SIMON COWELL MEETS BIG ED?

Simon Cowell and NBC have teamed up to find "the next great Las Vegas headliner". This new show is planned for the summer, and NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly (not to be confused with Enterprise helmsman Kevin Thomas Riley on 'Star Trek') has promised that it will give "a shot of adrenaline to the variety format."

They'll be looking for performers in other categories besides singers, including comics, magicians, ventriloquists (I hope!), animal acts, and "novelty acts."

Cowell says, "Personally, I hope to find the next Siegfried and Roy." Presumably so he can watch the lion eat the next William Hung.

NBC is offering as the grand prize the chance to be the featured act in a Las Vegas showroom. But they have as of yet not chosen the venue to be the setting. It could be a trick - there are car dealers in Las Vegas and they have showrooms......

I think it should be obvious where this featured act should play - in the Montecito on an episode of 'Las Vegas'! Last year, they did a blended lead-in from 'Fear Factor' to 'Las Vegas', so this isn't too far out of the range of possibility.

But even better..... 'CSI' should now spoof the idea and have the featured act murdered before he/she/them/it ever gets its turn in the Sin City spotlight.

I would have suggested it should be the Roman-a-clef Simon Cowell stand-in, but after seeing the "real thing" go down in "Scary Movie 3"......

Accept no substitutes!

BCnU!
Tele-Toby