Sometimes, it feels like networks are willing to make a reality series out of anything. The latest reality series to be announced, however, looks like an entirely new type of show. No participants will be eating bugs or surviving in the wilderness or dancing with any stars; no, the subjects of the new series will instead be surprised by some of their favorite celebrities showing up out of nowhere at major events in their lives. Lead singer of Maroon 5 and Voice coach Adam Levine will be producing the project, which has been ordered to pilot by NBC.
If the project moves forward, it will be unscripted, meaning the reactions therefore will be very real. Deadline notes the project has yet to receive a name, but there’s no doubt that Adam Levine will be an ideal man to bring the premise to the small screen. The Maroon 5 music video for his song “Sugar” has garnered almost 800 million views on YouTube and is basically a condensed version of the premise for this new show.
The “Sugar” video sees Levine and his fellow bandmates in tuxedoes who then board a convertible and spend the day driving around Los Angeles to crash weddings... in the nicest way possible. Instead of sneaking in to take advantage of the open bar and hit on the bridesmaids, Levine and Co. set up a miniature stage and surprise the bride and groom with a performance.
While it’s certainly fun to watch the members of Maroon 5 as the band sees the effects their appearance has on their impromptu audience, the best parts of the video are undoubtedly the shocked reactions of the happy couples and their guests. In fact, the goings-on of the video are so delightfully distracting that it’s easy to go through the entire production upon first viewing without really hearing the song. Staged or not staged, “Sugar” is awfully uplifting to watch, and Adam Levine bringing the same sort of situation to television could be wonderful to behold.
Of course, Adam Levine will not be alone in producing the endeavor. Director David Dobkin of Wedding Crashers fame will join Levine, and reality production company Renegade 83--that is best known for handling Naked and Afraid on the Discovery Channel--will handle bringing the framework of the “Sugar” video to an hour-long program for NBC. Dobkin is uniquely qualified as the director of the pilot, having also directed “Sugar" for Maroon 5. Levine will co-executive produce with longtime producing partner Jordan Feldstein.
It’s not known yet which celebrities will be surprising their fans in the new NBC series, but the cringeworthy factor present in other reality series designed to surprise participants – see Punk'd – is absent in the idea of a “Sugar”-esque production for TV.
