An FX series about an aging rock musician, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” was created by Denis Leary, who also created “Rescue Me,” an FX series about an aging firefighter.
The mockumentary stars Leary as faded musician Johnny Rock, John Corbett (“Northern Exposure”) as the guitarist he wronged, and Elizabeth Gillies (“Victorious”) as the 21-year-old aspiring-rock-star daughter Rock never knew he had, who uses her trust fund (acquired from her much more successful mom) to hire him to write songs for her.
Is Leary, famous for allegedly stealing the late comedian Bill Hicks’ material, now hoping that modern audiences no longer remember a three-decades old movie titled “This is Spinal Tap”?
… the old-man-meets-millennial comedy that Sex&Drugs sets up feels cranky and creaky. … the show’s references and rockumentary clichés are just fossilized. … In a show that has so much to say about authenticity, the details simply feel off. …
... To use a reference that I'm sure Johnny Rock would both understand and appreciate, I know it's only rock & roll, but I don't like it.
... what’s most noticeable about it at this point is how mild and inoffensive a show about the downside of debauchery can be.…
... Still, if it's a bit of a mess, it's not an uninteresting one. The "documentary" clips of the band in its younger days are well done, and there are some good performances; Gillies, who comes out of the Nickelodeon teens series "Victorious," has a nice way about her, especially in her looser moments. …
... bizarrely lacking in verisimilitude, particularly where the music is involved, which bogs down the show’s funnier jokes and moments. … Playing himself, the Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli says the Heathens, in their brief heyday, sounded “like the Who fucked The Clash.” If only.
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... Denis Leary’s new sitcom, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll,” would have been everything he hopes it could be if he’d made it 20 years ago. Maybe even earlier. … viewers are right to expect something more and fresher from Leary. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... For all the show’s problems with its believability and freshness, Mr. Leary’s rapid-fire jokes/slams, often at the expense of music legends, are entertaining as always. …
... Much of the show can’t be quoted. Many of the jokes you can see coming at you from the Zakim Bridge. They’re still funny. …
... Without the spot-on industry details that elevate shows such as “Silicon Valley” and “Veep,” “Sex&Drugs” is not part of cable’s stable of knowing comedies. I will continue to watch, though, hoping that Leary and company can continue to build the characters’ chemistry into something special. The ensemble seems to be finding the right comic — if not drum-driven — beats. …
... If Rescue Me left you cold, his newest FX series, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (*** stars out of four), is unlikely to leave you much warmer. They're similar shows reflecting similar passions and a similar, personal style. …
... superb, funny and wonderfully spot-on …
... a great title, a good premise and a just-OK show. … measured on a “This Is Spinal Tap” scale of 1 to 10 (“Spinal Tap,” of course, being an 11), give “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” about a seven.
Thursday 10 p.m. FX.
