What has happened???

I'm shaking my head at the latest competition show to arrive on television. NBC has taken Fox's idea (actually Britain's idea) of having people perform cover songs to win the audience over. The twist NBC has put on it is to feature 5 bands instead of 24 individuals, only one band gets picked as a winner... and that those bands happen to be established bands who have had at least one hit in the past thirty years.

"Hit Me Baby One More Time" is a unique spin on "American Idol" and "Pop Idol", I will admit. It's good to see some of the bands performing some of my favorite songs. For example, Loverboy performed not only their hit single "Everybody's Working for the Weekend", but also performed Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" later in the first show. Arrested Development came out victorious, though.

In the second show, Vanilla Ice (yes, he's still called Vanilla Ice) performed his hit single "Ice Ice Baby", then returned to perform a cover of Destiny's Child's "Survivor". He won the show, beating out Haddaway, The Knack, The Motels, and Tommy Tutone.

However, instead of record contracts, when the performers win, $20,000 is donated to a charity of their choice, an even nicer twist.

Well, I guess it ain't all bad.