By Sarah Breger
The fall TV season has started, but there is one summer show you should make sure to catch up on (and with four minute long episodes that shouldn’t be too hard). Road to the Altar, a Web-only TV series, stars Jaleel White of Urkel fame and Leyna Juliet Weber as White’s fiancée, Rochelle Shapiro. The series tells the story of the couple planning their nuptials, with each episode featuring one item on the wedding to-do list (the caterer, the flowers, the band etc).
Rochelle (like Weber who is also the show’s co-writer) is Jewish, and tribal references abound throughout the show. The best is when Rochelle’s ultra-Orthodox cousin, Ruchel Leah, flies in from Brooklyn for a bridesmaid dress fitting. Ruchel’s Borough Park-style outfit covers her legs, arms and neck, confusing White’s character Simon who can’t understand why her Jewish traditions vary from Rochelle’s.
Rochelle plays the Jewish princess pretty typically—self-absorbed, demanding but very funny, while White plays the straight man to Rochelle’s frenzy. Admittedly, it’s a little tiring to see the the high-strung Jewish city girl character rehashed again (especially on the innovative webisode format). But aside from that, the stories are fun, the scripts are well-written and the timing is spot-on. Besides, where else could you hear a hip-hop Hava Nagila?
