July 18, 2007
“Most people don't know what a producer does,” one contestant says at the start of America's Next Producer, the latest reality competition series from the producers behind Project Runway and Top Chef. By the end of the first episode, I'm still not certain what a producer does, but I'll certainly tune back in to try to find out.
This was supposed to be the summer of On the Lot. FOX's search for the next great director had Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett, two powerhouses in film and television, yet their combined greatness is nowhere to be seen on the show. It's a clunky, poorly hosted, poorly judged, poorly designed show.
By comparison, American's Next Producer, airing Wednesdays at 8pm on the TV Guide Channel, is the real deal. The judges are smart and experienced, unlike the stammering Carrie Fisher. Host Ananda Lewis is calm, collected and a refreshing jolt of energy. And while Spielberg may be good in film, when it comes to reality TV competitions, there's no one better right now than Dan Cutforth and Casey Kriely, the producers who've made Project Runway and Top Chef the most entertaining in their genre.