TV: New Sensation

Josh Bell

Thursday, July 14, 2005 | midnight

It's a cliché to say that reality TV can't sink any lower, but the truth is that it always can. Reality overlord Mark Burnett, whose creations include the behemoths Survivor and The Apprentice (as well as non-behemoths like The Restaurant and The Contender), now brings the latest in crass TV opportunism with Rock Star: INXS, in which 15 hopeful singers compete to replace the late Michael Hutchence as lead vocalist for '80s band INXS.

It's hard to get past the idea that Hutchence, a charismatic but troubled singer and co-writer of some of the biggest hits of the decade ("Need You Tonight," "New Sensation," "Devil Inside"), is going to be in any way replaced by someone chosen from among contestants on a TV show. Although Hutchence was no Jimi Hendrix or Kurt Cobain, he was for a time a huge star and certainly not without genuine artistic talent. His death, ruled a suicide but occurring under mysterious circumstances, was a tragedy no matter what its cause.

Rock Star starts by acknowledging Hutchence's contributions to the band, but the praises only make the surviving band members seem more callous in their quest to replace him. Even aside from the ethical issues, Rock Star has some serious conceptual problems. As a sort of rock version of American Idol, it has potential: The 15 contestants are almost all great singers with plenty of charisma (many of them have extensive professional backgrounds) and watching them perform is mostly enjoyable. But the show's winner is not going to get to launch his or her own musical career, as on American Idol. Even though AI producers pick the music for their winners' albums, the styles are tailored to each individual's strengths. No matter what, Rock Star's winner will be stuck singing INXS songs.

Anyone who's ever been in a band also knows that choosing a new member (whether a singer or drummer) is as much about personal chemistry as it is about musical talent. The INXS members spend barely any time on the show, leaving most of the interaction to hosts Brooke Burke and Dave Navarro (who really ought to be better than this). As judges, their comments are bland to the point of meaninglessness, and lack any of the bite of Simon Cowell (of course, Cowell doesn't have to be in a band with the AI winner).

Rock Star is airing on CBS three times a week (CBS, Mondays, 9:30 p.m., Tuesdays, 10 p.m., Wednesdays, 9:30 p.m.), probably more than necessary. One of the weekly installments follows the cast as they live together in a house, but since the competition doesn't lend itself to backstabbing or sabotage, it's unlikely this will be terribly interesting to watch. Burnett is talented enough that the show's package is slick and watchable, and he's successfully created an "event" aura, but the concept has too many flaws to sustain itself.

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Another week, another Vegas-based reality show. Actually, two: Both Inked (A&E, Wednesdays, 9 p.m.) and Criss Angel: Mindfreak (A&E, Wednesdays, 10 p.m.) use Vegas as their home base. Inked follows the employees of the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company in the Palms. The show has an impressive amount of style for a basic-cable reality program, but beyond the first episode conflict in which co-owners Carey Hart and John Huntington fight over controlling interest in the shop, the tattoo life is just not all that fascinating.

Magician Criss Angel, a sort of cross between David Blaine and Tommy Lee, does street magic and looks intense on his mildly interesting show. Although many of his stunts are remarkably similar to Blaine's, and he has a similar sort of creepy self-importance, he does have raw talent that could become more compelling if he pulled something more original out of his bag of tricks.