Review: 'America's Got Talent' doesn't have Boyle, but it does have that something compelling

NBC's "America's Got Talent" returned for its fourth season Tuesday night, the first since Susan Boyle made its cousin "Britain's Got Talent" an international Internet sensation. Coincidentally, Ed McMahon died that morning — from 1983 to 1995, he was the host of "Star Search," which preceded "AGT" in the great chain of talent shows, and itself followed "The Amateur Hour," manned under slightly varying titles by Major Edward Bowes or Ted Mack on radio and television from 1934 through 1970 (with a slight return, hosted by Willard Scott, in 1991). Rapper-comic Nick Cannon, the new "AGT" host, following Regis Philbin and Jerry Springer, nudges things along with mutterings and raised eyebrows; he is not particularly funny, but he is mostly rather sweet.

Unlike "American Idol," whose Simon Cowell is the "creator" of this patented and internationally franchised inflation of something that has been going on in community centers, high school auditoriums and church basements for ages, "AGT" defines talent as broadly as possible and welcomes, if often only to smack them down, performers of all shapes and ages: It likes the very young (children are always asked their ages, usually by judge Sharon Osbourne), the up-from-the-streets, the family band, the dream that won't die — contestants are a mix of karaoke singers, hobbyists looking to take it to the next level, frustrated professionals seeking a larger venue and people who just need you to see that thing they do. It is a kind of human "Antiques Roadshow," in which talents and desires are brought out from the attic for expert appraisal and possible reward. Not everyone likes what they hear.

On Tuesday's show, which covered auditions in New York City, Seattle and Chicago, we saw a man put sharp things up his nose, a man rotate his feet 180 degrees (even more unsettling than the man with the things up his nose), a couple twirl erotically on a hoop and a man sing satirically about being in love with judge David Hasselhoff — songwriting was his avowed talent, not singing — alongside the more usual singers, comics, choirs and dance crews. Many are allowed on stage specifically to fail.

America: Can you top Susan Boyle?

That's the challenge facing NBC's "America's Got Talent," according to judge Piers Morgan, who appeared at the last press conference of the day with judges David Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne; new host, Nick Cannon; and executive producer Simon Cowell.

"Forget the Ryder Cup, has America got the answer to Susan Boyle? And I don’t mean a 47-year-old-woman from a little town, I mean a talent that comes out of nowhere," Morgan said.

The NBC reality show, which premieres June 23, has held auditions in Miami, New York and Los Angeles but is only half-way done, Cowell said.

Maybe, just maybe, America's answer to Boyle will be the "guy who hunts chickens," said Morgan.

"He catches 6000 chickens at night. He then sings like Garth Brooks, and it's one of those things where half the audience is in tears and the other half is on their feet," he continued. "That's the magic of 'America's Got Talent.' And that's the magic of the British show as well."

Because of all of the attention on the franchise since Boyle's audition aired and became a YouTube sensation, Cowell said he is considering having two more open casting calls for the American version.

Cowell said he's always thought the American version is "a sleeping giant" and this could
be the year its audience doubles or triples.

The brutally honest Cowell also expressed concern over the impact Boyle's notoriety is having on the small-town Scottish singer.

"The cat, the way she looks, the gimmicks," he said. "I'm tired of it all. "She’s got four weeks to prepare for the biggest night of her life. She’s got to sing better than before with all that expectation. But it could all go horribly wrong now because there are so many other distractions. For her, this is it. This is about her singing career."

Cowell also admitted to feeling badly over the way he responded to Boyle when she first appeared on stage.

This show "is the story about the underdog, isn’t it?" he said. "We came up with a show with no rules. You can do whatever you want, whatever age you are. We were guilty on the panel of judging her before she sang, and we were completely and utterly wrong. And you watch it back and it’s embarrassing."

The show will air on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Photo: NBC

NBC should be all smiles today. The third-season opener of "America's Got Talent" more than held its own against what turned out to be the last game of the NBA Finals.

