Henry Rollins Cast in Amazon Kids Show, James Iha to Score
Henry Rollins, who once encouraged disenfranchised youth to “Spray Paint (The Walls)” and throw TV parties, may seem like an unlikely choice to be cast in a children’s show, but that’s not stopping producers from recruiting the Black Flag singer to guest star in a potential new Amazon series called A History of Radness. Rollins isn’t the only big-name rocker that Radness has added: Former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha will score the series, while Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino and Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds are set to provide narration.
According to the Wrap, “The story follows siblings Jack and Tessie from their less-than-cool middle school beginnings at Pleasant Meadows Middle School to the start of their music careers as they put together a band of like-minded musicians, considered outsiders by fellow classmates.” Rollins will portray the school’s Coach Carlucci.
The first episode will also boast original music courtesy of the Thermals’ Hutch Harris. However, A History of Radness was one of six kids-oriented pilots Amazon ordered that are slated to debut this summer. Like the Golden Globe-winning Transparent and other programs produced by the online retailer, reviewers’ feedback regarding those pilots will decide whether A History of Radness and the others get picked up for a full season run. It’s unclear if Rollins would frequently guest star on the program should it get picked up or if the new podcaster just appears in the pilot.
In January, Amazon announced that they had 13 new pilots (for adults) in development, including the Philip K. Dick adaptation The Man in the High Castle executive produced by Ridley Scott and a Civil War drama from Lost showrunner Carlton Cuse.
