Pop Idol: Birth of a Franchise

[James2001]

I remember through series one and perhaps series two of Pop Idol that you couldn't get ITV2 on SKY. This had all the behind the scenes stuff. Was it Ondigital or Onedigital or something like that that ITV2 was originally on?

My friend used to manually tape the ITV2 bits for me and bring them round and we'd watch them LOL

ITV2 launched on Sky Digital in November 2001 if I recall correctly? So there would have been a couple of months when Pop Idol Extra was exclusive to ITV Digital, renamed that year from ONdigital, and digital cable.

ITV2 had been available on many analogue cable operators too (though not the one we had, at least not while we had analogue- it was added later though), it wasn't an exclusively digital channel.

[gbitup]

I am just listening to episode 1. There is a section where Will is talking about his win and they play the audio of And and Dec announcing ‘Will.’ For some reason, the clip they play has the Who Wants to be a Millionaire music playing, rather than the Pop Idol theme, when he wins.

Very bizarre but I presume they have used the audio from this clip:

[soupie]

I say bring back Fame Academy and Pop Idol. Two really good shows that never got the respect that they deserved.

please no! I feel the bottom has completely fallen out of TV singing contests. Aside from all the panel issues I always think it was notable X Factor really started to bomb after 2012, just months after The Voice started (and it was quite big in its first few years).

[VMPhil]

I say bring back Fame Academy and Pop Idol. Two really good shows that never got the respect that they deserved.

please no! I feel the bottom has completely fallen out of TV singing contests. Aside from all the panel issues I always think it was notable X Factor really started to bomb after 2012, just months after The Voice started (and it was quite big in its first few years).

My recollection of The Voice is that it was only big during the audition shows of the first series. Once the live shows started, the ratings absolutely bottomed out and never recovered.

[JLav25]

I was an X Factor fan and stuck with it until the end, but there were some things I found odd in the later days, in particular, the year they did “live Judge’s Houses” which was just Olly and Caroline linking to VT’s with a live reveal of the results at the end, which was a bit pointless, unless it was to prevent spoilers?

I might be remembering wrong, but I think the initial plan was to have all the contestants in the studio, and the judges would walk on and reveal live who went through, but they realised it was a logistical nightmare and the situation that happened wasn't ideal either

[Revolution]

I say bring back Fame Academy and Pop Idol. Two really good shows that never got the respect that they deserved.

It was Simon Cowell watching Debra Stephenson on 'Comic Relief does Fame Academy' that triggered him to launch BGT. And the rest they say is history...

There was something charming about Pop Idol, or indeed Popstars. I liked the judges, and certainly with the latter it felt more like documentary series than reality show. With 'Popstars: The Rivals' they tried to blend the two formats, and while it did spawn Girls Aloud, the judges lacked chemistry and the 'infighting' was so faux. Funnily enough I heard Javine's 'Real Things' on the radio the other day and I always wonder what would've happened if she made the band. I remember there was a phone line scandal that plagued the whole series.

Going back to Pop Idol, it was interesting to think they had difficulty getting the network executives in the US to agree to take the show. It was only because Elizabeth Murdoch had seen it that Fox snapped it up. Even then there were a lot of teething problems: struggling to find a fourth judge, the chemistry between Paula and Simon was off and she was shocked at his putdowns. Simon was aghast when a producer handed him a script of putdowns -- it was common practice then to have everything scripted.

At some point Rupert got involved and told them to "make the same show they make in England!" before going on a rant about how Hollywood people love to change things and ruin everything.

[gottago]

This is an enjoyable listen though I’m halfway through episode 2 and it feels more like a Will Young biography than anything!

One thing I’ve always found interesting about series 1 was the way the live shows went right through Christmas and New Year eventually ending in February, unheard of now for big live shows like this. Must have been a thoroughly miserable festive period for those who worked on it as these really are 6/7 day operations when the live shows are in full force. Christmas is such a hard finish to the year’s TV with new series starting in the new year across all genres really these days.

[VMPhil]

Yes episode 2 is a disappointment - basically becomes Kate chatting to Will about his entire career post-Pop Idol and descends into positive thinking/spiritualism nonsense towards the end.

[Brekkie]

One thing I’ve always found interesting about series 1 was the way the live shows went right through Christmas and New Year eventually ending in February, unheard of now for big live shows like this. Must have been a thoroughly miserable festive period for those who worked on it as these really are 6/7 day operations when the live shows are in full force. Christmas is such a hard finish to the year’s TV with new series starting in the new year across all genres really these days.

Yes - the live Top 10 stage didn't begin till the 15th December. Christmas falling midweek helped though

Series 1 had 4 weeks of audition shows then 5 weeks of heats for the top 50, with a performance show recorded midweek and a live results show on the Saturday. The wiki for series 2 is a bit confusing as it suggests the heats started the first week of the series. Seems unlikely they wouldn't have shown audition episodes.


P.S. Didn't realise Chris Evans was originally supposed to be a judge on Popstars: The Rivals.
https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv...ivalsquot/

[Benriggers]

Yes episode 2 is a disappointment - basically becomes Kate chatting to Will about his entire career post-Pop Idol and descends into positive thinking/spiritualism nonsense towards the end.

Should have aired the whole interview on it's own, in the Will Young interview (also part of this series). Maybe Episode 2 should have focused on 2nd series?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0014hpy

[XIII]

I do wonder who would have been the nasty judge of American Idol had Cowell not agreed to do it? On Australian Idol, it was Ian 'Dicko' Dickinson who IIRC was an associate of Cowell.

[Brekkie]

Lots of "Where are they now" articles today on the Series 1 contestants - i.e. one journalist did the research and the other tabloids regurgitated it.

[XIII]

Nicki Chapman did really well out of Pop Idol given that's she still presenting today.

[Gary Baldy]

Nicki Chapman did really well out of Pop Idol given that's she still presenting today.

I suppose so though she doesn't gain anywhere as much name recognition as Simon did out of Pop Idol.