Reality TV to pick the next President?

From Cinescape:



Get ready for reality television to head in a new direction. VARIETY reports today that politics and entertainment are about to collide to produce AMERICAN CANDIDATE for FX.

FX has teamed with producer R.J. Cutler (AMERICAN HIGH, THE WAR ROOM), producer Tom Lassally (TOTALLY HIDEN VIDEO) and director Jay Roach (AUSTIN POWERS) to create a two-year series that will culminate in the American public choosing a truly "people's candidate" to run for president of the United States in 2004.

"It's a cross between THE WAR ROOM and AMERICAN IDOL, " Cutler says. "We will be making available to every American who is qualified, by virtue of the Constitution, the opportunity to run for president. We're trying to see if there's a young Abe Lincoln out there, somebody whose vision could turn on the public in an exciting way.”

Applicants will have to prove themselves worthy of the highest office in the land by filling out questionnaires, providing videos explaining why they would make a great president and putting together 50 supporters from their community who will sponsor their endeavor.

The screening process will get under way in early 2003, with the first of a minimum 13 episodes likely to air in January 2004.

The final episode will be an AMERICAN CANDIDATE convention, which will take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., around July 4, 2004. Viewers will determine the winning candidate in a live broadcast.

I'm really not sure if I should be scared of this or just find it very amusing.  Although this is a reality TV program I may just tune into. :)