Pakistan Idol

For the upcoming first season, see Pakistan Idol (season 1).

Pakistan Idol
Genre	Reality television
Created by	Simon Fuller
Directed by	Saad Bin Mujeeb Associate director: NoorulHuda dawoodpota saif
Presented by	Mohib Mirza
Judges	Hadiqa Kiani Ali Azmat Bushra Ansari
Theme music composer	Julian Gingell Cathy Dennis Barry Stone
Country of origin	Pakistan
No. of seasons	01
No. of episodes	06 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Saad Bin Mujeeb
Producers	Senior Producers Reality: Amir Mehmood Waqar Ahmed Khan Supervising producer: Qudsia Karim Atif Shah
Production locations	Initial auditions: Various Karachi auditions: NAPA, Karachi
Running time	54 - 105 minutes
Production companies	FremantleMedia Ltd. 19TV Ltd. Fremantlemedia pakistan
Original release
Network	Geo Entertainment
Release	December 6, 2013 (2013-12-06)
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Pakistan Idol is an Pakistani reality-singing competition series created by Simon Fuller produced by 19 Entertainment TV Ltd. and distributed by FremantleMedia Enterprises. It began airing on Geo Entertainment on December 6, 2013, as an addition to the Idols format based on the British series Pop Idol after the Geo TV acquire the production rights of franchise in 2007, due to abstruse quandaries of production and on security grounds fructification of franchise stops back but director and producer of content head Saad Bin Mujeed confirmed that show has been began its broadcasting in december, 2013.

It is the 50th addition to the adaptation of series called Idols format based on British series by the name Pop Idol and first adapted by Poland as Idol and then globally in 50 countries with in the decade and has been very popular since its inception, the most successful adaptation of series is of American Idol which led it to its thirteen seasons and has achieved many accolades and positive response.

The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers in Pakistan. Winners has been chosen by viewers through telephone, Internet, and SMS text. For first season the show will declared its winner after its journey of three months.

Pakistani Idol employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The judging panel for the first season consists of country singer Hadiqa Kiani, singer/actress and comedian Bushra Ansari, and rock singer Ali Azmat. The show is originally hosted by television and film personality Mohib Mirza as of series first season from auditions to continuing on for the rest of the seasons..

The series garnered an immense reception, millions of people went out for auditions occurred in various cities of Pakistan. Mobilink one of the sponsor of the series receives 10, 861 entries for mobilink's mobile auditions from desired participants with in one day after the lines set up open for audience. The show hit the maximum of TRPS of channel and becoming popular widely over the small panned of time.

History

Pakistani Idol is an adaptation of reality singing series competition based on British show Pop Idol, which was in turn inspired by Popstars, TV Show producer Nigel Lythgoethen saw the concept in Australia and brought over to Britain. Using the idea from Popstars of employing a panel of judges to select singers in audition, then adding other elements such as telephone voting by the viewing public (which at the time was already in use in shows such as the Eurovision Song Contest), the drama of backstories and real-life soap opera unfolding in real time, Simon Fuller then created Pop Idol. The show debuted in 2001 in Britain with Lythgoe as the producer and Simon Cowell as one of the judges, and was a big success with the viewing public.

In 2007, The president of Geo tv Imran Aslam acquired the rights of series to be adapted for Pakistan after its popularity in Indian version but due to country's critical conditions and on security bases the director of series Saad Bin Mujeeb and Geo TV cancelled the production at that time, in an interview Mujeeb said now Geo has confident about the security measures we have put in place and also more confident about our own abilities to take on this massive undertaking. At a press conference Imran Aslam, stated "Idol ban k dikhao, Pakistan is waiting for you" and said that music is an important part of culture and describe that how this stage will help people more easily to reach their dreams, he quoted some famous singers name and their journey towards music.

Judges and Hosts

Judges

The show had originally planned on having four judges following the Pop Idol format, however only three judges had been found by the time of the audition round in the first season, namely Bushra Ansari, Hadiqa Kiani and Ali Azmat. Judges for 1st season officially were unveiled on 20 November 2013. The director of the content decided to put these judges on such platform of talent, Bushra Ansari a veteran Pakistani artist who is Actress, Comedian, Socialist, Director, Host, Anchor, Mimic-artist and occasionally singer, Multi-talented Bushra Ansari, who is a trained singer and she has the ability to sing all genres of music especially classical. She has been singing since she was a kid – her talent has been groomed over the years with the exposure she received while working with the great names of her time. Bushra is so good at all she does, that her own achievements mask what she has achieved before. She has done some great characters throughout her acting career but many people have forgotten that she entered the showbiz world as a trained singer. In late 80s when she comes to TV industry she start mimicking Noor Jahan by singing like her, though she didn't took singing as her proper medium of occupation but she is very well remain known as singer. Hadiqa kiani is one of the most talented singers name in Pakistani music history, her unique style of singing make her Pakistani one of earlier rock-star in late 90s after Nazia Hassan, She received Classical singing training under Ustad Faiz Ahmad Khan and Wajid Ali Nashad She gives Pakistan’s music scene a refreshing touch and she keeps reinventing her looks which keep her fans engaged and the third judge is Ali Azmat which is the most talented and adroit singer of all time, he was the lead vocalist of Pakistani first ever internationally acclaimed sufi rock Junoon band, Also in 2001, Ali was to become the first person ever to perform at the United Nations General Assembly along with an Indian band. He chose to sing his song ‘Dosti’ which was appropriate since the theme of this song is peace and the UN was formed to bring peace in the world. Earlier, he had performed the same song in India on the request of an Indian Prime Minister. In 2003, Ali performed live at the Royal Albert Hall in UK. The series comprises the same format and will be based on original concept of series.

