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Television tv preview from C1
become so annoying this season that it deserves every wet-spa- ghetti-noodle sting of backlash that it is receiving. There are similarities, of
course: “The Sing-Off” mines “Glee’s” most fertile territory — amateur showmanship as the key to all that is right and good about life, or something like that. The teamsareas variedasYale’s
vauntedWhiffenpoofs (boo, hiss!) to a group of older a cappella cats fromOaklandcalledJerryLawson and the Persuasions, who charm the audience with old style doo- wop. There’s also a group of well- scrubbed singing fraternity boys from the University of Oregon, called On the Rocks; if not for the Lady Gaga song choice and You- Tube following, these boys might have been teleported here from a 1961 ice-creamsocial. At least half of the teams com-
peting on “The Sing-Off” clearly never miss an episode of “Glee,” and from it they have gleeked a senseof ambitious staging, aswell asaworldview:Thereispeaceand happiness when misfits harmo- nize. There’s even Eleventh Hour, a high school group from Ohio,
made up of “Breakfast Club” ar- chetypes (The jock!The computer nerd! The homecoming queen! The shy girl!), who refer to them- selves as the real-life “Glee.” Thus, “The Sing-Off” is cute-
ness atopcuteness—andafter the Bataan death march that turned out to be this season of “Dancing With the Stars” (along with lack- lusterstateof thingson“American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent” and “So You Think You Can Dance”), it seems almost impossi- bly pure and cleansing. It’s like “TheAmazingRace” of the talent- competition craze, in that its aim seems true and stripped of extra- neousnonsense. The show’s judges (Ben Folds,
an alt-rock tunesmith; Nicole Scherzinger, a Pussycat Doll; and Shawn Stockman, one of the Boyz II Men, the ur-cappella 1990s group) rarely, if ever, mug for the camera or turntheir critiques into phony paroxysms. Its host, Nick Lachey, is at last comfortablewith hisdestinyasapieceofcardboard. Justasmuchofablessingisthat
“TheSing-Off”willaccomplishev- erything it sets out to do in amere five episodes (Monday and Wednesdayof thisweek; thenDec. 13and15;witha live finaleonDec.
HARPER SMITH/NBC
GLEEFUL:Nashville-based Street Corner Symphony is one of several a cappella groups competing on the talent competition series as it begins its second season.
KLMNO 6
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2010 3
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Signing on for more of NBC’s melodious ‘Sing-Off’ songbirds
20) instead of the usual 117 epi- sodes that are normal to this
genre.Thejudgesaretrustedtodo what they must do and winnow the field efficiently — then and and only thenwill you be asked to partake inthe live episodeby cast- ing your all-important opinion of who shouldwin. For once, stardom doesn’t ap-
pear to be the goal in “The Sing- Off,” so much as the fleeting, ephemeral beauty of a song well sung. The winning team will get some sortof recorddealandawad of cash that, once split among all themembers, willmerely cause a minor tax headache. On Monday night, when the sixmembers of a Nashville-based a cappella group, the Street Corner Symphony, sing their transcendent rendition of Tears for Fears’s “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to have talent shows on TV, or to live in an age when every other person is dying to burst out in song.
stueverh@washpost.com The Sing-Off
(two hours) returnsMonday at 8 p.m. onNBC.
HIGHLIGHTS Mondaymorning, Duff
Goldman from“Ace of Cakes” drops by “The Price Is Right” (CBS at 11 a.m.) with a special cake, and a showcase prize that includes a trip to Baltimore to visit CharmCity Cakes. “The Sing-Off” (NBC at
8 p.m.), the a cappella competition hosted by Nick Lachey, kicks off Season 2 and is previewed byHank Stuever on Page C1. Afraid a week is going to go by
without amusic award show? Fear not! Fox gets into the countrymusic awards show business onMonday night with the inaugural American Country Awards (Fox at 8), hosted by Trace Adkins, honoring artists, songs, albums, tours andmusic videos. Lady Antebellumand Easton Corbin are tied with seven nominations each, with Carrie Underwood right behind with six. Performers include Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean. Though she’s been his enemy
so far this season, Ted continues to try and befriend Zoey on “How IMet YourMother” (CBS at 8), even if itmeans hanging out with Zoey’s dorky husband, who refers to himself as “The Captain.” “Martha Stewart’s Holiday
Open House” (Hallmark at 8) featuresMartha Stewartmaking her annual holiday treats and decorations, with some help fromactresses Jennifer Garner and Claire Danes. The Roloff family says
goodbye on the series finale of “Little People, BigWorld” (TLC at 8, 8:30); in the first episode, Jeremy applies for a job and runs into challenges, and in the second, the twins think about moving into their own apartment whileMatt and Amy consider big life changes. AlyssaMilano stars as a
woman who is happily on the way to the altar with a great guy in originalmovie “Sunday at Tiffany’s” (Lifetime at 9). But like anymovie that airs on Lifetime, things won’t be happy for long, especially when she runs into her imaginary friend fromchildhood—who turns out
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FAREWELL: The Roloff family says goodbye on the series finale of “Little People, BigWorld.”
