[thenetworkbabe]

Originally Posted by DiamondDoll

I find it depressing to constantly fault find.

The only BBC one I saw was when Lee Mead (rightfully imho) won and I enjoyed it tremendously.

To constantly hanker after the past though is being closed minded and the show is a whole new production on a different channel and, as such, comparisons are meaningless.

Its new and its different and imho its great entertainment.

By all means comment on this programme but GN is not in it so why not deal with it and talk about this programme?

Just my tuppence worth which I feel quite justified in posting...........especially when a negative thread is started by someone who didn't even watch it all.

Its ratings won't be helped by the fact that much of the older talent show audience at weekends will be watching their favourite Sunday evening, snoozefest, sheepdog racing programme on BBC1. Midweek its up against established shows elsewhere.

The purpose tends to lead to problems. They went for a role that you could have cast in an afternoon if you know your current WestEnd male stars. They then excluded all the top established talent that turned up at bootcamp. The result is they are left with the top of the B stream - pretending they have discovered a new A stream. That wasn't true of the first 4 shows where they did a pretty good finding a lot of the the top inexperienced, or starting out, people around - and had to, because the roles required that age range.

That leads to the second problem that the singers are pretty much alike in quality terms. As no one is bad or fighting obvious issues so there's not much story. Thats made worse because they are running daily shows and they won't have time to do acting, or other tasks, or visits, and the like. Its difficult to discriminate between singers and invest in them. Thats good, because there's less scope for silly invented stories to be superimposed on characters and spurious arguments used to help get rid of people who are not wanted, but in TV terms its duller viewing. The viewers have no stories to get behind and no dramas to follow.

It leads to another problem - that the judges are not providing any entertainment. I wouldn't trust Barrowman or Partridge 's judgement , but they did at least provide some lively comment and argument. 4 judges all saying that was pretty good - which it was - just doesn't add anything much. Dawn is saying something about acting, but there's not much to say given they are singing what they were given, how they were told to.

Thats where the lack of any comedy from Graham or interplay with ALW hits too . You don't tend to have successful talent shows without a comedy host or panto judges for good reasons. Dawn just doesn't have any material to work with to fill teh gap. Shelooks like an afterthought of lets stick a comedian on somewhere.

The other problem is that ALW hasn't said what he wants and there's no one there who matches the past stereotype either - the two bearded candidates have a different VT persona, or look too young. ALW gets who he wants most series because, despite whatever novel thing he says he wants, in 3 out of 4 series he finally wants the familar variant done by someone safe. He gets that in 3 of 4 series - because its where the vote tends to go too.. There is no one here who fits the stereotypes as well as Connie or Danielle . There's not even an obvious candidate who will attract support even when she's least like whats really wanted, but most like the last film version - no Jodie either. As there's no one ahead on ALW or the viewers scorecards, everyone is more similar, and anyone could go, there's not much for anyone to invest in.

There's also a problem with the sound. They seem to have solved the past ALW series issue - that singers couldn't hear their music or themselves - and the sound is better than X factor manages. However, its still losing volume on some bits of some performances.That leaves the studio audience and judges seemingly hearing something I can't - which doesn't help, and makes everything look a bit duller and more unconvincing.

[herman64uk]

It'll be interesting to see whether the TV audience for the live shows can build over the next few days from the rather low initial level.

From this article (and comments), it would appear the path ahead for Superstar may not be easy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-rad...?newsfeed=true

"During its agonising run earlier this year, it became slightly fashionable to declare that The Voice had killed televised singing contests for good. In retrospect, that was all a bit premature: The Voice gave them a good mauling, but the injuries weren't fatal. Thankfully, Superstar is here to finish the job. With 90-minute elimination shows every night this week – by which time we might all have lost the will to live – Superstar looks as though it may land the blow from which televised singing contests will never recover."

[PorkSausage]

Originally Posted by waz101

You didn't see the live band on tonight's show then?

I think this show suffers much more from the fact that there aren't any stand-out songs for the male leads (same as Joseph did). They'd have been better off trying to find a Mary (I don't know how to love him being the best song in the show)

Er no, but then I didn't much all of it. But I did see a dancer miming along with a guitar at one point.

