The reality TV series "Tommy Lee Goes to College," which was filmed in Nebraska, debuted 17 years ago today with two half-hour episodes on NBC.
Aside from the former Mötley Crüe drummer, the show spotlighted Scottsbluff, Nebraska, native Matt Ellis (as Lee's roommate) and Omahan Natalie Riedmann (as Lee's "hot tutor"). The true star of the show, however, was the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where the six-episode series was shot.
The two debut episodes attracted about 6 million viewers. UNL officials said they saw a spike of visitors to the college's website after the show aired.
The show basically was a light-hearted look at a rough-edged, tattooed guy who sticks out in an academic setting. Aside from a few bleeped curse words and one drinking scene, "Tommy Lee Goes to College" was a PG representation of college life.
People are also reading…
It more or less portrayed UNL in a realistic manner, despite always positioning Lee next to an attractive coed.
One deceiving scene came when edits made it appear Lee lived in Neihardt Hall. He and Ellis actually lived in an off-campus location constructed to look like a dorm room.
Footage combined shots of Lincoln and UNL landmarks, including the State Capitol and the college's bell tower, library, bookstore and football stadium, with blue skies and colorful leaves.
"I think it shows the school and the state in a good light," then-Chancellor Harvey Perlman said. "It's a comedy show, and parts of it are amusing. But I didn't see anything that upset me."
All in all, the series made the college, Nebraska and its residents look good.
Of all the classes Tommy Lee took, including Native American literature, chemistry and physics, the subject he really connected with was botany.
"I think I was a tree or something in a past life,'' the 42-year-old rocker said in an interview after the show’s premiere. "I've always been attracted to nature.''
Lee also said he would not hesitate to recommend UNL to young people.
"Absolutely, it's a great place. It's a quaint little place focused on school."
Nebraska people and places on reality TV
From Tommy Lee at UNL to 'The Voice' and more, see the Nebraska people and places that have been on reality TV.
The filmmaker wants to know if I want the long version of the story behind her first documentary.
Troy and Brandy Bishop had long dreamed of moving abroad. When a realistic chance arose, taking them to the European nation of Luxembourg, the…
Ondrea and Marquez Fernandez hoped to expand their small "healthy doughnut" business.
Josh Hoyer can’t say much about being on “The Voice.”
Fred Thorne had his wife, Maggi, and their three children in Indianapolis to cheer him on during Tuesday night’s episode of NBC’s “American Ni…
Voters didn’t make Hannah Huston the winner of “The Voice” Tuesday night, but her coach, singer and record producer Pharrell Williams, said “s…
On his 54th day in the Vancouver Island wilderness, one in which whipping, frigid wind confined him to a tarped tent that kept flapping in his…
Nebraskans will have another rooting interest on “American Ninja Warrior” this summer.
She kept her win on "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" a secret for six months.
The audition process takes some time, Jen Middlekauff said. They had to send a tape, then their Lincoln real estate agent had to send a tape, too.
After work, Candace Sturgeon flipped on her VCR. More than 11 million people had watched an hour earlier as the past few months of her life played out on ABC’s "Extreme Makeover."
Two grandson, one a Lincoln attorney, will be on the History reality show with a letter their grandfather received from Knute Rockne not long before the famous coach died.
The Cat's Pajamas calls its transportation the "Sunshine Van."
Matt Ellis was a senior political science student at UNL when Lee moved in with him in 2004. Soon, the Scottsbluff native and part-time bartender was a co-star in "Tommy Lee Goes to College," which followed the Motley Crue drummer while he and Ellis sampled UNL's social and academic scenes.
As NBC's "The Biggest Loser" nears its conclusion, the departure of former Husker wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner still has m…
Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner weighed 264 pounds when he retired from wrestling in 2004. When TV viewers see him Tuesday night on NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples," he'll tip the scale at 474 pounds.
The husband-and-wife veterinarian team of Erin and Ben Schroeder will bring more of the dirt, blood and manure to the airwaves on May 30, when season 2 of their show, "Heartland Docs, DVM," debuts on Nat Geo Wild.
The first time Garrett Elting was asked to appear on History Channel's "Forged in Fire" was a few years ago.
Host Tyra Banks told Siwa she's proud of the teenager and the show for allowing the pairing to happen. “I think it’s going to change lives, and it’s going to make a lot of noise, and the noise that needs to be made.”
What started as a minor annoyance while stationed in Iraq led to a million-dollar idea for Robert Patton.
PONCA — When Gene Watchorn first began decorating his home for Christmas, the power company would call, asking if there was an electrical prob…