Forget About 'Don't Forget The Lyrics'

Despite my initial apprehension, I watched The Singing Bee on Tuesday night and loved it, so I was prepared to give into Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics as well. Problem is, it wasn't nearly as entertaining.

Where The Singing Bee combines elements of The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and American Idol, Don't Forget the Lyrics simply seems to be a blatant rip-off of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, complete with escalating prize scale and three lifelines. The general concept is the same -- you have to sing along to a song, until it comes time to fill in the lyrics, word-for-word.

I'm not going to say Don't Forget the Lyrics was terrible -- it wasn't. Wayne Brady is certainly a capable (and appropriate) host, and there is great fun to be had in extended karaoke moments, complete with lyrics on the bottom of the screen. Yes, for the second night in a row I was singing on the top of my lungs in my apartment (if any of my neighbors happen to be Idol Thoughts readers -- sorry!)

No, the show is not an abomination. The problem is that The Singing Bee's structure, starting with six contestants and whittling it down to one person who will compete for the $50K prize, allows the show to move so much faster than Don't Forget the Lyrics that the latter show seems slow and kind of boring by comparison. Sure, the stakes are higher on the Fox show, but, like Millionaire, there is so much time spent determining whether or not a contestant should use a lifeline or "lock in their lyrics," that I found myself growing a bit bored -- never a good thing in a 30 minute show.

So basically, if you're going to choose one of these shows to watch, I'd make it The Singing Bee. But for those of you who can't get enough karaoke in your lives, it looks like you'll have two opportunities to get your vocalizing on this summer.

Which show do you prefer -- The Singing Bee or Don't Forget the Lyrics?

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