‘Let It Shine’ episode 2 preview: Lee Stinchcombe’s Gary Barlow impression and more
Last week, the BBC formally debuted a new series in “Let It Shine” that creatively felt like a mixed bag. The great thing about it was largely that it was a fresh take on what’s becoming an outdated genre. It’s nice to know specifically what the contestants are working for, and we get the sense that these people in particular are looking to put in the work more than fine instant stardom. After all, that’s what this show is meant to do: Get you in a position where you can have a career in music.
On the downside, one of the things we’re most concerned about is variance, given that you’ve got an entire pool of contestants that are all men of a certain age demographic trying to take part in a boy-band musical performance inspired by Take That. Aren’t all of these contestants going to eventually blend together? You’d think so.
After watching the preview below, one thing that we do get a sense of is that there’s one guy who will not be forgotten, mostly because of his attempt at a Gary Barlow impression. That man is Lee Stinchcombe, who definitely has a certain familiarity with Gary already. He is a part of a group called Just Take That, who are a tribute to the group’s music. We’ve actually seen some tribute act performers do fairly well on other shows, so we do think that anything is possible here. The test for Lee will be giving us a better sense of his own music and personality beyond just being Gary or anyone else within that group.
This episode is going to be a tremendous test for the show’s longevity. While it did manage to defeat the premiere of “The Voice UK” in the ratings, it does still have that challenge of trying to keep the majority of those viewers around for the remainder of the run. There is nothing ensured there in terms of whether or not they’ll stick around; for now, all we have to do is hope that this stays fun and that people stay watching.
Are you still planning to watch “Let It Shine” for a while? Share below, and head over here to read our review now of the first episode! (Photo: BBC.)