Ruby and the Rockits (Set Visit) – Part One

[Ruby & the Rockits premieres Tuesday, July 21 at 8:30pm ET/PT on ABC Family]

The morning began at the Marriott Hotel in Sherman Oaks. Me and the other “bloggers” – as we were referred to throughout the day – left the lobby in a black van. After being given the runaround at the gate at CBS Studio Center, we finally made out way to Stage 12 where the new ABC Family series Ruby & the Rockits tapes.

The series is recorded in front of a live studio audience on Friday nights; on this day, the cast were rehearsing and pre-taping scenes that would be shown to the audience later on. We headed down to the stage floor and got to watch the show’s two stars, David Cassidy (The Partridge Family) and Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), rehearse and film a scene together.

Each take became funnier and had more energy as Cassidy and Vega’s lines were re-written and punched-up on the spot. After a few more takes, we were taken back to where the studio audience resides.

We sat down with series creators/executive producers Shaun Cassidy (Invasion, American Gothic) and Marsh McCall (Just Shoot Me!) who talked about the genesis of the series. Look for an interview with these two in Part Two.

Ryan Cassidy (set dresser on Semi-Pro and Blades of Glory) stopped by and talked to us about his role on the series as a set dresser. As we spoke with him, his brother Patrick (ER, Smallville) stopped by to join in the interview. After Ryan left us, Patrick was joined by his TV wife Katie Keane (Eli Stone, Shark). The interviews with these three will be posted in Part Two.

After watching David Cassidy shoot a few more scenes and observing the other actors rehearse, we went to lunch at the CBS Commissary. For the record, I had a bacon cheeseburger, curly fries, and a soda. As we ate, we were joined by Ryan Cassidy who talked about how he became a set dresser.

Back to Stage 12. We interviewed Kurt Doss (Role Models) and Austin Robert Butler (Zoey 101, Aliens in the Attic) who play the sons of Patrick Cassidy’s character on the show. We then took photos with Patrick Cassidy and the two boys on the living room set.

Back to our studio audience home base, we were met by Alexa Vega who spoke about how she got the lead role on the series and what it’s like working with all four Cassidy brothers. More in Part Two. We then took photos with her.

After one final run-through and blocking session, we were graced with the presence of the legendary David Cassidy. He spoke to us about the show and how he feels this is the best thing he’s ever done in his career. We took photos, and the day was done. More with David in Part Two.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day watching these actors work and seeing the collaborative process in action. Here’s what’s coming up:

Part Two – Cast and Crew Interviews

Part Three – Ruby & the Rockits Pilot and episodes 2 and 3 Reviews