Keanu Reeves has his Dogstar, Russell Crowe used to have his 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. The list of people who are famous for other things and dabble in music is not a short one.
Now, on the heels of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and its own “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” NBC is hoping that some of those folks will want to do their dabbling in front of a camera.
The network has ordered a show with the unwieldy but explanatory title of “I’m a Celebrity but I Want to Be a Pop Star.” The series, which at the moment has no premiere date, host or set format, will feature celebs from the worlds of movies, television and sports taking part in a singing contest, with winners determined by some sort of audience vote.
“Everyone secretly wants to get on stage and become a pop star – and celebrities are no different,” insists Craig Plestis, who oversees alternative programming for NBC. “This new series will allow viewers to see who’s really entitled to live out that dream.”
“I Want to Be a Pop Star” comes from Granada America, which imported Britain’s “Hit Me Baby” to the United States, where it’s performed well enough to earn additional episodes beyond NBC’s original order of three. The company’s CEO, Paul Jackson, says he’s “so pleased that these big music extravaganza shows, which have long been a staple in the U.K. market, are now being embraced in America.”
Jackson and Curt Northrup (“Celebrity Fit Club”) will executive produce “I Want to Be a Pop Star.”
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