American Idol is a television show featured on the Fox Network in the United States and on CTV in Canada, ITV2 in Great Britain, and Ten Network in Australia, based on the popular British show Pop Idol created by Simon Fuller (creator of the Spice Girls and S Club 7) and Simon Cowell, the latter being one of the judges on both shows. The show is singing talent contest in which viewers can call in and vote on contestants to determine the best "undiscovered" young singer in the United States, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although many runners-up-- most of the top twelve of each season-- have achieved enough fame and popularity to sign record deals of their own.

American Idol is produced by Fremantle North America which is owned by German Bertelsmann. Each contestant gets a contract with one of Bertelsmann's many music labels because Bertelsmann owns half of Sony BMG.

Background

American Idol: The Search for a Superstar was started in 2002, one year after the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The title of the television reality series stood out as one of the many symbols of American patriotism and unity during the period of war and terrorism.

Overview

Early auditions

In the show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest (lone host since season 2), hopeful contestants, after being screened by preliminary panels which select for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest, audition before three judges (Simon Cowell (one of the judges from Pop Idol), Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson) in cities across the United States (sometimes a celebrity fourth judge is added). These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. In order to be eligible, the contestants are not permitted to have any current recording or talent management agreements (but may have had one at some point in the past). Based on turnout and availability, producers select a certain number from the crowd to audition before the three judges (this usually takes 2-4 rounds). Contestants are required to sing a cappella. Those who impress the majority of the judges move on to the second round auditions which take place in Hollywood (typically only several dozen out of the thousands in each city move on). The contestants selected despite lack of singing talent for appearance before the panel provide a major attraction to the viewing audience as they simultaneously proclaim their talent while turning out gut-wrenching performances which are ridiculed by the judges.

Much like the original Pop Idol version, one of the most popular portions of each season are initial episodes showcasing American Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel of judges. These early episodes focus mainly on the poorest performances from contestants who often appear oblivious to their lack of star talent. These "contestants" have been selected by the preliminary panels in a negative sense, a typical combination is lack of singing ability combined with vanity regarding their "talent." Others are selected for human interest potential, the 2005 auditions featured a "cannibal" who had sampled human flesh in an anthropology class and an aspiring female prize fighter. Other examples include a man dressed in pajamas with no shoes (whose comments made Simon explode with laughter) and a transvestite who kisses Cowell on the cheek after his (or her) audition wraps up. Poor singers often face intense and humbling criticism from the judges, and especially from Cowell, who can be harsh and blunt in his rejections. Typically the judges express disgust or dismay or suppressed laughter. Some poor performances have attained notoriety on their own; these have included season one's portrayal of "Lady Marmalade", season two's performance of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" by Keith Beukelaer and season three's rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" by William Hung.

Contestants must be U.S. citizens and, for the first three seasons, had to be 16 to 24 years of age. For the fourth season, the upper age limit was raised to 28 to attract more mature and diverse contestants. In early 2003, a 50-year-old college professor named Drew Cummings filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charging the show with age discrimination because producers denied him an audition due to his age. His case was not taken up by the EEOC.

On to Hollywood

Once in Hollywood, the three judges narrow the initial field of several hundred down to a group of 24 semifinalists (30 season 1, 32 seasons 2 and 3) (complete list. In season 1, the 30 semifinalists were split into 3 groups of ten and the top 3 of each group advanced to the final 10. This left 9, so the 10th finalist was chosen in a wild-card show in which the 5 performers that were originally elimninated but the judges felt deserved a second chance performed again, allowing one to still advance to the golden ten. In seasons 2-3 the 32 semifinalists were split into 4 groups of 8, who would compete for 2 slots in the finals. After 8 were chosem, there would be a wild-card round featuring singers who were previously eliminated but whom the judges felt deserved a second chance. Each judge then picked one singer to advance to the finals, and one other was chosen based on viewer voting. It is worth noting that season 2 runner up was the viewer choice in the wild card round!! Clay Aiken!! Starting with the 4th season, the semifinalists were split into male-only and female-only. On three consecutive weeks, the male semifinalists perform only against the other men, and the women only against the other women. Each contestant performs live (in the eastern and central time zones), in primetime, a song of his or her choice, and receives critiques from the judges, who, from this point on, serve almost entirely in an advisory capacity, with little direct influence on the results.

