Don't Forget the Lyrics! (American game show)

Don't Forget the Lyrics!
Genre	Game Show
Created by	Jeff Apploff
Directed by	Ron de Moraes
Presented by	Wayne Brady
Narrated by	Mark Thompson
Theme music composer	The Doobie Brothers
Opening theme	"China Grove" by Rickey Minor
Composer	David Vanacore
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	35
Production
Executive producers	Jeff Apploff Chris Coelen Greg Goldman Brad Lachman
Original release
Network	FOX
Release	July 11, 2007 – present

Don't Forget the Lyrics! is a singing game show that premiered on FOX on July 11, 2007, hosted by comedian and former Whose Line is it Anyway? panelist Wayne Brady and produced by RDF USA, part of RDF Media. The launch of this show prompted NBC to move up the launch of their similar game show The Singing Bee. The show's contestants compete to win one million dollars by correctly recalling song lyrics from a variety of genres.

Overview

In this show, a single contestant is prompted to complete song lyrics for increasing amounts of money. After each correct answer, the contestant can continue playing, risking what has already been earned, or quit the game and take home all the money he or she has already earned. If the contestant continues playing and correctly completes nine song lyrics, he or she will be given a lyric from a No. 1 hit to complete. If the contestant completes the final lyric correctly, he or she wins the grand prize of $1,000,000. The band is led by Rickey Minor of American Idol fame.

The producers of the show are RDF USA, Apploff Entertainment, and Brad Lachman Productions.

Gameplay

Song Value 1 $2,500 2 $5,000 3 $10,000 4 $25,000 5 $50,000 6 $100,000 7 $200,000 8 $350,000 9 $500,000 10 $1,000,000

The structure of the show is similar to another FOX game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. Contestants are given nine categories (such as "Pop", "Rolling Stones", or "Divas"). Contestants pick one of the categories. They are then given a choice of two different songs. The contestant will pick one of the songs and then Rickey Minor and the band will then play the song. The lyrics are displayed on large monitors in front of the contestant. At some point, the lyrics are shown as blank spaces and the music stops. The contestant then fills in those blank spaces. They can then decide to "lock in" the lyrics or go for one of the "backups", which are helps. The filled in lyrics start as yellow and turn blue when the lyrics are locked in and turn green if correct and red if incorrect (although correct words still turn green). If they sing incorrect lyrics before they hit the $25,000 mark, they lose all of their money (one contestant lost on their first song). If they have passed the $25,000 mark, they will go back down to $25,000 if they mess up later in the game. After nine correct answers, they can go for the "Million Dollar Song".

Backups

There are 3 helps, or "backups" that the contestant can use for assistance (this concept is derived from the "3 lifelines" concept from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?). "Backup singers" allows one of 2 friends or family members the opportunity to help the contestant. "2 words" allows the contestant to be given any 2 blanks for free after they have answered but before the answer is locked in. When the player uses the "2 Words" backup and selects a word that is incorrect, it will automatically be corrected. "3 lines" gives them 3 possible answers, of which one is correct. Each backup may only be used once, right up to the $500,000 song.

Million Dollar Song

Identical to Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?'s Million Dollar Question, the contestant that makes it to this level must decide whether or not to either attempt the song, or play it safe and take the $500,000. There is no other information on the song's title, artist or genre, but only to know that the song is a #1 hit from one of the nine categories featured in their game. All remaining backups are out of play at this point, and the other info is only revealed if the player decides to go for it. After the contestant sings the words, they can change it if they want but they have to lock in something. If the lyrics to the Million Dollar Song are incorrect, the contestant leaves with $25,000 (for celebrity episodes, a loss meant the players got $100,000 for their charity). If correct, the contestant wins $1,000,000.

Ratings

In its debut, Don't Forget the Lyrics! averaged 3.4 million viewers in adults 18-49.

