A Dim ‘Star’ About a Girl Group

Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, and Brittany O’Grady (Credit: Tommy Garcia/Fox)

There’s always a good story to be told when you tell the tale of the formation of a pop-music group. There’s something about the drama of young people brought together through a combination of innate talent, a yearning for stardom, a lust for fame, and a greed for profit — I mean, that’s irresistible stuff. Which is why this tale has been told so many times, in movies, TV shows, on Broadway, and in novels. It’s been told within the framework of a variety of musical genres (pop, rock, soul, hip-hop), and the soul-music version is invariably rooted in the greatest real-life example ever: the Supremes, the trio led by Diana Ross and formed by Motown genius Berry Gordy.

That’s one element Lee Daniels is drawing from in his new TV show, Star. It’s about an ambitious trio of young women: the steely Star (Jude Demorest), her sister, Simone (Brittany O’Grady), and rich spoiled brat Alexandra (Ryan Destiny), whose father just happens to be Lenny Kravitz — excuse me, Kravitz playing an R&B-rock star named Roland. The trio struggles in Atlanta, where they are taken under the wing of Queen Latifah’s Carlotta Brown, a hair salon owner with her own roots in the music biz.

Coming off the big hit of Empire, Daniels could have made any sort of show he wanted, so it’s a little surprising that he decided to stay in the music industry genre. And it’s unfortunate that Star compares poorly with Empire — it lacks any character as vital and vivid as Taraji P. Henson’s Cookie. The dialogue is overwrought, and frequently tells us the very things we’re seeing onscreen. The trio of aspiring stars are plucky, but they’re not very interesting, and neither is the music they sing. The most intriguing aspect of Star is the way Daniels has the delightful nerve to reject any notion of believability in the presentation of the musical set-pieces. The girls just burst into song with no visible musical accompaniment, strolling into places they’ve never been before, yet using the space for perfectly choreographed dance moves. It’s fantasy-musical stuff, and by far the most interesting thing about Star.

If you’re looking for a good drama about a girl group, I recommend that you watch Sparkle — not the lackluster 2012 remake, but the original 1976 version, featuring Irene Cara and Dorian Harewood, with an amazing soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield. Now that was an interesting, exciting look at the formation of a girl group.

Star premieres Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 9 p.m. on Fox, and will return with new episodes on Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 9 p.m.