Oldies but still goodies delight viewers in spinoff show

“Little Big Shots” host Steve Harvey (left) and a young guest

For months now, “Little Big Shots” has won many viewers over with its weekly parade of amazingly precocious kiddie talents. Recently, however, the fave show has taken a curious detour in the opposite direction, showcasing oldies but still goodies in its “Forever Young” spinoff show.

The sudden shift has not been easy to take, but we gamely went along for the detour ride last week—and, despite an initial awkwardness, found ourselves liking the oldies just as much as the kiddies.

The rule now appears to be: Don’t even dream of showcasing your talent on the seniors’ show if you aren’t at least 60 years old. The idea is to show that age is only a number for the determinedly gifted and eager to please, so now merely middle-aged folks can make the grade.

—Which is not to say that all of the “Forever Young” talents look old and doddering. Indeed, the program loves surprising and even “shocking” viewers with how young and fit its featured seniors are, and what amazing feats they’re still capable of pulling off, despite their senior status.

For instance, a demure lady from China floored program host Steve Harvey with her audacious pole-dancing act! There was nothing demure or doddering about the fancy aerial splits she performed from way up high—and her legs were still lovely and lissome, for good measure.

Also scoring a direct hit with viewers was an old gent who did a nifty and shifty modern dance routine with a bevy of young chorus girls—even if he was already in his 80s!

Another senior entertainer who wowed the studio audience made his grand entrance stuffed into a very small metal box. He proceeded to slowly extricate himself out of the tiny cage, limb by limb—and, when he finally freed and presented himself in all his physical glory, he turned out to be a huge man, who just happened to possess an astoundingly pliant body that he could “fold” into that “impossibly” tiny space!

To make the amazing point even more convincing, he then proceeded to make his exit—by reversing the process, slowly “disappearing” back into his confining cage, again limb by limb—to the twice-delighted audience’s riotous applause!

We don’t know how long “Little Big Shots” intends to take its current “Forever Young” detour. If the senior talents it features are as good as the batch we saw, the spinoff could become a permanently separate show.

Reality check, however: US TV ratings show that “Forever Young” isn’t rating as high as “Little Big Shots”—which could make it a temporary detour gambit.

Even if it eventually says bye-bye, however, viewers will be grateful for its welcome reminder that talent will out at any age!