This Is Why Netflix’s Star Search Is A Flop
Netflix rebooted the iconic Star Search that brings singers, dancers, comedians, and variety acts together to compete to win $500,000. Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the show aired live for five weeks with judges Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jelly Roll, and Chrissy Teigen. The big twist? An interactive element made viewers at home the fourth judge as we voted up to five stars on each contestant and influenced the competition. While this element added to the experience, this first season was a flop and here’s why.
One of the biggest issues with Star Search was its judges. Instead of giving real criticism to the contestants, they gave out participation trophies. The judges would praise contestants, whether they deserved it or not, and then going on to give them three stars. You would have thought Jelly Roll would be the most qualified to judge the categories as a musician, but he gave away the most unearned five stars. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Chrissy Teigen were more cut throat in their votes, but it was unclear from the beginning why these three were chosen to critique the talent. They could learn a lot from Netflix’s surprise hit Building The Band, hosted by Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean with judges/mentors Nicole Scherzinger, Kelly Rowland, and Liam Payne. They truly understood what it takes to judge a competition, bring together a successful group, and discover raw talent. If Star Search returns for another season, I’d love to see them switch up the judges for people who can truly evaluate the contestants and even represent more of the various acts. You could bring in a comedian like Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, or a dancer like Sean Bankhead or Parris Goebel. Even better, bring in an OG Star Search alumni!
When it came to the talent, it was a mixed bag across the two episodes that aired each week. Tuesday might have surprising hidden gems, while Wednesday would feel like rage bait. On top of that, many of the weekly talent face-offs made no sense. You could have acrobats going against a dog trick act, or magicians versus dancers. Some of them just didn’t belong on the show, while other pairings were so strange it made it hard to vote on. When we got to the final episode, I imagined that the eight finalists would be judged individually, but instead the face-offs continued until the final four remained and then viewers voted one more time for the final winner. I didn’t think this worked at all. It didn’t make sense to continue the face-offs, but I would have at least liked to see the final four perform one more time. In fact, they could’ve tapped into the fan engagement at home by having viewers vote to bring one of the eliminated contestants back to compete in a final five that were then judged individually in an additional episode to find the ultimate winner.
Despite the lackluster season, there was a handful of talent that caught my eye and could go on to bigger things. Twelve-year-old Yair Keydar blew me away with show-stopping performances of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and “Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing.” Netherlands-born singer JAÏR owned the stage while performing “Use Somebody” with a full band. Girl group H3RIZON brought bop after bop every week, with songs by Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, RAYE, JoJo, and even KPop Demon Hunters. Comedian Janine Harouni delivered a polished comedy act that felt ready for its own Netflix special. Vocalist Spud Howard brought us to church, solidifying his spot in the final four.
Ultimately, magician TJ Salta won Star Search. With some ups and downs throughout the season, he remained a fan favorite. But, as someone who was rooting for a singer, I was surprised by this win. It’s tough to say if Star Search will make a return. This is the third iteration of the franchise and, arguably, the least successful. But if it does, I hope to see a tighter format, higher levels of talent, and judges that actually makes sense.
The first season of Star Search is streaming now on Netflix.
