Sing for the Network?

Last night, on "Nashville Star" one of the judge/mentors expressed having been dismayed when the show moved to NBC because the network was going to have a say in choosing the finalists. He had been surprised by some of their choices, but expressed more satisfaction now with the quality of the remaining competitors. It made me wonder who should be in charge and if viewers are being somewhat mislead.

It's not a new idea, of course. Years ago, Drew Carey complained about the results on an episode of "Last Comic Standing" when he was a guest judge. Neither he or any of the other judges had voted for one of the comics who was moved on. Apparently, the rules stated that the network and/or show producers had final say in who was to move on, but it was misleading to the audience. The show is also on NBC. In both cases, the network let the comments from the judges be aired, so they weren't trying to hide anything.

Of course, contestants are chosen as much for their personalities as abilities on most shows, and that is something viewers probably appreciate. Would we watch "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race" if the players weren't interesting? Of course not.

"America's Next Top Model" is one of my favorite shows and they seem to have a formula for each cycle's cast. There's the nerd, the full-figured model, the bad girl, the diva, the eccentric, and often the girl with a disability. The formula seemed to work the first season, so it has continued. Is being entertaining more important than finding the best?

"Nashville Star" seems to be closing in on the best of the contestants. There are five left. I was sorry to see Laura and Sophie eliminated. I guess the viewers took the judges comments to heart last week and sent the girls home because they are too young. Gabe Garcia is still in the running and has, in my opinion, given consistently good performances. Also part of the final five are Shawn Mayer, Melissa Lawson, Ashlee Hewitt and CoffeyAnderson. Who will survive this week's vote? Will the final winner actually become a star?