Grease: You're the One That I Want!

Tryouts, competition, and casting

Open auditions were held in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles in October and November 2006. The show followed performers of varying quality through the audition process, with hosts Billy Bush and Denise van Outen encouraging and interviewing them. Applicants were reduced to 50, who attended "Grease Academy" for intensive training in voice and dance. From these, 12 contestants were selected by judges Kathleen Marshall, Jim Jacobs, and David Ian.

Later episodes featured guest judges including Olivia Newton-John, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jon Secada, and Rob Marshall, as well as guest performer Frankie Avalon. The number of contestants rose to 14 in the fourth episode when two previously eliminated contestants, Matt Nolan and Ashley Anderson, were brought back. The first episode aired in a 90-minute format at 8:00 pm Eastern time on January 7, 2007; subsequent episodes were one hour long. Viewer voting began at the end of the first live show on January 28.

Each week, contestants were coached on singing, dancing, or acting, then critiqued by judges. The two lowest vote recipients in each group performed a "sing-off," with judges deciding which two remained and which two were eliminated.

Reception

The first episode was watched by 11.59 million viewers but received unfavorable reviews. Viewership declined, and the critics' favorites did not become the final winners. East Bay Times reporter Susan Young compared the show unfavorably to American Idol, noting a viewership difference of 8 million to Idol's 40 million and the absence of "humiliating people" as Idol judges do. Washington Post television critic Tom Shales said calling it "reality television" stretched the term to meaninglessness and calling it "good television" risked being struck by lightning.

New York Post television writer Austin Smith attacked the format and stock characters, including the stereotype of the "plucky fat girl," and noted male contestants who "blubber as if their lives had ended." New York Post theater critic Michael Riedel posted negative reviews after the second episode, stating working actors found it demeaning and industry movers said it made theater look tacky and cheap. After the finale, Riedel said the rest of Broadway was put off by cheesy production values, poorly staged musical numbers, and cookie-cutter nobodies, though he admitted the show did better numbers than the Tony Awards.

By July 2007, advance sales reached $14.2 million, and Variety reported the TV show had achieved its goal of promoting a Broadway show.

Other versions

A similar show, Grease Is the Word, was broadcast in the United Kingdom during the first half of 2007 on ITV, with judges David Ian, David Gest, Sinitta, and Brian Friedman. It followed a similar format, and on June 11, 2007, Danny Bayne and Susan McFadden were named the new Danny and Sandy for the West End revival at London's Piccadilly Theatre from August 8, 2007. A similar show was broadcast in Israel in 2008 on Channel 2, with judges Hanny Nahmias and Assaf Amdursky.

In the Netherlands in 2022, the show Op zoek naar Danny & Sandy selected two unknown singers for the lead roles in the 2023 performance of Grease. Contestants included Melissa Peters, Jeffrey Zwaan, Wendela van Sprundel, Lya Luca, Dylan Meischke, Davy Reedijk, Jarno Korf, Imahni Tsolakis, Shay Lachman, Aimée de Pater, Paul Morris, Dominique de Bont, Victor Lammertijn, Magtel de Laat, Tristan van der Lingen, and Danique Graanoogst. In the final on February 3, Tristan van der Lingen and Danique Graanoogst were announced as winners.