pilots and he's happy to be here to kindly implore you to quit reading this post and head over to Amazon and watch one pilot in particular: Red Oaks.  It is rated MA for language, nudity, drug and alcohol use - all the usual suspects.  Go ahead.  We'll meet back here in half an hour.

Since you liked it, please take some time to return to Amazon, rate it and leave a comment - the pilot's chances of being made into a series can only be helped by your vote. There's even a behind the scenes peek at the making of the episode:

As for the show itself, it has a proven creative team behind the lens and a (mostly*) well-cast ensemble that brings the characters to life.  HERC picked up a heavy Caddyshack class war vibe with a healthy dose of Dazed And Confused drug use and future pondering thrown in.  

And thanks to music supervisors Devoe Yates and Gabe Hilfer, the music is not the clichéd Eighties Muzak that frequently accompanies such shows.  HERC put together a Spotify playlist of the songs he and his trusty Soundhound app could identify in the episode.

• "Steal Away" - Robbie Dupree
• "Bombs Away" - Loosely Tight
• "Paranomia" - Art Of Noise (not in Spotify)
• "The Stroke" - Billy Squier
• "Freaks Come Out At Night" - Whodini
• "Smalltown Boy" - Bronski Beat
• "Loverboy" - Billy Ocean
• "Si Si Je Suis Un Rock Star" - Bill Wyman
• "4-3-1 - The Jetzons"
• "Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy) - Roger Hodgson

If you hear songs other than the ones HERC has playlisted, please let him know in the comments below.

* The male roles are brilliantly and creatively cast across the board but with the exception of Jennifer Grey (yes, THAT Jennifer Grey) as David's mother, HERC was not pleased with the casting of the female roles.  David's girlfriend is almost too Eighties for the show and the lifeguard that Wheeler pines for is downright mannish.  And Getty's daughter comes off as a precocious 14 year old rather than the mysterious college girl she's supposed to be.  Share your thoughts on the cast in the comments below. 

"Is that a Countach?"