Earlier today, Spike TV picked up a series called Caraoke Showdown that involves Craig Robinson picking people up in a car and driving them around while they sing songs for money. It was, essentially, a Cash Cab-esque take on the Carpool Karaoke bit that James Corden does on his Late Late Show, prompting us to make a classic A.V. Club jest about how Robinson’s show should include an episode where he gets into “an awesome The Fast And The Furious-style drag race against James Corden.” Weirdly, that has just become slightly more possible, because Apple Music has now ordered an actual Carpool Karaoke TV show.
This comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which says the series “will air first exclusively” on Apple’s $10-per-month music-streaming service. Corden isn’t expected to host or drive the car like he does on his show, but it’ll reportedly retain the format of putting famous people and their fans together in a vehicle as they sing to each other. Robinson’s Caraoke Showdown has a competition angle, but—like the Carpool Karaoke primetime special—it sounds like Carpool will be more about people just hanging out and singing together with a larger emphasis on celebrities and musical artists.
Still, even if the shows are slightly different, only one can be the true king of the road. That’ll be determined by whichever show can push its car the hardest, encourage its guests to sing the best, and make the most money for the network/streaming service it‘s on. The winner will live to race another day, but the loser will have to abandon their car in disgrace and never sing again.