Ugh. Make it stop. Please. A new singing competition from NBC, called The Winner Is, gives singers of all ages the opportunity to compete against each other for a 1 million dollar cash prize. The twist is that, along the way, hopefuls can negotiate a cash out before they are eliminated (or not).
It would be as if an Idol contestant who bombed a performance badly, or felt their number was up for whatever reason– could negotiate a cash settlement prior to the results show. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? The new show adds elements of the most annoying reality/game how formats into the traditional singing competition.
Honestly, I don’t think I have the stomach to cover this one. Sorry.
The victor only wins the cash prize, there are no promises of a record deal or a post-competition singing career. For the best, really.
The judging panel will be led by one “celebrity” judge, to be announced. Oy. I wonder which has-been D-lister will be doing the honors?
NBC can’t win with scripted shows. Not only will we have The Voice twice a year, but it looks like NBC will try to strike gold with other singing competitions as well. The over-kill will ultimately hurt all the singing shows the network attempts to launch, including The Voice.
NBC continues to make stupid decisions.
Read the press release after the jump.
NBC ANNOUNCES ‘THE WINNER IS,’ NEW VOCAL GAME SHOW THAT SPOTLIGHTS TALENTED SINGERS FROM ALL AGES SINGING AND NEGOTIATING TO WIN THE CASH PRIZE OF $1 MILLION
Dueling Contestants to Be Judged by In-Studio Panel; Before Hearing Their Fate, Singers Must Decide to Negotiate a Cash Prize and Step Out of the Competition or Continue the Game
Series Comes from Talpa Media USA, Inc. (NBC’s “The Voice”)
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – May 29, 2012 – NBC has green-lighted “The Winner Is,” a new vocal game show that showcases talented singers of all ages – soloists and groups that include adults, kids, teens, seniors, families and professionals – all of whom will compete in head-to-head singing duels.
The contestants will be judged by a special in-studio panel led by one celebrity judge (to be announced) as they compete for an ultimate cash prize of $1 million. In a unique twist, they will have the chance to negotiate a deal with their opponent. Before hearing their fate the contestants can choose to step out of the competition in exchange for a predetermined cash prize or continue on in the game.
The show comes from Talpa Media USA, Inc. (NBC’s “The Voice”). John de Mol is the executive producer.
The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC.
“We are thrilled to be working with John de Mol, the creator and one of the producers of ‘The Voice,’ on this original singing game show that will feature a broad range of talent, dueling performers and the surprise of in-the-moment negotiations and decisions,” said Telegdy. “Talented singers and the show’s surprising competitive twist, with the possibility of negotiating a deal to step out of the game, will have viewers engaged and entertained.”
The show’s competing singers will be given the chance to become rich in record time. After each singing duel, both opposing performances will be judged. The contestants will then have the option of making a deal. If they have doubts about how they have measured up against their opponent, they can leave the show — in exchange for the instant cash that round is worth. But if they’re confident they performed better than their opponent, they can await the jury results to see if they’ve made it to the next round and a step closer to the $1 million in ultimate prize money.
Singing contestants need to be confident of their own talent but shouldn’t underestimate their opponents. There’s a lot at stake: the amount of money each duel is worth increases with every round, right up until the finale.
In the finale, eight singers will duel and negotiate. They continue to compete until just two amazing singing contestants remain. Then the two finalists must make a crucial decision. After their performance, they each get the chance to walk away with $100,000 — or they can risk losing that huge amount of cash by awaiting the jury vote and the votes from the viewers for the chance to win the $1 million prize.
