Stars' "Secret Talents" should remain so

By Barry Garron

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Thanks to reality TV, there are people trying to become stars ("American Idol"), stars trying to become people ("Celebrity Apprentice") and now stars trying to become other stars ("Secret Talents of the Stars.")

In this six-week space filler, an unimaginative descendant of CBS' own "Circus of the Stars" (1977-1994), 16 stars (or, in some cases, minor celebrities) each try to bring out one of their hidden talents, often deeply hidden. Each week, four of them perform and two move on to the semifinals. Ultimately, one wins something. That part wasn't clear.

Three judges (actress Debbie Reynolds, singer Brian McKnight and TV producer Gavin Polone) comment on the performances. Following the immutable Rule of Threes, Reynolds channels Paula Abdul, McKnight does Randy Jackson and Polone is Simon Cowell without the British accent. Polone, an executive producer of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," did just that during the entire show.

John O'Hurley, host of the show, was bleached of all personality, resulting in one long impersonation of "Idol's" Ryan Seacrest.

During the ensuing commercial break, online votes are tallied, but only if you live in the Eastern or Central time zones. West of the Rockies, viewers watch a tape-delayed version in which voting is encouraged but not permitted.

In the premiere, "Star Trek's" George Takei sang the country tune "On the Road Again" in a way that made it sound like an appealing alternative. Polone, scrambling for a reference to Takei's acknowledgment in 2005 that he is gay, called it "sort of the 'Brokeback Mountain' version."

The others -- country singer Clint Black as a stand-up comic, ice skater Sasha Cohen as a circus contortionist and singer Mya as a tap dancer -- all gave competent performances. Although the judges leaned heavily toward Mya, she ended up with Takei in the losers' circle.

"Secret Talents," from executive producers Robyn Nash and Don Weiner, operates on a tilted playing field. Some contestants, including Cohen and Mya, perform routines that capitalize on their previous training. Others such as Black and Takei must learn an entirely different form of entertainment.

At the same time, voters are asked to select which contestants deserve to move on without being able to see all of them. That means a good performance early (Cohen's contortions) could trump a great performance later (Mya's tap choreography).

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter