Fox's 'blind'-dating spin on 'The Voice'

Fox's 'blind'-dating spin on 'The Voice'

The Voice has yielded The Choice: In a new spin on dating shows, Fox is mimicking the format of NBC's The Voice, an American Idol rival, with a six-episode summer series that features groups of four male celebrities in spinning chairs evaluating potential regular-Jane dates, sight unseen. The idea goes back to The Dating Game, but replaces the quaint wall and mod '60s music with Voice-style gimmickry: Instead of buttons, the chairs include "love handles" that, when pulled, signal interest in a "fantasy date."

As with The Voice, if more than one pulls the lever they must compete for the woman; in a second speed-dating round, the woman must quick ly convince the celeb of her date worthiness.

"They will go on the date, but the date is relatively insignificant" to the show, says Fox reality chief Mike Darnell. "It's really about the picking and elimination." He says celebs, as yet undisclosed, are "famous, successful, very attractive and single."

Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) will host the series, which starts June 7, Thursdays at 9 ET/PT.