‘Rising Star’ premiere preview: Check out some of the first contenders
ABC really wants you to watch their new series “Rising Star,” to the point where they have even come up with a unique way to get people in the Mountain Time Zone to see it live at 7:00 p.m., when they would typically have to wait a little later. Basically, everyone but those on the West Coast are going to get an opportunity to really see how this crazy experiment works.
But will this translate into a hit show? We’re very interested in this age of singing competitions dying a slow death. We should point out that this format is successful elsewhere, and former “American Idol” exec Ken Warwick is also involved. There are pieces here that make you think there is a good blueprint for a successful show, and the question now is whether or not the stars are going to align to the point where hope becomes reality.
For those who don’t know the premise, here is how the series will work:
- An act, whether it be a solo artist or a duo / group, will come out and start performing behind a wall.
- Using means set up by ABC, fans vote in real time to decide if this singer is worthy of advancing. If they make it past a certain threshold (which the West Coast can contribute to after the fact), they will move on to the next round.
- There are “judges” there in Brad Paisley, Kesha, and Ludacris, but we don’t fully understand their purpose in all this yet.
One other reason we feel like this show has a chance? Josh Groban is the host, and he’s amazing.
We’ll be covering this the rest of the season, largely out of curiosity to see if this turns out to be either a smashing success, or a dud that virtually nobody remembers.
What’s your expectation for “Rising Star” tomorrow? Share below, and head over here to get some more TV updates worth singing about via our CarterMatt Newsletter.
Photo: ABC