Viewers have two hours following the broadcast of the show in their time zone to phone in votes for their favorite contestant by calling a toll-free number (viewers may also send text messages to vote). Callers are allowed to vote as many times as they like for any number of contestants. On the following night's episode the results of the nationwide vote are announced, and the bottom two vote-getters are eliminated each week. At the end of the semifinal rounds, the six men and six women who remain advance to the finals.

During the middle seasons, the semifinal round consisted of 32 semifinalists who were divided into four groups of eight. In the first season, they were 30 contestants, divided into three groups of ten. Each week for four (three for season one) weeks, one group would perform with the top two (three for season one) vote-getters from each group advancing to the finals. When all the semifinal shows had been completed, there was a wildcard phase. Each judge chose one semifinalist to advance to the final round, and a studio audience vote determined the final wildcard spot, rounding out the field of twelve finalists. In season 1, 5 contestants were chosen, and judges chose one to advance to the finals. This was changed to the procedure (see above) in the 4th season due to the abundace of females (and no males left in the final 4) in the third season.

Semifinalists (and in some cases, other contestants as well) must submit to background checks and may be summarily disqualified for past behavior deemed undesirable, such as an arrest record. Several finalists have been disqualified for revelations that surfaced late in the competition. Semifinalists are also subjected to drug tests, in order to avoid scandals involving drug usage. Contestants who failed the test have not been allowed to proceed in the competion.

Also contestants are contracted to be "conclaved" from the outside world. This stops contestants from using cell phones (unless between family members or during an emergency), the Internet (especially chatting and message boards), leaving the Hollywood jurisdiction, leaving their apartments without consent, watching TV (especially News and Sports), listening to radio stations, and reading newspapers during their duration in the competition. This is to keep the contestants safe from terrorists, epidemics, paparazzi, and to distance contestants from distractions that might be detrimental to their singing ability. The only time when a contestant can be free from this rule as if he or she gets voted out. They can however watch movies, since they have no known distracting effect on the contestants.

Final twelve

In the finals, which last eleven weeks, each finalist performs a song live in primetime from a weekly theme (two songs in later rounds). Themes have included Motown, disco, big band music, and Billboard #1 hits. Some themes are based on music recorded by a particular artist, and the finalists have a chance to work with that artist in preparing their performances. Artists around whom themes have been based include The Bee Gees, Barry Manilow, Gloria Estefan, and Elton John.

When there are three finalists remaining, themes are no longer used. Instead, each contestant sings three songs: one of their own choice, one chosen by the judges, and one chosen by record executive Clive Davis. However in Season Two, in the final three, one song was chosen randomly from a bowl, with one chosen by the performer and one by the judges.

In any case, each week on the following night's live "results" episode, the contestant with the fewest votes is sent home. The bottom three vote-getters are separated from the remaining contestants. Over the course of the episode, two are revealed as being "safe" for the week, and the loser is sent home after performing one final song to end the episode. This process is repeated each week until the one remaining contestant is declared the winner.

Spin-offs

A spin-off series called American Juniors premiered on June 3, 2003 on the Fox Network.

In December 2003, winners of eleven different national Idol competitions were collected for a World Idol competition in London, which aired in all territories that show the format. Kelly Clarkson came in second after Norway's Kurt Nilsen.

The Fox network is scheduled to air the program Celebrity Idol with all celebrity contestants in the fall of 2005, just ahead of the launch of the fifth season of the regular show. The announcement came only days after NBC publicized the upcoming show I'm a Celebrity but I Want to be a Pop Star with a remarkably similar premise.

