Rock Star: INXS

[Tenacious_Peaches]

I find this highly unacceptable.

CBS announced Friday that Rock Star: INXS, Mark Burnett's new American Idol-like reality talent competition series that will find a new lead singer for Australian rock band INXS, will premiere on Monday, July 11 at 10PM ET/PT.

As reported last summer, Rock Star: INXS will feature a format similar to Fox's Idol but, like all Burnett reality shows, will also focus on the contestants' behind-the-scenes interpersonal relationships as well as their weekly onstage performances.

Unlike Idol, Rock Star will not rely entirely on viewer voting to determine its weekly eliminations, opting instead to determine its contestant eliminations via a combination of viewer participation, the show's as-of-yet undisclosed judges, and INXS' current members. The last singer standing will become INXS' new lead singer, embarking on a world concert tour with the band and also becoming part of the group's new album. Additionally, unlike the global Idol format, Rock Star's competition also isn't limited to residents of any one particular country, with the show's early 2005 casting call tour having conducted auditions in twenty cities spread over six continents.

Despite the fact that Rock Star will feature the reunion of Burnett and David Goffin, who spent the last three years as supervising producer of Fox's American Idol after working on Burnett's Eco-Challenge and Combat Missions shows, Goffin (who will serve as one of Rock Star's executive producers) says that the CBS show will fundamentally different than the Fox reality talent competition show.

"It cares about story, character and rock 'n' roll," he told Variety. while also noting that the show has licensed songs from big rock bands like the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, the Killers and R.E.M.

As indicated by the INXS subtitle, if successful, future Rock Star editions can be expected. "[Rock Star] a program that fits with CBS?s philosophy to target and nurture reality shows that have franchise potential that can play a meaningful long-term role on our schedule," stated CBS Entertainment president Nancy Tellem in the network's June 2004 announcement of the series.

Produced by Mark Burnett Productions. Rock Star: INXS will be executive produced by Mark Burnett, David Goffin and INXS managers David Edwards and Michael Murchison, with Conrad Riggs serving as co-executive producer.

[DJ Kat WQAQ98.1]

This is ridiculous... it's one thing to create a crappy band from wanna-bes but to take a pre-existing band and mess with it's harmony and rhythem (even if they need a new member) is a serious mistake. This can only spell disaster.

[katie_sane]

INXS should just retire. They had another lead singer after Michael died, Jon Stevens and it didn't work out so I don't see how this will either.

[DiggsUK]

Didn't they have Terrence Trent-D'erby(?) for a while too?

Regards

[Eggplant]

I don't know about this one either. I've always been an INXS fan so I'll probably watch it. It could turn out to be really cheesy.

I just hope they don't go into this thing trying to find the next Michael Hutchence. Ain't gonna happen!

[Levis]

Oh no no no no no!!

You can't replace lead singers!! Don't they get it?? You can form a new band but to replace a singer is madness! It's death! And through a reality show?? This is a disgrace!