It’s sexist. Or age-ist. Or beautiful-ist. Or some sort of “ist” we haven’t thought of yet.
The CBC reality series Over The Rainbow debuts Sunday, Sept. 16. It chronicles the search for a pretty young actress to play Dorothy in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz. That’s a scene from the tryouts in the picture above. At least, I HOPE that’s what it is.
A few years back CBC had another show like this, called How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, associated with a stage production of The Sound of Music. Again, only attractive young females need apply.
Come on, CBC, cast a bigger net. Aren’t there other famous stage shows that could be adapted for reality-competition TV? Suggestions:
* The Phantom of the Opera: Statistical fact, there are way more ugly people out there than pretty people. Look to your left. Now look to your right. Tell me I’m not correct.
* Cats: Kooky crazies have to bring their own costumes. Ratings gold.
* Tommy: Could be technical problems. Do pinball machines even exist any more?
* Jersey Boys: No one sings like a young Frankie Valli. No one. But we could watch contestants’ ears bleed as they try.
* Wicked: In the same family as The Wizard of Oz, I know. But in this one, everybody’s evil mother-in-law might be a star-in-waiting.
* The Rocky Horror Show: You could call it Dammit Janet.
bill.harris@sunmedia.ca
@billharris_tv
