Sugar Ray Land Apprentice-style Reality TV Show

04/06/04 4:00pm

Ozzy Osbourne used a reality TV show to bolster his saggy career.

Can Sugar Ray use the same strategy to put themselves back on top?

Well, they're sure going to try. Sugar Ray, the funk-rock-pop band responsible for "Fly" — tied for the most annoying hit of 1997 with Smashmouth's "Walking On The Sun" — have announced a deal in which they'll host an upcoming reality show.

The show, On The Road, is said to be a cross between The Apprentice and The Real World. Eight contestants will hit the road with Sugar Ray and essentially work as their roadies/personal assistants/general lackeys. The hopefuls will get little jobs each week that could be as techie as tuning the band's guitars or as vague as promoting one of their shows.

After each task is complete, the Sugar Ray dudes will "fire" one of the competitors a la Donald Trump. Also keeping with The Apprentice theme, the prize at the end of the tour is a job with a music label. Since, as we all know, music label jobs are becoming increasingly worthless, the winner will also get a new car for their trouble.

To make it worth their while, Sugar Ray will get an eight-week run in the spotlight and a chance to play live on TV. The band are touring behind their 2003 album, In The Pursuit Of Leisure. On The Road is expected to air this summer on Spike TV.