Customer Reviews

Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The Complete Season 1

5 star:		(2)
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I don't think there are much people who don't know KISS or Gene Simmons as most people I ask at least know who you're talking about.With his "Family Jewels" television show,KISS co-founder Gene lets us see what his life is like,we also get to meet his family and we learn just how much Simmons is a workoholic and how money counts for him.This show reminds a lot of the Osbournes show wich aired a few years ago,its was basicly Ozzy and his crazy family,the concept is pretty much the same for Family Jewels but is totaly different.In the Osbournes there was swearing,bipping,the kids were always fighting and at times you couldn't understand Ozzy well,wheras in Family Jewels its much more of a normal family and its organized better overral.Gene always talks about himself as the rock god,while his family are always making fun of him and they are hilarious and the show is captivating,interresting and shows us how Gene's life is,well on that point its the closest we ever got.I need to point out that Gene and his wife,ex-playmate Shanon Tweed are happily unmarried since 20+ years,and Gene true to his reputation(he claims to have slept with 4 600 womens).His two kids Nick and Sophie do great on the show as well,in fact even the dog gets his shining moments!I have to say I don't and never really liked reality t.v but I,just like many others love this show!

You first have to understand that everything in Gene's life is and pretty much always was about money.In fact the primary reason he did this is to get money,god knows he doesn't really need any more but he still does.Yet I knew that when I was watching it and I still tought he managed to give fans and non-fans their money's worth with this show.These 13 episodes turned out to be some of the best television I ever saw and some of the funniest too!Being a KISS fan I was instantly attracted by it but I soon realized that much more people were watching this,even non-KISS fans have been attracted by it.This show is good at something,1)making you laugh and entertain you and 2)make you discover what its like to be Gene Simmons.Gene is always about money and his family makes fun of him for that,calling him a workoholic and laughing at his god status making him look like not much in the end.Gene was never humble,always giving himself extra credit for founding KISS and his family are the only ones who can keep him grounded because of his huge ego.This show wouldn't work if it was about Paul Stanley,Ace Frehley or Peter Criss's families as they like their privacy while Gene is the only one of KISS willing to sell his privacy,plus his family really fit well on the small screen and he is a goof,all that makes the show work so well.

Gene takes KISS as not a band but a brand and it always has been like that in the band,making big profits and that is a reason why the band didn't get the respect it deserved.In this show he tries to sell KISS to everyone,trying to make snowboards,his association with Indy Racing and he even tries to make a Gene Simmons's Sexercice video.There is also the episode where he wants to make money with Bull sperm!His daughter Sophie even parodies him saying "Gene Simmons eggs!I have to call Angus!Hey Angus think about it Gene Simmons eggs...".Nick then adds still making fun of Gene "Think about it,my face on a chicken's butt!".That's just to prove you how the guy is addicted to money.This season might be the first but it already feels like a classic as each episodes are great and I watched each a good dozen times on televison and still enjoy watching them.There is an episode where Gene tries to go on a vacation with his family but he can't resist an opportunity to make money.I liked the episode when he has a radio contest to determine who his biggest fan is,Gene is not really thrilled with the choice and it turns out to be pretty funny.In an episode Nick tries to get a gig with his band and his father books him one.It was nice to hear Nick sing.Each episode has a different plot and it makes sense and seems belevable,at least not too phony.Im not sure if this is improvised or what but its certainly great!

On this show Gene is not really the rock star,he's mostly the buisness man.I thank Gene for letting us enter his private life and discover more of his personna.The show turned out to be very succesfull on the channel it airs on,A&E quickly gave another contract for another season because of its high ratings and it became one of the most watched show on the network.I just loved the show and this DVD set of the first season and it has some great bonus features like the couch interviews,the bloopers are good,i particularly enjoyed the "Inside The lair" bonus wich took us in Gene's office.Gene's History Of Rock'N'Roll was neat as well.The lost songs is the big surprise and i don't want to spoil it sorry!There are lots of features all listed in the description and the thirteen episodes(its pretty what each show are allowed for a first season)that accompany them makes this a killer worthy set.The price of the set in most stores is pretty cheap for these kinds of set and i highly recommend them to KISS fans,even if you aren't a fan you will probably like this show as well you don't neccesarily need to be a fan to appreciate it.The highest rating obviously five stars.

It's tough to discuss this show without mentioning the more popular Osbournes. The Osbournes came first, the Osbournes was a big hit...heck, even my dad (who knows nothing about rock n' roll) watched that show. He thought Ozzy was funny. But this is the better show. And this is why.

First of all, there's hardly any cussing. Very rarely do you hear the "beeps" (and yes, it's all beeps, no actual cussing). Second, this family is much more likable. Nick Simmons is a bright, funny young guy, and Shannon Tweed is absolutely hilarious. Third, you can understand what Gene is saying, unlike the Ozzman. And last, you can tell right away how much this family loves each other. I got tired of the Osbournes always fighting. These guys joke around and play pranks, but there's very little fighting going on. And although Gene is well-known for his love of women, there's very little bare skin on this show.

I'm writing this and I haven't even finished the first disc yet. I just like this show. I think it's hilarious and I can't stop watching (except to get a Pepsi and write this)! I haven't even gotten to the "lost songs" yet...can't wait to hear them.

There was one episode in particular, the "unaired pilot" in which Gene is grilling the boy who is about to take young Sophie Simmons out to the dance. I saw visions of my own future as a father there. Just a priceless moment. I felt very sorry for that poor young man who had to sit across a very large desk from Mr. Simmons and be grilled about dating his young daughter.

This is an excellent show, and I highly recommend it, whether you like Kiss or not. Just give it a shot.