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First Review: Pussycat Dolls: Search for the Next Doll.

Here we go again. Another talent assembly line reality show that starts to blur with all the others. Popstars, Idol, X Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, Australia’s Got Talent, Rock Star, Next Top Model blah blah.

What we need here is a point of difference.

This search for a new singer in pop band Pussycat Dolls is defined by two things. One is the band. The other is the, umm, somewhat slutty tone of the show -which is decreed by the the packaging of the band.

The 18 finalists in this show are all young girls, aged about 18 – 23. Dressed in skimpy cut-off jeans, breast-huggin tops, boas and various midriffs these young ladies are encouraged to pout and purr like table-top dancers. Britney’s “Hit Me Baby” film clip has a lot to answer for.

The girls are each reduced to single-moniker names like Anastacia, Asia, Chelsea, Jaime. Are you getting the picture?

The key judge is the show’s creator, Robin, who’s had a serious amount of collagen and plastic surgery. Assisting her is camp choreographer Mikey. He says he’s already a Pussycat himself and I believe him.

When the girls sing and dance in their final audition, the group vocal is so produced, I couldn’t help but think they were overlayed. Sort of ironic given the premise of the show. There were at least solo leads.

Throughout the show the girls compete, cat-fight and swear their lives depend on this one moment. Yeah, sorta thing we’ve heard before really.

Hosting is Mark McGrath, better known as the lead singer from Sugar Ray. Hmm that pop career went well.

It’s produced by McG, who I always thought of as a Melbourne sports arena.

Ultimately this ticks all the reality talent boxes, with the skimpily-clad element seemingly more important than vocal skills (Kate D’Arugo wouldn’t have got an appointment at this audition). With the pole-tancing Erotic Star launching on Foxtel, there seems to be a bit of this around.

Might interest fans of the band but that’s it.

Pussycat Dolls: Search for the Next Doll airs 9:30pm Sunday April 1 on TEN.

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