Flipping around last night, I caught the last half-dozen or so rounds of the National Spelling Bee on ABC. It was all there in primetime glitz and glory: bright lights, flashy ESPN graphics that show the participants' best finish in previous bees, the lovely Erin Andrews prowling the backstage area, and Tom Bergeron making lame quips during the "play by play."It was quite a slick production. Then I remembered something: They're kids.
I mean, they're under enough pressure as it is, and it's not always from the competition itself (ever see Spellbound, the movie that spurred the bee's popularity? Some of those parents were pretty harsh). Why add to the pressure by having them try to spell these difficult words on live primetime television?
The National Spelling Bee is going to become
primetime entertainment next month when it airs on ABC. For the last 12 years, the final rounds of the contest have
aired on ESPN. But, with recent national interest in the spelling bee, thanks to several movies and a Broadway play,
it's going primetime. Gee, those poor kids are already nervous enough. Imagine trying to spell 'appoggiatura' (last
year's winning word) knowing you're live on ABC!
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