Grease: You're the One That I Want

What’s the Story?

GREASE: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT goes where no other reality competition show has gone before: the intense world of a Broadway audition. Contestants vie for the leading roles in a Broadway revival of hit movie musical Grease, which in 1978 jumpstarted the careers of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Thousands of hopefuls answer open casting calls in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City; from them, 50 semi-finalists are chosen to hone their singing, dancing, and acting skills at Grease Academy. The 12 finalists who strut the best stuff for the judges -- producer David Ian, Tony-winning director Kathleen Marshall, and Grease writer Jim Jacobs -- will then compete for the votes of American viewers, who'll ultimately select the next Danny and Sandy.

Is It Any Good?

This series has all the characteristics that make reality TV so enticing: talent (and occasional lack thereof), competition, triumph, heartbreak, colorful personalities, and people willing to do anything for a chance at fame. But Grease: You're the One That I Want is remarkably different from the granddaddy of all musical reality contests, American Idol, in that its judges largely refrain from nasty criticism and are willing to evaluate contestants based more on their talent and less on their appearance. Though they do often comment on whether a person looks like the "ideal" Sandy or Danny (those who are found lacking are most often heavier, older, or multicultural contestants), no one is eliminated based on that alone, and the 50 contestants selected for the Grease Academy include an African-American woman and a 42-year-old man.

As reality TV goes, this is a pretty family-friendly choice, as long as your tweens understand the nature of the competition. It's a good idea to explain that the judges' seemingly snap decisions are actually based on their expert assessments of potential, as well as background information about the contestants that's not available to viewers.