Howie did fine

Fox is trying a hidden camera stunt with Howie Mandel called Mobbed after American Idol on March 31. The premise: Glee meets Candid Camera. EW.com is more precise:

A big piece of news — marriage proposal, etc. — is delivered to another person with the help of Mandel and his team, which rehearse a giant flash mob musical number throughout the episode. On the day of the event, the prankee is subjected to a huge and unexpected performance, starting with a few dancers and evolving into a giant spectacle.

Not to prejudge, but this doesn't look like my scrumptious fave. With that golden lead-in, though, the one-off special could click and morph into a regular series.

But enough of this "musical reality" whatever. Instead, I want to praise Howie for his severely underappreciated role on Deal or No Deal. Eyes were rolled and teeth were gnashed when NBC announced the high-strung comic as the host of the suitcase openings. Pundits predicted Howie would run wild over the format and make the contestants, the game, the universe look like afterthoughts.

None of that happened. Mandel wasn't afraid to inject some occasional funny, but he respected the contestants and the game. He didn't hog the camera, he let the suspense play out, and he looked genuinely sympathetic when the inevitable bomb-outs claimed their victims. All the while he ran the game with few if any technical glitches.

Some have complained about the recent trend toward comics as game show hosts. And like any trend in the entertainment junkosphere, this one can be overdone. But Mandel made NBC look good when they picked a stand-up specialist.