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{{Short description|British television talent competition}}
'''''Fame Academy''''' is the name of televised competition to search for and to educate musical talents, and to award the best contestant with a chance to become a successful music artist. The programme was broadcast by the ] and was co-produced by Initial, an ] company.
{{For|the Celebrity version|Comic Relief Does Fame Academy}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = 250px-Fame academy largelogo.PNG
| runtime = 60–120 mins
| creator =
| genre = ]
| presenter = ]<br/>]
| judges = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]
| channel = ]<br/>]
| first_aired = {{start date|2002|10|4|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2003|10|4|df=y}}
| num_series = 2
| num_episodes =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| company = Initial
| related = {{Plainlist|
* '']''
* '']''
}}
}}


'''''Fame Academy''''' was a British ] talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise '']'' known under various titles in various countries.
It was partly ], because the daily lives of the contestants could be watched through live streaming via ]. This was accomplished through the instalments of 'spycameras'.


In the UK version, the prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one year. It was broadcast by the ] and co-produced by an ] company called Initial. The first series was won by ] and the second and final series by ].
Coverage of the show was widely shown on ], ], ] and the ].


Starting in 2003, '']'' saw celebrities singing as students of the academy with proceeds from the phone votes being donated to the charity.
Although it was viewed by critics as a similar and alternative format to the '']'' series, it was presented as a relatively new concept. It also featured live music performances. But the contestants here are called 'students' and are required to spend a period of ten weeks inside the historic ] located in ], North London as part of their musical education offered by Fame Academy. This included fitness/dancing classes, individual vocal coaching and personal development periods.


==Format==
Unlike Pop Idol, Fame Academy emphasised the '''creative/artistic''' talent of the students, such as writing their own songs and compositions. This was done through masterclasses with accomplished songwriters and musicians. Some of the self-penned material by the students was showcased through the live performance shows.
The format was originally created in the Netherlands under the title '']'', and has already achieved major success around the world (especially in France and Spain) under the titles '']'' and '']''. A ] version also called '']'' had been launched in 2003 on ] with far lesser success.


Every week, depending on the perceived quality of their performances, contestants would be put into either "safe" or "danger" zones. Anyone in the latter had to undergo a system of voting by the other participants to determine which one would then be forced to leave.
==Series History==


The show was partly ], because the daily lives of the contestants could be watched through live streaming via ]. This was accomplished through the instalments of 'spycameras'. Coverage of the show was widely shown on ], ], ], ] and ] (latterly under the title ''CBBC at the Fame Academy,'' on both the channel and the BBC One and Two strands).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=%22cbbc+at+the+fame+academy%22&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00:00&tt=00:00#search|title=Search Results – BBC Genome|website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk|access-date=2017-10-05}}</ref>
The show produced three series.


==Concept==
*''Fame Academy; Class of 2002''
Although it was viewed by critics as being very similar to the '']'' and '']'' series, and was generally classified as an entertainment programme, ''Fame Academy'' was presented as a relatively new concept. The show was advertised as being considerably more than just a talent contest with the contestants singing on weekly live TV shows, as on the ''Pop Idol'' and ''Popstars'' series. The programme makers also included a long-term ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newtalent/music/fameacademybursary/ |access-date=1 March 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060302001453/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newtalent/music/fameacademybursary/ |archive-date=2 March 2006|title=BBC – New Talent Music – Fame Academy Bursary}}</ref>
*''Fame Academy; Class of 2003''
*''Comic Relief does Fame Academy'' (spin-off format set up for the ] charity in 2003)


''Fame Academy'' claimed to emphasise the creative talent of the contestants (called "students" on the show), who were encouraged to write their own songs and music as well as developing their singing technique and performing skills. Inside the academy for a period of ten weeks, the students were given a complete musical ]. This included individual vocal coaching with tutors including ] and ], songwriting lessons, personal development, ]/] classes, and workshops with professionals. The students stayed at ], an historic Georgian-style mansion in ] that was specially redressed for the series. They were provided with dormitory-style living accommodation, communal meals and recreation areas.
The winner of the first series was David Sneddon and the second run was won by ].