In July 2005, Fox began airing the series So You Think You Can Dance, which is based on the American Idol selection system. Contestants have to audition in front of judges and as the show progresses, the selection process is handed over to the viewers, who vote for who they think is the most qualified.

Season synopses

The number next to a contestant's name denotes the number of times he or she was in the "Bottom Three".

Season one

In the first season the show was co-hosted by Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Kelly Clarkson won, with Justin Guarini coming in second. Numerous television specials starring the ten finalists followed, as well as the box office bomb entitled From Justin to Kelly. Since winning, Clarkson has gone on to a very successful recording career, including multiple-platinum albums and a number of Top 10 hit singles.

Season two

In season two, Seacrest surfaced as the lone host, since Dunkleman reportedly hated working on the show, and the studio was dissatisfied with his performance. This time, Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner with Clay Aiken as runner-up. Out of 24 million votes cast, Studdard finished just 130,000 votes ahead of Aiken, although there remains controversy over the validity of the reported results. Despite Studdard's win, Aiken has enjoyed more widespread popularity. Controversy arose when semi-finalist Frenchie Davis was booted from the show, after topless pictures she had taken four years before the show aired surfaced. The rumor mills were buzzing once again in 2005 when Season Two contestant Corey Clark, who was himself kicked off the show because of a police record he had not disclosed to the show, alleged that he had had an affair with judge Paula Abdul. Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show because of their alleged romance. A subsequent investigation by Fox found no evidence to support Clark's charges. [1]

Paul Anka made an appearance during the Season finale.

Season three

The third season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2004.

The early part of the season became well-known for the introduction of William Hung, a UC Berkley student, who became popular following his rendition of Ricky Martin's She Bangs. His performance as well as his attitude facing Simon's criticisms (which was a stark contrast to other contestants' confrontational, angry reactions) made him instantly popular, and landed him a record deal with Koch Entertainment Records.

After a nationwide vote of more than 65 million votes in total-- more than the first two seasons combined--, Fantasia Barrino won the "American Idol" title and Diana DeGarmo was runner up. During the season, controversy over the legitimacy of the contest increased as geeky rocker Jon Peter Lewis and young crooner John Stevens stayed afloat while others were unexpectedly eliminated. The third season was also shown in Australia on Network Ten about half a week after episodes were shown in the US.

Paul Anka made an appearance in the Season Finale.

Season four

See also: List of American Idol Season Four songs

The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18 2005. Auditions were held in Washington, DC, St. Louis, Missouri, New Orleans, Louisiana, Las Vegas, Nevada, Cleveland, Ohio, Orlando, Florida and San Francisco, California. Auditions were held from August to October 2004. While in the past seasons celebrity guest judges have been invited to participate during the competition, this was the first season where guest judges were invited to participate in the auditions. The music celebrities featured were:

• January 18, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray
• January 25, Gene Simmons of KISS
• January 26, Kenny Loggins
• February 1, LL Cool J
• February 2, Brandy

It is also the first season in which the age limit was raised to 28, in order to increase variety. Among those who benefitted from this new rule was Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice, considered to be the eldest (and most experienced) of Idol contestants. They were also constantly mentioned by Ryan Seacrest and in the media as "the two rockers", since their long hair and choice of songs made them stand out from conventional Idol standards.

Among the music featured in the program: on January 19 2005, "Look At Me" written by Sara Hickman and performed by her 8-year-old daughter Lily (from the album Big Kid).

The most notable contestant in the early episodes was Mary Roach, who auditioned in Washington D.C. Her rendition of Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move", as well as her comments to the judges that followed her audition, brought considerable negative attention (including false rumors of mental illness) and comparisons to William Hung.

Also noted was Leroy Wells from Grand Bay, Alabama who auditioned in New Orleans singing Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money". He acquired mild fame by repeatedly yelling, "Can you dig it?" to the judges and for the inability of the judges (except Randy) to fully understand him.

