Trawling through the AI Boards and a couple of articles ( OK, I'm bored and FA and BB boards are slow this morning) It looks like we're getting a very shortened version of the auditions on Fridays Show.
They're going to have to pack in all the cities and the whittling down to the final 32 in Hollywood, which has kept Fox TV busy for the last 2 weeks, into one show.
It sounds to me that they are majoring big time on the really bad auditions, with a few OK ones thrown in. There's a guy called Keith to watch out for, who has obviously been watching way too much "Moulin Rouge" and sings "Like A Virgin"-badly, very badly. A marine called Josh who CAN sing and a larger than average girl called Frenchie ( wonder if that's her real name and her mother's favourite film was "Grease"?)among other assorted wannabees. Islandman where are you to give us your opinions???
So, two days to go and I cant wait. Next week we get the actual heats, though as they whittle them down to 32, I wonder if its going to be 4 shows of 8 before the judges choice (which we didn't have here) or the judges want more of a say in the final line up so they dont get lumbered with so many of "the sympathhy vote" that disgusted Si last time round?

Why are they doing that

thats a bit pants. the early auditions are normally the best bits - and if they're just gonna show us a little bit of them then its not fair!

Link to last nights show. Dont read if you dont want to know. I an SO looking forward to hearing Keith. It sounds as if he makes Darius squawking Britters seem really classy!
http://www.realitytvtalk.com/forums/...&threadid=6167

Hey Tally, just read your post in Chatter. this forum is a bit lonely isn't it? hopefully it will pick up after friday, and if it doesnt then it doesnt matter cos we;ll have lots to chat about once we've seen the show!

cant wait....only 49 hours to go....the countdown begins......

Hey guys. Ok, I'm confused...do you guys get all the episodes we get? Or shortened versions of them?

The third episode was last night. It was the auditions in Nashville and Atlanta. It had a lot less bashing of the contestants and showed more of the ones who make it thru to the next round. Well, except the "Like a Virgin" guy...which I must say, I nearly crapped my pants laughing at it and watching the judges trying not to laugh. I guess the big thing that is playing out with this seasons AI is that it will be "talent" vs. "image." As a lot are making it thru on pure talent but don't look like stars...and then a lot are making it thru who maybe aren't as good singers but have the looks of a superstar. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out and how people vote.

Do you guys know if our version follows the same format as yours??

Here we have three audition episodes this time around, showcasing two or three cities on each one. And then tonight the ones who made it thru will be wittled down to 32. Then last year we only had 30 go thru I think and had three audition shows with 10 people each one..with three making it thru from each episode (and then one judges pick)....but with 32 this year, I think we have 4 episodes with 8 contestants each i think. Then we have the top ten round thing.

Our Pop Idol format was slightly different to the AI format. We had about 4 shows (each an hour long) showing all the first auditions from London, Manchester, Glasgow etc etc. Then there was one show in which all the contestants which had gotten thru the first round were whittled down to 50. Then there were five live shows (one each week) with 10 people in each show, and the public had to vote for their favourite two to go thru for each show. So in the final there were 10 people left. Then one person was voted out each week (there was a live shoe each week) until the final week when there was just 2 of them left.

This format was excellent cos the show took about 5 - 6 months, and as more contestants were voted out, it got more and more tense. The public were divided on who should win - Gareth or Will - and so no one really knew who was going to get the victory until the winner was announced.

Also, when the final 10 were left, there was a 'them' to the show each week - for example, one week the contestants had to sing 'big band' classics with a lvie orchestra, another week they did christmas songs etc - that made it great, and showed the contestants variability in singing.

I really hope they use the same format for Pop Idol 2 - it will be excellent if they do.

Yep, that's pretty much the same as here except the 32 finalists instead of 50.

We had a theme each week too usually. And as it got down to the last few each one would sing twice on the show instead of just once.

Its a commercial during tonights episode...so I'll have an update when its over.

Tonight the contestants were wittled down to 32. I won't say who made it because I don't want to spoil it. You can go to the website to check it out.

Basically, a lot of people made idiots of themselves on the show....some partied instead of rehearsing and such.

They started out with them coming in in groups of about ten...had them each sing and say why they wanted to be the next American Idol. Then the group was cut down in about half.

Then they had to make up a melody to some words they were given...and hten it was cut down a bit more

Next they sing in groups of three or four. This is the part where Simon gets pretty angry because a lot of people forgot their lines and such.

Finally, each gets up and sings on their own, and its wittled down to the final 32.

So there's a very basic recap. lol. I must say of the final 32 there are some definite stand-outs. The thing that bothers me is that they show a lot about some of the finalists, and others we hardly get to see at all...so when it comes time to vote in the next couple episodes...I would think more people would vote for the ones who have been featured more rather than the ones we will basically first meet when they audition for the public. Just shows how these shows can possibly influence the voting a bit......

Thanks Islandman. Now how are we going to pack all that's gone out in the States into 90minutes? Because that's all we're getting. Mind we have nowhere near the number of ads and I would imagine the "product placed blah" as you do, but still, there's going to be a lot of scissor work to reduce it, Thank goodness for the Television Without Pity site,it has me howling with laughter at it's reviews. I REALLY want to hear Keith (like a virgin man).
Next week, we're on course with you lot, except a couple of days later. We get the live heats and the results the same night.One thing we did have over here which was great for those who could get it (I could ) was a 4hour programme for 3 nights a week, on a digital channel, going behind the scenes of each set of 10 during the 5 weeks of the Heats, while they were being whittled down to 10. It meant you got to see their personalities, some were just plain batty!But it's where I first thought Wow, when I heard Will.He just stood out as regards his singing ability.
Let the Countdown commence!

Ooooeer I just peeked at the AI board and read a few reviews to find out about the last 32. There's going to be no tension in THIS house. Willpower is something I lack.
Sounds as if the Hollywood bit was exactly the same as the Criterian section here, even to the cheesy 3 rooms kept waiting.
Trouble is, come Pop Idol 2 will we get fed up with Simon? I mean there's only so many times you can say the same things isn't there?

Ooh I was hooked on the daily Pop Idol shows 4-7pm... but Fame Academy was better coz it was like that all day

woohoo it starts tonight!!! theres good tv on most nights now!
thursday - eastenders, friends and ER
friday - eastenders, and AI
saturday - ant and dec
im gonna become a couch potato!

The Radio Times was wrong.
We've got 2 shows tonight-
8.30-9.30 The Auditions
9.30-10.30 The Final Selection ( bad billing in my paper. Sounds like the Holocaust )

i looked in my local newspaper tv guide thing and they said that it only lasted an hour a half long, but they must be wrong too cos they prob just follow the Radio Times.

cant wait till tonight then...2 hours of good tv (i hope anyway!).

expect to see you all in here after the prog has finished!

Just been on Television Without Pity - that is one hilarious site, their reviews of most tv programmes are just brilliant. those writers are geniuses!!!