CBS didn't bring it back for another season last summer, but Mark Burnett apparently still hasn't written off the possibility of doing a third edition of his Rock Star reality competition series.
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"And yes, I am in discussions with various bands. There's one flaw in that as a business, is that you have to find a suitable rock band that actually wants to find a new lead singer. So you got quite a barrier to entry. But yeah, we are in discussions with some bands. And yeah, people do want to see that series again."
Rock Star's Summer 2005 first season focused on finding a frontman for Australian band INXS. J.D. Fortune was selected as the show's winner, and INXS' first single with him -- "Pretty Vegas" -- made its debut in the Billboard Top 40, saw its debut album "Switch" make it to the Top 20, and also had many of the dates on its tour sell-out.
CBS subsequently ordered Rock Star's second season, which aired in Summer 2006. It aimed to find a frontman for a newly-formed group featuring musicians from other bands -- ex-Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica bass player Jason Newsted and ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.
Lukas Rossi was chosen as lead singer during Rock Star's September 2006 second-season finale.
However things got off to a rough start for the new group. There were legal issues surrounding the band's name when the series aired, as a judge eventually barred the band from using "Supernova" -- the name that was originally supposed to serve as the new band's name -- leading them to instead go with Rock Star Supernova, a colon-less version of the show's title.
Then, not even two months after Rossi was named the winner, Newsted needed immediate shoulder surgery when he tore his left bicep and rotator cuff while trying to catch a bass falling from an amplifier. While their tour still kicked-off on New Year's Eve 2007 in Las Vegas, Newsted was replaced by Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt.
In addition, the band's November 2006 self-titled debut album received mostly negative reviews and failed to make Billboard's Top 100 in the U.S., while their tour also struggled. Last April, Clarke denied rumors that he was quitting Rock Star Supernova.
CBS decided against renewing Rock Star for a third season, and instead aired Burnett's Survivor-like Pirate Master reality series last summer. After a time period switch was unable to boost lackluster ratings, Pirate Master was canceled and its five remaining episodes aired online via CBS' website.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