Just that I think a live band adds a lot to the atmosphere. Strictly Come Dancing would be much worse off without its live band.

But I think this hsow has other weaknesses as well. Including Amanda Holden. Dreadful.

[bel110]

Is there any reason why it has to be on for consecutive nights? This is where I am losing interest. I enjoyed the audition and selection shows and I found the first live show okay, it felt a bit like they were trying to hard and I missed the cheesyness of the BBC shows but by the second night I was bored senseless. Sitting through an hour and a half of the same thing every night is pretty tough. There is no drama, we don't know the contestants well enough as someone pointed out above and the songs are dull. I tuned out half way through last night's show and just had it on in the background which is a shame as I was enjoying it. I think I'll just watch the eliminations for the next few nights and then try again at the end of the week! At least if the show had been on once a week it might have held my attention more, there would have been more time to film interesting segments and they might have had more time to theme the shows etc .... presumably ALW doesn't have to cast the show this week and I get that he wants to see if they can do it night after night but IMO these nightly shows have been the downfall of the format.

[Merity]

When the BBC versions were on, I remember ALW said that he wanted the programmes to be "nurture, not torture". But with Superstar, we saw some bad auditions with people who had shaky vocals. There was also some EXTREMELY bad editing with Jonathan Ansell. At the risk of getting shot down here, I think he was treated very unfairly and was not portrayed in the best light. I have met him a couple of times and he is a really nice, down to earth guy. Jason Donovan criticised him for turning down a role he was already in for these auditions, when he had already had permission from the director to attend. Other people on the show had contracts whilst auditioning, but that wasn't mentioned on the show. And apparently, Jason himself cut short his contract with the Sound of Music so he could appear on Strictly Come Dancing! IIRC, none of this bad performances/bad editing appeared on the BBC audition shows.

I agree with what you say.
The manipulation of the situation re Jonathan Ansell was very unfair.

Bit hypocritical of Jason too!

I'm not enjoying this show as much as the ones that were on the BBC...

Amanda Holden is not a good presenter IMHO - and Jason and Mel C may as well go home for all they add to the judging panel.

I like Dawn - she and Andrew at least hold my interest when they critique.

Its a shame because I was looking forward to this.

Personally I think Nathan is the best to play the part - but no-one stands out to me as being "Jesus"...

[SunnyDaydreamer]

I think the problem is it's too much like just any old singing contest. It's literally a group song and then singing a song individually and that's it. There's no emphasis on the fact that it's for Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, a musical/rock opera, where they need to be able to act just as much as they need to sing. Maybe it's because it was the first live show yesterday but if it's literally going to be them just singing, without any group performances (excluding the first one) and no acting tasks etc. then it's a pretty rubbish attempt at finding the right Jesus.

And it's a shame that the voted out Jesus just walked off stage essentially. There should be more of a deal about it - the finalist got to the live shows and that's big deal. They should have their last big moment to celebrate that.

Maybe it'll improve...

[johartuk]

Originally Posted by bel110

Is there any reason why it has to be on for consecutive nights? This is where I am losing interest. I enjoyed the audition and selection shows and I found the first live show okay, it felt a bit like they were trying to hard and I missed the cheesyness of the BBC shows but by the second night I was bored senseless. Sitting through an hour and a half of the same thing every night is pretty tough. There is no drama, we don't know the contestants well enough as someone pointed out above and the songs are dull. I tuned out half way through last night's show and just had it on in the background which is a shame as I was enjoying it. I think I'll just watch the eliminations for the next few nights and then try again at the end of the week! At least if the show had been on once a week it might have held my attention more, there would have been more time to film interesting segments and they might have had more time to theme the shows etc .... presumably ALW doesn't have to cast the show this week and I get that he wants to see if they can do it night after night but IMO these nightly shows have been the downfall of the format.

The only reason I can think of is that, because the arena tour is scheduled for September, they had to fit Superstar into the schedules where they could before the Olympics. I think it would have been far better to delay the arena tour until September of next year, so the series could have been spread over several weeks, like the BBC shows.

