Television and the talent show have been partners since the very first days of the industry. Taking the best (and sometimes worst) performers and putting them in front of the camera, these shows introduced viewers to personalities that either faded into the background or became household names. Usually, these personalities had a talent that would entertain the public -- singing, dancing, telling jokes -- that they would use once they left the talent show stage to increase their fame.

It continued in this fashion throughout the decades. Until, of course, the 21st Century and the Reality Revolution. While standard, yet bigger and bolder, talent shows continued, network programmers began to realize that there were more talented people than just performers. There were models, clothing designers, chefs, hair stylists, and businesspeople out there ready to show their stuff and make it big. So, they turned some of their attention away from singers and dancers and focused on the others. The result? A schedule full of top models, top chefs, top businesspeople, and top inventors.

In other words, the talent show had returned to television in a big way.

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The wackiest talent showcase (yes, wackier than America's Got Talent) is back with Comedy Central's The Gong Show. Hosted by Comedy Central veteran Dave Attell, The Gong Show will feature seven to ten bizarre acts each episode that will be judged by a rotating panel of celebrities. At the end of each show, the act with the highest score will be crowned the winner.

The premiere episode will be judged by Brian Posehn of Just Shoot Me, Steve Schirripa of The Sopranos, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Other judges include Adam Carolla of Drawn Together, Kate Walsh of Private Practice, Andy Dick of Less Than Perfect, Ron White, Dave Navarro, Greg Giraldo, Jim Norton, and JB Smoove of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Comedy Central is reviving The Gong Show. The original '70s variety show featured amateur acts who tried to impress the celebrity judges panel and avoid ... the gong.

The new show, which is currently casting for tapings on both coasts in Los Angeles and New York, will be hosted by Dave Attell. Yeah, remember him? The former stand-up comic from New York had his own show on Comedy Central called Insomniac with Dave Attell. I used to love that show. Attell would walk around the streets of different cities (mostly here in the States, but he went aboard too) and talk to people who were completely inebriated. He also occasionally talked to people who worked night shifts. I think he'll be a great host for this new project.

I think that because this show is on Comedy Central, it's going to be way more interesting and entertaining than the train wreck that is America's Got Talent. What do you think? Will you watch the new Gong Show?

[via BuzzerBlog]

For whatever reason, the name Chuck has turned out to be very popular this year. On TV, Pushing Daisies has a major character named Chuck and, of course, there's the new series Chuck. in the theaters, Chuck and Larry were happily married and Dane Cook was a Chuck with extraordinary luck. All these Chuck's got me thinking (not to mention craving a hamburger) some of the greatest people on television have been named Chuck. Here are a few.

Chuck Cunningham (Happy Days)
When the Cunningham family first made their appearance, Chuck was clearly the funniest part of the family. Unfortunately as the show progressed, it became clear that there simply wasn't enough room for Chuck in the house or on the series. Chuck Cunningham lives on, however, as the most famous forgotten character of all time.

As an avid TV fan, I love it when somebody makes a movie all about the television industry. Since I'm not a movie critic, the cinema is pure entertainment for me. Unfortunately, too often the movies make the mistake of romanticizing the world of television like they do everything else. Here is my personal list of those that got it right.

My Favorite Year
From what I understand, not only is the setting for this film taken straight from Your Show of Shows but the characters are dead on representations of Sid Caesar and others who made the show happen. The movie contains what is probably Peter O'Toole's best comedic performance and an amazing supporting cast featuring Bill Macy, Lanie Kazan, and Joe Bologna.