Post by Inside Australian Idol on Dec 22, 2003 22:01:59 GMT 10
All the world's a stage
December 22, 2003
Birmingham boy Ian Dickson. Photo: Stephen Baccon
This week, 11 Idol winners from around the globe battle it out in London. Tony Davis talks to Ian Dickson, who'll be one of the judges.
I'm not really sure," replies Ian Dickson, when asked perhaps the most pertinent question concerning World Idol. Namely, what the hell are 11 - yes, 11 - judges going to do other than crowd the studio and struggle to get a word in?
It's perhaps the only time in our interview when Dickson - or Dicko, as he likes to be known - doesn't venture a strong opinion and produce a quotable quote. But he quickly regathers. "I've got this picture in my mind's eye of the United Nations, with headphones on and translators and everybody squabbling and then all picking on North Korea. And then France abstaining because the Americans are trying to push something through."
World Idol features the winners of 11 national Idol competitions, including afro-haired Adelaide church singer Guy Sebastian. In the style of Australian Idol, it's a two-part process. There's a performance show (filmed in London last week), in which each singer is allowed just one song. That's followed by a verdict show a week later, when the results of viewers' votes will be announced.
Dickson, the 40-year-old Birmingham-born record company executive, will be on the judging panel with Simon Cowell, the Englishman who became a star bucketing hopefuls in the UK and US versions - and the man many believed Dickson was meant to copy for our effort (he denies it).
"Our scope for lively comments is going to be seriously curtailed because all these contestants, you are going to have to assume, are going to be seriously good," Dickson says. "Someone would have to stumble pretty spectacularly to get some of the harsh comments that maybe myself or Simon Cowell have been noted for, but if they did fall flat on their face, we'd go there."
Even then, Dickson and the other 10 can only pass judgement, not sentence. And Dickson fears the need to configure the show for many different cultures, languages and TV formats may sanitise it.
"Part of the success of Australian Idol was that it allowed you to develop with the characters over a period of time and gave you breathing space between episodes to collect your thoughts and approach the next episode. I'm a little confused - no, curious - as to how they are going to achieve that."
The thing World Idol most brings to mind is the much-lampooned Eurovision Song Contest. Dickson dislikes the comparison (and Eurovision, though says he always looked forward "to seeing if Norway would get no points".
"With World Idol you are dealing with contestants who are out-and-out winners, not the young hopefuls - or hopeless ones - of Eurovision. And there is a commercial factor; most of these contestants already have records out. They have albums to sell."
Despite phenomenal early sales for Guy Sebastian's CD, many believe the quick-witted judge with the grey mane and distinctive accent will be the most enduring television personality the local show is likely to produce.
"I don't want to be sucked in or sucked off by television," Dickson once told the Herald, but he now seems comfortable with the attention. "People always joked that I behaved like a star just because I suppose I do like the limelight. Now fame seems a little odd to me ... It's hard to come to terms with it because I'm a little bit self-conscious about what my talent is, or indeed even if I have one."
Certainly, one of Dickson's talents is marketing, and Australian Idol and its spin-off products are making cash registers ring. The show also produced millions of dollars in phone voting fees and the final episode was watched by 3.25 million people - only the World Cup Rugby final rated higher. (Unfortunately for Ten, World Idol falls in the non-ratings period, though it should still generate advertising and maintain interest in the franchise until Australian Idol 2 begins mid next year.)
Sebastian will have only two minutes and seven seconds to conquer the world. That's the time he says he's been allotted for his revamped arrangement of What a Wonderful World. Sebastian had never been to London before he jetted off to record the performance show, yet he chose to race back to Melbourne to sing carols at the Myer Music Bowl. He'll spend Christmas Day with his family in Adelaide before flying to London again to film the verdict show.
"I don't really know much about World Idol," he told the Herald just before flying out of Australia, "because there is so much in the present to concentrate on. I was going to sing Climb Every Mountain - in fact they chose [it] - but I really wanted to do something that was up and joyful. It's a very joyful time of the year, it's the whole world thing - a wonderful world - and it's World Idol."
Dickson also considers it the smartest choice, citing the song as family-friendly - and Christmas-friendly - and perfect for Sebastian's soaring voice. He considers American Idol Kelly Clarkson to be Sebastian's "only major threat".
"She's had hits all around the world; her profile is huge. She deserves her place as the shortest-priced favourite. I'm not worried about Will Young [the British entrant] at all; I think Guy is far more talented. I also believe he is more talented than Kelly. I think she's got a great voice, I think he's a better star."
How World Idol works
As with the Eurovision Song Contest, each of the 11 contestants automatically receives maximum votes from his or her country. Viewers can decide only the order of the 10 "foreigners", as any other system would favour those from more populous countries.
Guy Sebastian will receive 12 points from Australia (with no need for Australians to vote for him). The foreign contestant most Australians vote for (at 55c a vote) receives 10 points, the next 9 points and so on, down to 1 point. The same system will work in each country, meaning that a contestant could receive a maximum of 112 points: 10 votes from the 10 other countries, plus 12 from their own.
A huge number of telephone and SMS votes were registered in each national competition. It will be interesting to see whether viewers will care enough to spend money voting on what is effectively second through to 11th place.
Maybe that's why an internal World Idol briefing paper says: "It is an absolute necessity that each territory's hosts constantly 'incentivise' their viewers to phone in and vote for these other performers ... the viewers have to be made aware that the fate of every other performer still rests in their phone calls."
And the prize at the end of it all? Just the honour of being World Idol.
