America’s Got Talent Returns!

I can’t believe I’m really looking forward to a reality show! And that’s partly because I would be the last person to extol the virtues of reality TV. No disrespect meant to viewers who enjoy them, but I am certainly not within that group. I admit to having been madly in love with American Idol at one time, but the love affair ended somewhere during the fourth season and now it is simply an occasional acquaintance. I prefer to tune in more for all those hilariously entertaining bad auditions than for the real singers, who will no doubt go on to stardom and whom I will be hearing anyways, like it or not.

But there IS something different about America’s Got Talent. I am fascinated by the wide range of people appearing – from the very young to the very old. Not just fascinated, but often inspired, touched, and awed. I am equally amazed that truly talented people have a fair chance at winning (a whopping One Million Dollars!!) without having to be the next hot, teen, pop-singing sensation. Besides, there’s already a show for them anyways! The fact that the person who wins can be the underdog, the unique, the unexpected, has been proven so far by the previous winners: an 11-year old singer, a ventriloquist, and an opera singer. Not to mention other finalists which have included cloggers, yodelers, impersonators, acrobats, musicians, and even a rappin’ Granny! Now that’s the kind of variety worth devoting a couple of hours to!

I must also admit that I got Boyle fever just like the rest of the world. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know I’m referring to Susan Boyle. I was just as guilty as the rest of you at judging that book; just as amazed when the first notes were sang; just as inspired by her tenacity and talent. Across the pond, on Britain’s Got Talent, I was surprised but pleased to hear that the dance troupe Diversity won the final prize. It proved that even the underdog still has a chance, despite all bets being against them, and I do not feel bad that Boyle came in second. After all, she has already reached stardom and can continue to capitalize upon it.

What I AM ready for now is the American version of Susan Boyle… or Diversity… or ballerina Holly. I want America to prove that it has just as much Talent as its European counterpart. I want to be astounded by the variety and I want to cheer on the next unlikely underdog who will get a chance to make their dreams come true.

The same panel of judges will return: Piers Morgan (who does double duty on the British version), Sharon Osbourne, and David Hasselhoff. In the hosting seat, Jerry Springer has been replaced by Nick Cannon (aka Mr. Mariah Carey), while Simon Cowell stays behind the camera as producer rather than judge. But would it kill them to at least be grammatically correct and say America Has Talent? I guess we can’t have everything!

America’s Got Talent will return for its fourth season on NBC with a 2-hour premiere on Tuesday, June 23, starting at 9:00 pm. Another installment will follow on Wednesday at 9:00 pm.

http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/