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NEW YORK (CAP) – Producers of TV's newest reality show, So You Think You Can Mime? are heading back to the drawing board after VH1 announced the network would not be picking up the show for its new reality TV block of programming.
Thus far, no network has expressed interest in airing the show.
"Our audience has an insatiable appetite for two things: John Mayer videos and inane reality shows," said Ben Zurier, Senior Vice President of Program Strategy for VH1. "But mimes? Come on, even we have some slim standards on what we call celebrities.
"You'd think that if we'd give a show to Chad Ochocinco, we'd give a show to anyone, and for the most part you're right," added Zurier. "But we have to draw the line somewhere. Even if it's a fake line in the air."
The show is the brain child of So You Think You Can Dance? executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who admitted he's "pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel" when it comes to ideas for new reality shows.
In fact, in light of this latest turn of events, Lythgoe said he's having second thoughts about moving forward with pilots for So You Think You Can Synchronize Swim? and So You Think You Can Cross Stitch?.
"I thought maybe mimes could use a bit of a fair shake," said Lythgoe. "I mean, whenever we make fun of mimes, we're always using Marcel Marceau as a reference, and he's been dead for – well, a while now, and no one has stepped up to take his place."
Lythgoe had launched tryouts for the show in seven different U.S. cities, but those tryouts only produced a total of three contestants. And one of them was an autistic boy who had no idea where he was.
"I guess American TV's just not ready for the subtle nuances of miming," Lythgoe added. "However, I think if that boy can cut down on the whole rocking back and forth thing, he just might be."
Mime was slated to be hosted by a newer version of the famous '70s mixed-gender mime duo Shields and Yarnell. The original Lorene Yarnell died in 1988 after suffocating in an invisible box and was replaced by Yarnell 2.
The new duo has met with great success since the mid '90s in Branson, Mo. at the Yakov Smirnoff dinner theatre, however neither Shields nor Yarnell 2 were available for comment on the fate of their show.
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