My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I read that Channel 9 were finally going to screen Superstars of Dance.

Superstars of Dance was a Nigel Lythgoe, and Simon Fuller show, where nations compete in a type of dancing Olympics. There are three categories, solo, pairs, and team.

Australia is represented, with Jason Gilkison the team “coach”, with Kelley Abbey the Australian judge.

The problem was it aired in the USA to much fanfare in January. But Channel 9 who won the bidding war over it did not screen it at this stage. Also news on the interwebs were basically calling it a dud, confirmed by the fact that there is no season two.

Clearly the cupboards are getting bare in the Nine store cupboard. Having said all this I will be watching it and will be giving my opinion about it. It should be noted the Sydney Morning Herald The Guide gave it the thumbs down.

Superstars of Dance on at 7.30pm on Wednesday nights.

Well that was the good news, but it has had some mixed reviews from the critics. EW here gives a humorous review of the show without to many spoilers in it.

Apparently Superstars has been the highest ranking show NBC has that is not sport. It averaged 10.4 million viewers on its opening night. Whether it retains those ratings will remain to be seen.

Daily Telegraph has the full story.

Channel 9 will be screening Superstars of Dance in Australia with a yet to be announced starting date.

Finally after all my whinging and complaning I have found out that Channel 9 has won the rights for the Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller production Superstars Of Dance.

Channel 9 say it will be screened in early 2009, which is code for when the ratings period commences. My bet it will start the second or third week of February.

Daily Telegraph has the breaking news.

To whet your appetite here is a preview.

Superstars of Dance screened its first episode in the US last night. Above is a preview of the series (not the show). The production values look great. Something the truly awful Step Up And Dance should think about.

Apparently super hot couple Anya and Pasha from US So You Think You Can Dance will be on the show.

As will be talented popper Robert Muraine. Now if you don’t know who this dancer is check out his audition that he did for SYTYCD last year. Amazing and original.

I am still trying to find out which TV station is going to screen it.

The Superstars of Dance and American Idol appear to be the only two reality shows getting any news lately. Fingers crossed one of the Aussie Ladettes gets knocked up by the gardener at Eggleston Hall in England to give us a bit of new years entertainment.

Anyhow even though there is no news on whether an Australian TV station has bought the dance show which starts in the US next week the NBC publicity machine is starting to crank up.

Monsters and Critics have an indepth interview with the shows producer, Nigel Lythgoe, and the host, he who Irish dances, Michael Flatley.

The interview outlines the format of the show there will be quarter finals, semi finals, and a grand final. It will not be filmed live. I think this must be because they are professional dancers who have engagements to fulfill.

The Chinese team seem phenomenal with not only the Shaolin monks performing, but also a ballerina who pirouettes on pointe on top of her partners head.

And for those who like a bit of gossip Bonnie Lythgoe is apparently divorcing Nigel. Or maybe he is just being a gentleman to make it sound that way.

Whilst Australian TV is now in a lull due to it being non-ratings period, it is completely different in the USA where it is business as usual.

American Idol commences on January 13 and is being fast tracked by Fox 8 to be shown here hours after it has been screened in the US. But the reality TV guru Simon Fuller with his side kick Nigel Lythgoe have a new show, Superstars of Dance is premiering next week on NBC.

My head may have been caught up with the Xmas festivities and I may have missed it, but has a an Australian TV station bought the rights of it yet? And if so are they going to fast track it.

It sounds like it is going to be great with Shaolin Monks and Irish River Dancers (And I am not just talking about the host Michael Flatley.

As Australia is one of the teams competing it would be great if we could see it as near as live as possible.

More information on Superstars of Dance is here.

Anyway if we don’t get it televised here is some Shaolin Monk action from YouTube.

Superstars Of Dance is the new reality TV show currently being produced by Simon Fuller, and Nigel Lythgoe of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance fame.

Now with those credentials this show could be a cracker. But be warned Micheal Flatley, he of Irish dancing fame, will be host.

The premise of the show is eight countries will compete against each other in a sort of dance Olympics.