Being shoehorned into 9 nights is really doing Superstar no favours. It doesn't allow for contestant development in the way that a 9 week series would. We're not getting time to know the contestants or see them interacting with each other. Everything seems rushed, even the VTs. Also, this 9 shows in 9 days format isn't bringing out the best in the contestants. It's a bad idea all round.

[radioanorak]

My wife decided she wanted to watch last night for the 1st Time
My very first impression was how well rehearsed it was.
Singers who knew the words to all songs & the choregraphy must have been worked on to make it look perfect
I am sure none of this process happens in real life when casting for shows takes place
Some of the singers are too musculure & well bulit to play Jesus
Who selected these people ?

[ilikespoilers]

I'm in two minds at the moment. I like Mel and Jason but Amanda and Dawn are a bit meh! I think there is great talent this year but its too much x-factor. I am also missing ALW sitting in his throne and the goodbye songs, it just didn't seem right walking in to the light without passing the other contestants. It was also easier to get to know people in previous years with their set colour scheme. I guess on the whole therefore I prefer the BBC productions

[shefair]

in fairness though Jesus doesnt sing the 2 stand out songs from the show he is present in almost every scene and sings in most of the ensemble songs. So it is a major role and that is being cast and ALW keeps saying about how so and so would work with Tim Minchin who is playing jesus.

My read is that Jesus, in the show is charismatic, somewhat arrogant but troubled and worried about his role in life, and as such Nathan or Naill seems the obvious choice and would play well against the chosen Judas and for the same reason John and Tim would be far too woosy to play this role well.

Roger is a difficult one he is so good but I am not sure he would play well against Tim Minchin,he just seems too mellow and rounded to be a troubled Jesus

[Cestrian18]

I've tried to watch it, but I don't enjoy it and have given up now- It suffers from the whole 'too much like a cheap x factor' that the Syco Grease show did and has lost the charm of the original format with the acting classes etc... being replaced with adverts- Amanda Holden is atrocious at presenting and the panel are bland except for ALW. I probably won't be alone in switching off now so It'll be interesting what the show averages over the week as its looking likely to struggle getting over 3 million, which means there is no way that ITV will do another one-I wonder if the Beeb pick it back up?

[Dehett]

I'm finding the programme really boring. I watched all the previous ALW selection programmes on BBC and loved them. The trouble with this one is that because it's on every night it's just the same old format each time - every contestant singing a song and listening to the judges' comments. On previous series we were able to see what the contestants had been doing during the week and how they were progressing - much more interesting. I'm going to record these shows and just watch the bit where we see who's got eliminated.

[Jokanovic]

I think it's a mixture off all too much like the X-Factor but mainly reality singing contests burn out.
There is nothing different.
We have had enough of them.

[Scarlet O'Hara]

It's dreadful, and I say this as someone who's watched pretty much every reality talent show going.

What's Right With It?

The level of talent
The judges

What's Wrong With It?

Everything else.

The scheduling is RIDICULOUS. Who commissioned a show that needed to be truncated into such an oppressive timeframe?! For a start, I can't commit 90 minutes of my life every night. But it also doesn't give us any time to get to know the contestants.

And crucially, we have no way of knowing whether they'll be good at acting, dancing, etc. The Beeb series' gave the contestants challenges each week. We were voting Dorothys, Nancys and Josephs on their all-round ability, not just as singers. This show, potentially, could put a right duffer on a stage.

I miss the campness and humour (thank god for Dawn French), I miss the challenges, I miss rooting for someone I actually want to see in the role, I miss making space for it every Saturday night.

This is my favourite musical of all time, and I've been waiting yonks for this series. So am gutted they've screwed up the format so badly. AND to add insult to injury, they've saddled the show with Mel C as Mary, who's a perfectly competent judge and seems a nice girl, but whose singing voice is really ugly to my ears. And Chris Moyles?? WTF?!

So yeah, they've gone down the Cabaret and Joseph route with the 'cast a celebrity' instead of a musical star (and I do know Mel C was in Blood Brothers but stil...). Now knowing we might get a Jesus who can't act, really makes me reluctant to buy a ticket. At least until the reviews are in.

