TVSquad

At first, I want to sit here and laugh at the idea that Fremantle Media thinks they can develop a TV series with parkour. It's just people running and jumping across the landscape. How's that a sport? And most of the coolest videos feature the idiots who think they can do it and fail beautifully.

But I also laughed at the idea of bringing poker to television; it's just people sitting around playing cards. The lesson I've learned is that people will watch anything. And parkour is something. And it can look cool when done right, and even cooler when done wrong.

But Fremantle Media (American Idol) is hooking up with Motion, Inc. thinking they can develop league competitions and turn it into a global entertainment brand. Which makes me think of wrestling or The X-Games. Hell, parkour would fit in very well there. I don't deny that it takes an incredible athleticism to perform parkour, but I can't see myself sitting down and enjoying a competition for an hour or more. But then again, I can't watch poker either, so it'll probably be as huge as they think.

It should come as no surprise that behind-the-scenes folks on television (and sometimes even in-front-of-the-scenes folks) are routinely taken advantage of in the entertainment industry (if it can happen at Walmart, it can happen anywhere). However, it seems that some of these employees are fighting back, specifically against FremantleMedia, the producers of American Idol. Fremantle is being accused of not paying overtime, falsifying time cards, and not giving employees the meals and breaks they're supposed to get.

Most of the people that I know who work in the entertainment business (usually at the low end) testify that it sucks. Low wages. Crappy hours. Demeaning work. Why do they do it? The same reason people work at any of the arts for a beggars' wage: either for the sake of the art or to eventually become famous (or both). They start at the bottom and work their way up unless they're lucky enough to be a celebrity offspring.

This sort of attitude leads to people taking advantage and hence this lawsuit. Whatever will Simon Cowell think of this?

Drew Carey and company recently wrapped up shooting Season 36 of The Price is Right -- Drew had pizzas delivered to the studio from his favorite place in Cleveland -- but when the crew comes back to tape Season 37 in a few weeks, they're going to be faced with a number of changes.

The first change is that Roger Dobkowitz, who's been the producer of the show since it started its run, won't be there. According to Golden-Road.net, a TPiR message board, Fremantle Media let Dobkowitz go after Season 36 wrapped up; a replacement has yet to be named.

But there may be other changes afoot, namely with the look and format of the show, whose ratings declined 15% in the first season after Bob Barker's retirement. Rumors are swirling that the changes will include new pricing games and a video wall, all the way up to a rumor -- published on a TVGuide.com fan blog but later pulled -- that the show will be completely overhauled to make it look more like Fremantle's money-making machine, American Idol (or their new money-making machine, Million Dollar Password).

No one will replace Bob Barker as host of The Price is Right. Not the statement you probably had in mind when you read the title of this post, but it is undeniably true. With 35 years and tens of thousands of episodes under his belt, Barker and TPIR became a single entity. And, at least in the short term, his successor would always be compared to Bob, no matter who was chosen to host the mother of all daytime game shows. Heck, the Pope could have been chosen to host and people would say 'Yea, the Pontiff is good, but he isn't Bob.'

With that out of the way I can say that Drew Carey is the right man to take the microphone as host of The Price is Right.

Production rights to a popular Dutch reality program called The Phone were recently secured by FremantleMedia, which means we could be seeing a version of the series here in the states.

The series follows contestants as they traverse a major city to find clues that will lead to a cash prize. They communicate through mobile phones and a helicopter tracks their progress for the home audience. Also, there's an insane Vietnam vet in the helicopter that shoots at the contestants.

Well, most of that last paragraph is true. At any rate, I think it sounds like a pretty cool idea as far as reality shows go. The show is described as a "movie-like experience," and if that's true, I think it could definitely appeal to an American audience.

It's a slow gossip day for Idol, when the only new Idol-related stuff I can find is PR announcement about potato chip marketing. I guess, I should be thankful for the break from the Antonella gossip, if nothing else.

Anyway, Pringles is the latest brand hoping to cash in on American Idol's popularity and powerhouse ratings, by launching a long-term partnership with FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment. As part of their "expansive marketing campaign," Pringles will create limited edition American Idol branded cans, and run American Idol-themed spots on Fox during Idol broadcasts.

American Idol is more than just a reality show that brings in massive ratings for FOX. At the end of each season, it creates a brand-new household name, and bestows the title of American Idol on one very lucky hopeful plucked from virtual obscurity. It is that rich promise of discovery -- of going from nobody to somebody in 19 short weeks -- that makes Idol, well, Idol.

And now, thanks to the success of Idol, there are more opportunities than ever for young singer/songwriters hoping to get their big break. A couple of music competitions have sprung up online and they offer unknown musicians more of what American Idol offers -- exposure, money, and even the possibility of a record contract.