Guest Judges may occasionally be introduced during the series, as they only come for moral support for the contestants or for their promotions bases contents. This is also the format of the series comes periodically in every season of the series to increase the TRPS of show or to increase the show viewers.

Host

As of first season Mohib Mirza is the host of series.

Selection Process

In a series of steps, the show selects the eventual winner out of many tens of thousands of contestants.

Contestant eligibility

The eligible age-range for contestants is currently fifteen to 30 years old. The initial age limit in original format was sixteen to twenty-four, but the upper limit was raised to twenty-eight and the lower limit was reduced to fifteen in previous years series. The contestants must be legal Pakistan residents, cannot have advanced to particular stages of the competition in previous seasons (varies depending on the season, currently by the semi-final stage), and must not hold any current recording or talent representation contract by the semi-final stage (in previous years by the audition stage) in simple regards a person is not eligible for the series if he/she had been in the top-four finalist that may be considered as a recognizable singer.

Initial auditions

like Original series procedure, Pakistan Idol similar to Indian Idol follow identical procedures of selection. Desired participant have to register themselves by sending their details via sms subscription lines open for audience. Contestants then go through at least three sets of cuts.The first is a brief audition with a few other contestants in front of selectors which may include one of the show's producers. Although auditions can exceed 10,000 in each city, only a few hundred of these make it past the preliminary round of auditions. Successful auditioners then sing in front of producers where more may be cut. Only then can they proceed to audition in front of the judges, which is the only audition stage shown on television. All the judges then themselves carried out the auditions in each city and select 100 contestant, by giving them a golden ticket to Karachi, later then they have to pass three rounds all are done by show judges only, and only 12-13 contestant reaches to Idol Stage, from them winner will be selected by public voting till end.

Theater and Piano Round

After selection from initial auditions, all the selected contestants by the judges are sent to Karachi, where the show actually begins. Once in Karachi, the contestants perform individually or in groups in a series of rounds. First they have to pass theater round, in which they will perform in groups and then Piano round where the selected participant from the previous round perform And then re-selected by the judges and last round will be final and 12 to 13 contestants will reach, from them the winner will be declared.

Audience Voting

By following series format, The fate of all the final-listed 12-13 is decided by public vote. During the contestant's performance as well as the recap at the end, a toll-free telephone number for each contestant is displayed on the screen. For a 8-hour period after the episode ends (up to twelve hours for the finale) in each PK time zone, viewers may call or send a text message to their preferred contestant's telephone number, and each call or text message is registered as a vote for that contestant. Viewers are allowed to vote as many times as they can within the 8-hour voting window, however, the show reserves the right to discard votes by power dialer. One or more of the least popular contestants may be eliminated in successive weeks until a winner emerges.

Semi-Finals

Semi - Finals round of series may consist of six or five contestants and may split into different groups to perform individually in their respective night. The men and women sang separately on consecutive nights, and the bottom two in each groups were eliminated each week until only six of each remained to form the top twelve.

Finals

In the final the three remaining contestants perform to determine the winner. One will be eliminated from three a few hours earlier and then from the last two, winners will be declared.

Reward for winners and finalist

At grand finale of the show two or three finalists will encounter and the contestant who will receive the largest percentage of votes will be adjudged winner. The winner will be awarded a hefty amount of prize money, recording contract in addition to the title of Pakistan Idol and luxurious SUV. the First and second runner up (If any) will receive half of the prize than winner and the show trophy.

Series Overview and Season Synopsis

File:Pakistan Idol.png

Pakistan Idol logo as of 2013

Each season premieres with the audition round, taking place in different cities. The audition episodes typically feature a mix of potential finalists, interesting characters and woefully inadequate contestants. Each successful contestant receives a golden ticket to proceed on to the next round in Karachi. Based on their performances during the final round (Karachi round selection), 12 to 13 contestants are selected by the judges to participate in the semifinals. From the semifinal onwards the contestants perform their songs live, with the judges making their critiques after each performance. The contestants are voted for by the viewing public, and the outcome of the public votes is then revealed in the results show typically on the following night. The results shows feature group performances by the contestants as well as guest performers. The Top-three results show also features the homecoming events for the Top 3 finalists. The season reaches its climax in a two-hour results finale show where the winner of the season is revealed.

