America's Got Talent -- But Not on NBC

Posted Jun 22nd 2006 11:29AM by TMZ Staff

David Hasselhoff and Brandy serve as judges on NBC's This...is...not...."American Idol."

That would have to be the conclusion reached by most viewers of last night's premiere of "America's Got Talent" on NBC, the latest competitive confection from Simon Cowell and his "Idol" partners at FremantleMedia.

Even with the influence of two men – Cowell as executive producer and Regis Philbin as host – who helped make "Idol" and "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" respectively the two biggest summertime TV sensations in history, the show was frequently painful to watch, and not just because the "talents" on stage – among them a  rapping granny and a man breakdancing in a giant puffy cow suit shooting milk out of the udders – seemed to be as much working out issues as doing their routines.



As for the judges, they hewed closely to the now-ubiquitous panel formula of Nice Judge-Fawning Female Judge-Mean Judge With English Accent. But the team of European megastar David Hasselhoff, pop diva Brandy, and Brit journalist Piers Morgan had nothing resembling chemistry, though the same could've been said of Randy, Paula, and Simon in the initial stages of "Idol." Still, Brandy's sympathy seemed deeply forced, Morgan's sniping was appropriately dry but almost too so, and Hasselhoff was just plastic and weird, often struggling to find the right response to the performers.

Regis, for his part, appeared uncharacteristically ill at ease with the show, not knowing whether to ridicule the contestants or the judges.

Filed under: TV, American Idol

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1. What a dissapointment this show was !!! I watched the full hour but what a waste of time. I think David Hasselhoff is genuinely pathetic, he could hardly even speak only to scream in Brandy's ear. Speaking of Brandy, what the heck??? She looked like she didn't know who or where she was. The show is utterly ridiculous especially with everybody reaching over and slamming each others button. The talent was so-so...NBC get rid of this disaster quickly...it's a giant mess! BTW did Regis find his way home...enough with Regis already..geez

Posted at 12:25PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by Gigs

2. Show was simply pathetic. I watched less than 10 minutes of the show and was realy turned off. The judges have to much to live up for with the sucess of American Idol. I do not see this show lasting much more than a few more weeks TOPS.

Posted at 12:34PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by Rick

3. LOVED the snapping guy, but the show was too similar to the format in Idol. Though Hasselhoff was cute (I know, don't laugh), the British guy tried too hard to be like Simon, and Brandy sucked. I tried to watch the full hour, but the Democratic Senators panel on Larry King was way better. America's Got Talent could have been a hit, but it was seemed too staged and, again, too simialr to the Idol format.

Posted at 12:43PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by robyn

4. Ah yeah, I'd have to agree with the first post. This was NOT was I expected, especially with all the hype weeks prior to last night. All I can say is THANK GOD for TIVO and the fast forward button!!!! I even found myself skipping past their comments around the middle of the show. I got to a point where I couldn't have cared less what they had to say. And as far as the pushing of each other's buttons....that was just dumb! Half the time they didn't even give the people 10 seconds to do their thing. I think NBC was trying a bit too hard to be a modern version of "The Gong Show" from the 70's. I give this show 1 star. (and that's being nice)

Posted at 1:04PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by Robin

5. A COMPLETE AND ABSOLUTE DISASTER !!!!!

Posted at 1:06PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by geraldocat

6. What a huge mistake for NBC. It's hopelessly amateurish and cheesy. If it was just about actual talent, that would be one thing. But this crap with the supposedly "wacky" bad acts was something straight out of "The Gong Show." I kept waiting for Jaye P. Morgan and Jamie Farr to creep around with big mallets.

Posted at 1:13PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by jaykaydee

7. The show had actually made me laugh quite some bit, but it seemed a little too llong and the judges were juss goofing off and had no clue how to see whats true talent or not... so I don't know if this show will last but if the judges be more aware of their actions then maybe the show might just work.

