Karaoke competition

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jun 29, 2007 | by Scott D. Pierce Deseret Morning News

Joey Fatone -- one-time member of 'N Sync and "Dancing With the Stars" contestant -- has been hired to host the new NBC series "The Singing Bee." But the real news here is not so much who as when.

The show, which was originally slated to premiere in the fall, will instead debut on Tuesday, July 10. And that's because of the folks at Fox.

"The Singing Bee," announced by NBC back in May, is a karaoke- style competition, only without any help from printed lyrics. Accompanied by a house band, contestants have to accurately sing the lyrics to popular songs. If you make a mistake -- even one word off - - you're out.

Which brings us to Fox, which, coincidentally (?), has a little show it's calling "Don't Forget the Lyrics." It's a karaoke-style competition in which contestants sing along with a house band while reading the lyrics off a video screen -- but then the lyrics disappear and the music stops and they have to keep singing.

Make a mistake and you're out. Get the lyrics to 10 songs in a row correct and you win a million dollars.

Wherever did they get the idea for this show, which will be hosted by Wayne Brady.

Those little devils at Fox scheduled the debut of "Don't Forget the Lyrics" for Wednesday, July 11. Which is why NBC moved the debut of "The Singing Bee" to Tuesday, July 10.

Maybe somebody should do a reality show about two major broadcast television networks doing battle with dueling karaoke shows.

NOT COMING UP ROSIE: Rosie O'Donnell has taken herself out of the running to replace Bob Barker as host of "The Price Is Right." She didn't want to relocate her family from the East to the West Coast; CBS didn't want to relocate the show from the West to the East Coast.

So ... there's still no announcement on a new host.

An e-mailer made a suggestion that hasn't come up in any of the news that's leaked from CBS. How about Donny Osmond, who did a good job hosting "Pyramid"? (We'll try to forget his prime-time hosting gig on ABC's "The Great American Dream Vote," which was canceled less than 48 hours after it premiered.)

PETA HAS NAMED "Tonight Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks and "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood "the world's sexiest vegetarians."

Really. I am not making this up.

RICHARD BELZER, the actor/comedian who plays Detective John Munch on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," has signed a contract to write two mystery books that will will feature, um, Richard Belzer as the main character.

In the books, Richard Belzer will be an actor/comedian/TV star who finds himself caught up in real-life mysteries.

Really. I am not making this up.

E-mail: pierce@desnews.com