Superstars of Dance

One wonders how a good performance competition program ever gets to the air.

It takes a great concept, capable producers, spiffy sets, qualified directors, an engaging host and apparently lightning in a bottle.

NBC's SUPERSTARS OF DANCE is produced by Nigel Lithgow, also producer of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and a former producer of AMERICAN IDOL. Nigel knows performance competition and he knows dance. That's a big positive.

The concept of dance troupes from across the world competing head to head may initially sound like a good idea, but so did FOX's WORLD IDOL special following the first season of AMERICAN IDOL. (Kelly Clarkson came in 2nd to a hobbit.) Gonna call this one a near miss.

As for the set... well let's start with the fact that we have a production concept screaming out for swooping, sweeping camera movement - a design that should require a Hi-Def production. However, my widescreen was cropped on the sides for this one. What a wasted opportunity to show off HD with some spectacular spectacle.

Unfortunately, it's pretty clear that production cost-savings are all over this production. Chintzy set elements, a small stage (even IDOL's stage is bigger and no one's dancing on that show!) inexplicably dark lighting and poor camera choices add up to a look that is hard to explain. It's just not big enough, energetic enough, professional enough or produced enough to meet a smart audience's expectations. Big miss on this one. Not even close.

Host Michael Flattley may have once been the Lord of the Dance, but he's no Ryan Seacrest, Cat Deely or even Tom Bergeron. Big miss on this one too.

Suffice to say, there ain't no lightning in this bottle, folks. A convoluted contest, with rules that are yet to be explained, no audience participation and sub-par production values in what amounts to a program better suited for a summer run - all comes together in what may foretell where NBC is headed in the future.

TV is not spaghetti. You can't just produce it, throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. It has to be done right - or you as well not do it at all. If this is an example of NBC''s cost cutting coookie-cutter copycat approach to success, GE stockholders are going to be needing bottles filled with something with a bit more of a kick than lightning.

SUPERSTARS OF DANCE is a dud that no peacock would be proud of.