Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Feel-good reality show is corny but kid-friendly.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Hosted by TV personality Maria Menounos and featuring celebrity singers Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland, and Blake Shelton, CLASH OF THE CHOIRS has a simple premise that succeeds in providing entertainment the whole family can enjoy. With a nod to the amateur-driven American Idol and celebrity-studded reality fare like Dancing With the Stars, Clash of the Choirs asks five famous musicians to go back to their hometowns and form choirs composed of everyday people. Over the course of four evenings, the choirs compete for a $250,000 prize that will be donated to a charity of their celebrity choirmaster's choosing.
Is It Any Good?
The good news is this: All five choirs are talented, and a few -- particularly LaBelle's group of singers from Philadelphia -- are truly fantastic. More cynical viewers could easily deride the show's sappy message and cheesy song choices. But if you give it half a chance, you just might find yourself enjoying the music ... and getting misty-eyed in spite of yourself. Of course, it wouldn't be a televised singing competition without the usual reality show shenanigans, including a woman who comes to her audition dressed in a fluffy yellow chicken suit and a man with a jaw-dropping signature dance who refers to himself simply as "X." (Think "X"-crutiating.) But come on ... isn't that why we watch?
You have to wonder whether NBC could've coughed up more than $250,000 for the sake of a good cause, especially considering that the network offers a $1 million prize on its wildly successful game show Deal or No Deal. Yes, a quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money, but when you consider the staggering amounts of cash changing hands every day in the entertainment industry, it somehow seems like a sad little sum.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fact that you don't need a celebrity's help to give back to your local community through volunteerism and philanthropy. What are some ways that you can get involved where you live? Parents can also use the show as a way to encourage children to take on a charitable project of their own choosing by supporting an organization that interests them.
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 17, 2007
- Cast : Kelly Rowland , Maria Menounos , Michael Bolton , Nick Lachey , Patti LaBelle
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 19, 2019
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