Australia is one of the countries competing. Henry Byalikov who was in So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing With The Stars this year will be competing for Australia.

Jason Gilkison who was one of the stand out choreographers from Season 1 So You Think You Can Dance Australia will lead the team.

The Australian Dance Theatre are going as Nigel Lythgoe is a fan of their choreographer Garry Stewart as is two people from Gilkison’s Burn The Floor.

Apparently free to air TV and pay TV are both vying for the series, however I am not sure if a contract has been signed or if part of the agreement is they will fast track the show from the US.

Fox 8 had success with American Idol last year when they played the episode about 10 hours after it had been on in the US. Because it is non ratings period here it would not surprise if the TV stations sat on it. It would be ridiculous if this happened, as all SYTYCD fans will just download it if they have to wait.

Source of story Adelaide Now.

Matt Moran Tells Of His Abhorrence For Restaurants On The Chopping Block
Matt Moran who advises failing restaurants in The Chopping Block tells Perth Now how at his horror at what he has found at the failing restaurants.

“To walk into the first kitchen and see the dirt and the grime and the uncovered things and the chefs who look like they just came to work after being out for 48 hours”¦ I realised straight away it was a completely different league.

“The way I run my restaurants, we’re proud of what we do – we like our uniforms to be clean, our shoes to be spotless and the restaurant and the kitchen to be immaculate every time someone comes into it – because you’re on show”¦ It made me realise that they, the featured restaurants, are not the kind of places I would ever go to anyway”¦ It made just go “˜f****** hell!’ and realise there’s another world out there.”

It is a pity he does not name names, as I was thinking of eating at Emads one of the featured restaurants on the show.

Australian Idol Winner Won’t Be Releasing a Christmas Album this year.
After the disaster of Natalie Gauci covers release last year, this year’s winner will not be releasing a covers album of songs they sang on the show.

This tradition was started with Damien Leith’s win and he sold over 100,000 CD’s, however Natalie’s bombed with only 11,000 sold.

The winner will release their album in May next year with a single released in March. Which raises the interesting issue of when is Natalie Gauci album going to be launched? Or will it just be buried?
Full story on Herald Sun.

Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe launch ‘Superstar Dancers Of The World’
A follow up from yesterday’s post on Nigel Lythgoe criticising Simon Cowell, it has now been announced that NBC will be launching a new dance show produced by Nigel Lythgoe.

It is called ‘Superstar Dancers Of The World’ and as Nigel previously said it is like the dance Olympics.

The series will pit the masters of various dance genres from eight countries against each other. Equal parts sporting event, rock concert and artistic exhibition.

The eight countries currently scheduled to participate include: Ireland, India, USA, Argentina, China, Russia, South Africa and Australia.

It is interesting that the UK and Canada are not represented.

Full details on The Futon Critic.

This season on American Idol the producers have added in a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi. Nigel Lythgoe thinks this is not such a good idea.

“I don’t like fourth judges,” Lythgoe told The Post yesterday. “I think once you’ve been told ‘You suck,’ you don’t need to be told another three times.”

Australian Idol had a season of four judges and it was not great, they quickly reduced it again to three this year. Mark Holden being the one to be sacked.

Also Nigel Lythgoe gives Simon Cowell a little tickle up, as it appears to have been Simon’s decision to add the extra person.

“But he’s [Simon Cowell] never produced anything on television,” says Lythgoe.
“As an executive producer, he can be an adviser and I think that’s fair enough because he knows what he’s doing.
“But at the end of the day, you have to leave it for the producers to produce, because if you’re in it, you’re seeing it from a completely different perspective and he’s going to need to realize that.

“Sometimes you can’t see the woods through the trees and you tend to lose the most important thing, which is so often forgotten: common sense.”

New York Post article here.

In other Nigel Lythgoe news he reveals to TV Guide that he is developing a new dance show. It would be along the lines of the dance Olympics where dancers from different countries would compete against each other in their specific dance genres. They would then be scored. I presume there would be cash prizes rather then gold medals!