Supergirls and Global Idols

Can't get enough of American Idol on Fox? Did you know the executive producer of the show is a huge record industry svengali - Simon Fuller. Most Americans haven't heard of Simon Fuller, unless they watch the American Idol credits. He's a big deal in the UK. After all, Simon Fuller created the Spice Girls, along with a boy band and several other popstars that are huge on the Europe scene. And now Mr. Fuller and his UK production company, 19 Group, are set to do a new reality series for ABC. Yes, ABC - not Fox - according to the Hollywood Reporter. The new series will be a search for the All-American super girl that takes place over 13 episodes. Mr. Fuller wants to make some lucky lady the next female American star.

Hollywood Reporter states that the "as of yet untitled series" planned for 2003 will see 10 female contestants battling it out in athletics, dancing, singing, beauty, and personality contests. (What? No Jello wrestling?) To add spice to the show, big name celebrities (probably B list, not A list) from the worlds of sports, entertainment, and fashion will act as individual coaches for the contestants.

Regarding the supergirl project for ABC, Fuller said, "Pop Idol spawned many similar talent-based shows in the U.K., and what we are doing now is integrating all these areas of talent in one show with the contestants competing in five distinct areas while supported by their own individual world-famous coaches." ABC senior vice president for alternative series and specials, Andrea Wong, told the Hollywood Reporter, "Today's girls are raised to believe they have no limits, and they work extremely hard to achieve success in many areas. The supergirl (show) honors their efforts and gives our audience a forum in which to cheer them on."

Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter and the Baseline news wire are reporting that the producers of the UK show Pop Idol, which was then copied to be the Fox summer hit American Idol, are now finalizing plans to create a special global Idol series. Simon Fuller is working on launching a version of the Idol franchise that will have the winners from all the countries currently showing Idol or about to show Idol competing in a massive worldwide simulcast.

The telecast would culminate with the crowning of a world-wide pop idol, and is being targeted for late 2003. The countries involved would be the U.S., UK, South Africa, Poland, Germany, France, and Holland, with the UK, U.S., South African, and Polish versions most likely airing a second edition by the time this global show is finally produced.

The Baseline news service is reporting that executive producer Simon Jones (not to be confused with Simon Fuller or Simon Cowell) said the plan all along, going back to the launch of Pop Idol in Britain, was to eventually produce an international face-off. "This is now becoming a reality," he said. "There are going to be quite a few winners around the world. The plan is to bring them together in one special, where everyone can vote around the world."

A Fox spokesperson said the network had not yet been approached about a global Idol.

Susan can be reached at sschechter@earthlink.net.

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