Reality Rock Star: An interview with producer Mark Burnett

By Courtney Grimes

Executive producer Mark Burnett has been creating his own reality for quite some time now. Having stamped his name on most of today’s top television shows including “Survivor,” “The Apprentice,” and “The Restaurant,” Mark has partnered with Gibson Guitar to deliver an entirely new level of reality TV – “Rock Star: INXS.”

“Rock Star: INXS,” which airs Sundays (VH1), Tuesdays and Wednesdays (CBS) for the duration of the Summer, is a television series dedicated to finding a new front man for legendary rock band INXS. Contestants, who spend time on the show living in a Hollywood mansion together, perform each week in front of a panel of judges including rocker Dave Navarro, and the INXS band members. “I think Dave Navarro is crazy and funny,” said Mark. “Every week he’s just funny! We’ve had a good time. It’s interesting having a show that isn’t like “The Apprentice,” where real people are trying to win something. All of these contestants are already rock stars!”

After eight weeks of elimination, only five contestants remain. “They’re very talented,” exclaimed Mark. “In fact I know that SONY is very interested in some of them - even the ones that don’t win. Its great exposure for them, and you couldn’t see much more of Gibson Guitar if you tried! The contestants freaked out when they saw all the Gibsons in the mansion. We got it all on camera. It was the greatest gift ever.”

Gibson Guitar was the obvious instruments of choice for the “Rock Star: INXS” house- band. “The idea for Gibson actually came out of production design,” explained Mark. “At one point we designed the stage in the shape of a Gibson guitar, but it just became too complicated. I mean there are a lot of instruments being used on the show, and Gibson is such a recognizable brand. It made perfect sense to get involved with them” But Mark’s love for Gibson extends beyond professional praise. “My son actually just got a Goldtop,” said Mark, “and of course he absolutely loves it!”

“Rock Star: INXS” has had overwhelming success, both among television viewers and music fans. “I think the show is going great,” said Mark. “I’m so impressed with the numbers on MSN, just the amount of downloads that people are pulling from the show. We have six million viewers a night! That’s huge for a rock and roll show.”

Mark Burnett first stuck his toes in the reality TV world as the creator of “Eco-Challenge,” which earned him a Sports Emmy Award nomination (1996), and an International Documentary Association Award nomination (1997). Mark garnered a Sports Emmy Award for “Outstanding Program Achievement” for “Eco-Challenge: Morocco” (2000), and an Emmy Award nomination for “Eco-Challenge: Borneo” (2001). From there, Mark continued to dive into the world of unscripted television with hit series like “The Contender,” “The Casino,” and “Commander Nanny.”

But with “Rock Star: INXS,” Mark was asked to come on board. “INXS actually approached me,” said Mark. “I was in the middle of casting my third “Apprentice” about two years ago, and they came to me and said, ‘It’s been seven years since Michael Hutchence passed away, and we’re thinking of pushing forward and finding a lead singer. We want to do a worldwide search. Do you want to be a part of it and make television out of the search?’ Well, I love INXS and I said, ‘Yeah, of course.”

When asked if he could divulge any juicy details about upcoming episodes, Mark said, “Well, they’ve got an acoustic number this week. So that’s interesting. They’ve also been doing some songwriting, so there will also be some shows with originals coming up. And they will also be going into the studio with INXS and putting their voices down on tracks with them. You’re going to be blown away with some of the new stuff.”

With all of his past and current success, Mark Burnett has definitely been crowned “King of Reality TV,” but he is nowhere near stepping down off his throne. “I just signed a new deal with “Contender” with ESPN,” explained Mark, “so the boxing series comes back in April. And then the following week I have both “Apprentice” shows with  Martha Stewart and Donald Trump. So I have a lot going on.”