Touchdown! Should Seven revive Australian Idol?
It created stars & stopped the nation -could Idol be the answer to Seven's prayers?
- Published by David Knox
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With Seven’s ratings already struggling in the first week of ratings, here’s a question without notice: Should Seven revive Australian Idol?
Industry sources tell TV Tonight the network has the option on the show -and has had for a year.
Australian Idol screened on 10 from 2003 – 2009 and made stars of Guy Sebastian, Shannon Noll, Jessica Mauboy, Casey Donovan, Anthony Callea, Rob Mills, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Paulini, Matt Corby, Stan Walker, Em Rusciano, Dean Geyer, Wes Carr, Casey Barnes and more…
By comparison The Voice is yet to create a household name.
The format also allowed viewers to connect with acts and watch them grow with judges remaining independent instead of taking sides as The Voice and X Factor do. It culminated in event television grand finals at the Opera House – we all remember how Guy Sebastian v Shannon Noll stopped the nation.
Sentiment for the series remains strong. Yesterday Carrie Bickmore & Tommy Little hosted a ReunIdol party on their H!T Network radio show with James Mathison, Shannon Noll, Rob Mills, Cosima DeVito & Axle Whitehead (including a reprisal of “Rise Up”).
American Idol also ended its run in 2016 on FOX, but within two years it was revived once more on ABC. The Australian edition has also never been on air in an age of social media…
Seven has confirmed Australia’s Got Talent from Fremantle is back in a “Champions v Challengers” season, which invariably will feature several singers. It is also reviving Farmer Wants a Wife, Big Brother and Wife Swap.
But reviving the show will not come cheap and Seven is under huge pressure with its company share hitting record lows.
Would Australian Idol help them get back on track?
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- Tagged with Australia's Got Talent, Australian Idol, Big Brother, Farmer Wants a Wife, The Voice, Wife Swap
39 Responses
I think Australian Idol should return, but with a changed emphasis and a changed format.
Realistically, the show was about scouting for a talented vocalist/musical artist who could be used to record an album in, I believe around 7 days, to make money for the record company willing to sign up the winner to a record contract, in some cases I hear, where the winner didn’t even receive any money from the album they made, despite hundreds of thousands of copies being sold, the only real winner being the record company itself. The making of fine music is not something to be rushed and the best music is always made when a singer is connected to the music, the lyrics and the subject matter, because that connection and understanding is the hidden ingredient that allows for an authentic interpretation of the song. Too often winners have been required to sing songs they haven’t written,…
American Idol has just started in the US. Doesn’t look like Foxtel is airing it. Any idea if they have plans to show it anywhere in Australia this year?
Nothing advised as yet.
It is time for Seven to recruit some new blood and come up with a brand new, fresh, exciting show that doesn’t involve singing, cooking, renovating or marrying people off..,, Don’t rehash stuff, you came up with MKR 11 years ago and it worked, be brave again….
How people quickly forget history. It went off the air for a reason. Idol was fantastic the first year or so but it eventually got stale and became a bit of a joke because it eventually started feeling unauthentic and like a machine pumping out wannabes (with a few exceptions). It was originally sold as this “journey” of finding, making a nurturing a “star”. I remember when they started promoting the 2nd season feeling like, what, really, we are looking for another “star” already? What about the first lot?
We didn’t need a new season every year but with the way TV and ratings work, of course it was going to be that way.
I loved Idol in its heyday but let’s leave it where it is at least a few more years. Surely we are still suffering from singing competition fatigue, or is it just me?
It’s not 2003.
The market is too crowded.
I loved Idol but we are in a different fragmented era.
The days of millions sitting in front of one TV are becoming a distant memory ?
Justice Crew? Arguably far more successful than Bardot or Scandal’us. They had a number one hit and about 6 or 7 top 20 hits including 3 top 10 from memory. And they were discovered through AGT on 7.