What Might've Been: Normal Life (1990)

 CBS programmers seemed to have velcro walls for their schedule in 1990. They couldn't find a suitable lead-in to Dallas, for example, on Fridays, after 2 comedy-dramas had bombed in the first three months of the year.

Wednesdays weren't much better.

2nd generation rocker Dweezil Zappa, who'd seen his brother, Ahmet, bomb with a Saturday afternoon show a year and a half earlier (2 Hip 4 TV), teamed with producers Brad Grey & Bernie Brillstein to develop a series based on his life, and that of his family.

Normal Life got 13 weeks, and Zappa, who also composed the show's theme music, fronted an ensemble cast that included his sister, 1-hit wonder Moon Unit, and veterans Cindy Williams (ex-Laverne & Shirley), Jim Staahl (ex-Mork & Mindy, Laugh Trax), and Max Gail (ex-Barney Miller, Whiz Kids). One must assume Gail was meant to be an analogue for Frank Zappa.

Dweezil looks like a natural here. In this sampler, his band is hoping for its big break, and auditions to open for Van Halen. College, it seems, has to wait......

In case you wonder, I think Max Gail might've had some martial arts in his background. On Barney Miller, for example, his character was depicted practicing some moves in the open. This was the first time Gail wore a karate gi on camera since that time. With that salt & pepper beard, some folks might've seen the above screencap and got Gail confused with Rob Reiner, but who knows....

Rating: B-.