Big Time Audition
"Big Time Audition"[1] is the hour-long made-for-television pilot movie of the Nickelodeon television series, Big Time Rush. It is the debut film of the series film franchise. It stars Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr., Logan Henderson, and Stephen Kramer Glickman. It aired as a sneak preview on November 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. ET, following the iCarly special, iMove Out. It is an hour-long special with the length of two regular episodes put together. The movie focuses on how four ordinary teenage friends from Minnesota get a chance to become the next chart-topping boy band, while going on an epic journey of a lifetime.
| "Big Time Audition" | |
|---|---|
| Big Time Rush episodes | |
 The guys singing "The Giant Turd Song" | |
| Episode nos. | Season 1 Episodes 1–2 |
| Directed by | Savage Steve Holland |
| Written by | Scott Fellows |
| Featured music | Big Time Rush |
| Production code(s) | 101–102 |
| Original air date(s) | November 28, 2009 |
| Running time | 47:16 (runtime) |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
Production
In the unaired version of this episode, Kendall Knight was originally played by Curt Hansen.[2] The filming took place in 2007, but the show was not picked up until 2009. The real filming finally began in early 2009, but was not announced until October 2009. It aired on November 28, 2009 as a follow-up sneak preview to the official premiere on January 18, 2010. The movie was filmed in Los Angeles and Minnesota.
Plot
The movie begins with four teenage high-school ice hockey players from Minnesota being chased down by the girls' field hockey team. Earlier, 16-year-old Kendall Knight (Kendall Schmidt) had suggested that they pull a prank on the girls' hockey team: turn on the sprinkler valve to spray them all. Carlos Garcia (Carlos Pena Jr.) attempts to pull the valve but was not strong enough. Eventually James Diamond (James Maslow) agrees to help Kendall and Carlos. Logan Mitchell (Logan Henderson) helps as well, which makes the four boys powerful enough to turn the valve. A group of angry girls chase the boys into a dead-end alley and beat them up.
Meanwhile, hit record producer Gustavo Rocque (Stephen Kramer Glickman) and his assistant Kelly Wainwright (Tanya Chisholm) are holding local auditions at the movie theater in Minnesota, looking for his new hit video popstar. While nursing their wounds with ice-packs on the couch, the four boys learn about Gustavo's auditions and try to get a hold of their respective moms to get driven there before five o'clock. When that is unsuccessful, the guys get their old neighbor to lend them her car. They have Logan, the only one with a learner's permit, drive them to the audition, taking their neighbor along. The guys run up to the talent agent, Kelly, just in time before the clock hits five. Kelly forces everybody to audition. During their auditions, Logan beatboxes, Carlos farts and James sings, but a fight starts between Kendall and Gustavo when he says that James has no talent. Gustavo tells James that his singing didn't make him fall off his chair. Kendall then jumps on the table and starts singing the giant turd song knocking Gustavo out of his seat. This leads to a fight with two security guards, with James jumping on top of them from the stage. Soon, Logan and Carlos join in as well, along with their old neighbor, who hits the security guards with her cane.
Mrs. Knight (Challen Cates) is shocked when she opens the door to find that the police have brought the boys home. She demands an explanation and the boys tell her what has happened. Mrs. Knight lets them off the hook. Kendall's younger sister, Katie (Ciara Bravo), asks the boys to sing the "Giant Turd Song" for her. The boys sing the song until Gustavo comes to the door and asks if Kendall wants to be his new hit popstar, surprising all four boys. Kendall is asked if he wants to fly to L.A. with Gustavo and make some demos but Kendall doesn't accept the offer because he thinks it isn't worth leaving his friends behind in Minnesota.
The next day, Kendall is bugged by the guys to accept the offer. Kendall proclaims that it isn't worth it without his best friends. Finally, they convince him to call Gustavo. Gustavo shows up, telling Kendall he will make him a superstar. Kendall makes a deal: He will go along with Gustavo to L.A. if Gustavo takes all four of the boys along with him. Gustavo, at first laughs at the idea, but quickly agrees and the next day, they all fly out to L.A.
The guys ride in a limousine to Palm Woods, a hotel and meet many people. They have a great time discovering everything around them and living the life. Despite claiming that they won't let the fame go to their heads, only to be acting like celebs only ten minutes later. They also attempt to impress the Jennifers, only to get smoothies thrown in their faces. Meanwhile, Griffin, the eccentric CEO of Roque Records is angry at Gustavo for bringing back all four of the boys, as he believes that the boy band genre is dead, but gives Gustavo until Friday to show him what they can do.
Gustavo puts the boys through his "Boy Band Boot Camp" telling them that all great boy bands need great moves, a great look, and a great sound. He hires a dance instructor who has worked with various celebrities to teach them dance moves. However they merely goof off and drive him to quit. The management team then attempts to find them the right look, only to dress them in ridiculous outfits. Finally he gives them the sheet scene for their first song, "Girl Time". Kendall insults it, prompting Gustavo to show them his wall of platinum records, 28 of them that have the word "girl" in the title. Kendall makes fun of Gustavo, causing Gusatvo to scream so loud that he causes a magnitude 3.1 earthquake. After calming down, he takes them into a sound booth to start recording, only for them to start hitting each other with pillows and fruit water. Gustavo finally has had enough.
He tells Carlos that he can't sing, Logan that he can't sing or dance, James that he reminds him of Matthew McConaughey (which he can't stand), and that Kendall acts like he doesn't even want to be here and that he'd rather quit producing then commit pop suicide with them. Upset at their careers ending before they even began the four get into a fight, which Katie stops by pushing them into a pool. They make up and sing the "Giant Turd" song, which causes the other Palm Woods residents to cheer. Kendall finally realizes that he does enjoy singing and being with his friends. Returning to Rocque Records, he tells the others that they are four hockey players from Minnesota and they can either dump the puck or rush the puck big time. They unanimously agree to big time rush.
They go back to Gustavo and agree to do things his way on the condition that they get to sing a song other than Girl Time. Gustavo wants to hear a better idea and they state that they want to sing Big Time Rush, a song about four hockey players from Minnesota who have an amazing opportunity and are going to take their best shot. Kelly likes it and Gustavo reluctantly admits that he does as well. Come Friday they perform Big Time Rush in front of Griffin who likes it and allows them to stay for three months to produce their demos.
Gustavo tells them that they are staying, but the next three months will be even harder than the last three days and that Carlos still can't sing, Logan can't dance, and he still doesn't like James. Kendall says that they will work on it. Gustavo says that now they can celebrate which they do and Big Time Rush is born.
The screen then fades to "And the musical journey begins..."
Reception
3.650 million viewers tuned into the premiere, giving Big Time Rush some high ratings followed by the official premiere next year in January, getting 7.1 million Total viewers, and in the process, setting a new record for highest-rated live-action series premiere in Nickelodeon history. Also, there was a huge breakout when they premiered it the second time, with 10.6 viewers.
Music
Sneak previews of tracks featured in the regular series like "Famous",[3] "City Is Ours", and the track, Big Time Rush, were featured in the special.[4] both songs have over 1 million views in 2017
Cast
- Kendall Schmidt as Kendall Knight
- James Maslow as James Diamond
- Carlos Pena Jr. as Carlos Garcia
- Logan Henderson as Logan Mitchell
- Ciara Bravo as Katie Knight
- Stephen Kramer Glickman as Gustavo Rocque
- Tanya Chisholm as Kelly Wainwright