America's Got Talent is the Reality TV Show to Watch This Summer!

Summer is typically boring re-run time, when all but the most tv-obsessed people take a little break from the boob tube. However, there is one program that looks like it might inspire a few people to pick up the remote.

The newest reality show on the television block is NBC's "America's Got Talent," premiering June 21 with a special two-hour broadcast (8-10 p.m. ET). This "anything goes" talent competition is modeled after the hit series American Idol, and television legend Regis Philbin has been tapped to host the show -how can it not be a huge success?

Forgetting for the moment that the title is enough to make teachers, grammarians and writers wince in pain, America's Got Talent has plenty to like . For starters, there's the amiable host, emmy-award winning Regis Philbin. As the current co-host of the daytime talk show, Live With Regis & Kelly, and the former host of ABC's uber-popular prime-time reality series, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Regis is one the most recognizable television personalities. Most people agree that he was a large part of what made "Millionaire" so entertaining. The success of this series is also believed to have fueled the massive growth of unscripted primetime tv programming, i.e., what we all know now as "reality shows."

America's Got Talent is produced by American Idol's tart-tongued judge Simon Cowell, and FremantleMedia. Following the successful format of American Idol, America's Got Talent will begin with audition footage before narrowing the field to the best acts. The show will have a one-hour talent competition on Wednesdays from 9-10 p.m. ET, and a half-hour results show the following day. Viewer voting will determine who walks away with the top prize (a cool million) for having the best act.

America's Got Talent is being billed as one of the most "broad" and comprehensive talent searches the country has ever seen. They're looking for performers of all ages in every talent category-singers, dancers, magicians, comedians and unique acts of all kinds-in short, anyone who thinks they have what it takes to entertain America.

However, in a bid to stand apart from other similar shows, the America's Got Talent auditions will have an element of chance. Everyone hoping to audition will sit in the audience, and won't know if they will be one of the lucky 70 to 80 contestants (out of 1,000 hopefuls each day) who will be asked to perform in front of a panel of judges. Incidentally, the judges for America's Got Talent are as yet unannounced, but Simon Cowell will not be one of them. His Idol contract prohibits him from appearing on any non-Fox reality series that he produces.

The contestasts have to be dressed and ready to run onto the stage to audition if their name and number is called. Like American Idol, the judges will determine which contestants advance to the final rounds. Cowell said that the audition rounds will feature a "brutal device" to stop the act, though it won't be a gong or a trap door (darn!).

With all this new summer reality show has going for it, look for it to heat up television screens all across America.