Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

And though its messaging can be didactic at times, Pink Ladies never feels like a chore. In fact, it’s a wall-to-wall blast.

Rising to the occasion, the show gives high-school life in the ’50s groove and meaning, in a way that’s as slick as it is fun.

Rise of the Pink Ladies is built to appeal to as vast an audience as possible, from musical buffs to neo-Gleeks to olds like me who fell in love with the original as a kid. That may not be the most interesting approach, but as far as prequels go, there are worse things they could do.

Some of the songs are catchy, but the story and plots fail to surprise and the whole thing is rather humorless.

There’s pure visual pleasure that comes from exaggerated high school scenes and flashes of confidence, as when the Pink Ladies are in formation and in strut. But that’s minutes in an hours-long series. I like the original Grease well enough, but it’s hard to imagine anyone but the most ardent fans sticking around for that long.

As a statement of social-justice ideals, Rise of the Pink Ladies is on uneven ground; as a musical, it’s disappointingly forgettable. But as a story about the joys of teen friendship and first love, it’s almost endearing enough to make up for its shortcomings in other areas.

While it has the canon going for it, it’s also a little too chaotic and uneven to particularly stand out. But there are still plenty of colorful scenes and engaging performances to enjoy, not to mention overall potential if this story can just pull back a little and focus.

The middle ground they landed in doesn’t work, which is a shame when this incredibly talented cast is on hand.

So much of this series also just feels too safe and similar to other teen dramas, hitting the same beats we have seen time and time again.

The four actor/singers create beautiful harmonies together, yet “Pink Ladies” never quite transports.

It gamely tries to channel the spirit of the beloved original but lacks its explosive energy, sizzling chemistry and camp melodrama. As a nostalgia exercise, it’s passably pleasant. As a drama in its own right, it’s neither automatic, systematic nor hydromatic. If you’re a hopelessly devoted Grease fan, this probably isn’t the one that you want.

The whole thing felt like an answer to a question nobody had asked, and spoiling a good thing by giving us far too much of it. As it turns out, the heightened world of Grease and the serialised TV format simply do not go together.