No amount of loud rock music, shooting flames or good-looking cheerleaders could save LA Kiss’ dismal action on the field.
But perhaps a reality show can breathe some life into Anaheim’s indoor-football team partially owned by legendary rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss.
Behind-the-scenes highs and lows of the Arena Football League’s newest expansion team are chronicled on TV in “4th and Loud,” scheduled to premiere Tuesday night on AMC.
“We had some fascinating things happen between career-ending injuries, people getting fired and watching Gene and Paul having to walk the line between being embarrassed of how the team played, but still proud that they’re able to launch this business,” said Adam Freeman, executive producer of “4th and Loud.”
“I think it’s fascinating what they managed to do,” Freeman said. “I think there’s a lot more of the LA Kiss story to tell, and the second season could be all about redemption.”
Coming off of producing “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” on A&E, Freeman said that he approached the bombastic rocker shortly after it was announced that LA Kiss would call the Honda Center home.
Even though their previous working relationship was an advantage, Freeman said he wanted to do something different with “4th and Loud.”
Cameras still follow Simmons, along with the team’s other owners, coaches and players. But the footage is captured as more of a documentary, compared to the largely scripted scenarios now seen in most so-called reality programs.
“Gene had a show that was more comedic and, frankly, not the most organic to their lives, but this (football team) was a real business that was happening whether we were shooting or not,” said Eliot Goldberg, senior vice president of unscripted programming for AMC.
“We’re always trying to look for ideas that are unique, break new ground and are unexpected,” Goldberg said. “ The idea of a rock band expanding into arena football was really appealing.”
A rough cut of the first episode shown to reporters sets up how LA Kiss was created, the team’s pitch to other owners in the Arena Football League and the first rounds of training camp.
In one scene, Coach Rob McMillen tells the players that there’s a lot of pressure to win a championship during the team’s first season.
But the LA Kiss ended the season last month with only three wins and 15 losses, tying for last in the league. Filming began before the season opener and went beyond the season’s end.
The show offers plenty of unscripted conflict.
Along with complaining about a shortage of practice helmets, McMillen pushes back on an idea to have the players wear the same style of makeup that the Kiss rockers perform in.
Viewers get to watch 35 potential players get whittled down to the 24 men who end up on the opening-day roster.
Over 10 hourlong episodes, “4th and Loud” will highlight LA Kiss.
“It was a challenge, but we were doing this with the high expectations of Kiss, and Kiss plays to win,” said Schuyler Hoversten, team president and co-owner of LA Kiss.
“We thought the team would perform better than they did, but we think it will be drastically improved next season,” Hoversten said. “I think viewers will truly appreciate what we pulled off in a matter of months.”
Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or amarroquin@ocregister.com
