CarnieWilson

Carnie Wilson left little doubt what her judging style would be on 'Karaoke Battle USA' after her appearance on 'The Talk' (weekdays, syndicated on CBS). One clip showed Wilson extremely excited about a contestant, comparing the performance to a "romp in the bedroom," with "a big climax." Yes, she will be the outspoken, outrageous one.

Wilson explained that 'Battle,' which debuts Friday on ABC, will crown the "king and queen" of karaoke after a competition from some of the best karaoke singers in the country. As would be expected, not every contestant had a good go of it. Wilson talked about one man who sang Whitney Houston's 'All the Man That I Need,' with popping eyeballs and a bulging vein in his forehead.

Game shows used to flood the dial of my TV back in the 1980s and '90s. And that was when my TV could only pick up eight channels, three depending on the weather.

Back then, almost everything from daytime fare to the occasional prime time bit of airtime starred game show hosts. Their purpose on television was solely to wear smart suits, make sure their teeth reached the optimum level of whiteness and keep the game moving but entertaining.

Now that game shows are making a slow but steady return to television, it seems the traditional role of "host" has turned away from the traditional "game" emcee like Chuck Woolery, Wink Martindale, Bob Barker and Art Fleming and more towards lively hosting personalities from other walks of entertainment life like Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Howie Mandel and Guy Fieri. Does this mean that the role of the traditional TV game show has gone to that great big "Curtain No. 2" in the sky?

Reality is not relative when it comes to television. Reality television, my friends, is here to stay. So when I let you know that GSN will air Carnie Wilson: Unstapled, a new reality show starring the former singer from Wilson Phillips and the host of The Newlywed Game, you shouldn't be surprised. At least not about another celebrity reality program. The fact that it's going to be on GSN -- that's the Game Show Network -- however, that's a bit of a shocker.

GSN has fallen in love with Carnie Wilson. Kelly Goode, GSN senior vice president for original programming and development, gushed about CW, saying, "Carnie is incredibly funny and earthy. ... She's a personality the viewers have fallen in love with. And she's a hit on The Newlywed Game.

If you're one of the dozens of people who watched Gone Country, CMT has another reality show for you. Maureen McCormick is joining up with former co-stars Bobby Brown and Carnie Wilson for Outsider's Inn. The actress will manage a bed and breakfast in rural Tennessee with Wilson and Brown's help. Brown is the inn's entertainment director, and Wilson is the chef.

The eight-episode season of Outsider's Inn will premiere on CMT in August. Viewers can expect to see the unlikely team of entrepreneurs handle day-to-day operations of the inn, interact with guests, and engage in bizarre behavior. I can't imagine the kind of entertainment Bobby Brown will arrange for the B&B.