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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

American Inventor

semioticrobotic

14:39 / 17.03.06

So the American Idol folks have spun off a new beast: American Inventor, an audience vote-in show featuring amateur inventors and their crazy contraptions. Winners receive $50,000 in seed money for funding eventual production of their inventions.

I was terribly disappointed when I couldn't catch American Inventor last evening. I read the play-by-play this morning, but blog posts and screen grabs can't capture the real feel of the program.

Did anyone happen to catch the first episode of the series? Impressions?

21:05 / 17.03.06

I watched the premiere. I was really excited about it because as a kid I was really into inventing and I still find inventions pretty fascinating. I mention that because I think my high expectations probably contributed to a little bit of a letdown feeling about the show.

Being Cowell's project, one would expect that there would be some harsh remarks from the judge, and there were more than a few. But there was little enjoyable about watching these terribly earnest, hopeful people have their balloons burst. I would much rather have seen some really cool inventions... but we saw relatively few. Believe it or not, bad inventions are not all that interesting. I think it's possible that they're just following the Idol format in the sense that the early shows are going to be all weirdos and rejections, and then we'll start to see the talent. It could get better.

semioticrobotic

21:48 / 17.03.06

I think it's possible that they're just following the Idol format in the sense that the early shows are going to be all weirdos and rejections, and then we'll start to see the talent. It could get better.

I was wondering if this were the case -- if they'd be following quite closely the Idol format. I know people enjoy watching the initial rejects very much, but this is the part of the show(s) that appeals least to me. If they are going to do a Top 12 sort of thing, I'll probably try to catch that.

I'm wondering what kinds of "paces" the inventions will be put through. On Idol, the Top 12 sing different styles each week, try new tasks, etc. Once we see what an invention can do (is supposed to do), what more is left?

Keith, like a scientist

22:01 / 17.03.06

i missed this, but i really liked the one preview commercial where a guy was gesturing wildly and pointing to this complex diagram that involved a man and a tiger in a tree. he says something like "and this invention can help ward off wild animals."

The judge says "Sir, is your invention a stick?'

And the contestant says "Well, it's a wand."

Keith, like a scientist

22:03 / 17.03.06

oh sorry, it's on that play by play. still...hilarious.

19:46 / 18.03.06

I'm wondering what kinds of "paces" the inventions will be put through. On Idol, the Top 12 sing different styles each week, try new tasks, etc. Once we see what an invention can do (is supposed to do), what more is left?

I wondered that too, but I think that they're going to try to develop the inventions and probably some marketing ideas and whatnot. A couple of people were rejected on the basis that they already had a fully formed, marketable product and basically just needed a buyer. The judges were looking for rougher ideas that have promise but need work.

The wand was pretty funny. The whole it's a stick, it's a wand argument actually went on throughout the pitch. I think it had mace come out of one end and also emitted a high pitched noise or something?

The worst/funniest was the bladder buddy. It was like a giant garment bag that you wear if you really have to pee out in public, with a sealable pouch in the front for the pee. The guy said he tried it out at a bus stop once. He also made a female attachment, like a collapsible hourglass with the bottom half attached to a baggie.