Lifetime network premieres series about soccer mom who forms a garage band – 3 stars ***

By Gabrielle Pantera

Nicole Sullivan in Rita Rocks

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 10/20/2008 – Nicole Sullivan stars as Rita Clemens, an overworked wife and mother who’s not sure who remembers being happiest when she used to sing and play in a band.

Dusting off her guitar, she persuades her postal carrier Patty, who plays a mean organ, to join the bacnd. Add out of work neighbor Owen and her daughter’s boyfriend, and Rita forms her own band. Tisha Campbell-Martin stars as Patty. Ian Gomez stars as Owen.

Rita’s family isn’t very supportive. Richard Ruccolo stars as her husband Jay. Kelly Gould stars as her young daughter. Natalie Dreyfuss is her teenage daughter all consumed by her boyfriend Kip. Jay realizes that Rita needs that spark back in her life and is impressed when he hears the band and her sing. Raviv Ullman stars as Kip, and the drums using the Stomp way of drums.

Nicole Sullivan was the youngest cast member on MAD TV. She was also on the Fox late-night sketch comedy show. She’s known for her scathing impersonations of Britney Spears and Meg Ryan.

Tisha Campbell-Martin stared for five years on the ABC sit-com ‘My Wife and Kids’, opposite Damon Wayans. She also directed an episode.

Richard Ruccolo guest stared on ‘Beverly Hills 90210’, ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, ‘Reba’, ‘Standoff’, ‘Less Than Perfect’ and ‘The X-Files’. He also had a recurring role on NBC’s ‘Joey’ in 2005. He was Pete in the ABC series ‘Two Guys and a Girl’.

Natalie Dreyfuss is Hallie Clemens, Rita’s defiant teenage daughter. Her uncle is Richard Dreyfuss. Her recent films include ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ and ‘National Treasure 2’. Her recent television credits include a lead role in Hallmark’s Movie of the Week ‘The Nanny Express’, and guest-starring roles on FX’s “The Shield’, NBC’s ‘Life’ and USA’s ‘Burn Notice’.

Kelly Gould is Shannon Clemens, Rita’s nine-year-old daughter and karate enthusiast. Gould has appeared on ‘Cold Case’, ‘Ghost Whisperer’, ‘Hannah Montana’ and Lifetime’s ‘Strong Medicine’. Gould is best known for her role as Lucy in the HBO comedy series ‘Lucky Louie’. Gould recently co-starred with Catherine Zeta-Jones in the feature film ‘The Rebound’, in theaters spring of 2009.

Raviv Ullman is Kip, Hallie’s boyfriend. Ullman is best known for his role as Phil Diffy on the Disney Channel’s ‘Phil of the Future’. He recently starred in the feature film ‘Prom Wars’ with Alia Shawkat. His other television credits include “Cold Case’, ‘House’, ‘Big Love’ and ‘That’s So Raven’. He can soon be seen in the feature films ‘The Trouble With Cali’ and ‘Spring Break ’83’.

Worth watching.  This is an enjoyable show. It still has a few kinks to work out, but it has great potential. There are some stilted moments when the family is together and at times it feels stilted, but the bones of a great show are here.

See five back-to-back new episodes of “Rita Rocks” during sneak peek week, beginning tonight, October 20, through Friday, October 25, at 8:30 pm.