FOX has since ordered 13 additional episodes of Don't Forget the Lyrics!. These episodes started airing September 20, 2007. In December 2007, while the second season was airing, FOX ordered a thid set of 13 episodes, which currently air Thursdays 9:00PM/8:00PM CT.

Notable Contestants

• Contestant #1, Katie Moeser, was reportedly a grad student in entomology though her MySpace page shows her education to be a partial completion of an undergraduate degree in communications
• Contestant #2, Luke Adams, is a professional actor with an entry on imdb.com. The show reported that Adams is a "bar manager" however his personal website states, "I consider myself lucky to have been able to make a living performing on stage for over 10 years."
• Contestant #3, Eddie Mui, is a professional actor who has appeared in a number of roles, including a guest spot on 1990s hit show Beverly Hills 90210
• Contestant #4, Theresa Ryan, is a professional actor and comedian who has spent time at Second City in Las Vegas and received a degree in acting from SUNY-Purchase University
• On the season premiere on September 6th, Taya Asimos, is an actor appearing in The Wanderer and Voyeur
• Also on the season premiere, the minister from Topeka, Kansas, Venson Quarles, is actually a musician with "Venson Quarles & Company" and was performing as recently as August 19th, 2007 at the Pechanga Casino in Temecula, California
• Dottie Harris became the first contestant to make it to $500,000 before she passed on the Million Dollar Song opportunity. The song remained unrevealed.
• Ashley McCohn had been a contestant on an episode of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? screened the same evening as her Don't Forget the Lyrics! appearance. She won nothing on both shows (missing on the $1,000 question on the former and the $10,000 song on the latter).
• Shamari Berkley became the first under-18 contestant to try to win $1,000,000 on the show, with the rules changing for a bit-- if he got a song wrong, he'd go back down to just one level rather than $0 (or if the $25,000 song was answered correctly, that amount). He was also given a pass for one category at the beginning of his game, automatically giving him $2,500 in case he missed his first song. Considering his age, many of the songs dealt with something kids would know, such as Take Me Out to the Ballgame and the Hokey Pokey. He walked away with $350,000. Shamari is also a child actor .
• John Adams, a father of 3, was the first person to make it to the $100,000 level and still have all of his backups. He left with $200,000.
• Boyz II Men appeared as celebrity contestants, playing for charity, on an episode aired on February 21, 2008.They were given the chance to do the $1,000,000 song but did not, and ended the show with a concert. Again, the Million Dollar Song remained unrevealed. The two songs they sang were a re-make of The Four Tops' It's the Same Old Song, and their own hit, End of the Road.
• Jill Small [1], along with her great dance moves, won a grand total of $350,000, on an episode that aired on February 28, 2008. Small also had her own instructional break dancing video.
• REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin appeared as a contestant on the March 27, 2008 episode. Like Boyz II Men, he ended the show with a concert, singing Roll With the Changes.
• On April 17, 2008, American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke became the first person in history to sing the Million Dollar Song "You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful, and You're Mine)" by Ringo Starr of The Beatles, and also she was the first person to save all 3 backups until the $350,000 song. She brought home $100,000 for her charity, Camp Heartland and committed to earning an additional $400,000 on her own. She ended the show singing the song "Band of Gold". Camp Heartland has since been renamed to One Heartland.

Millionaires

There has not yet been a millionaire on Don't Forget the Lyrics.

Million Dollar Song Losers

Kimberly Locke (first and only person to go for the million dollar song)

$500,000 Winners

Dottie Harris (first person to win $500,000)
Boyz II Men

International versions

Australia

An Australian version, which will also be called "Don't Forget the Lyrics," is currently under development for Network Ten. The prize is expected to be AU$500,000.

Austria

An Austrian version titled Sing and Win, is currently under development for Austria Television.

Croatia

A Croatian version titled Ne zaboravi stihove! is currently airing Mondays and Saturdays on Nova TV. It is hosted by an actor Igor Mešin.

