Stars in Their Eyes

What is it about amateur singing shows that Saturday night ITV audiences love? I must admit that I don't really like game shows and "light entertainment" programming so I'm probably not the best person to answer this but dammit I have an opinion about it and if the internet has given us nothing else it has given us the ability to angrily publish our opinions into an apathetic electronic void. Anyways, famous for the "tonight Matthew/Leslie/Cat I'll be..." catchphrase this show takes people who sound like singing stars, make them look a bit more like those stars and give them the stage in a competition, then the public vote for the best. Although they try to look like the star, the whole show is about how much like the star they sound – so attacking it for the looks is a moot point (although they often are poor visual impressions).

Without any interest in the people or ability to "play along at home" (like in a normal quiz) the show essentially comes down to a version of those albums that you buy for cheap where songs are delivered in bad copies by unknown singers in place of the original artists. Why this has such appeal I have no idea, I mean I can understand why it works as a temporary thing but what has kept it going for over 15 years as a successful option in a competitive Saturday night market. I have no idea because I know the times I have watched it, it has been as an ironic "oh god this is awful" look at people who were being lied to by their families and friends when they were told "you know, you look/sound a lot like x". However even laughing at others has its limited appeal when done long enough along the same lines so again I'm not really getting the appeal.

The presenters never worked for me either along at least Kelly had the decency to present it all with the campness it deserved; Cat Deeley wouldn't really know charisma if it fell on her and she presents everything with the same stuck expression and approach. I suppose I can at least take heart from the fact that her career will fade with her youth (god speed). Maybe Kelly was part of the appeal, because he never took it that serious and always had a bit of a mischievous twinkle in his eye but can that account for 10 years? Overall I hate this show and honestly cannot see why the viewing public keep coming back to it year after year, "celebrity" special after celebrity special. Having a very undemanding audience in the "light entertainment on a Saturday night" crowd probably helps but this is still glorified karaoke and it mystifies me why the idea still draws a crowd (although I really wish I had come up with it originally).