Caught some of America's Got Talent last night.

I will never complain about Britain's Got Talent again.

It was a parade of weirdos, including a deluded overweight Elvis, topped by a stroppy tantrum from Sharon Ozborne. The slight glimmer of hope came from a blonde girl singer with her own original songs. Then came a guy with a saxophone who was very freaky but extremely talented.

Overall, it was embarrassing. At least the Gong Show was designed to showcase crap acts. Both of the Got Talents copy some of the Gong Show format with their use of buzzers, but they fail to properly grasp the concept.

TV needs a genuine talent contest which filters out the ridiculous and embarrassing at a much earlier stage and doesn't become a mini soap opera involving the judges.

TV needs a genuine talent contest which filters out the ridiculous and embarrassing at a much earlier stage and doesn't become a mini soap opera involving the judges.


But for the audience, the "ridiculous and embarrassing" moments are much more fun to watch than anything more serious.

These kind of shows are "mini soap operas", with the judges as the main stars.

That's the whole point.

I know that's the whole point of these shows, and so long as there's an audience for tacky trash they'll continue to be broadcast. What I'm saying is I'd like to see a real talent contest. At present there is no showcase for the genuinely talented without them having to rub shoulders with the ridiculously untalented.

I loved The Gong Show, which provided the original template for the 'Got Talent' shows. I also liked New Faces and Opportunity Knocks which were less gimmicky. There was a place for both types of show. Unfortunately we now only have a low grade mixture of the two.

I think there is an audience for a more serious talent show. (Serious as in genuine, not as in solemn.)

Actually Dominic, in your original post on this thread their is a cracking idea which occurred to me which would wonderfully ridicule this whole TV talent show idea.
"Britains` Worst Band!"

What a corker this would be.
From the obscure and simply awful,of course, which would then attract the bands trying to pretend to be awful to win the prize, by the time of whence that happens, we could all go back to normal TV again.

Yes indeed, one of my daft ideas but ,oh dear, it might just work.

Oooh! And don`t forget the lyrics....

( all this, in a mad world in which I actually viewed a female Meat Loaf impersonator last night, we are of course , all doomed...!)

Mart wrote:
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( all this, in a mad world in which I actually viewed a female Meat Loaf impersonator last night, we are of course , all doomed...!)