[allafix]

You wouldn't catch me watching stuff like this, but my OH usually watches reality and talent shows. She even liked Celebrity Love Island. But she's not watching Superstar, so it must be really bad.

Seriously, it's just shameless free advertising for LLW and his revival tour.

[Hollo and Gonch]

I agree with the OP.

The quality of the talent is high, and Jason Donovan is a surprisingly good judge, but the production lacks the theatricality and campness that made the BBC shows so enjoyable.

[horseychick28]

Britain's got talent works being on every night of the week as its different acts each night and we dont really want to get to know the contestants so its a great week!

However, I was sooooo looking forward to superstar and have given up on it already, it would have been a great weekend filler for the summer holidays, I just cant sit and watch the same old same old every single night.

I remember the BBC shows used to ask the performers to act the songs out whereas now they just sing, we dont know who the performers are as we cant see them develop week on week so I aint gonna vote. Seems like ITV would have made a lot more money had they stuck to one episode per week rather than rushing it out in a week. Plus the weather is rubbish so people may well have stayed in on a Saturday night to watch it

[mrsgrumpy49]

Originally Posted by Cestrian18

I've tried to watch it, but I don't enjoy it and have given up now- It suffers from the whole 'too much like a cheap x factor'

That's how I feel too.
It starts with Amanda Holden making a grand entrance - being wheeled on by two 'escorts'. Sorry it's corny, it's been done and we surely need a change from Ms Holden. Then they have the whole palaver of drawing out the news whether people are staying or going. The judging panel is lacklustre. Mel B and Jason Donovan are as interesting as watching paint dry.
The show needs something to 'make it it's own' as they say in the trade
Also I don't understand how the songs are allocated. ALW keeps saying he wants to see their sensitive side but some just seem to keep on getting rock songs! I think we should have shows which are all ballad or all rock. Because otherwise we are not comparing like with like.
Plus, ALW keeps going on about not forgetting it's a stage show which needs presence and acting ability but mostly all they are doing is singing to camera. It would help if they actually did scenes so we can see if they can act, interact and move ffs.

[Ricky_Leeds]

Agree with most things on here such as BBC shows being much better as they set acting challenges and got the contestants to act the song out they were performing which worked really well.

i think i problem with Superstar is it being on daily which i presume is so that they can get it finished quickly so they dont have to move x factor from its august slot.

ALW sitting with the judges instead of on a throne is weird.

Still unsure why ALW decided to go to ITV after doing the other shows on BBC.

[Saturn]

Originally Posted by Ricky_Leeds

Agree with most things on here such as BBC shows being much better as they set acting challenges and got the contestants to act the song out they were performing which worked really well.

i think i problem with Superstar is it being on daily which i presume is so that they can get it finished quickly so they dont have to move x factor from its august slot.

ALW sitting with the judges instead of on a throne is weird.

Still unsure why ALW decided to go to ITV after doing the other shows on BBC.

The BBC turned it down I think.

[shefair]

well tonights change of format certainly hasn't helped , this show has really lost the plot now

I couldn't care less who wins now and maybe that is a major problem because they are all so good and there is no one to think over my dead body

I expect the voting numbers will be really down

[gillypanda]

I didn't watch last night because it clashed with 24 Hours in A&E . And that, imho, is the problem of putting it on every single night. I usually love the ALW searches, but I don't feel invested in someone's story like I have on other similar shows as we haven't got to know them at all.

I don't feel like I missed anything last night, I certainly didn't miss Miss Holden. I also don't like the adverts, which break up the viewing if I am enjoying it. So, sorry ALW, I may watch some more if there's nothing better to do but I certainly won't be voting!

[The Swampster]

Originally Posted by johartuk

The only reason I can think of is that, because the arena tour is scheduled for September, they had to fit Superstar into the schedules where they could before the Olympics. I think it would have been far better to delay the arena tour until September of next year, so the series could have been spread over several weeks, like the BBC shows.

Being shoehorned into 9 nights is really doing Superstar no favours. It doesn't allow for contestant development in the way that a 9 week series would. We're not getting time to know the contestants or see them interacting with each other. Everything seems rushed, even the VTs. Also, this 9 shows in 9 days format isn't bringing out the best in the contestants. It's a bad idea all round.