The programme was filmed as a ] show in the '']'' format, with the students being completely cut off from the outside world and were not allowed to leave the "Academy" without supervision. The contestants were televised constantly through a vast network of cameras that were monitored 24 hours day.
==Series One (2002)==


Viewers of the streaming programmes were able to watch almost everything going on behind the scenes. Singing lessons, dance classes, rehearsals and costume fittings were all filmed, as well as the daily life of the contestants from waking up to going to sleep. This also included mealtimes, relaxation periods and "private" moments. The social interaction between the students, and the growing tensions as their numbers dwindled, added to the interest of the show week by week and highlights of the live streaming, heavily edited, were also shown as part of the ] and ] spin-off programmes and on the weekly showdown.
Series One of Fame Academy hit screens in ]. The live shows were presented by ] and ].


The pre-selection auditions, of over 12,000 applicants, were held nationwide by music professionals and the production crew and were not part of the show. The final selection of contestants were presented to the public in the first airing of the series. Students performed live on the main weekly shows, individually, in pairs or in groups, singing a selection of cover songs chosen by the production team. Some of the self-penned material by the students was also showcased on the live performance shows.
Eleven lucky contestants were showcased to the nation in the first live episode, while the first viewer vote of the series was announced in a surprise twist - three other potential finalists would be showcased to the nation - and the public could vote for who they wanted to enter the Academy, making up the final line-up of twelve contestants.


The second series, broadcast from July–October 2003 reverted to a more "]" style reality format, with little emphasis placed on the education of the students and the main focus being performance and the judges' criticism. It was perceived that this shift occurred due to the disappointing ratings of ''Fame Academy'' compared to ''Pop Idol'', which ran over the same period in 2002, even if it was not placed in head-to-head competition.
The public voted for ] to enter the Academy, joining ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].


Teachers and judges gave their opinions of the students' performances on air, and the television audience voted to "save" their favourite student throughout the week and at the live showdowns each Friday night, with one student leaving each week.
The contestants' time in the Academy included singing lessons with ], exhausting dance and exercise classes with ], and song-writing lessons with ] who wrote ]'s hit single ''Genie in a Bottle''. Headteacher ] was also never far away, and managed to keep order for most of the series.


==Series overview==
The first drama of the series came within the first few days when problems with Naomi's voice meant that she would have to be expelled from the Academy. She was replaced with ], who came second in the viewer vote in the first episode of the series, which was won by Sinead.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; line-height:17px; font-size:85%;"
|-
! scope="col" | Series
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
! scope="col" | Winner
! scope="col" | Runner-up
! scope="col" | Third place
! scope="col" | Presenters
! scope="col" | Judges
|-
! scope="row" | ]
| 4 October 2002
| 6 December 2002
| ]
| ]
| ]
| rowspan="2" | ]<br />]
| rowspan="2" | ]<br />]<br />]<br />]
|-
! scope="row" | ]
| 26 July 2003
| 4 October 2003
| ]
| ]
| ]
|}


==Spin-offs==
Each week, the teachers put three contestants on probation. They would have to sing for survival live on ] night on ], in order to fight for their place in the Academy. The public would then vote for who they wanted to save - the person with the most votes would be safe. However, the fate of the two other contestants on probation was decided by their fellow contestants, who had to vote for who they wanted to save.
{{Main|Comic Relief Does Fame Academy}}


As well as the live shows, highlight shows aired at 7pm on ] and ] nights on BBC One. A late night uncut show was later added to the schedules. Extra coverage was available on ]. The first live show took place on 7 March 2003 and lasted until Red Nose Day on 14 March, where the final show was presented and the winner was announced as ].


On 26 February 2005, ''Comic Relief does Fame Academy'' returned for a second live airing. During the ] show on 11 March (]), ] was announced as the winner.
As well as the dramas of singing for survival, there were dramas among the contestants too. David and Ainslie were rivals for most of the series. Camilla and Lemar got closer and closer, until on the night when all of the contestants returned to the house, they kissed in one of the bedrooms. Sinead and Malachi were also very close, but a relationship failed to materialise once they left the Academy.