World Idol airs on Friday at 7.30pm. The verdict show airs on Friday, January 2, at 6.30am (live) and 7.30pm.
www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/22/1071941649702.html
MORE NEWS ARTICLES HERE
australianidol.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=News
December 22, 2003
Birmingham boy Ian Dickson. Photo: Stephen Baccon
This week, 11 Idol winners from around the globe battle it out in London. Tony Davis talks to Ian Dickson, who'll be one of the judges.
I'm not really sure," replies Ian Dickson, when asked perhaps the most pertinent question concerning World Idol. Namely, what the hell are 11 - yes, 11 - judges going to do other than crowd the studio and struggle to get a word in?
It's perhaps the only time in our interview when Dickson - or Dicko, as he likes to be known - doesn't venture a strong opinion and produce a quotable quote. But he quickly regathers. "I've got this picture in my mind's eye of the United Nations, with headphones on and translators and everybody squabbling and then all picking on North Korea. And then France abstaining because the Americans are trying to push something through."
World Idol features the winners of 11 national Idol competitions, including afro-haired Adelaide church singer Guy Sebastian. In the style of Australian Idol, it's a two-part process. There's a performance show (filmed in London last week), in which each singer is allowed just one song. That's followed by a verdict show a week later, when the results of viewers' votes will be announced.
Dickson, the 40-year-old Birmingham-born record company executive, will be on the judging panel with Simon Cowell, the Englishman who became a star bucketing hopefuls in the UK and US versions - and the man many believed Dickson was meant to copy for our effort (he denies it).
"Our scope for lively comments is going to be seriously curtailed because all these contestants, you are going to have to assume, are going to be seriously good," Dickson says. "Someone would have to stumble pretty spectacularly to get some of the harsh comments that maybe myself or Simon Cowell have been noted for, but if they did fall flat on their face, we'd go there."
Even then, Dickson and the other 10 can only pass judgement, not sentence. And Dickson fears the need to configure the show for many different cultures, languages and TV formats may sanitise it.
"Part of the success of Australian Idol was that it allowed you to develop with the characters over a period of time and gave you breathing space between episodes to collect your thoughts and approach the next episode. I'm a little confused - no, curious - as to how they are going to achieve that."
The thing World Idol most brings to mind is the much-lampooned Eurovision Song Contest. Dickson dislikes the comparison (and Eurovision, though says he always looked forward "to seeing if Norway would get no points".
"With World Idol you are dealing with contestants who are out-and-out winners, not the young hopefuls - or hopeless ones - of Eurovision. And there is a commercial factor; most of these contestants already have records out. They have albums to sell."
Despite phenomenal early sales for Guy Sebastian's CD, many believe the quick-witted judge with the grey mane and distinctive accent will be the most enduring television personality the local show is likely to produce.
"I don't want to be sucked in or sucked off by television," Dickson once told the Herald, but he now seems comfortable with the attention. "People always joked that I behaved like a star just because I suppose I do like the limelight. Now fame seems a little odd to me ... It's hard to come to terms with it because I'm a little bit self-conscious about what my talent is, or indeed even if I have one."
Certainly, one of Dickson's talents is marketing, and Australian Idol and its spin-off products are making cash registers ring. The show also produced millions of dollars in phone voting fees and the final episode was watched by 3.25 million people - only the World Cup Rugby final rated higher. (Unfortunately for Ten, World Idol falls in the non-ratings period, though it should still generate advertising and maintain interest in the franchise until Australian Idol 2 begins mid next year.)
Sebastian will have only two minutes and seven seconds to conquer the world. That's the time he says he's been allotted for his revamped arrangement of What a Wonderful World. Sebastian had never been to London before he jetted off to record the performance show, yet he chose to race back to Melbourne to sing carols at the Myer Music Bowl. He'll spend Christmas Day with his family in Adelaide before flying to London again to film the verdict show.
"I don't really know much about World Idol," he told the Herald just before flying out of Australia, "because there is so much in the present to concentrate on. I was going to sing Climb Every Mountain - in fact they chose [it] - but I really wanted to do something that was up and joyful. It's a very joyful time of the year, it's the whole world thing - a wonderful world - and it's World Idol."
Dickson also considers it the smartest choice, citing the song as family-friendly - and Christmas-friendly - and perfect for Sebastian's soaring voice. He considers American Idol Kelly Clarkson to be Sebastian's "only major threat".
"She's had hits all around the world; her profile is huge. She deserves her place as the shortest-priced favourite. I'm not worried about Will Young [the British entrant] at all; I think Guy is far more talented. I also believe he is more talented than Kelly. I think she's got a great voice, I think he's a better star."
How World Idol works
As with the Eurovision Song Contest, each of the 11 contestants automatically receives maximum votes from his or her country. Viewers can decide only the order of the 10 "foreigners", as any other system would favour those from more populous countries.
Guy Sebastian will receive 12 points from Australia (with no need for Australians to vote for him). The foreign contestant most Australians vote for (at 55c a vote) receives 10 points, the next 9 points and so on, down to 1 point. The same system will work in each country, meaning that a contestant could receive a maximum of 112 points: 10 votes from the 10 other countries, plus 12 from their own.
A huge number of telephone and SMS votes were registered in each national competition. It will be interesting to see whether viewers will care enough to spend money voting on what is effectively second through to 11th place.
Maybe that's why an internal World Idol briefing paper says: "It is an absolute necessity that each territory's hosts constantly 'incentivise' their viewers to phone in and vote for these other performers ... the viewers have to be made aware that the fate of every other performer still rests in their phone calls."
And the prize at the end of it all? Just the honour of being World Idol.
World Idol airs on Friday at 7.30pm. The verdict show airs on Friday, January 2, at 6.30am (live) and 7.30pm.
www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/22/1071941649702.html
MORE NEWS ARTICLES HERE
australianidol.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=News