For all intents & purposes, the Fox Family music game show, Great Pretenders, was really a revival of an earlier, similarly formatted game show that aired in syndication over a decade earlier, Puttin' On The Hits. Both series had contestants lip-synching to their favorite songs (and you wonder why that has become common practice for a lot of current pop acts these days), and judged on talent & presentation.
The pop group Wild Orchid, which featured former Kids Incorporated cast members Renee Sandstrom & Stacy Ferguson (Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas), served as hosts for the series, which aired from 1999-2001. Following is a sample video uploaded by and featuring a contestant who appeared on the show.....
As is typical of cable networks, Great Pretenders fell victim to changing viewer interests, and Wild Orchid began to fade from the scene. Could this series be tried again? Maybe, albeit under another name (again), and even a regional version might be do-able, as a means of getting up-and-coming talents some exposure before hitting the big time.
Rating: B-.
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