Jesse, Shane, Suzette, Dee, Cheyenne and Cody Snider in "Growing Up Twisted"

Fans of all things Twisted Sister may be disappointed to hear that A&E will be wrapping up its family reality show "Growing Up Twisted" on Tuesday, Aug. 24. They may also be a little surprised, too.

The premiere of the series, which follows the lives of former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider and his family, just aired July 27, meaning the first season only lasted six weeks. But don't let the season's brevity deceive you. Even in such a short time span the show's unpredictable characters have managed to squeeze in quite a bit of action. If you haven't had a chance to watch the first few episodes, then you've actually missed quite a lot.

In the first four episodes, Snider's family members have shown themselves to be a close bunch. But the show has also made it clear they represent anything but the typical American family.

Eldest son Jesse Blaze Snider is attempting to follow in his father's over-sized rock-star footsteps while managing a family of his own as a new father. He's done some hosting work in the past, too, including on MTV2, FUSE and AOL Music. He turned some heads recently when he placed second on MTV's "Rock The Cradle," a competitive reality show that pitted children of well-known musicians against each other.

Next in line, Shane is attempting to break into the standup-comedy scene with the help of his off-kilter family. He's regarded as the coolest head of the bunch and the most reliable. He's made a handy character foil for his sometimes hot-tempered and outspoken siblings and is always ready to test out new material on his kin and make light of their melodramatic affairs.

Cody, perhaps the brainiest and most artistic of the bunch, has his heart earnestly set on filmmaking. He's been making movies since he was 12 and earned himself a film degree with honors on a scholarship.

Youngest but far from the quietest is Cheyenne -- Dee and his wife Suzette's only daughter. So far, she's spent a good deal of time clashing with her mother, to whom she has repeated the "I hate you" mantra more times than most mothers' hearts could take. She's making the age-old transition from spoiled child to outspoken teenager, much to the joy of those around her. Like her father, she has her sights set on being a singer as she leads her own sprouting rock band.

Dee Snider and his family star in "Growing Up Twisted"

So far, the family has had to deal with an insanely hectic week that somehow mixed a baptism for Jesse's daughter, one of Shane's standup gigs, a fight between Cody the filmmaker and a disrespectful comedian, and a painful reminder of old wounds between Dee and Jesse. And that was all in just one episode.

Another melodramatic and somewhat humorous instalment features Suzette shopping for a "realistic" costume for her husband when she is insulted by a young male store employee, who asks her, "Are those real?" The sons band together with their father to "put the fear of God" into the young worker in a scene that includes plenty of testosterone and manly cussing.

The most recent episode hit close to home, with Suzette realizing she's beginning to feel a little lonely with the majority of her kids spending time away from home. In a moment of desperation, she asks Dee to have his vasectomy undone so they can have more kids. But to her disappointment, she later finds out from her doctor she's unable to have any more anyway.

They attempt to adopt, but when a social worker comes to learn about the family, the fact of a previous boxing match between Suzette and Cheyenne that got out of control ruins their chances. The kids try to cheer up their disappointed mother by getting her a baby reptile that they label her "surrogate" child.

Like Dee's band, Twisted Sister, the show's themes are centered around teenage rebellion, family problems and young adults trying to balance the search for their own place in the world with their responsibilities to the people for whom they care.

After A&E earned decent ratings when it brought "The Osbournes" to basic cable, and then even better ratings when it launched its own "Gene Simmons' Family Jewels," it seemed it had found a good template. "Growing Up Twisted" has followed a similar formula of throwing a wealthy and unorthodox family in front of the camera and letting them do their thing. But the show's drastically short first run could cause fans to fear the family's performances haven't gained traction with audiences, or at least A&E executives.

The Sniders certainly have their quirks and have managed to produce a few memorable moments on camera, but it remains to be told whether viewers find them as dysfunctional and outrageous as "The Osbournes." And while Twisted Sister certainly had its day and made its mark with a small collection of popular songs, it never reached the level of fame that for which Simmons's band KISS is known, which might result in less fanfare and buzz for the show.

After the first season is over, A&E will know if its late-summer gamble has paid off, and if "Growing Up Twisted" has managed to surpass these initial disadvantages. The show has been steadily ramping up the drama with the Sniders' issues becoming more and more personal, but it seems likely they'll go out with a characteristic and distinctly loud bang.