Tommy Lee Goes to College – A Preview

Tommy Lee has been known for many things – being a rock star, marrying Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson, and starring in an infamous sex tape with the latter. But he's never been known as an intellectual. So why is NBC following him to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for their new show, Tommy Lee Goes to College?

Actually, Tommy was not the original pick for this series. Journey singer Steve Perry was the first choice for the adult-rocker-goes-to-college experiment, but when things didn't work out, Tommy became the new star of NBC's potential new hit.

As we'll see starting Tuesday, August 16th, Tommy spent a few weeks at UNL, taking classes, living in a dorm with a roommate named Matt Ellis, writing papers, and studying for tests. He didn't receive any credits, but he was still expected to keep up with his work.

In addition, Tommy worked in the dining hall, tried out for the marching band, and participated in some traditional college traditions – namely parties. Of course, it wasn't all fun and games, and Tommy didn't take any easy, cop-out classes. When he got stuck on some concepts, the producers provided him with his very own tutor, Natalie Riedmann (who, of course, is hot).

Tommy dropped out of high school just before he was to graduate in 1980. His band, Mötley Crüe, signed a record deal, and Tommy became a major rock star, trading in books for guitars. His grades weren't spectacular in high school, but he supposedly took his time in college seriously.

We know that Tommy will be entertaining, but what about his roommate and tutor? According to NBC's website, at the time of filming, Matt was a Nebraska native who went to UNL to study political science and philosophy. On campus, he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta frat and the speaker of the student senate. I think that Matt will be a grounding force for Tommy – someone who tries to stay calm while Tommy goes wild.

Natalie, another native Nebraskan, studied Psychology-Humanities in the pre-med department, and plans on heading to the University of Nebraska Medical Center this fall for med school. She was in the top three percent of the school and made the dean's list every semester, which definitely made her qualified to tutor Tommy. Natalie also competed in the Miss Nebraska USA Pageant, so it wouldn't be surprising if Tommy fell in love with her. He'll probably try to hit on her and she won't put up with it.

How will Tommy fare in class when he hasn't been in school for 25 years? Will he be able to keep his eyes on his work when Natalie's around? Will Matt be able to live with a rock star? Maybe we'll get some answers when Tommy Lee Goes to College premieres with an hour-long episode on Tuesday, August 16th, at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Jenn Brasler is an aspiring writer from Falls Church, VA. You can e-mail her at luckyjenn@hotmail.com. She’s trying to decide whether to use her powers for good… or evil.

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