The Sing-Off (Monday, 8PM, NBC) — NBC has decided to finally get caught up in musically-talented reality TV shows (The Singing Bee doesn’t count) and all I can say is Merry Christmas to me. Take American Idol, combine it with Glee and sprinkle in a little America’s Next Dance Crew and you’ve got The Sing-Off… a week long extravaganza which begins on Monday in a 2-hour premiere.

Eight a cappella groups compete to be the best in America, which earns them an Epic Records/Sony Music recording contract (what, no cash?). You can check out the contestants now and see which performances you are looking forward to most. My early money is on Beelzebubs because of their records and awards, but maybe the underdogs, Solo, will dig deep into their hearts and take it all.

Let’s talk about the 3 judges for a sec. First is Ben Folds (of Ben Folds Five)… an interesting choice particularly because he doesn’t seem like someone who would want to be part of a reality show competition but he’s a lyrical nerd who possibly jumped up and down at the chance to be a bit more famous, even if only for a week. Next is Shawn Stockman… I know, who the hell is that? He’s one of the Boys II Men, the most successful male vocal group ever… so it does make sense. And what’s he got to do? Lastly, there’s Nicole Scherzinger, the only Pussycat Doll that actually sings (the other 10 should meet up with the 2 “other” members of the Black Eyed Peas and all do nothing together). And who’s the host you ask? It’s no other than Nick Lachey… does it get any better? I think not.

Get involved in this one, people.

Highlights

MTV’s Jersey Shore has been highly criticized for stereotyping Italian-Americans. I couldn’t care less about that. What I love the most about Jersey Shore is that they made a TV show about the Jersey Shore… Seaside Heights to be specific, and I’m here to defend it. I love the Jersey Shore… I went “down the shore” to Seaside Heights every summer with my family for long weekends. I went to the beach, I ate pizza, taffy and waffles and ice cream on the boardwalk, I played all of the boardwalk games, I rode the rides (LoveBug anyone?), including the scenic boardwalk chairlift, and I stayed at the Hershey Motel every time. It’s a great place to bring your family for a few days. There’s always been a hackneyed idea that the Jersey Shore is cheesy, and I do not disagree with that, but it’s all good fun. Even as an after-prom destination, I wasn’t fist-pumping at Karma, I was drinking beer in my motel room, riding the rides and playing the games. The creatures featured in Jersey Shore are definitely a dime a dozen when it comes to share-houses, but I think it’s more of a reflection of where they came from, not where they choose to spend their summers. They should really have a reality show about Staten Island… now that would be something that would keep you up at night.

Lowlights

MTV’s, Jersey Shore.

What to Watch, Week of December 14th

The Sing-Off is clearly where it’s at. What better way to get into the holiday spirit with a new talent competition that’s not going to take over the next several weeks of your life? Short, sweet, and fun. According to my DVR, it’s on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Thursday

Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas — An SNL special featuring my fave skit character, Gilly (Kristen Wiig). Sorry!

We’ve already started, so taking our eyes away from Jersey Shore is nearly impossible. I need to see what happens between Ronnie and Sammi.

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