Nellie Andreeva

New British game show Sing If You Can, described as the Wipeout of singing competitions, is close to finding a U.S. TV home. Zodiak USA had already been pitching an American version of its format, landing two offers from U.S. networks. Then the series premiered on ITV on Saturday, Britain’s highest-rated TV night, with 5.4 million viewers to rank as the network’s biggest unscripted series premiere in two years. That immediately boosted interest among U.S. broadcasters who have been looking for new game show formats. In the original UK version, hosted by comedian Keith Lemon and Stacey Solomon, two celebrity teams try to keep singing popular songs despite major distractions. What kind of distractions? Performing a song from a specially designed erupting volcano or doing a solo while having one’s chest waxed are two examples. After an audience vote, one of the teams goes to the end round, while one celebrity from the losing team is plunged into a giant water tank. In a twist, the U.S. version that is being pitched is a non-celebrity one.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.