NBC is committed to the variety show, ordering six episodes of Marlon Wayans-hosted half hour I Can Do That!
The series, which will air in the summer, will feature celebrities including Cheryl Burke (Dancing With the Stars), Joe Jonas, Nicole Scherzinger, Ciara, comedian Jeff Dye and actor Alan Ritchson.
The comedy, based on an international format currently airing in more than 15 countries, will feature celebrities being asked to put on an entertainment show with skills they didn't even know they had.
The series hails from Universal Television and is exec produced by The Voice's Audrey Morrissey, and Matilda Zoltowski (DWTS), Rick Alvarez, Avi Armoza, Nehama Cohen, Elwin De Groot, Steve Harris and Wayans. The format was developed by Israel's Armoza Formats.
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Each episode will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and feature the six cast members competing in teams of two putting on a show featuring songs, dances, magic and danger, NBC said in a release touting the series.
The previous week celebrities will watch three acts in the studio; one act per week will feature what NBC is hailing as "some of America's biggest-name performers" in guest roles. If while watching the act, a celebrity says "I can do that," they put themselves up for the challenge. With their acts selected, the duos head for training where they will work with their expert coach for five days to produce an amazing act to perform on next week’s show. After a week of intensive training, the celebrities return to the stage to perform their act, impress the studio audience and each other in hopes of scoring the top slot on the night’s scoreboard. After six weeks of competition, one cast member will be revealed as the season's ultimate entertainer — though the series features no judges or eliminations.
For NBC, I Can Do That joins its Neil Patrick Harris-hosted variety show Saturday Night Takeaway, a 10-episode series that is awaiting a premiere date (though it will not air on Saturdays). The network has been trying for the past few years to build a variety lineup, developing series with Maya Rudolph and Anchorman's David Koechner.
NBC's summer slate typically consists of low-cost scripted acquisitions and unscripted fare including America's Got Talent and American Ninja Warrior, among others.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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