"American Idol: The Search for a Superstar" (2002) TV series 2002-????

Creator:

Simon Fuller

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | unknown

Release Date:

11 June 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Game-Show | Music | Reality-TV

Tagline:

Thousands audition... Millions vote.... One wins.

Plot:

Twelve finalists and/or future singers (six men and six women) who were selected from America, compete...

Plot Keywords:

American Idol | Pop Music | Based On British TV Series | Audition | Music Reality

Awards:

Won 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 29 wins & 70 nominations

Cast

Ryan Seacrest	...	Himself - Host / ... (194 episodes, 2002-2009)
Simon Cowell	...	Himself - Judge / ... (194 episodes, 2002-2009)
Paula Abdul	...	Herself - Judge / ... (194 episodes, 2002-2009)
Randy Jackson	...	Himself - Judge / ... (194 episodes, 2002-2009)

Also Known As:

American Idol (USA) (new title)
American Idol 2 (USA) (promotional title)
American Idol 3 (USA) (alternative title)
American Idol 4 (USA) (fourth season title)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Singapore:PG | Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | USA:TV-G | USA:TV-PG (audition segments)

Filming Locations:

Alex Theatre - 216 N. Brand Boulevard, Glendale, California, USA

Company:

Fremantle Media North America

Trivia:

At the end of the Houston, Texas auditions during the third season, hopeful Jonathan Rey from Conroe, Texas approached judge Simon Cowell at the judges' table after Cowell gave Rey's audition an unfavorable review. Rey's hand was extended, leading Cowell to believe that Rey wanted to shake his hand, but Rey instead grabbed a large cup of water on the table and threw its contents at Cowell, drenching him. On-site security called Houston police, who detained Rey outside the audition venue for questioning, releasing him only after Cowell refused to press assault charges.

Quotes:

[says this catchphrase everytime before the intro credits begin]
Ryan Seacrest: This... is "American Idol"!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Ending Happy (#7.21)" (2007)

Better than X-Factor by a long shot

Being from the UK and having watched X Factor, a show similar to AI, I think that it is much less exploitative than than our UK equivalent. However, it is slightly worrying to see that contestants are at times being mocked indirectly...this didn't use to be the case in previous seasons. Personally I think that many reality shows are beginning to adopt this sort of 'us and them' stance, where the audience feels superior to the brave contestant on-screen. Although, I am glad to say that this isn't the case with AI! I think the show has got better this season, partly due to a new fresh-faced presenter: Cat Deeley. She gives the show a new spin and has livened it up a little. The last few weeks of each season which run up to the final are always great, as the standard of singing and performance becomes sky - high. You end up seeing some really talented singers, and often a diverse collection of finalists. This makes for some great shows.

With the auditions aspect of the show, these are always entertaining as they are often comical and we can joke about the not-so-great singers (even though this may seem like I contradict what I said earlier, I mean in a light-hearted manner, of course!). Seeing the contestants walk in dressed in crazy costumes and perform mad dance routines, I would say American Idol is a good show, if you're looking for some fun entertainment.