Jonas (TV series)

Did You Know?

• A video game based on the series was released for the Nintendo DS on November 10, 2009, and received a score of 4.0 out of ten from IGN.
• The soundtrack for the first season was never released; only songs from the second season were included in the official soundtrack Jonas L.A.
• The series premiered on Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland on September 11, 2009.

Development

Development for a television series starring the Jonas Brothers began after the band's guest appearance on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana in the episode "Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas". The original concept, titled J.O.N.A.S. (an acronym for "Junior Operatives Networking as Spies"), involved the band playing concerts as a cover while working as government secret agents to save the world, hiding their double lives from their mother and Frankie.

Stella, unaware of their secret activities, dated each brother without telling the others and reported the details in her teen magazine column. Executive producer Michael Curtis described the concept as "like The Monkees and a little bit of Mr. & Mrs. Smith." A pilot for J.O.N.A.S. was shot in 2007, but the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike halted progress; Disney Channel Asia aired part of it during a sneak peek in 2008. Instead, the network produced the mini reality series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream, which premiered May 16, 2008, followed by the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock on June 20, 2008, and the concert film Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.

As the Jonas Brothers' popularity grew, the spy concept was abandoned in favor of a more grounded show about the band balancing fame and normal life. The title was changed from J.O.N.A.S. to JONAS, dropping the acronym, and the pilot for the actual series was filmed in September 2008.

Characters

Joseph "Joe" Lucas, played by Joe Jonas, is the teen heartthrob of the group, performing lead vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar. He is girl crazy, flirtatious, and obsessed with his hair, often carrying a blue panda pencil. Joe has a mutual romantic attraction to Stella, the brothers' childhood friend and band stylist, but both agree not to date to avoid ruining their friendship and working relationship. In season one, they kiss and become a couple, but after the move to Los Angeles, Joe pursues an acting career and begins dating actress Vanessa Page.

Stella, hurt by seeing Joe hug Vanessa, ends their relationship. Joe later breaks up with Vanessa after learning she dislikes Stella, and by the series end, he and Stella reunite. Frankie Lucas, the youngest brother, was created with Frankie Jonas in mind. Robert "Big Rob" Feggans, the Jonas Brothers' real-life head of security, plays the bodyguard known as The Big Man.

Production

The series was filmed at Hollywood Center Studios, which also housed other Disney Channel sitcoms such as The Suite Life on Deck and Wizards of Waverly Place. The first season was set in New Jersey, with comedic storylines about the brothers trying to lead normal lives despite their fame. For the second season, the setting moved to Los Angeles, and the show shifted toward more dramatic, serial-driven storylines. Jonas L.A. is the only Disney Channel Original Series produced by It's a Laugh Productions that was not filmed before a live studio audience.

In November 2010, Disney Channel announced that the series would not return for a third season, though the network stated it would continue working with the Jonas Brothers. In their 2019 documentary Chasing Happiness, the brothers expressed regret about the series, with all three agreeing it was "not good" and that it negatively impacted their image. Nicole Anderson auditioned for the role of Stella, but Chelsea Staub won the part; after the plot changed, Anderson was offered the role of Macy, Stella's best friend.

Reception

Jonas received mixed reviews upon its premiere. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly called the show "The Monkees for millennials" and praised the featured Jonas Brothers music. Variety's Brian Lowry believed fans would be pleased and that non-fans would find an amiable charm. Paige Wiser of the Chicago Sun-Times found the series better than Hannah Montana but noted that Nick Jonas' reserved nature made him the weak link and that the brothers' amateur acting was "endearing until they play a scene opposite someone with real comedic timing."

The New York Times' John Carmanica criticized Nick's performance and the script as blithe and unfunny, but praised the believable fraternal interactions and Kevin Jonas' acting. The series debuted on May 2, 2009, drawing 4.00 million viewers in the US, 73% of whom were female. While this was Disney Channel's best ratings in the time slot in eight months, it was also the network's second-lowest rated live-action series premiere in nearly four years.

The Hollywood Reporter commented that the premiere did not make as big a splash as expected for a heavily promoted major Disney brand.