American Inventor Review

When I was in elementary school, I won a ribbon for an invention that I was brave enough to enter into a contest. I think I called the stupid thing a plant shower. I used a cardboard box, foil paper, and a Pepsi can to put it together. It was pretty bad... Hmmm. Now I'm thinking that there couldn't have been much competition in that contest.

My plant shower may have been horrible, but it wasn't half as bad as some of the inventions that were pitched on the first episode of American Inventor. I apologize for not taking notes during the show. I was too busy laughing my butt off. Now I can't remember the name of the torture-for-tots (errr, I mean tantrum-calming) chidren's product pitched by the woman with the PHD. I can remember the name of the wearable bathroom-on-the-go product that looked like a suit bag of some sort. It was called the Bladder Buddy. But don't ask me to explain to you how it works. I still don't get what the poor guy who invented it was thinking.

Needless to say, the inventors of genius products like these didn't advance to the next round on American Inventor, a show created by Simon Cowell and the producers of American Idol to find the next big invention. The involvement of the Idol guys with this series explains the show's similarity to American Idol. Both shows obviously have funny audition rounds. But what I haven't mentioned yet is the panel of judges who may remind you of Randy, Paula, and Simon. PR expert Mary Lou Quinlan, the only woman in the mix of judges, is just as emotional as Paula (she cried at least twice). And there is already tension between Mary and the guy who I'm sure will get labeled as the mean judge, inventor Doug Hall. Does this sound familiar?

The judges and the bad inventors aren't the only reasons I am recommending this show.

The producers' way of highlighting some of the more emotional stories by using sad music and family footage that makes us go awww reminds me of the first season of The Contender, a reality show that had an amazing way of tugging at the heart strings.

Humor. Drama. Emotion. American Inventor has it all.

American Inventor airs Thursday nights at 9:00 pm ET on ABC.