to be real. “The Closer” (TNT at 9)
returns with new episodes, as one of Brenda’s detectives is attacked, and she tries to follow a trail of evidence that starts with a garbage bag containing $37,500. Buddy Valastro looks for
someone to join himin his New Jersey bakerymaking delicious cakes, and he turns to a competition reality series. “Cake Boss: Next Great Baker” (TLC at 9) starts as he tells 10 contestants tomake beautiful celebration cakes for the first challenge. “Men of a Certain Age” (TNT
at 10) comes back for Season 2, and the guys have all kinds of problems—Joe wants to get in great shape, but can’t quite manage to wake up for early morning golf workouts. Owen hires Terry to work at the car dealership and finds hemay regret the decision. Actor Ray Romano appears on
“Late ShowWith David Letterman” (CBS at 11:35), along withmusical guest John Mellencamp. “The Tonight ShowWith Jay
Leno” (NBC at 11:35) has Russell Brand, Chris Colfer andmusical guests Jonny Lang, Chris Layton, BradWhitford and Billy Cox. —Emily Yahr
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Dear Amy: I’ve beenwonderingwhat to get
our 17-year-old grandson for Christmas. He says he smokes pot, will not go to school and does not care about living at home—so he hangs out with a friend and the friend’s dad about 50 miles away from home. Hismomand dad are not on the same track, have nothing to give and cannot cope with the situation. But I do care. I will not givemy
grandson money or anything he can hock, but Iwant to be fair. I believe he will be at our home for Christmas. Do you have a suggestion?
A Grandfather Your grandson may have hit
the skids, but every young person starts life full of potential. All you can give to your
grandson is also the best thing you can give to him: The message that he is not alone, the idea that his life and choices matter, and the important truth that you care about him. Maybe you have some old
Best gift for troubled grandson is the message that he matters ASK AMY
Remind him of some of the
photographs of your grandson— a picture of him as a toddler trailing a teddy bear or a reminder of when he proudly played in Little League. You should also look for photographs of the two of you together. Duplicate these reminders of
his life. Compile them into a small album, wrap it and give it to him along with a letter from you. Use your letter to convey how
much you’ve always cared about him (after all, you are one of the fewpeople who have known your grandson his whole life).
positive events of his life and tell him that you believe in his potential. Tell him that as he moves toward adulthood his choices matter, and that you will always want the best for him.
Dear Amy: My best friend is going out with
a man she met a fewweeks ago. I think he’s old enough to be her father! She says he’s 43 years old and she loves him. She’s only 18 and she falls in loveway too easily. Hermomdoesn’t knowthat she
is dating this man and recently she readmy friend’s text messages and discovered that
they’ve been texting each other and he’s asking her tomove in with him. Nowhermomis mad and wants to knowwho this man is. My friend doesn’twant her
parents to knowso she askedme to lie to hermomand tell her that I’mthe onewho’s been texting the man, using her phone. I lovemy friend and I don’twant to let her down but I also don’twant to lie to her mom. So,Amy,what should I do?
Best Friend You already know what to do,
but if you need courage I’ll remind you. You cannot lie for your friend. Furthermore, any friend who asks you to lie for her
is not being a friend. Because she has involved you
in this mess, you can and should weigh in. She is making terrible choices, and you might as well tell her so. Let her know that you won’t lie to anyone for her. Then tell her you resent her willingness to throw you under the bus and blame her poor choices on you.
Dear Amy: A friend of mine has been
struggling with infertility. I referred her tomy doctor (I even took her to her first appointment). She has seen this doctor for many months. I recently found out from her mother-in-lawthatmy friend is almost four months pregnant. I amextremely happy for her and her family. I also feel that this
person should have calledmeand letmeknowthat she is expecting. AmI wrong for feeling thatway? Wondering in NY
The real issue is why this
woman’s mother-in-lawis telling people about her pregnancy. Pregnant women often wait to notify people (especially if they have had miscarriages in the past). This is not a referendum on
your friendship. Trust that she will tell you about her pregnancy when the time is right for her.
Write to Amy Dickinson at
askamy@tribune.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. © 2010 by the Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Media Services
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