I Know My Kid's a Star

Infobox Television
show_name = I Know My Kid's a Star


caption =
format = Reality competition
runtime = 60 minutes
creator =
executive_producer =
starring = Danny Bonaduce
Marki Costello
country = United States
network = VH1
first_aired = March 2008
last_aired = May 2008
num_episodes = 8
website = http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/i_know_my_kids_a_star/series.jhtml
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

"I Know My Kid's a Star" is an American competetive reality television television show starring Danny Bonaduce of the 1970s television show "The Partridge Family" as host and primary judge. Casting agent Marki Costello stars as co-host and secondary judge. The show features ten parent/child pairings, each pair working together as a team to further the child's career.

The parents and children live together in one house; week to week, the teams work on various performance-related challenges. The show consists of eight episodes, with one team sent home at the end of each episode. The team that wins the final competition is awarded $50,000 and a one-year contract for the child with a Hollywood agent.

An Australian version, titled "My Kid's a Star" and also featuring Bonaduce, began airing in April 2008.

Eliminations

Contestants

Episodes

Episode 1:

The basics. The children must perform their audition acts for Danny. The parents are quizzed on their Hollywood knowledge by Marki. By the end of the episode, Danny believes that Jonathan and Austin too unprepared for Hollywood. Danny also says that Austin relies too much on his father's support while performing. For these reasons, Jonathan and Austin are the first team to be sent home.

Episode 2:

Danny takes the parents on a tour of famous child stars' missteps. The kids have to do a voice for a fly in a cartoon. Marki says, "This is the Acting Teacher mom. We can have fun with her because she better know how to act, this daughter" and they have Cheyenne do a fly with allergies, the only child that is asked to do any type of character. Cheyenne is awarded for the best performance, giving her immunity. In the elimination ceremony, Kevin and Devon are sent home because they seem to lack enthusiasm for Hollywood.

Episode 3:

Danny takes the kids to a movie set where they will perform a horror scene. Cheyenne does an excellent job and the winning team is Cheyenne and Helene for the second time in a row. Helene mentions later that she is the only acting teacher Cheyenne has had and Gigi & Pam later attack her regarding this. In the end, Cameron and Shari go home because Danny believes Shari cannot manage Hollywood. Danny comments favorably on Shari's and Cameron's exit, saying "if you've never seen a pro exit, that was it".

Episode 4:

First, the parents have to take a head shot of their children. The photograph chosen as the best is the one of Hayley (Rocky's daughter). The photograph chosen as the worst is Gian's. After the photograph judging, the the kids have to audition for a shoe commercial. A choreographer works with the kids as a group, teaching them the basic moves for the commercial. A lot of the kids watch Cheyenne because they don't know the choreography. Because of the photograph win, Hayley is given extra time alone with the choreographer. Even so, Hayley's audition doesn't go well. Gian wins the commercial challenge because he was enthusiastic and "sold" the shoes with his dance. At elimination, Rocky and Hayley are sent home because of Hayley's poor dancing and because Danny still believes Rocky is there for herself and her own fame, not for her daughter.

Episode 5:

The previous four weeks have taken their toll on the teams and pressures continue to mount. The parents try to prepare their kids for the coming challenges. Danny gives the teams the next children's challenge of styling their child for the next audition. The parents were given $40 and taken to a thrift store; so they could put together a costume for the audition in only twenty minutes. While their parents shop, Danny gives the children their challenge. It's an audition for a stage version of Oliver Twist. The kids are given their scripts and told to prepare on their own. The kids are happy, confident and enjoy each other while they prepare. The stage parents come home to coach their children. Conflict between parents and children erupt immediately. The parents are hard on the children's performances, except Helene & Cheyenne, they work well together and they are the only team that is not fighting and getting along well together. Helene tells Cheyenne, "The emotion is the most important thing". The children are trying to get it right but few of the parents are satisfied. Danny explains that part of the parent's challenge is to push the children to success without pushing over them over the edge. Parents dress their children in the costumes they bought. Joel Golde, a dialect coach shows the children a cockney accent and gives them a cheat sheet to help them study their accents. Each child auditions for Catherine Stroud, the casting director for Hannah Montana, Joel, the dialect coach, Danny and Marki. The winner of the challenge is, once again, Cheyenne, the only child who did not use exaggerated blocking during her monologue, and sat on the edge of the stage and cried legitimate tears. Danny tells Cheyenne, "So let me get this straight, you have just won 3 out of 4 of the last challenges? So, you're the one to beat!" After the challenge, Hayley and Lisia are eliminated.