Posted at 1:31PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by ThaiLee

8. to me, yes the show was not what it was cracked up to be. I can't believe half of the people Brandi and David put through. That other guy must have been wondering how he got into this mess in the first place-oh yeah...the money. but considering the options out there, night time is my time to veg out on mindless entertainment because that's what I choose and it was entertaining enough although 2 hours-too long.

Posted at 1:42PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by alcorr

9. Simon Cowell is a very talented guy with great taste - though you would never know it from watching this crap

Posted at 1:43PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by Bob Robe

10. I find it very insulting that NBC would pass this off as entertainment. The show was garbage on all levels. After about 30 minutes I wanted to shove a fork in my eyes as punishment for witnessing such a travesty. My biggest problem is that everything seemed carbon copied. The platform, the judges, and the acts. NBC remember this, if you put a pig in a dress the only thing you will have is a well dresses pig.

Posted at 1:48PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by NEBred

11. This show was horrific....truly an insult to our intelligence. What with the majority of contestants .....and this pathetic panel of judges....the show should have been called "America Has Lost It's Mind ." Simon .....I think you're terrific on "Idol"....but...with this one....well...don't quit your day job..........

Posted at 2:55PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by Ellen Grossman

12. The show was a two hour train wreck. There were a few bright spots with Kevin Johnson, At Last, and Alexis Jordan.

However the full 27 acts that apeared where weak at most. The judges were terrible, the producers even let a "Stripper" appear while children were in the audience and children acts were waiting to perform. Just plane Weak.

Posted at 4:29PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by America's Got Talent Fan

13. This show is an absolute disaster!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WATCHING THIS PATEHETIC EXCUSE FOR TELEVISION!!! What is up with the 75 year-old stripper getting the OK?!! And what was up with David H. digging him so much? This is a hopelessly plastic, utterly misguided program. The stuff that was passing for "talent" last night was way below average, if not just a plain joke. Sadly, there were a few genuine talents who performed, the Rapping Granny not being one of them (or the girl who thinks that ripping on bodily characteristics of "her people" passes a comedy), who were passed over because the judges seemed pathetically confused as to what really passes as talent. For the dignity of these very few talents, NBC, NEVER show another episode again!!

Posted at 4:42PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by WBM

14. I was not surprised at all that this show was a disaster!! I agree with previous poster that this was simiar to "The Gong Show"... however... I wondered about all of the people they listed at the end who had made it through to the next round as we sat there and watched what we did last night!! Although who knows how bad those acts were!! How did they pass thru that first juggler who kept dropping things and then David Hasselhoff asked the audience if they were watching the same show as he was when he wanted to vote off the juggler that actually was entertaining!! Then the judges kept making comments about how they couldn't pass everyone thru and that they were looking for "real talent" - does anyone question the 60+ year old stripper??? What the heck was that???

To make things more confusing... 2 of the 3 judges would hit their buzzers and then change their mind and pass the people thru!!! I believe there were several times that all three hit their buzzer and then passed the person thru!! What was even more irritating was that each judge had their own buzzer; however, it seemed fine for them to push which ever buzzer they wanted to!! I thought that's why there were 3 judges!!!

I enjoyed the guy with his dogs and actually laughed when the "shark" dog came out... but my favorite was the guy who had the 2 bird puppets and did the whole "voice not matching" routine!! I actually watched that again!!

My final comment because I could just go on and on... is why all of the wasted time for Regis to call the people out of the audience?? That was stupid and a waste of time...

I'm happy I TiVo'd it so I could fast forward and will make sure I don't TiVo it again.

Posted at 4:49PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by DBH

15. I was so looking forward to watching this show. I love American Idol, I love Simon Cowell, and I love Regis... how could it lose? I was really dissappointed. Most of the acts were mediocre, at best. Regis seemed to be looking perplexed and lost most of the time. The judges were the worst part of the show. Whose idea was it to allow them to beep each other's buzzers? Perhaps I am compairing them to the "idol" three, but this trio seemed to have no chemistry at all. It was as if three strangers sat down to judge the competition. I will watch again, and hope it gets better. Simon, if you are reading this...do something..QUICK!

Posted at 4:51PM on Jun 22nd 2006 by Debbie

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