What does Bravo see in Kara DioGuardi?

Does Kara DioGuardi have naked pictures of an executive at Bravo?

That may be the only explanation as to why the network feels compelled to develop a second unscripted series featuring the former "American Idol" judge before the first has even aired. She's the head judge on the upcoming Bravo songwriter-competition series "Platinum Hit" (May 30).

The upcoming docu-series will offer, as this Bravo release touts it, a "peek behind the curtain and reveal much more interesting and multi-faceted aspects of this incredibly successful, talented artist and business woman. We believe her dynamic personality and fascinating career will resonate with our audience and reflect our pop culture brand.”

Either this means Bravo is just so cocksure "Platinum" is going to be a hit that it wants to capitalize on its success ahead of time or perhaps the opposite: they don't think "Platinum" works as a vehicle for DioGuardi, but the network has something else in mind that's a better fit.

But given Bravo's terrific track record of creating unscripted series featuring flamboyant characters, what on earth does the network see in DioGuardi? Judging from the "Platinum" pilot and her recent appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" (see above), she has a rather muted, buttoned-up manner that doesn't quite jibe with the kind of zany characters Bravo puts on air.

DioGuardi was kind of a polarizing presence on "Idol" (who isn't though?), but I always respected her incisive remarks about the contestants; she made for a welcome counterbalance to the gratuitous viciousness of Simon Cowell and the anodyne blather of Paula Abdul. But on her own two feet, there's really not much there to be compelled by.

Bravo's overload on DioGuardi smacks of the kind of wrongheaded TV-programming strategy the broadcasters often attempt: Given the massive viewership "Idol" gets, siphoning any aspect of that show is bound to attract some segment of that audience, right? That didn't work when CBS applied the same logic to "Live to Dance," which tanked with Abdul. It's probably not going to work for Bravo, either.