Dana Carvey will serve as a mentor to contestants on a new celebrity impression competition series, First Impression, set to air on USA, Varietyreports.
The half-hour show will pit amateur impressionists against each other, with viewers voting on the winner each week. Carvey, along with other celebrity guests, will offer advice to the performers, but also participate in games throughoutthe show as well.
There are so many great impressionists and First Impressions gives them an opportunity to showcase their talents, Carvey said. Besides, Ive always enjoyed watching an impressionist nail somebody as in capture their voice. Now I get paid to watch.
While USA has placed a series order for the show, a premiere date for First Impressions has yet to be announced.
Carvey, of course, became renowned for his impressionson Saturday Night Live portraying at least 56 different peopleduring his tenureand the short-lived Dana Carvey Show. Thecomedian has taken oneveryone from Johnny Carson, Paul McCartney and George Michaelto George H.W. Bush, Ross Perot and Dan Quayle. In one SNL sketch poking fun at a 1992 presidential debate, Carvey pulled double duty as Perot and the elder Bush, sandwichingBill Clinton, played by Phil Hartman (though Carvey has proven hes capable of a more than serviceable Clintonimpression, as well).
The performers talents have hardly waned since. Earlier this week, Carvey dominated a Halloween-themed Wheel of Musical Impressions on The Tonight Show, taking on Barack Obama, Keith Richards and SNL honcho Lorne Michaels.