Denmark

A Danish version titled Så det synger (So it sings) is on air for TV 2 Denmark. The show is hosted by Michael Carøe.

France

A French version titled N'oubliez pas les paroles ! is on air for France 2. The show, hosted by radio and TV star Nagui, has a top prize of €100,000 (about US$147,000).

India

An Indian version of the show titled Bol Baby Bol airs on STAR One. British-born Pakistani singer Adnan Sami hosts the program. The show is presented in Hindi (although plenty of English can be heard as well). The show format is similar to the American version with two differences: the top prize is Rs.25 lakh, (Rs.2,500,000, about US$63,000) and instead of a "3 Lines" backup, contestants get a backup that allows them to replace the song they chose with one of two other song choices.

NOTE: Before Kimberley Locke attempted the Million Dollar Song on the U.S. version, at least one contestant has attempted the Rs.25 lakh song, but unlike Kimberley, managed to win the grand prize.

Italy

An Italian version called Canta e Vinci hosted by Amadeus & Checco Zalone was tested on Italia 1 and has a top prize of €500,000.

Poland

Polish version of the show called Tak to leciało! (It was sung like that!) is on air for TVP2 with top prize of zloty 150,000.

Slovakia

A Slovak version titled Lyrics - Vyspievaj si milión! is currently under development for TV Joj and top prize will be 1,000,000 Sk (about US$45,000).

United Kingdom

The UK version of the show also called 'Don't Forget the Lyrics' is being premiered in late May/early June 2008 on Sky One with Shane Richie as host and a top prize of £250,000.(about U$510,000). The British board will go £500, £1,000, £2,500, £5,000, £7,500, £10,000, £20,000, £50,000, £125,000, and £250,000. Filming commenced on February 15th 2008, and finished on 24th February 2008.

Trivia

• Both Wayne Brady and Joey Fatone, host of the competing show on NBC The Singing Bee attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida.
• When a contestant selects a song from a band with more than one backup singer, Wayne Brady will call one or two audience members at random to be the contestant's backup singer alongside him.
• The show was parodied at the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards, when Wayne Brady had Kanye West compete with Rainn Wilson from The Office for the chance to become a presenter. The category was "Kanye West songs," and each participant had to sing the correct lyrics to West's new single, Stronger. West inadvertently sang the last line as "...That's how long I've been on you", and Wilson won by using the correct ending word ("ya"). Afterwards, as both men presented the next award, West complained: "I never win," alluding to his own recent awards-show losses.
• As it had happened on Deal or No Deal back in April, 2006, on September 20, 2007, a proposal was being made by one of contestant Gabrielle Hatchet's supporters--her boyfriend Nathan Reid. Gabrielle picked the "Motown" category and both songs were "written" by Nathan, one "I finally got the ring!", and the other "Will you marry me?". Everyone appeared clueless (apparently thinking that that was the real title of the song) until the camera zoomed in on the "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" part of the screen. Both Gabrielle and the audience caught on at the same time. Nathan promptly approached Gabrielle and posed the question once again; Gabrielle accepted without hesitation. She walked away with $350,000, a couple of months before Dottie Harris overtook her total.
• Don't Forget the Lyrics!, along with The Singing Bee, was nominated for a 2007 Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer TV Show but lost to Degrassi.
• While Don't Forget the Lyrics! is more of a quiz show, The Singing Bee is more of a word show because it is like a spelling bee.
• San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice made an appearance on the show to help boost contestant Michael Oliver's confidence after Michael got off to a shaky start.
• One of Ashley McCohn's song choices was "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers, which ironically, is also the show's theme song. She chose to sing the Green Acres theme instead (the category she had picked was "TV Themes", and that was the song she lost $5,000 on).
• The UK version features a more cross sectional list of contestants than the semi-professional US original. Early episodes feature a primary school teacher, a doctor and a policeman as contestants.

External links

• Official site