Back To Something New

As a new year at the School of the Arts begins it's all change for Chris Donlon, who has now graduated and is struggling to make it as an actor and doesn't want his friends to think he can't make it. 

Meanwhile Mr Shorofsky thinks it's time he retired until new music student  Ian ware arrives at the school and Reggie confuses everyone with her performance art. 

Season six is my least favourite season but as an opening to the season this episode works quite well and it is one of my favourites for this season. It's very similar to the season 5 opener where Leroy was struggling in the World outside the school, after graduating but this time it's Chris. I guess I like it because the story is more grounded in the real World, as we get a glimpse of life as a struggling actor.  For me this is one of Chris' strongest story line and I love his relationship with Danny and with Lou. I'm not quite sure why Lou now needs a niece as quite frankly the cast gets too large this season and people are often left with little to do. Here Dyrenforth, Lydia, Dusty, Mrs Berg get very little to do. 

My one big gripe about this episode is why is it that Chris, having only been at the school for 3 years has graduated but Danny who's now in his sixth year is still at school. I personally think this story would have worked better as a Danny story and future episodes like "Mr Wacky's World" and "Best Buddies" may have worked better if Danny was no longer at the school. Sadly the writers never even attempt address why Danny is still at school and that for me spoils the credibility of this season.

I also like Shorofsky's story line, although it's a little reminiscent of how Sherwood was feeling at the start of Season 2. Still Season 5 didn't really give the teachers any plot of their own so it's nice to see Shorofsky get a proper story line.

Kate has disappeared with no mention of where she has gone and we have a new cast member in the form of Ian. The dreadful English accent was another nail in the coffin for this season as far as I'm concerned. Don't get me wrong I like Michael Cerveris and loved him as September on "Fringe" but the fake accent here gets me every time I hear it. I read Michael worked with a voice coach to perfect it but honestly I would never be able to tell.  Ian's bragging of being friends with pop stars is also annoying.

Miss Sherwood has moved to Maine to become an author, which all seemed to happen very quickly as we've had no mention previously that this was her intention. Still at least the character had an explanation for her absence.  

What has happened to Reggie over the Summer? In Season 5, she happy go lucky, too shy to go on a date alone with a guy and hiding behind comedy. Here she seems to have had a personality transplant and she's got a little deep, too deep in my opinion. Nicole is struggling to understand her and personally I think the audience were too. Maybe it's to do with her hair. The wilder it got the crazier she seemed to act. If this was her personality from the out set then fine but to reset her personality feels annoying.

The episode starts just like the season 5 opener with the Kids dancing to an unknown singer around the streets of New York. Yet again there's lots of location filming which lifts the whole episode. 

"Breaking Ground" is a good song and I like the part set on Broadway and the banner saying "Chris Donlon starring in practically everything!". It's a dream sequence and we are quickly back to the studio lot for the main routine but I think it works very well. 

I'm intrigued as to where Dyrenforth's office has moved to. His office had always been connected to the school office in the main lobby. Occasionally it appeared to be on the main corridor next to the dance class. However, here in the scene where Chris gets his diploma and Dyrenforth stays "My door is always open to you" then shuts the door literally in Chris' face, Chris walks all the way down the main corridor towards the lobby. This makes it look as though the office is now at the back of the building where the English room is!     

Original  air date in U.S.A.  06th  October 1986

Original  air date in U.K.  The Children's Channel  Broadcast Early 1993

Original air date in Italy 03rd January 1989

Original air date  in France 9th March 1996