Will NBC's Phenomenon Be the Next Hit TV Series?

Will NBC's television show, "Phenomenon" be enough of a Phenomenon to make it America's newest hit television series?

Phenomenon is the latest spin in the reality show genre. Famed mentalist Uri Geller and world-renowned mystifier Criss Angel, search for the next great Phenomenon.

Phenomenon showcases the acts of ten selected mentalists. The competitors compete against each other on live television. Each competitor is given a chance to prove to Geller and Angel that they are the next Phenomenon and deserve to win the $250,000 grand prize.

The first episode of Phenomenon premiered on October 24, 2007. The episode included acts from four of the contestants. Ehud Segev was able to make celebrity Carmen Electra feel like she was being touched by projecting the thought into her mind. Jim Karol claimed he didn't feel any pain while sticking his hand into an Alaskan wolf trap. Eran Raven flirted with death when he played Russian Roulette with nail guns held to his head. Gerry McCambridge was able to predict a phone number that was randomly chosen by audience members from a selection of four phone books.

Geller and Angel seem to play the role of good judge, bad judge. Uri Geller tends to give a raving review of all the performances, while Angel gives the contestants a more honest and realistic view of their performances.

Phenomenon missed the opportunity to come up with a creative and unique way to eliminate contestants. The producers chose to follow the same old routine that so many other reality shows have followed. At the end of each show viewers can vote up to ten times for their favorite contestant.

The use of celebrity guests to assist the competitors adds some much needed humor to an otherwise overly intense show. In the first episode, viewers couldn't help but laugh as Ross Mathews refused to put his hand into the animal trap for competitor, Jim Karol. Even though Mathews went a little over the top with his reactions, it definitely added some life to the show.