Jem ( TV Series 1985 - 1988 )
Plot
The central "secret" of the series is that Jem, lead singer and frontwoman of the rock group Jem and The Holograms, is in fact the alter ego of Jerrica Benton, owner/manager of Starlight Music. Jerrica adopts this persona with the help of a holographic computer, known as Synergy, which was built by Jerrica's father to be "the ultimate audio-visual entertainment synthesizer" and is bequeathed to Jerrica after his passing. Jerrica is then able to command Synergy to project "the Jem hologram" over herself by means of the remote micro projectors in her earrings, thus disguising her features and clothing and enabling her to assume the Jem persona. She does so to acquire money to support Starlight Music and the Starlight Foundation for Girls, a foster program founded by her late mother Jacqui Benton. The band The Holograms consists of: Kimber Benton, Jerrica's younger sister, keyboardist and main songwriter for the band; Aja Leith, guitarist; and Shana Elmsford, who plays the synth drums. Aja and Shana are also childhood friends and adopted foster sisters of Jerrica and Kimber. Shana briefly leaves the group to pursue a career in fashion, at which point a new character, Carmen "Raya" Alonso, is introduced as her replacement. When Shana returns, Raya remains the Holograms' drummer while Shana takes up the guitar. Only The Holograms are aware of Jem's secret identity and the existence of Synergy when the series begins.
Episodes of the series frequently revolve around Jerrica's efforts to keep her two identities separate, protect Synergy from those who might exploit her, and support the twelve Starlight Girls who live with her and The Holograms. The Bentons' childhood home (where the foster girls were previously housed) is accidentally burned down early in the series. However, Jem and The Holograms later win possession of the Starlight Mansion when they compete in the "Battle Of The Bands" as well as a movie contract offered spontaneously by movie producer Howard Sands (based on real-world director John Waters)
The Holograms have two rival bands, one of which are called The Misfits: petulant rich girl Pizzazz (Phyllis Gabor) and her cohorts: no-nonsense Roxy (Roxanne Pelligrini) and kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player Stormer (Mary Phillips), who are later joined by the manipulative British saxophone player Jetta (Sheila Burns). Most episodes of the series involve a plot by the Misfits to upstage Jem and the Holograms' latest glamorous escapade. This rivalry is encouraged and manipulated by their manager, the ruthless Eric Raymond (the once half-owner of Starlight Music who, during the series, plots constantly to be its owner again). In the middle of the third season, the second band, The Stingers (Riot [Rory Llewelyn, lead singer and egotistical], Rapture [Phoebe Ashe, female guitarist and professional con-artist], and Minx [Ingrid Kruger, on keyboard and a man-manipulator]), hit town and shake things up for both groups (even though they are later signed under contract to Eric Raymond and The Misfits). In the final episode of the series, all three groups seemed to have declared a truce when Ba Nee, one of the most troubled foster girls in Starlight House, was claimed by her long-lost father found by Jem and The Holograms.
Episode Guide
Season 1
1. 1- 1 6 Oct 85 The Beginning
2. 1- 2 27 Oct 85 Disaster
3. 1- 3 17 Nov 85 Kimbers Rebellion
4. 1- 4 8 Dec 85 Frame Up
5. 1- 5 29 Dec 85 Battle of the Bands
Season 2
6. 2- 1 5 Jul 86 Starbright part 1: Falling Star
7. 2- 2 12 Jul 86 Starbright part 2: Colliding Stars
8. 2- 3 19 Jul 86 Starbright part 3: Rising Star
9. 2- 4 26 Jul 86 The World Hunger Shindig
Season 1
10. 1-10 23 Aug 86 Adventure in China
11. 1-11 30 Aug 86 Last Resorts
12. 1-12 6 Sep 86 In Stitches
13. 1-13 13 Sep 86 The Music Awards part 1
14. 1-14 20 Sep 86 The Music Awards part 2
15. 1-15 27 Sep 86 The Rock Fashion Book
16. 1-16 4 Oct 86 Broadway Magic
17. 1-17 11 Oct 86 In Search of the Stolen Album
18. 1-18 18 Oct 86 Hot Time in Hawaii
19. 1-19 1 Nov 86 The Princess and the Singer
20. 1-20 8 Nov 86 Island of Deception
21. 1-21 15 Nov 86 Old Meets New
22. 1-22 1 Feb 87 Intrigue at the Indy 500
23. 1-23 8 Feb 87 The Jem Jam Part 1
24. 1-24 15 Feb 87 The Jem Jam Part 2
25. 1-25 22 Feb 87 Culture Clash
26. 1-26 15 Mar 87 Glitter and Gold
Season 2
27. 2- 1 21 Sep 87 The Talent Search Part 1
28. 2- 2 22 Sep 87 The Talent Search Part 2
29. 2- 3 23 Sep 87 Scandal
30. 2- 4 24 Sep 87 One Jem Too Many
31. 2- 5 28 Sep 87 The Bands Break Up
32. 2- 6 29 Sep 87 The Fan
33. 2- 7 1 Oct 87 Fathers Day
34. 2- 8 5 Oct 87 The Treasure Hunt
35. 2- 9 7 Oct 87 Aztec Enchantment
36. 2-10 14 Oct 87 Music Is Magic
37. 2-11 15 Oct 87 The Jazz Player
38. 2-12 19 Oct 87 Dance Time
39. 2-13 20 Oct 87 Roxy Rumbles
40. 2-14 23 Oct 87 Alone Again
41. 2-15 29 Oct 87 KJEM
42. 2-16 30 Oct 87 Trick or Techrat
43. 2-17 2 Nov 87 The Presidential Dilemma
44. 2-18 3 Nov 87 Rock n Roll Express
45. 2-19 4 Nov 87 Mardi Gras
46. 2-20 5 Nov 87 The Middle of Nowhere
47. 2-21 16 Nov 87 Renaissance Woman
48. 2-22 24 Nov 87 Journey to Shangri-La
49. 2-23 6 Jan 88 Journey Through Time
50. 2-24 7 Jan 88 Britrock
51. 2-25 8 Jan 88 Out of the Past
52. 2-26 11 Jan 88 Hollywood Jem (1): For Your Consideration
53. 2-27 12 Jan 88 Hollywood Jem (2): and the Winner Is...
Season 3
54. 3- 1 2 Feb 88 The Stingers Hit Town (1)
55. 3- 2 3 Feb 88 The Stingers Hit Town (2)
56. 3- 3 4 Feb 88 Video Wars
57. 3-31 5 Feb 88 Beauty and the Rock Promoter
58. 3-32 8 Feb 88 Homeland, Heartland
59. 3-33 9 Feb 88 Midsummer Nights Madness
60. 3-34 11 Feb 88 The Day the Music Died
61. 3-35 15 Feb 88 That Old Houdini Magic
62. 3-36 17 Feb 88 Straight from the Heart
63. 3-37 18 Feb 88 A Change of Heart
64. 3-38 22 Feb 88 Riots Hope
65. 3-39 2 May 88 A Father Should Be...
