Guest Author - Dani M. Sanders

The Singing Bee and Don't Forget the Lyrics both appear to be the same show on the face of it. Contestants are challenged to fill in missing song lyrics to win money. While they share a basic mechanic, the style of delivery is not the same. Each show will appeal to a different sort of viewers.

THE SINGING BEE

The Singing Bee reminds me of my favorite game shows from yesteryear. It starts out with the host, Joey Fatone, taking a high-energy romp through the audience to pick six contestants. The players are quickly whittled down from six to one in three rounds. In the fourth and final round, one contestant has to provide the proper lyrics to at least five songs to win $50,000.

There are several similarities between The Singing Bee and older game shows. Fatone doesn't do a lot of chatting with the contestants. The live band, complete with different lead singers and dancers called the Honey Bees, reminds me of a cooler version of Name That Tune. The $50,000 jackpot is more in line with the grand prizes that were once given out; this probably means that we will see a winner at the end of every show.

DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS

Wayne Brady is the perfect person to host Don't Forget the Lyrics. Not only is he associated with music in TV viewers' minds because of Celebrity Duets and Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but he is also on top of his improv game. He definitely needs those skills to host this modern-style game show because today's game shows are all about building the tension.

There is only one contestant at a time and one basic game. This show has a live band, but the contestant does all the singing. The lyrics appear on a giant screen and about six lines are provided before the screen goes blank. The contestant is told how many words they need to provide. Once s/he gives an answer, Brady makes small talk to stretch out the time before he reveals whether s/he is correct.

Don't Forget the Lyrics has all the trappings of today's popular game shows, like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? There is the ladder of prize money starting at $2,500 and going all the way up to $1 million, which has become the standard jackpot these days. There are the three saves that a contestant can use if s/he is stumped. And of course, there is the torture of the audience and the contestant by the host who keeps reminding the contestant of how much will be lost if the answer is incorrect.

WHICH SHOW IS FOR YOU?

If you grew up in the heyday of shows like The Price is Right and Let's Make a Deal (or if you are a big fan of the Game Show Network), then I would recommend The Singing Bee. It's fast, it's fun, and it's over before you know it. If you like the latest incarnation of game shows with the suspense that makes you twist in your seat, then I would say that Don't Forget the Lyrics is for you.