Episodes: 12 (half-hour)
Seasons: One
TV show dates: May 9, 2013 — June 29, 2013
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Bo Burnham, Armen Weitzman, Caitlin Gerard, Cameron Palatas, Tom Wilson, Kari Coleman, Shelley Hennig, Robbie Amell, and Rory Scovel.
TV show description:
This TV series follows Zach Stone (Bo Burnham), a recent high school graduate who’s pursuing the new American Dream; he’s going to be famous with no talent whatsoever. From Zach’s attempts to become a celebrity chef or a ring-tone recording artist to purposefully going missing, he’ll try any avenue to get noticed and stop at nothing until he reaches fame. Chaos, awkwardness and embarrassment ensue in this clever and timely series that serves as a comedic send-up of today’s current culture of instant celebrity.
Instead of investing his time and money in a college education, Zach is spending his life savings to pay a film crew to follow him around. Though the cameras may impede on quality time with his college-bound friends and drive his family insane, Zach is convinced this “behind-the-scenes footage of a pre-celebrity” will be a hot commodity when he’s one day, inevitably famous.
Greg (Armen Weitzman) is Zach’s soft-spoken and loyal best friend. They weren’t the coolest kids in high school, but Zach tries to convince him that the show is their chance to shine before Greg heads to college at the end of the summer.
Amy (Caitlin Gerard) is Zach’s oldest friend and seems to be the only person that can bring him back down to earth when his pre-celebrity wheels start spinning. Whether they are going out for iced coffees, or attempting to avoid awkwardness at a party, it’s when they’re together that Zach feels most like himself. Could there be something more to this relationship? Is an on-screen romance too risky?
Andy (Cameron Palatas) is Zach’s overachieving, popular younger brother, who can barely tolerate his fame-seeking antics. He’s smart, an incredible athlete, and doesn’t parade around the house in a dress followed by a camera crew — needless to say, he’s the family’s pride and joy.
Zach’s dad (Tom Wilson) is an old-school man’s man and is not so happy about Zach’s current quest to become a “star” at any cost. Doubting that Zach can actually become famous for no reason, Mr. Stone believes more in a hard day’s work than Zach’s “get famous quick” schemes.
Mrs. Stone (Kari Coleman) is initially hesitant about Zach’s show (especially with the camera crew’s frequent footage of her in her bathrobe), but still tries to be supportive of her older son. Whether it’s allowing him to “headline” at a funeral, or teaching him to cook so that he can play Top Chef, Zach’s mom helps him be himself no matter what aspirations he has at the moment.
Christy (Shelley Hennig) was the hottest, most popular girl at school — and therefore has no idea who Zach is. That is, until, she sees the cameras. Now she’s practically part of his entourage, and with that on-camera sex appeal at his side, her motives are the least of Zach’s worries. Zach’s friend Amy, however, feels differently — and her concern over Christy’s presence could drive a wedge between her and Zach.
Nick (Robbie Amell) went to the same high school as Zach and Amy but graduated a couple years prior. He’s currently attending college and working as a trainer at the local gym during the summer. When Nick starts to pursue Amy romantically, Zach quickly becomes jealous.
Pat (Rory Scovel) is Zach’s manager at the local no-frills supermarket. He often gets caught mugging for the cameras whenever he can — trying hard to be the cool, funny, and self-proclaimed “Genius Boss.” He definitely gives Zach an uncommon leniency in exchange for a chance at his own few minutes of fame.
Episode #12 — “Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous (No, Really)”
Good Morning Boston prepares to do a story on Zach’s journey to fame, which just causes more drama with his family and Amy. The latter had ambiguously told Zach that she wanted to be “more than friends” that morning.
Zach winds up pushing his brother Andy over the edge. He leaves after telling Zach that he’s embarrassed to be his brother. Zach retorts that he doesn’t want Andy to be in the report. Instead, Zach gets his overweight Asian-American boom operator to play his brother.
As the news team starts filming, Zach ends up making his parents even more aggravated. After a near misshap with the electric saw, his dad storms into the house. He accuses his wife of enabling Zach. She denies this at first, but when Zach calls them selfish for holding up the report, she agrees. They finally decide to stop putting up with him and kick him out of the house.
That night, he sleeps at Greg’s house who tells Zach that he’s always welcomed to visit him at his dorm when he goes to college. Zach has some time to reflect. The next morning, when he to the news studio for an interview, he tells the audience that, while the footage made the family look ideal and happy, that’s not really the case. He admits that he’s been selfish, and has been destroying his relationship with everyone he’s cared about in trying to be famous. He also says that he’s in love with Amy.
He storms out of the studio to go find Amy who’s left for college without saying goodbye. Back at his dressing room, Zach is giving a hardy goodbye to his camera crew when Amy enters the room. She’s seen everything and the two of them kiss and become boyfriends and girlfriend. Zach tells her that he’s done trying to be famous.
Holding hands, they walk out of the studio. They’re then stormed by a small crowd of fans. Everyone begins chanting his name and fans ask him to sign autographs. As Zach does this, he starts singing his theme to himself.
We see Amy’s smile begin to fade and slowly become a frown. The old Zach is back.
First aired: June 29, 2013
What do you think? Do you like the Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous TV series? Are you sorry that it’s been cancelled and wasn’t renewed for a second season?
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