It's not uncommon to see your favorite bands take over your TV screens in the form of award shows or talk shows or guest appearances. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll get to watch your favorite bands in a whole new dynamic that isn't singing on a stage.
Whether it's playing fictional versions of themselves, starring as animated likenesses, or creating an entire show based on their career, some bands have gotten lucky enough to star in their very own TV shows.
Jonas Brothers, 'JONAS'
The Jonas Brothers took Disney Channel by storm in the 2000s, between lending their voices to classic songs, starring in DCOM Camp Rock, and guest-starring in Hannah Montana. But it wasn't long before the band of brothers went from singing as themselves to singing as exaggerated versions of themselves on JONAS.
The show aired for two seasons starting in 2009 and starred Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas as Kevin, Nick, and Joe Lucas, a group of brothers who had to juggle high school and young love while also being a famous boy band.
Big Time Rush, 'Big Time Rush'
The Nickelodeon boy band Big Time Rush was a unique opportunity in which the group played double duty as a fictional TV boy band and real-life boy band at the same exact time. Rising to fame with the show's premiere in 2009, Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Penavega, and Logan Henderson starred in Big Time Rush.
The four young men played fictionalized versions of themselves as teen characters who also shared the names Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan, who unexpectedly form a boy band and get into antics involving their newfound fame and career.
The Jackson 5, 'The Jackson 5ive'
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It was at the height of The Jackson 5's career that ABC harped on the hype and aired a Saturday morning cartoon based on the real-life band. While the series only ran for two seasons and featured several popular songs by the group, it had a surprising voice cast.
Due to the demand of their busy career, the animated versions of Michael, Marlon, Jermaine, Tito, and Jackie Jackson were all voiced by actors, while Diana Ross appeared in the pilot episode as herself.
AJR, TBA
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After over a decade of being a band, with several albums and international tours, indie band AJR plan to take their talents in a new direction. While little has been disclosed so far, the band admitted to having written and pitched a TV show idea all about the real-life events of their career.
It's unknown whether the brothers that make up AJR — Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met — will star in the upcoming show, or simply remain behind the scenes of the production, but fans surely hope to see the band at least guest star.
The Wanted, 'The Wanted Life'
British-Irish band The Wanted, famous for hits like "Glad You Came" and "Chasing The Sun," became stars of a reality TV show in 2013 that aired for a single season on E! Network after rising to international fame in 2012.
The Wanted Life followed bandmates Jay McGuiness, Max George, Nathan Sykes, Siva Kaneswaran, and the late Tom Parker as they recorded their third album and geared up for their first world tour. Despite garnering over one million viewers on its premiere night, the show wasn't granted a second season and the band announced its hiatus the following year.
New Kids On The Block, 'New Kids On The Block'
It's become a theme in recent years to see New Kids On The Block members starring on television. You can typically find Donnie Wahlberg as Danny on Blue Bloods and Joey McIntire guest-starring on Fuller House or The Goldbergs and Jonathan Knight hosting a home makeover show on HGTV.
But long before the group became men on television, they were kids on television when they starred in the titular animated series New Kids On The Block. While NKOTB appeared in live-action clips throughout the show's single season, the characters were voiced by different actors, including Full House alum Scott Menville as Joey McIntire.
S Club 7, 'Miami 7'
While British pop group S Club 7 had several hit songs that traveled over international waters, it was their television series that rose them to fame via TV screens worldwide.
Miami 7 premiered in 1999 and was considered a children's sitcom about a British band who uprooted their lives to Miami, Florida in search of fame. While every member of the group starred as fictionalized versions of themselves, they would also perform one of their songs off their debut album in each episode.
The Muppets' The Electric Mayhem, 'The Muppets Mayhem'
While The Muppets have starred in dozens of films and shows throughout their decades as famous puppets, thanks to Adam F. Goldberg, Bill Barretta, and Jeff Yorkes, the memorable band The Electric Mayhem will be starring in their own TV show.
Set to air on Disney+, The Muppets Mayhem will follow band members Animal, Dr. Teeth, Janice, Floyd Pepper, Zoot and Lips on their journey to recording their first album with the help of their new manager Nora, played by Youtuber-turned-TV star Lilly Singh, and superfan Moog, played by Tahj Mowry.
The Osmonds, 'The Osmonds'
Family musical group The Osmonds debuted in the 60s and consisted of nine different members during their years performing together, including duo Donny and Marie Osmond. But it was in the 70s, during the same Saturday morning programming block on ABC that aired The Jackson 5ive, that The Osmonds became animated.
This cartoon series aired 17 episodes and followed singing siblings — minus Marie — on trips around the world. Unlike The Jackson 5ive and New Kids On The Block, The Osmonds provided the voices of their animated selves for the series.
The Beatles, 'The Beatles'
The Beatles were — and still are — arguably the biggest band in the world. After their "British invasion" in the 60s, the group made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison scored their own animated Saturday morning cartoon on ABC.
The Beatles acted as a variety show, featuring visuals and singalongs of their hits, and ran for three seasons, making history as the first animated television series to depict real-life people are cartoons.