Episode 6:

The kids have to do a scene with a soap star. The mothers have to decide who will get immunity. All the mothers except Helene get together and decide not to give immunity to Cheyenne (Helene's daughter). Gigi tells Pam that she will vote for Pam's daughter if Pam will vote for hers. At voting time, Pam refuses to vote. Danny tells her she has to vote or she has to go home. Pam votes for Sandy and Gian, leaving Gigi very mad. Helene realizes that her vote will be the tie breaking vote (since the other moms each voted for a different kid, resulting in a four-way tie). Helene states that her strategy is to vote for the child she feels is least threatening to her child in the competition, and she votes for Alai. Now, Gigi and Alai have won the challenge, but Gigi is no longer friends with Pam or Mary Jo. At the end of the episode, Gian and Sandy are sent home because Sandy isn't ready for Hollywood.

Episode 7:

The kids and parents are unexpectedly awakened by Danny at 6 a.m. They are given just 1 hour to get ready before leaving the house for their next challenge. They have no idea what they are going to be doing that day. Danny tells them that they are going to be in "his neck of the woods." Helene is the only mother to figure out that they are going to be on Danny's radio show. Once on the air, all of the moms resort to insulting each other after each explains why they think their child is the most talented. When the children are on the show later, they begin civilly, but soon their joking begins to sound like their mother's insults to each other. Alai and Mary Jo begin vying for air time, then Cheyenne starts to chime in, talking and singing trying to get some air time. Mckenzie tries to talk, but is too meek to interrupt and ends up lost for words.Later, back at the house, the children are challenged to film an audition tape for a television host role. They must show their personalities, but also be entertaining and informative. Alai and Gigi do not do a good job; Gigi tells Alai to break after every line, which results in awkward pauses that make Alai visibly uncomfortable, affecting her entire performance. Marki and Danny feel that Cheyenne was too laid back. Mackenzie and Shannon are given a good review, although McKenzie's performance is still somewhat over the top. Mary Jo does ok, showing a spunky personality, and having no problem reading the cue cards.After the TV host challenge, Gigi and Shannon discuss the day's events, which results in Gigi becoming angry at Pam. She goes upstairs under the guise of talking rationally with Pam, but the conversation quickly becomes hostile. Pam refuses to escalate the argument, and Shannon and Helene leave the room because of her yelling and insults.That night on stage, Danny asks Pam how the tension is in the house, and she responds honestly. Alai and Gigi are sent home, after Danny says that Gigi is not ready for Hollywood. Danny also says that, in his opinion, the original spark that he saw in Alai never came back again after the first day.

Episode 8:

(Season Finale)

The parents are asked to brand or label their child, and Marki asks the parents to find the best way to market their child for Hollywood. The parents are then told to style their child according to the child's "brand." Danny and Marki later judge the children's outfits. They say that Mary Jo's outfit doesn't seem to be her, that Pam was trying to make Mary Jo into Barbie, and they feel Mary Jo isn't like that. Moving on to McKenzie, Marki says that the outfit she has on is perfect for her. When the judges get to Cheyenne they say they feel that it isn't her style. Helene explains that the stylist got the opposite of what Helene had requested. Marki tells Helene not to complain about it. Danny surprises the group by telling them that there is going to be another elimination, right then. The judges decide to eliminate Mary Jo and Pam because they feel that Pam is unsure of what Mary Jo's brand was. After Pam and Mary Jo leave, McKenzie and Cheyenne are told they have one final performance, this time in front of a live audience. The two girls' mothers help them prepare for the talent showcase. On stage, McKenzie sings Alone by Heart. Cheyenne sings So Emotional by Whitney Houston. The girls did an acting scene together. Cheyenne was eliminated due to her mother's constant complaining and arrogance. It was decided that McKenzie was the winner due to her improvement and her mother's managing and parental skills.

References

*David Hinckley (March 20, 2008). [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/03/20/2008-03-20_pity_the_kids_on_i_know_my_kids_a_star.html "Pity the kids on 'I Know My Kid's a Star'"] , "New York Daily News".

External links

* [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/i_know_my_kids_a_star/series.jhtml VH1's webpage]