Posts tagged America’s Got Talent
NETWORK SCORECARD: NBC
Dec 27th
Time for another end of year Network Scorecard – and it’s the turn of NBC. Oh boy where do we start with this one!
WHAT’S WORKING:
THE VOICE: In a year in which pretty much EVERY new NBC series flopped, we should at least cheer the one new show that did do well for the Peacock network.
Many – myself included – thought The Voice would be a big old flop for NBC, but the combination of a neat twist (those swiveling chairs) and big name judges proved that American Idol doesn’t have the monopoly when it comes to music competition series. The Voice launched with almost 12 million viewers and peaked a few weeks later at over 14 million – beating the far more hyped X Factor and scoring a massive hit single for judges Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera. Season 2 returns in February, launching in the key post-Superbowl slot – essentially guaranteeing record audiences.
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – The 2011 Final
Sep 14th
Here we are – after endless auditions, Howie vs Piers bickering, Nick Cannon’s good-natured hamminess and a whole lot of hyperbole – the America’s Got Talent finale is upon us!
As you doubtless know, 4 acts remain: lounge singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr, glow in the dark dance act Team illuminate, teen pop group PopLyfe and shadow dance act Silhouettes. But who will the million dollar prize and a ‘headlining slot’ at Vegas?
Here’s how I think the final four will pan out…
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – The 2011 Top 10
Sep 7th
It’s a sure sign that summer is officially over when the America’s Got Talent final swings around… but am I the only one who felt this year’s Top 10 was distinctly underwhelming.
Last night I sat with my notepad, marking crosses every time an act failed to impress on the AGT stage. And by the end of the horribly padded 2-hour show I had a heck of a lot of crosses! It wasn’t that everyone was awful – none of the final 10 acts exactly crashed and burned. It’s just that with a million dollars at stake am I the only person thinking ‘is this it?’ And those three words could sum up the whole of Season 6 really, no matter how much spin Piers Morgan would like to put on this year’s line up…
So who will make the Americas’s Got Talent final? Remember only four acts can make it through… (more…)
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – The Semi Finals Part 2
Aug 31st
12 performers, 5 slots. Who will complete the lineup for this year’s America’s Got Talent finals?
Whereas last week’s Semi Finals installment – heralded as the best ever by Piers Morgan – was fairly easy to predict, this week’s choices are a lot tougher. The fact is every act last night by and large delivered with some minor slip-ups but no total disasters. Put it this way, there were no Russian Bar Trio singing badly on an upside down piano…
So who goes and who stays? Perhaps this week it’s easiest to run through the acts most likely to head home first…
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – The Wild Card Show
Aug 17th
Are we at the Semi Finals yet?
Nope, in typical America’s Got Talent style it was another Quarter Finals show last night, as 12 eliminated contestants returned for the series’ usual Wild Card Show. Meaning that once again it’s taken 6 weeks to go from 48 contestants down to 24! And I thought The Killing was slow…!
So did last night’s acts deserves a second shot. Hmm, by and large no to be honest. It wasn’t that many of the performers were bad – they just didn’t get through first time around for a reason. It doesn’t matter how many times you try and get America to like an act like The Fiddleheads who clearly don’t have their act together and aren’t ready for the spotlight yet. It ain’t gonna happen!
In terms of picking a Top 4 to progress through this week – it’s a little tricky as there are a lot of acts all grouped together in the middle that could feasibly make it through. But once again my top choice is going to be the Summerwind Skippers – an act that I was stunned didn’t make it through first time around. The Skippers upped the ante with an element of danger (albeit mild) More >
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – The YouTube Special
Aug 10th
Hmm, maybe the idea of a YouTube inspired episode of America’s Got Talent isn’t such a great idea after all?
You may remember that this time last year AGT struck gold via classical child singer Jackie Evancho – one of only two breakout stars in the show’s five-year history. But unfortunately, this time around, lightning didn’t strike twice and I found myself sitting through the whole of last night’s show wanting and waiting to be wowed – and being disappointed time and time again.
Personally I find the whole concept of the YouTube special a bit unfair in the first place. While the rest of the show’s contenders have to slog through audition after audition, the YouTubers get a straight pass to the quarterfinals. As Piers said to singer Kevin Colis, ‘you could be just two songs away from a million dollars’. That doesn’t strike me as right…
Anyway, griping aside, who will be the four acts going through to the final 24 (yep, Nick revealed last night that there is another Wild Card show next week – they better bring back the Summerwind Skippers!). Well like last week I’m struggling to come up with four worthy winners again – but based on More >
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – Viva Las Vegas!
Jul 6th
Phew – there sure was a lot of America’s Got Talent to wade through last night!
Yep for those of us tuning in and expecting to go straight to Vegas, instead we had to sit through one final audition show, this time from Los Angeles.
Was it worth the effort? Not really, no! There was little from the LA auditions that couldn’t have been fitted into an episode from earlier in the season. But hey, 3 hours of America’s Got Talent is good news for NBC!
In terms of highlights – Chicago’s Ultimate Tumblers put on a great show and also scored a major OMG moment when their act went awry and one of their young female members was sent crashing to the ground following a midair collision. But the guys recovered fast – earning the goodwill of the judges and the audience – and were sent through to Vegas.
Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – Minneapolis Makes Good!
Jun 30th
And then there were none!
Yes – we’re at that point again folks – the America’s Got Talent open audition are over for another year – and after a few highs, and a lot of lows, last night’s Minneapolis based installment at least gave us a few more legitimate contenders for that million dollar payout.
First up there was Fatally Unique, another in the endless procession of fast paced dance troupes who every year seem to mistake AGT for ABDC! To be fair though we’ve actually seen a lot less of these kind of acts this year and Unique were pretty good – and certainly deserving of a Vegas pass. Sure there was the usual against all odds back story (no space to rehearse) but on stage the guys and girls were full of energy, confidence, a tight routine and some inventive touches. The act didn’t wow me as some troupes have in seasons past but overall, Fatally Unique were definitely solid.
More jaw dropping for me was Ian Johnson, a 16-year-old yo-yo act whose skills were pretty darn incredible. Ian didn’t receive a huge amount of screen time but certainly made an impression and of course is off to Vegas. The big question More >
