Fame Academy - Alex Wins!

If that's your perception of my remarks, you've totally misunderstood me. I am just reporting an observation based on what I've seen from the continuous interactive coverage of it.

They seem to be better all round than PI contestants who seem to be scarce more than just walking jukeboxes regurgitating other people's songs. The same cannot be said for David Sneddon's self-penned Number One hit.

The way I see it, although Pop Idol is far more entertaining to watch, in the sense that the show is better-produced, Fame Academy does produce better musicians.

Unfortunately though, the BBC have failed to realise that production is everything if you want eyes on screens. In the theatre, we call it "bums on seats" - and to get those bums on seats you need good production, just having the actors remember their lines and directions is just not enough.

Fame Academy could overtake Pop Idol if it's production values were hightened.

Not strictly necessary, that comment, was it?

It's a forum. Some people like it. Some people don't. Some people question why others do. To be completely honest I'm surprised that so many people would turn up for the Fame Academy guys - (serious question: were they their as support for someone "famous"?)

My opinion about Fame Academy is the first series was a good show with a strong format which quickly managed to differentiate itself from Popstars and Pop Idol.

The changes made this year haven't benefitted the show at all - from moving the location, time and changing the format. From early on it became clear who the judges would vote through and certain students would get a clear path to the final. Axing the BBC1 didn't help either.

But the one thing which I think ruins the show is the judges. The Pop Idol judges appear to give honest opinions and appear only concerned about contestants wanting to be the "Pop Idol", while the Fame Academy teachers don't add anything to the show with their comments IMO and focus alot more on a students ability to become the greatest star the world has ever known, rather than the winner.

Anyway, enough of my opinion - a question for you lot.

Channel 4 turned down Fame Academy before it went to the BBC. Do you think it would have been more successful on C4?

PS: The planning dispute led to Endemol saying only 60 people would be allowed to the live showdowns. There always appears alot more on TV!

Pretty good wasn't it?

Of course I did see the script to tonight programme several weeks ago........
........DOH!

At the stage things are at the moment, FA is the better programme. Tonights shows were just great entertainment - 5 very good singers performing a variety of songs. The idea of having duets and ensemble pieces really lifts the programme to a new level.

As far as production values go, FA does very well considering the small studio and unusual surroundings they have to deal with. They do produce some really polished shows, and there is a real buzz and air of professionalism and excitment in the Academy during each show (especially because the audience is very small and after all these weeks most of them know each other!).

Having said that, the sound mix on some of the early performances in the series was awful, and tonights had some very obvious directing errors (including a shot of someones arse and a camera man walking into shot)

Let me just stop you there . . .

To be more accurate, up until the result last night, there were four very good singers, and one totally
hyper lunatic that can't sing to save his life. Now, there's three good singers left, plus one absolute
nutter, who still cannot sing to save his life. For gawds people, STOP voting for him, he's crap!

NO that was Jonathon Ross's face

How do we know people are voting for him as he's been in the last 3 for a few weeks?

I've liked him from the start, but in the last week he's been acting like a **** and his performance this week was bad.... he forgot some words and finished before the music did!

He's next to go I reckon, although I'd much rather Alistair went first

I main problem with David Sneddon and the reason why Alistair can not win FA is that neither of them are anything special. I agree that its great that they write their own stuff and that does put them in a different league to the PI bunch, but FA needs to produce an artist that will bring something a little different to te music scene and that is why Alex (or Peter) need to win it.

The same cannot be said for Pop Idol's Darius Danesh either, his debut album "Dive In" was self-penned.

I do hope yer not refering to Peter as 'the nutter who can't sing'. He rocks... nice to see someone punky in one of these shows for a change... would rock if he one hehehe

It would be great to have either him or Alex, get away from the generic pop artist, although I also like Alastair.