The show broadcast its first episode on December 6, 2013, and is airing its auditions. The auditions in the first two cities which have been broadcast, show tremendous reception and great public interest. In the Lahore audition people arrived in large numbers and the production team had to extend the date of auditions for two more days, similarly in Karachi and Islamabad.

Season 1

Main article: Pakistan Idol (season 1)

The first audition for Pakistan Idol started in the country’s capital, Islamabad on 19 September 2013. Contestants include a great percentage of Youth ranging from 18 years to 25 years. The auditions took place in The Centaurus Mall. The next cities on the list were Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad & in the last Karachi. The auditions closed on 28 October. All the selected candidates will be brought to karachi for their next performance till the end of the show.

Geographical, ethnic, and gender bias

Pakistan Idol offers no racism bases to talent-cultivation, platform of the show is always open and welcome all the people having talent irrespective to their gender and ethnicity, in audition thousands of Pakistani come from villages, cities and those people who haven't any medium to reach at such stage, they were all welcomed and auditioned periodically and selected only on the basis of their talent and show format, despite their color, creed or anything else unrelated to program.

Controversy

On 2 December 2013, it was reported that eight Indians who arrived in Pakistan on the 16th November to participate in the first auditions were deported from Pakistan. The Indian nationals were accused of providing false information to Pakistani officials to get visas and were without proper notification. Under Pakistani law, all Indians visiting Pakistan must report to the nearest police station. They all failed to report to the police as required under law. Once they started their contacts, they were intercepted and apprehended due to their suspicious activities in Karachi.

Pakistan Idol becomes household identity and gets lionized, Show has been already reprobate and animadvert on regarding to its copyrights and authentication from original production authorities because of first kind of such platform ever enters in Pakistan at such level. A British production house Saray Gama declared the two episodes of Pakistan Idol aired on Geo TV network is illegal and has warned Fremantle Media and Geo TV of legal proceedings against copyright violations. Saray Gama in its notice said that both Fremantle and Geo have not acquired the licence to air songs and performances of its copyright content, they claimed that, the songs which are owned by Saray Gama are used on the websites of Clear Shampoo, Q Mobile, Pepsi and Mobilink for which they had no legal rights. Further more, the notice they issued demands response in 48 hours and said that Saray Gama’s authorised representative in Pakistan is Digital Entertainment World who can be approached for requisite licence. Source and media haven't any approach to Geo TV about this notice as Channel itself is unable to give any response.

Critical Reception

The show starts its broadcasting on Dec. 6, 2013. Upon announcing the audition of Pakistan Idols, across the country, 30, 000 plus people went out for audition in different cities, the show receives immense critical acclaim before on-airing its broadcasting. In people views and young generation it is such platforms can help them to achieve their dreams but due to the lack of such opportunities and stage they couldn't reach their goal with ease, thats why people are admiring for this effort of Geo.

Sources close to Pakistan Idol reveal that a toll of PKR 60 million was investment by sponsors in the reality show but only 35, 000 candidates showed interest from the country of music. The Show strictly taken by all viewers, web portals and critics, judges of show is highly criticised by viewers due to their selection by production head, viewers want judges panel to be more precised, serious and de facto singers.

Revenue and commercial Ventures

Media Sponsorship

CLEAR and Coca-Cola archrival Pepsi are two major sponsors of Pakistan Idol in its first season. Q Mobile and fourth major sponsor Mobilink also join the season.

Pakistan Idol prominent display of its sponsors' logo and products had been noted since its broadcasting. The branded entertainment integration proved beneficial to its advertisers – promotion of Mobilink text-messaging as a means to vote successfully introduced the technology into the wider culture,and Pepsi has seen its equity increased during the show.

• Pepsi – Cups bearing logo of pepsi, and occasionally its subsidiary Vitaminwater,are featured prominently on the judges table. Contestants are shown between songs held in the "Pepsi Blue Room," the show's equivalent of the green room.

• Mobilink Mobility is promoted as the service provider for text-voting. Mobilink created an ad campaign that centered on an air-headed teenager going around telling people to vote.

• Q-Mobile act as a Host for Mobilink network, in which throughout the season show considered to vote contestants by Q-mobile.

• CLEAR is used as a word for statements such as "As CLEAR you sung, As CLEAR you go far".

All the respective sponsor companies are internationally developed companies and successfully acclaimed, Pepsi parental company Coca-Cola originally sponsor the American idol series.

See also

• List of Pakistan Idol finalists
• List of Pakistan Idol episodes
• List of reality television programs
• Living on the Edge (TV series)

External links

• Official website
• Pakistan Idol on Facebook
• Pakistan Idol on Twitter
• Pakistan Idol on Dailymotion
• Pakistan Idol - Complete Episodes on Dramas Online