PILOT REVIEW: Karaoke Battle USA

KARAOKE BATTLE USA









Hosted by Joey Fatone
Judges: Joe Levy, Carnie Wilson, Brian Scott

Karaoke Battle USA is a new singing competition show on ABC banished to Fridays in the summer and it's not hard to see why. Everything about this show was over the top. With the dramatic introduction, pauses, etc - it's easy to forget that this for a KARAOKE competition. They want to be like American Idol (the theme and introduction graphics seemed like a carbon copy) but it's hard to take it seriously. Host Joey Fatone is about what you would expect him to be while the judges were over the top in theatrics even though Carnie Wilson had her moments. Previous karaoke winner Brian Scott couldn't stop mentioning his championship and experience while Joe Levy acted as if this was the most important competition in the world.

There was a part of me that almost felt sad for the contestants. Here we are in a poor man's version of American Idol and yet they are acting like this is the biggest thing in the world for them. Once again, has everyone forgotten that this is a karaoke competition? I knew we were in for a bad show when the first contestant dedicated his over the top Cher performance to "America." NBC found a show that actually challenges American Idol in quality with The Voice earlier this year. Karaoke Battle USA is the umpteenth weak imitation of FOX's flagship show. Good thing it's banished to Friday nights in the summer.