 "Photo: Photo courtesy of FOX Television")
In the '70s, Japan gave us karaoke and people everywhere sacrificed their dignity in the name of entertainment.
Almost four decades later, two American television networks have flipped the idea of karaoke on its head, challenging singers to recall lyrics rather than tunes. Perhaps this is a way to restore all that lost dignity?
NBC and FOX first aired their "reverse karaoke" shows this summer. NBC's "The Singing Bee" premiered July 10, beating FOX's "Don't Forget the Lyrics!," which premiered July 11 , by one day. The summer release date of "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" prompted NBC to move the premiere of "The Singing Bee" from fall 2007 to early July.
"Don't Forget the Lyrics!" is broadcast Wednesdays and Thursdays, and "The Singing Bee" is set to return Tuesday, September 4. For those who don't want to spend half their week learning popular songs' obscure lyrics, a choice must be made - FOX or NBC.
The most recognizable difference? The hosts. Wayne Brady leads "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" and Joey Fatone hosts "The Singing Bee."
The surface similarities are striking. Both attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla. Both were featured on ABC shows - Fatone, the former 'N Sync boy-bander, recently placed second on "Dancing With the Stars," and Brady is best known for "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and "The Wayne Brady Show" - and both are known for their slightly-more-than-mediocre singing. Now, they both host competing karaoke shows.
Brady, as a comedian, is more animated throughout the competition. He has said with enthusiasm, "Whether it's a computer failure, whether the contestant wins $25,000 and faints … whether someone's giving birth in the second row, I think I'm ready."
Fatone lacks Brady's energy. In an interview, Fatone unconvincingly said, in a deadpan voice, "I think it's just going to be a very exciting show." Brady sprinkles his show with funny jokes; Fatone's are lame. Brady wins the hosting category by a mile.
And although the two shows operate on the same premise, they take on different formats. "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" challenges one contestant to fill in the missing lyrics for 10 songs, creating a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" feel.
"The Singing Bee," on the other hand, allows multiple contestants to play a variety of games which are selected at random, somewhat similar to the game show "Wheel of Fortune." "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" has the potential to be riveting at its best, but "The Singing Bee's" format is more consistently entertaining.
Of course, no game show would be worth watching without prizes. A contestant can win a million dollars on "Don't Forget the Lyrics," but with much difficulty. "The Singing Bee's" top prize is half that, at $500,000, but is easier to win. In the end, the cash paid to contestants is probably about the same; however, the FOX show's million-dollar prize has the potential to create more suspense.
Both shows are based on karaoke, but neither places any importance on the quality of the singing. Far from being a setback, this disregard for musical talent adds a whole new element of entertainment. Perhaps the two karaoke shows are taking a cue from "American Idol's" hugely popular audition shows, which are wrought with terrible singing.
When it comes down to it, what the networks really care about is ratings. So which show did the American public decide was more entertaining? The first week it premiered, "The Singing Bee" was the most watched show. "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" just missed the top ten, ending up the week's 11thmost-watched show. Five weeks later, "The Singing Bee" finished at number six, while "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" rose one spot to number 10. In the ratings battle, "The Singing Bee" has consistently won the competition between the two karaoke shows.
Overall, "The Singing Bee" seems to have pulled ahead as the winner. Still, both competitors consistently provide fun, mindless entertainment for TV viewers.
And as Wayne Brady said, "Everyone either sings karaoke, or knows someone that sings karaoke, or loves to make fun of the people that sing karaoke." Regardless of their differences, "The Singing Bee" and "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" both play into this odd, and, if you believe Brady, innate human characteristic.
