Workaholics' Workaholic

Regardless of your opinion of Steven Spielberg, and you probably like him more than I do, this sounds like a good idea. The overpraised one is creating a reality show, which I'm no fan of, especially not American Idol, which this resembles:

He is teaming with reality mastermind Mark Burnett for On the Lot, an American Idol-meets-The Apprentice-style Fox reality series that aims to find the next, well, Steven Spielberg.

16 finalists will be divided into two teams and each group has to produce (and write, and direct, and cast…) a short film each week.

Fox says that the contestants will be forced to deal with the pitfalls that any major player could face--creative differences, budgetary problems, deadlines, etc.--but that they will also have access to some high-caliber perks, such as the opportunity to collaborate with Industry insiders and big-name celebs.

On the Lot will unfold over two nights a week, with night number one featuring an hourlong "film premiere" episode to screen the teams' work, which will tackle a different genre each week. Night number two (now, where have we heard this one before) will be the "box office" results show. A team of judges will be on hand, but it will be viewers' votes.

It's the viewers votes, and the fear that everyone will go Spielberg to try to impress him that make me skeptical, but the concept seems good. Let's just hope that film directing's equivalent of Kelly Clarkson isn't unleashed on the world, and based on the average voters taste this appears likely. It would be a nice vehicle for unheard of actors to get a start, but somehow I'm thinking there will be a lot of knowns. I'm doubting the next David Lynch or Igmar Bergman will get the breaks here, but the guy who will go on to direct Scary Movie 7 might.

I'm hoping Spielberg's contact with the show will be limited, which seems definite when you look at the list of his projects going on around now:

The Talisman (2007) (in production) (executive producer)
Untitled Ukrainian Holocaust Project (2007) (executive producer)
"The Pacific War" (2006) (mini) TV Series (executive producer)
Transformers: The Movie(2007) (pre-production) (executive producer)
"Nine Lives"(2007) TV Series (pre-production) (executive producer)
Abraham Lincoln Project (2007) (pre-production) (producer)
Jurassic Park IV (2008) (pre-production) (executive producer)
When Worlds Collide (2006) (pre-production) (producer)
Red Sun, Black Sand (2007) (filming) (producer)
Disturbia (2007) (filming) (executive producer)
Flags of Our Fathers (2006) (post-production) (producer)
Monster House (2006) (post-production) (executive producer)

Jurassic Park 4?! Quality over quantity Steven, come on now. It also appears that we can expect more world war 2 epics, which does not surprise this writer, let me guess, they will be reverent in nature?

Let some fresh players have some time in the game here. Take a vacation already.