The Comic Relief series returned on 3 March 2007 for a third series. It was announced by the BBC that ] would not return because she was hosting '']''. ] returned this time with co-host and host of the former spin-off show, ]. The third series ran nightly from Wednesday 7 to 16 March (Red Nose Day). The winner of this series was ].
The final three contestants were Lemar, Sinead and David. Lemar came in 3rd place. Sinead came second, while David won the series. Malachi, Ainslie, Lemar, Sinead and David all went onto release singles - David's as a result for the £1 million record contract that he secured when he won the show, while the others secured deals by themselves. However, the contestant with the best career so far has been Lemar.


==Charities==
Ratings were average, but not spectacular. Most of this was blamed on the format being too similar to ], while fans of the ] element were disappointed by the awkward timings of the highlight shows. Despite this, a second series was commissioned.
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2023}}
The long-term vision behind Fame Academy was to inspire young people into music. Beside the televised series, a project was launched during the 2002 series to fund a ] through the telephone voting of the live performance shows. This became the Fame Academy Bursary and is supported by ], ] and the BBC.


It featured instrument/equipment awards and a number of three-year educational bursaries for the public to give them the opportunity to further their careers into music-making.
==Series Two (2003)==


==Production==
The second series of Fame Academy started in ], with some changes. ] and ] continued as lead presenters. Songwriting teacher ] did not return, and the role of dance teacher ] was reduced. Headteacher ] was nasty to contestants this year, in ] style. ]'s husband, ], joined the series as an extra voice coach. Bee Gee ] joined the show as a judge for the live shows.
Behind the scenes of ''Fame Academy'' was also a vast array of technical production personnel to ensure a smooth live broadcast on television.


The 2002/2003 series was headed by a team of 9 production managers encompassing the areas of web production, 24/7 reality filming for live streaming, setup of the weekly live 'expulsion' performances both at ] and ], daily live broadcasts for ] and ]. In general they also ensured the smooth running on-location. This also meant to act as a liaison with local authorities (] and ]), get building consent and permissions from its planning departments, handle (tele)communications between BT and ] and keep track of Security, Health, Safety and Fire issues.
The live singing for survival shows were moved to ] nights. Instead of taking place at ], they took place from within the Academy itself. Highlight shows were axed from ], but still aired on ].


==References==
For the first two weeks in the show, the final 25 contestants performed and the public voted for thirteen to enter the Academy.
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
This year's contestants were ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
'''Official homepages'''


*
This year there was a fair amount of bitching in the Academy, with many of the girls openly stating that they felt uncomfortable around Barry. Producers decided to stir up trouble by showing footage of bitching during a brief highlights package on one of the live shows - which all of the students could see.
*


'''Press releases by the BBC'''
Peter and Alex were quick to make friends, but their friendship soon fizzled out when Peter accused Alex of having bad breath. She was angry at his lack of consideration for her feelings, and when it seemed as if her friend Carolynne was about to start a relationship with Peter, she was quick to register her disapproval.
*
*
*
*


'''Other'''
Tensions ran high this year, with arguments regularly breaking out between the Fame Academy teachers. The two Grants often disagreed with Richard, while Robin Gibb tried to be nice to all of the students.
*

The main drama of the series came when host ] decided that he would fight the cause of the students each week, as Richard's criticisms got worse and worse. Richard launched a verbal attack against Patrick on live television, accusing Patrick of not allowing him to express his opinions. "Ladies and gentlemen, this man is so sycophantic it's tiring," he told the live audience. Regular arguments broke out between the pair week after week after this exchange. Opinions are still divided among fans about whether the arguments were staged for ratings or not.

The live Fame Academy shows often clashed with the live shows of the startingly similar ]. Fame Academy usually came worse off in these ratings showdown, and fans disliked not being able to choose to watch both shows if they wished.

Alex Parks was the winner of the second series. It is currently unclear whether the show will return for a third series.

