Andy DehnartCMT gets into the celebrity reality series game tonight at 8 p.m. ET with Gone Country, on which “John Rich, of the hit country duo Big & Rich, … takes seven established performers from every realm of the entertainment and music industries and immerses them in all things country for a chance to break out as the next big country superstar,” according to CMT.
In other words, it’s Dancing with the Stars, country music-style. Unlike the ABC series, though, CMT’s cast is relatively well-known and all have backgrounds in singing, if not country music. They are Bobby Brown, Carnie Wilson, Dee Snider, Diana DeGarmo, Julio Iglesias Jr., Maureen McCormick, and Sisqo.
The Boston Globe’s Sarah Rodman says it ends up being “The Surreal Life: Nashville,” although “the cohabiting ‘celebrities’ are given a goal beyond simply extending their fame for the duration of the seven episodes.” And The New York Daily News’ David Hinckley says “it’s unlikely this group will yield the next George Jones or Patti Loveless. But watching them wade in this unfamiliar water could prove oddly fascinating.”