Fame Academy - Alex Wins!

It is important to see the entire audition procedure. You get a much more full picture of the individual on Pop Idol from the moment they step through the door at the very first audition, into the 2nd round, the final 50, and the ultimate final 12. It's good to make a comparison to see how they develop and evolve as an artist and in terms of style and image as they make their route through the competition.

For Pop Idol, the contestants are the stars, the focus is entirely on them, not on already established artists. I wouldn't expect that Pop Idol would give a rats arse about those people appearing, it's not that kind of show.

And let's face it, without the success of Pop Idol, there wouldn't be a Fame Academy, it's just BBC bandwagon jumping - but not quite reaching the same grade. Anyway, it all comes to an end tomorrow night, and then even more of the focus will be on Pop Idol.

But it's all a good laugh isn't it.

You know Square Eyes, if Mr. Pickard of ITV appeared in a Harry Potter film as Draco Malfoy, you and Andrew would be excellent in the parts of Crabbe and Goyle!!

LOL erm... I'm guessing that isn't a compliment, they're the fat chubby ones yes ?

I guess that would make you Hermione, the bossy one that's always whinging about something of little importance in the background.

Nope - I'm more like Harry Potter!!

I am ashamed to admit this, but my mother and my aunty were today on the CBBC channel because they went to the fame academy thing at the NEC. I am in no way connected, and those in the interview are not those represented by myself or the Ison corporation.

I was suitably disgusted when I was awoken at 7.45am this morning to be told about this *GREAT EVENT*

No, from the start all we were shown were crap contestants because the producers were desperate for the publicity for the show in order for people to watch. we saw about 2second clips of any good people in each show. And no way were 100 finalists shown. instead we got special little bits about people who havent heard of PI, peole dressed in banana suits, dressed up like the Matrix gang, ppl singing 'The Wheels on the Bus' and even some random part featuring goats. I couldnt remember any of the "good" lot when it got down to the final100.


please. simon cowell, ant and dec? they make the show as much about them as possible. sod the contestants when these 3 are involved.


and there probably wouldnt have been a pop idol had popstars1 not had its success.

Just to pick up on a few points, Square 'Goyle' Eyes.....

Important to see the whole procedure - Yes, but just once should suffice, not over and over again.

About evolving as artistes - for 'artistes', replace with 'walking humanoid karaoke machines'. The REAL artistes are on Fame Academy writing and scoring their own material. As BBCi provides continuous coverage via an interactive facility, we are allowed greater time to see our favourites evolving, and to 'bond' with them.

In a way, it was good of ITV to produce Popstars first - so the BBC can see where the show's structure was lacking and so, make their product even better.

Being able to write your own material doesn't make you a great pop star. David Sneddon is proof of that.

Now now, this is all getting very silly. Its not logical at all to suggest that the way one show is presented in comparrison to another means that the talent is either better, or receives better training.

Pop Idol may be formatted to be more 'light entertainment' whilst Fame Academy is edited and streamed to show the process involved. I can say with confidence that the participants of BOTH shows are receiving excellent tutelage and training for what is quite an exhausting round of performance in a live, or 'as live' situation. Neither can or should be easily dismissed.

I'm glad that the shows are distinctly different. I love Ant and Dec, and I have really enjoyed Fame Academy this time. Who benefits from this point scoring which is happening here on the forum? You have your favourite? Fine. Live with it, but for goodness sake don't anyone try to tell me that a better class of performer will come out at the end of it.

The regret I have is that both ITV and the BBC didnt use common sense and schedule the shows at different points of the year to each other. I suggest BOTH might have benefitted from increased viewers if there wasn't a similar show running on the other side. More fool them. I would have watched both.

Any exchange of alternative views between myself and Square Eyes is meant in my case to be witty banter-swapping. I know I'll never win him over to the BBC, I think he knows I won't be won over to ITV so it's pretty light-hearted stuff with a bit of slightly 'heavier' needling if either one of us gets too tribalistic/pompous/sycophantic and I hope he sees it that way too. We need each other as a leveller, I think....

No offence meant on my part anyway....

That could have been said for last year, but this series of Fame Academy bears a certain resemblance to Pop Idol.

As to the scheduling, surely as a public service broadcaster, it's the BBC who shouldn't have scheduled FA against Pop Idol. (And anyway, we were here first, so nah nah nah nah nah!)

Very good. Your point is well taken. At page 35 though, and in the final week of this series, let us stick to the point at hand.

Go Alex.

That is all.