The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, June 22, 2012 2 coverstory By Kyla Brewer TV Media R take celebrities long to get in on the act. While some per- formers initially shunned the genre, others embraced it with reality TV shows of their own such as "The Os- bournes," featuring Ozzy, Sharon and their brood, and "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessi- ca," highlighting the short- lived marriage between su- perstar sweethearts Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. "The Celebrity Apprentice" began life as simply "The Ap- prentice" before morphing into the current star-studded adaptation. There has even been talk of creating a celeb- rity version of CBS's mega-hit "Survivor," though nothing has materialized yet. In 1998, Kate Hudson and then-husband Chris Robinson were rejected as prospective participants on the show over legal concerns, but in Febru- ary 2011, "Survivor" host Jeff Probst has encouraged talk show host Jimmy Fallon to throw his name in the hat for a potential celeb version. While fans may have to eality TV has been heat- ing up prime time for a while now, and it didn't Love is blind Stars seek romance in Fox's 'The Choice' Joe Jonas as seen in "The Choice" ciously familiar. A Fox news release for the series blatantly compares it to NBC's musical reality series "The Voice," in which celebrity mentors sit with their backs to audition- ers who are competing for a recording contract. If the mentors like what they hear, they swivel their chairs around to face the singers, at which point the real competi- tion begins. "Four celebrities. Blind au- wait to see their favorite ce- lebrities outwit, outlast and outplay, viewers can see what happens when stars search for romance in "The Choice," airing Thursdays on Fox. Cat Deeley hosts this new reality romance show, which offers famous bachelors and bache- lorettes the chance to hook up with eligible singles. In the show, the celebs ini- tially learn about their poten- tial mates while facing away from the stage in high-backed chairs that don't allow them to see those vying for their af- fection. The premise seems suspi- ditions. Spinning chairs. But it's not what you think ... " teased the Fox release for "The Choice." This isn't the first time Fox has mirrored a successful show on another network. In fact, Fox execu- tive Mike Darnell — the man behind bringing "The Choice" to Fox — also had a hand in such copycats as "Trading Spouses," to counter ABC's "Wife Swap," and the mimic boxing series "The Next Great Champ," which took on NBC's similarly themed "The Contender." The network also aired "Nanny 911" in compe- tition with ABC's "Supernan- ny," though the Fox series didn't prove nearly as popu- lar. While it's interesting to test the theory that love is blind, the real draw of the series is undoubtedly the celebrities who've signed up. Any star- centric reality TV series worth its salt has to have a few big names, and "The Choice" doesn't disappoint with fig- ures from music, TV, sports and even a superstar doctor. The bulk of the celebrities are male. Former Man of Steel Dean Cain, who rose to fame as Clark Kent and Superman in the ABC series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" in the '90s, leads the list along with superstar model Tyson Beckford. Fellow entertainment industry per- sonalities include soap opera star Jason Cook from "Gener- al Hospital," actor Parker Young of "Suburgatory," "Jer- sey Shore's" DJ Pauly D and Mike "The Situation" Sorren- tino, radio personality Mike Catherwood and pop star Joe Jonas. Reality TV star Rob Kar- dashian and Season 5 "Ameri- can Idol" winner Taylor Hicks also look for love on the se- ries, as do comedian Finesse Mitchell and music prodigy Romeo. "The Choice" also boasts a bevy of male athletes, includ- ing world champion skier and former NFL player Jeremy Bloom, NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski, Olympic gold medal taekwondo champ Steven López, former NFL all- star Warren Sapp, 2010 NFL rookie of the year Ndamu- kong Suh, and snowboarding star Seth Wescott. Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and the aforemen- tioned superstar doctor, Dr. Robert Nettles, round out the men. As for the bachelorettes, "The Choice" is expected to be one of the hottest dating shows of the summer. As each episode begins, the celebrities will not be able to see the singles vying for their affection. Instead, they'll be seated in special rotating chairs facing away from the contestants as they ask the suitors about themselves, their passions and their turn- ons. If the celebrities like what they hear, they pull a "love handle" to spin the chair around. If more than one star turns around to face the sin- gle, the power shifts and the potential mate gets to choose between the celebs. Each famous participant picks three people out of the dating pool before the com- petition moves on to Phase 2. In this "speed choice" round, the singles seeking famous dates have just seconds to make an impression on the celebrities. One person is eliminated and then Deeley poses a question to each of the two remaining finalists in the third and deciding phase of the competition. The star chooses one person, who's whisked away on a dream date in the hopes of making a romantic connection. the most notable is former "Baywatch" babe and origi- nal Pussycat Doll Carmen Electra. She is joined by 2010 Playmate of the Year Hope Dworaczyk, Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih, and singer and model Sophie Monk. With such a roster of stars, Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media back. Eric McCormack, best known now as Will on the long- running NBC sitcom "Will & Grace," is currently appearing in the Broadway hit "Gore Vidal's The Best Man." The play gives him the opportunity to play a bad guy -- something he was known for before his "Will & Grace" fame -- however, he'll be returning to the good side, and to television, this summer. He'll be starring in the TNT crime-procedural "Percep- Q: Where's Will of "Will & Grace?" A: He's on Broadway, but don't worry -- he's on his way Press. "I like playing a character every day. I like having something to go back to. I always enjoyed that with 'Will & Grace.'" This is his second try at a TNT series. In 2009, he starred alongside Tom Cavanagh (star of the NBC dramedy "Ed") in the short-lived ad-agency drama "Trust Me." Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. tion," slated to premiere in July. He plays a neuroscience professor recruited by an FBI agent (played by former teen star Rachael Leigh Cook) to help solve a murder. Things get more complicated, however, when it's revealed that McCor- mack's character suffers from schizophrenic hallucinations. He's filmed the first 10 episodes of the series already, but McCormack is hoping for a full-time return to TV. "I miss it," he said in an interview with the Associated A/Krazy Tom's 2 x 3