While the Boston Celtics were manhandling the Lakers out of a championship, "Talent" managed to pull a 3.6/10 rating among adults ages 18 to 49 and an average 12.8 million total viewers from 9 to 11 p.m. That's off 15% from last year's season bow (which did not go up against a major sporting event), but the haul is enough to give NBC the top premiere of the summer to date.

"Talent" brings a few twists with it this season: Judges David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne will be armed with buzzers, and audiences in the theater will be able to boo people off the stage during the competition. (After last night's auditions, I'm calling it early for the opera-singing insurance salesman and the 4-year-old who sang "Somewhere Out There.")

-- Denise Martin

"America's Got Talent' searches for its own Susan Boyle

America: Can you top Susan Boyle?

That's the challenge facing NBC's "America's Got Talent," according to judge Piers Morgan, who appeared at the last press conference of the day with judges David Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne; new host, Nick Cannon; and executive producer Simon Cowell.

"Forget the Ryder Cup, has America got the answer to Susan Boyle? And I don’t mean a 47-year-old-woman from a little town, I mean a talent that comes out of nowhere," Morgan said.

The NBC reality show, which premieres June 23, has held auditions in Miami, New York and Los Angeles but is only half-way done, Cowell said.

Maybe, just maybe, America's answer to Boyle will be the "guy who hunts chickens," said Morgan.

"He catches 6000 chickens at night. He then sings like Garth Brooks, and it's one of those things where half the audience is in tears and the other half is on their feet," he continued. "That's the magic of 'America's Got Talent.' And that's the magic of the British show as well."

Because of all of the attention on the franchise since Boyle's audition aired and became a YouTube sensation, Cowell said he is considering having two more open casting calls for the American version.

Cowell said he's always thought the American version is "a sleeping giant" and this could
be the year its audience doubles or triples.

The brutally honest Cowell also expressed concern over the impact Boyle's notoriety is having on the small-town Scottish singer.

"The cat, the way she looks, the gimmicks," he said. "I'm tired of it all. "She’s got four weeks to prepare for the biggest night of her life. She’s got to sing better than before with all that expectation. But it could all go horribly wrong now because there are so many other distractions. For her, this is it. This is about her singing career."

Cowell also admitted to feeling badly over the way he responded to Boyle when she first appeared on stage.

This show "is the story about the underdog, isn’t it?" he said. "We came up with a show with no rules. You can do whatever you want, whatever age you are. We were guilty on the panel of judging her before she sang, and we were completely and utterly wrong. And you watch it back and it’s embarrassing."

The show will air on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Photo: NBC

NBC should be all smiles today. The third-season opener of "America's Got Talent" more than held its own against what turned out to be the last game of the NBA Finals.

While the Boston Celtics were manhandling the Lakers out of a championship, "Talent" managed to pull a 3.6/10 rating among adults ages 18 to 49 and an average 12.8 million total viewers from 9 to 11 p.m. That's off 15% from last year's season bow (which did not go up against a major sporting event), but the haul is enough to give NBC the top premiere of the summer to date.

"Talent" brings a few twists with it this season: Judges David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne will be armed with buzzers, and audiences in the theater will be able to boo people off the stage during the competition. (After last night's auditions, I'm calling it early for the opera-singing insurance salesman and the 4-year-old who sang "Somewhere Out There.")

-- Denise Martin

'America's Got Talent': Premiere holds its own against Celtics-Lakers finale

NBC should be all smiles today. The third-season opener of "America's Got Talent" more than held its own against what turned out to be the last game of the NBA Finals.

While the Boston Celtics were manhandling the Lakers out of a championship, "Talent" managed to pull a 3.6/10 rating among adults ages 18 to 49 and an average 12.8 million total viewers from 9 to 11 p.m. That's off 15% from last year's season bow (which did not go up against a major sporting event), but the haul is enough to give NBC the top premiere of the summer to date.

"Talent" brings a few twists with it this season: Judges David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne will be armed with buzzers, and audiences in the theater will be able to boo people off the stage during the competition. (After last night's auditions, I'm calling it early for the opera-singing insurance salesman and the 4-year-old who sang "Somewhere Out There.")

-- Denise Martin