TV Hot Spot: News

MTV Goes to the Dawg!

Post by: Sal


Randy Jackson will be all over America's television screens in a couple of months, and not just because of "American Idol."

The "Idol" judge and ex-Journey bass player is opening a new branch of the Dawg Pound at MTV, where he'll executive produce a series seeking America's best dance crew. The working title, fittingly, is "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew."

The show, scheduled to premiere in the first quarter of 2008, will pit five- to seven-member dance teams against one another in a series of performances to determine the best. As happens with just about every other competition show, viewers will vote for their favorites each week. Auditions will take place in December in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

If the premise of "America's Best Dance Crew" sounds a little familiar, you are both right and a careful observer of TV coverage. NBC originally picked up a version of the show, then called "World Moves," as a midseason show at May's upfronts. The new regime passed on it, Jackson took it to MTV, and with a narrowing of the contestant pool from the world to the United States, presto: "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew."

The show's producing team has remained intact in the mov from NBC to MTV. Jackson will executive produce with Rob Lee, Howard Schwartz, Karen Schwartz and Harriet Sternberg. Joel Gallen, a veteran of numerous MTV series and awards shows, is also exec producing.

Take Care,

Sal