Community Blogs

In This Section

TV Guide Spotlight

Also on TVGuide.com

Who Wants to Be on TV

Star Search exploded, buried seeds at the different networks, and now, after several years, the crop is full, and ready to pick.

Reality shows have pretty much dominated the summer TV season ever since CBS' Big Brother proved that viewers are anxious to watch something, anything other than reruns. Now, we have plenty of first-run scripted summer TV shows to go along with our reality fix. Still, it's amazing how many different "types" of reality shows are being aired this summer on Network TV alone—this is without even touching on the programming cable TV has to offer.

Given the popularity of American Idol, it's not surprising the trend of this summer is ... drum roll, please: TALENT COMPETITIONS.

Returning talent shows range from NBC's Last Comic Standing and CBS's Rock Star: Supernova to FOX's So You Think You Can Dance and Hell's Kitchen (yes, cooking is a talent; my "talent" is ordering take-out food). I am not certain what talents NBC's Fear Factor participants possess (other than the ability to eat disgusting food, which I can only imagine was inspired by Survivor). Yet, this summer's Reality Stars version Fear Factor and the All-Stars version of Big Brother (again, not sure stir-craziness is a talent, but it takes all kinds...) have one thing in common: reality stars who want 15 MORE minutes.

Before touching on the more traditional competitions/reality offerings, I would be remiss not to mention NBC's Treasure Hunters (which is exactly as it sounds); CBS' Tuesday Night Book Club (reading's good), and ABC's How to Get the Guy (which sounds like it would be more appropriate to be in syndication a la Blind Date—I know women who both are and aren't talented at dating).

New competition programming includes ABC's Master of Champions, where anything goes (have you seen the contortionists on the commercials?) and The One: Making a Music Star as well as NBC's America's Got Talent. NBC is also taking applications for Star Tomorrow, an online music talent competition. These appear to me to be all the same show or, at the very least, a variation on the same theme.

So, fellow bloggers, I ask you this: What's your talent? Which would be your reality show? Or has it not been created yet?

Leave a Comment

Posted by Coastbunny

Jun 8, 2006 10:48 AM

Report Abuse

My talent is sitting around all day watching tv and pretty much doing nothing. I think I'd be perfect for Big Brother! Too bad I'm ineligible because I live in Canada. I've got the lounging around doing nothing thing down! Although I would miss my tv.....
Posted by kelly Jun 8, 2006 12:12 PM Report Abuse