Christian music favorite Jeremy Camp has stepped off the stage and in front of the camera in the new web TV show, “Tyler’s Ride.”
Camp plays Jesse, the house musician at the fictional The Vine cafe, who provides not only background music but some spiritual guidance to the show’s main character, Tyler, a spoiled, self-absorbed 23-year-old searching for meaning (and a job).
The problem with web shows is that the episodes area so short (less than 5 minutes each) that unless you sit down and watch a few of them in a row nothing makes sense.
And I wouldn’t recommend sitting down for more than a few straight episodes unless you really had nothing else to do.
The show is reminiscent of Saturday morning teen dramedies, where the dialogue is often corny and most of the supporting characters are caricatures. (I mean, we’re supposed to believe the sister is an actual doctor? I barely believe she’s graduated from high school. Tee hee.)
Fortunately, Grant Allen is believable as Tyler, and Camp, as expected, looks quite comfortable dishing out music and wisdom to a bunch of young adults. And while it’s not the greatest script or acting, the story line actually has a good message. Tweens might get something out of it. And if they’re really into it, there’s a blog where the characters talk about their daily lives. (As if reading blogs about real people’s real lives isn’t boring enough.)
But since each episode lasts only a few minutes you can judge for yourself at www.tylersride.com. Episodes 1-10 are up now, with two more on the way.