I really agree with the first part of this. Andrew turned down the chance to do a similar show with the BBC last year and now this is being rushed through in a couple of weeks. As a viewer, I'd rather sit down to watch it on a regular night than have blanket coverage for a fortnight. It's a real shame Andrew didn't cast this show in a weekly format last year, or hold the arena tour over until next.

I'm afraid I'm far less concerned about the nine shows in nine days not bringing out the best in the contestants - actually I think the contestants are mostly holding up pretty well so far, and if they win the role, they'll be doing a lot more than performing one song, and they'll be doing it night after night with matinees on top. I certainly don't miss all the VTs and bolted-on storylines the weekly series seem obliged to provide. I don't need to see the rest of Nathan's band turning up to "help" him with his next song and tell us how proud of him they are, or Jeff's granny telling us what a lovely baby he was and how he's always loved singing. Losing all that's one of the few advantages of this rush job!

[wkdstepmother]

Originally Posted by Scarlet O'Hara

It's dreadful, and I say this as someone who's watched pretty much every reality talent show going.

What's Right With It?

The level of talent
The judges

What's Wrong With It?

Everything else.

The scheduling is RIDICULOUS. Who commissioned a show that needed to be truncated into such an oppressive timeframe?! For a start, I can't commit 90 minutes of my life every night. But it also doesn't give us any time to get to know the contestants.

And crucially, we have no way of knowing whether they'll be good at acting, dancing, etc. The Beeb series' gave the contestants challenges each week. We were voting Dorothys, Nancys and Josephs on their all-round ability, not just as singers. This show, potentially, could put a right duffer on a stage.

I miss the campness and humour (thank god for Dawn French), I miss the challenges, I miss rooting for someone I actually want to see in the role, I miss making space for it every Saturday night.

This is my favourite musical of all time, and I've been waiting yonks for this series. So am gutted they've screwed up the format so badly. AND to add insult to injury, they've saddled the show with Mel C as Mary, who's a perfectly competent judge and seems a nice girl, but whose singing voice is really ugly to my ears. And Chris Moyles?? WTF?!

So yeah, they've gone down the Cabaret and Joseph route with the 'cast a celebrity' instead of a musical star (and I do know Mel C was in Blood Brothers but stil...). Now knowing we might get a Jesus who can't act, really makes me reluctant to buy a ticket. At least until the reviews are in.

was going to post and then I read this which pretty much is my exact opinion except for 2 things

(1) I like Mel C's voice
(2) I still think it's better than XF

[thenetworkbabe]

Originally Posted by mrsgrumpy49

That's how I feel too.
It starts with Amanda Holden making a grand entrance - being wheeled on by two 'escorts'. Sorry it's corny, it's been done and we surely need a change from Ms Holden. Then they have the whole palaver of drawing out the news whether people are staying or going. The judging panel is lacklustre. Mel B and Jason Donovan are as interesting as watching paint dry.
The show needs something to 'make it it's own' as they say in the trade
Also I don't understand how the songs are allocated. ALW keeps saying he wants to see their sensitive side but some just seem to keep on getting rock songs! I think we should have shows which are all ballad or all rock. Because otherwise we are not comparing like with like.
Plus, ALW keeps going on about not forgetting it's a stage show which needs presence and acting ability but mostly all they are doing is singing to camera. It would help if they actually did scenes so we can see if they can act, interact and move ffs.

The last would give more narrative - which is what people seem to like, and gives people something more to support someone for - but I wouldn't believe anything much that comes out of acting or other tasks. The past format used to overstate the case for favourites, consign some people to invisibility, and find ridiculous reasons for the public not to vote for who was not wanted. People who were told they couldn't act, or who looked wooden on air, have gone on to be the most accomplished actresses seen, People who were told they didn't have what the role needed were actually employed to play the role. The evidence for someone not being able to work with dogs was a VT of a dog running away - because she had no more treats left and it went after someone who did.......

The other, clear, problem is time. They have a show a night. There's no time to learn anything more than a group song, a solo and a sing off song. Its a wonder how they will fill the later shows.