The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll

**** This comment may contain spoilers. ****

"Search for the Next Doll" is a reality contest show where young female dancer-singers attempt to be the one person chosen to join a girl group called the Pussy Cat Dolls or PCD. The series has the standard reality show talent elimination aspect where one contestant is voted off at the very end of each episode. "Search for the Next Doll" also shows private confessions, practice sessions, and final performances.

Thankfully, what Search-Next-Doll lacks is unreal fake contestants with bizarre personalities. In fact, perhaps the show has too much real life realism by showing a bad stomach flu hitting most of the girls and instead of it being edited out, instead of shutting down the production and letting the girls perform in sound health, the viewer witnesses puking, sickness and suffering. The flu virus episode seemed unfair to the participants and was more painful to watch than entertaining.

My idea would be to scrap the whole idea of picking one single young girl to join an old girl group, and instead pick the 10 best girls from the first episode and create a new awesome super-group. All of these young ladies have it up, down and cross-ways. It -- is hotness. It -- is girlish perfection. It -- has my eyeballs glued to the TV set.

In my opinion, the Doll founder lady (Robin), Little Kim, and the rest of the old Pussy Cats have at best one tenth the charisma, sincerity, passion and talent as these amazing young lady contestants.

Forget the elimination jive, all of these contestants are winners!

Speaking as someone who considers the Pussycat Dolls as little more than just a collection of sexy burlesque dancers with some average songs at best. So I approached this show with vague interest because a place on the girl group is a good prize because they probably just about have the legs to get a few more hits with the new member even as Nicole walks out the door for her own projects. In fact the series is interesting because it actually feels as much like it will help the group elongate their appeal by staying in the public eye and getting more tabloid headlines regardless of the quality of the music.

One could question the competition because it does very much feel like the aim is to pick the sexiest one, unlike ANTM where it is less about straight sex but more about modelling. The "Next Doll" challenges seem to involve a lot of butt shaking and skimpy outfits, which I understand but is perhaps not the best message to be sending out to girls the age of the contestants. Regardless of this difference, the rest of the show feels like nothing more than yet another clone of America's Next Top Model. The house setting, the judges, the challenges, the entire structure feels like a photocopy and there isn't really anything else special about it.

Of course this is television and any good format becomes a trend until it runs out of steam, so complaining about that is probably a waste of time. However, having said that, this shouldn't be an excuse for such a clear lift – I did expect something different but instead what I got was everything the same but not really working as well as it has other places. Yes, the sheer sexual nature of the contest took away from it for me because at times it did come over like America's Next Top Stripper.

The girls are all the same cookie cutter types that we get in this – plenty of cattiness to provide content during the shows. Antin is a so-so presenter but it would have been a lot better to have had the Dolls themselves more involved in the guts of the show rather than just showing up in poorly delivered video diaries (which look like they are reading off upside down cue-cards) or in tiny sections. Antin is no Tyra and she doesn't make for that good a presenter. The judges (including her) are pretty poor and their opinions are all over the place which I suppose is understandable in regards what they are trying to judge or assign.

Overall then a roundly average copy of ANTM; it adds nothing to the format and just comes off as lacking effort or originality with the contest itself barely avoiding becoming a matter of who can throw their hips best in the skimpiest attitude while showing that Pussycat "attitude". I already feel guilty enough for watching ANTM – why on earth would I want to watch this rubbish as well?

I honestly think this is a show that makes girls think they have to dance like they do in the show in order to succeed in music. That isn't the truth.

PCD says they are 'sassy but classy' but I really don't think so. The judges tell the contestants not to dance like strippers, but isn't that what PCD already does? I think PCD can have those song lyrics, but they don't have to dance and dress like strippers.

PCD is just a group that flaunts their sexuality. Robin Antin should be ashamed of herself for creating the group and show.

Is there anything good about this show?-hmmmm....yes if you like to watch the drama on the show.