This season also implemented new rules for the final portion of the contest. Instead of competing in semifinal heats in which the top vote-getters are promoted to the final round, 24 semifinalists were named -- 12 men and 12 women, who competed separately, with 2 of each gender being voted off each week until 12 finalists were left.

Mario Vazquez, who was originally one of the top 12, dropped out of the competition on March 11, just days before the top 12's first performance, citing "personal issues," opening a spot in the final 12 for Nikko Smith, who had been voted off in the semi-finals the previous week.

The winner was Carrie Underwood, the first winner since Kelly Clarkson to not only win but avoid being in the bottom two or three for the entire competition.

For the May 18 final three show, a guest judge, legendary record producer Clive Davis was added. He chose the first song each performer would sing, many of which he produced in his career. The second song the performers chose any song from any era. In an unprecedented move, Bo Bice performed his choice completely a cappella. For the third and final song of the night, one of the standard judges (Jackson, Abdul or Cowell) chose each contestant's selection. Vonzell Solomon was the 10th contestant voted off the Top 12 on Wednesday May 18th.

The fourth season finale featuring Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood aired May 24-May 25. It featured appearances by former auditioners of questionable talent, and celebrity cameos by Kenny G, Rascal Flatts, David Hasselhoff, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Benson, Billy Preston, Babyface and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The winner of the competition was Carrie Underwood.

Season five

The fifth season of American Idol will begin on January 17, 2006. Auditions were Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco, with Greensboro, North Carolina and Las Vegas, Nevada included after the cancellation of the Memphis auditions due to Hurricane Katrina.

American Idol is to proceed into a ratings battle with CSI and The Apprentice. The 2006 Winter Olympic Games, will cause a two week hiatus in all three shows (more directly with The Apprentice which is an NBC show as NBC will televise the Olympics).

Product placement

• Coca-Cola
• Cingular Wireless
• Kellogg Pop-Tarts
• Ford Motor Company

Imitations

This series has been imitated by many other shows, among them Cupid, Superstar USA and Nashville Star (hosted by LeAnn Rimes). Only Nashville Star still remains as a returning series and is the most popular. In the fall of 2004, VH1 launched a music reality talent-search series In Search of the New Partridge Family, in which aspring actor-singers competed for the roles of Keith, Laurie, Danny, and Shirley Partridge. A pilot episode was aired in early 2005, but the show didn't get picked up. Rock Star: INXS is a rock competition CBS aired in the summer of 2005.

American Idle[2] by dustball is an animated parody of the Numa Numa Dance. Super Girl hosted by HNTV of China also imitated it.

American Idol was parodied on the children's television show All That in the sketch "American Idiot." Kyle Sullivan played an essentially useless host named Brian Peafest. Giovonnie Samuels played the judge Mandy Snackson, who was always saying "You did your thing, dog," cuing a pack of dogs to enter the stage and attack the "idiot". Jack DeSena played an overly cruel judge, Slimon Bowell. Chelsea Brummet played an overly nice judge, Pauly Baboo.

On Saturday Night Live, there were two parody eposides: One with celebrities (Some impersonations being Finesse Mitchell as Kelis, Jessica Simpson as Britney Spears, Amy Poehler as Madonna and Nick Lachey as Scott Stapp from Creed), and another with people with physical problems. Simon Cowell was portrayed by Chris Parnell.

The Spanish television network Telefutura, a network owned by Univision, also shows a Puetro Rican-American version of the show, called Objetivo Fama ("Object: Fame").

See also

• Star Search
• Superstar USA
• Teen Idol
• America's Most Talented Kid
• William Hung
• Schadenfreude

External links

• American Idol Underground - The online radio station branded by Amercian Idol
• Reality TV Magazine: American Idol - Reports on American Idol news
• Simon Cowl - UK Version reviews
• Idol Go Home - American Idol Fantasy Game
• American Idol News and Forum
• American Idol Official Website
• American Idol News
• Judge Jru's American Idol Blog
• idolforums.com - Discussions on American Idol
• E! Online Story on Frenchie Davis
• Search for American Idol using Google Video Search.