A grand stage with huge show lights is the setting for eight A Cappella groups from around the country to showcase their talent, and compete against each other for the grand prized of $100,000 and a contract with Sony Music.

The first day of filming was yesterday at a WB sound stage in Burbank. A total of four episodes will be filmed and aired back-to-back on NBC starting December 14, 15, 16, and the finale will air on the 21st. Episodes will be one hour long with a time slot of 8pm. Two groups will be eliminated each night by the judges. According to an NBC press release, home viewers will choose the winner of the $100,000 prize and Sony contract.

“Sing-Off” is hosted by singer Nick Lachey (“98 Degrees”). The eight groups are critiqued by celebrity judges: Shawn Stockham (“Boyz II Men”), Ben Folds, and lead singer Nicole Scherzinger from “The Pussycat Dolls”.

Lachey is adequate as a host. He knows how to deliver a line. A few mistakes here and there made for some pick-ups. Overall, Lachey is a smooth host, and a great choice for this show. I can’t think of anyone better.

SNEAK-PEEK:
The first episode taping looks promising with some very talented groups. A group of twelve young men, “Beelzebubs” was a crowd favorite. They preformed a “Beatles” song with choreography. Other groups include, a Barbershop Quartet, “Maxx Factor”, a real-life “Glee” group (they sound just as good too!), “The SoCals”, from Los Angeles, and an unforgettable performance by, “Face”, a group of professional men singing A Cappella rock! They performed “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Another group, “Solo”, from Omaha formed their group specially for this show and opprotunity to win. They announced that they had only been together for twelve weeks! See how they do when the show premieres.

Here’s a little trivia about the show. According to one source, the “Sing-Off” wardrobe department made and designed all of the groups costumes, except for the “Beelzebubs”. This was because the “Beelzebubs” wear their school uniforms for their outfits.

Reactions from audience members were positive and genuinely excited about the show. Production announced that they intend to shoot a second season if the first does well. It’s good to know that this is not a fly-by-night show made just to fill-in some temporary time-slots during the holidays!