Hey, remember the judges? There's Broadway director Kathleen Marshall. Good to see they're no longer calling her a Tony-winning Broadway director, since she won Tony's for choreographing Wonderful Town and The Pajama Game, but no directing Tony's as yet. (And I'm going to go out on a limb and predict she's not going to get one for this.)

Also judging is "super-producer" David Ian. Their words, not mine. And last but not least is Grease creator and writer, Jim Jacobs. Guys, he knew the original Sandy, ok? That totally validates his seemingly useless presence.

As Billy Bush tells us in a voice-over, Grease Academy will train these newbies in singing, acting and dancing to be a "triple-threat." During some quick shots of the classes, we get to see Kathleen Marshall, Tony-Award winning choreographer, at work. "Bah dum dum dum," she says as she demonstrates the steps. Tony-winner at work. Fascinating. Not!

So I don't know if you can tell by my tone, but I'm annoyed with this show. I was so excited for it because I thought we were going to get to see what goes on behind the scenes as they prepare to mount a big-budget Broadway revival. Instead we're focusing on (i.e. creating) the personal stories of all these nobodies. Who cares? They're nobodies! I want to see Kathleen Marshall being a bitch! I want to see some creative process! Directing! Actiiiiing!

Billy Bush promises Grease Academy will push the potential Danny's and Sandy's to their limit. Lie. We should have seen waaay more crying this episode (besides after being cut) if they're really being pushed to their limits. Come on, a campus filled with theater people? There should totally be more crying. And catfights.

In Danny dance rehearsal the editors juxtapose "Former Days of Our Lives actor," Austin Miller, with his wonderful extension, and "Ice Cream Store Manager," Vince Ortiz, who clearly has no dance training. Austin tells us he played Link Larkin on the Hairspray tour and that there's a level of polish and professionalism that comes with experience. Yeah you get polish and professionalism, but in Austin's case you also get an aura of homosexuality the audience can read from the last row of the balcony along the wall.

Over in Sandy singing rehearsal, Ashley Anderson is singing poorly. She's the girl who cracked twice in her initial auditions, but was kept on because Jim Jacobs said she looked like his idea of Sandy. Whatever, you're casting a Broadway show, not a movie. You can put almost any vaguely pretty girl on stage in full makeup and a wig and she'll look like Sandy. And Ashley still sucks. Her voice is weak and has pitch problems. It's probably from nerves, but if she can't sing in a room full of people, I don't know how she'll handle singing in front of a 1500+ person audience. Have fun waitressing for the rest of your life, choker!

We also see Juliana Hansen, a 23-year-old office temp that we're suddenly caring about because she's going to make it through to the next round (um, spoiler?) while some of the girls we've been following thus far (AhemAshelyAndersonAhem) will not. I like her cause she's a brunette, and as a brunette, I clearly think she is superior to all those blondes.