==Comic Relief Does Fame Academy (2003/2005)==

Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off from the Fame Academy format, and was far more successful than the original show. It was the success of this show which many believe secured a second series of the main programme.

In the first show, eight British ] moved into the Fame Academy. The celebrities were: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Most of the original Fame Academy teachers were back, including ], ], and ]. ] was a newcomer, as a second voice coach.

] was the eventual winner of the show. Proceeds from phone votes for the series were donated to ].

On ] ], Comic Relief Does Fame Academy will commence another live airing. However the grounds of the Academy will no longer be based at ] in ]. The live shows will now be broadcast from a new location on the south bank of the river ], between ] and ]. It will run up untill ] on the ]. The celebrities that will take part include, ], ], ], ],], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

==Charities==

The money that was raised from the public telephone voting of the live performance shows was used to fund the Fame Academy Bursary. This is a form of charity that was launched by ''''], ]'''' and the '''']'''' to give young musicians a chance to further their music-making and to educate themselves.

==Production==

Behind the scenes of the previous series was also a vast array of technical productionpersonnel to ensure a smooth broadcast on television. It was headed by a team of 9 Production Managers encompassing all areas of the production including 24/7 reality filming, weekly live 'expulsion' showdown at Shepperton Studios and Witanhurst House in both series, daily live broadcasts for BBC Three show, Interactive Streaming, CBBC & web production. They also ensured the smooth running of the location, inc. liaison with Camden Council, Planning and Conservation Depts., Security, Health, Safety and Fire issues, telecommunications between BT and BBC TV Centre, and peacemaker with local residents.

The programme was made possible through a cooperation with numerous companies and institutions that aided in it's production. Listed below are some of them, in no particular order:

*'''Mounir Developments SA''' (Property/estate owner 41 Highgate West Hill)
*'''British Broadcasting Corporation''' (Programme commissioning and broadcasting)
*'''Initial ''' (Live event/technical media production)
*'''Camden Council''' (Planning application/approval)
*'''Pinewood/Shepperton Studio’s''' (Live location/venue provider, only for series 1)
*'''Studiolink ''' (Connectivity solutions between Witanhurst + Shepperton locations, only for series 1)
*'''AFM Lighting''' (Lighting provider, -installment, -operations for Shepperton location, only for series 1)
*'''GL:UK/Barco''' (Supplier large screen specialist for Shepperton location)
*'''Chromatic Productions Ltd.''' (Lighting/technical production management and consultancy)
*'''HighSpeed Office''' (Integral data-communications provider only for series 2)
*'''Resolution''' (Post-production/editing operations for series 1+2)
*'''Brittannia Row Productions''' (Contractor live sound installation for series 2 at Witanhurst location)
*'''Hand Held Audio''' (Supplier handheld mics/wireless audio for series 2)
*'''MiTech''' (Supplier wireless/cabling + internal phone system at Witanhurst location)
*'''Outback Rigging''' (Venue rigging hire/truss lighting installations at Witanhurst location)
*'''Mercury Records''' (Recordlabel for winning artist series 1)
*'''Polydor''' (Recordlabel for winning artist series 2)
*'''Youth Music''' (Charity for bursary)
*'''British Council''' (Charity for bursary)
*'''English Heritage''' (Historical/architectural consultation for Witanhurst location)
*'''Comic Relief''' (Charity using Fame Academy concept for good-cause)
*'''the Hub''' (Management/operations for bursary scheme BBC)
*'''Sandy Brown Associates''' (Environmental noise assessment)

==External links==


{{Fame Academy}}
*
{{Star Academy}}
*
*
*
*
*
*


] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 20:12, 16 October 2024

British television talent competition For the Celebrity version, see Comic Relief Does Fame Academy.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Fame Academy" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Fame Academy
GenreReality competition
Presented byPatrick Kielty
Cat Deeley
JudgesRichard Park
Carrie Grant
David Grant
Robin Gibb
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
Production
Running time60–120 mins
Production companyInitial
Original release
NetworkBBC One
BBC Three
Release4 October 2002 (2002-10-04) –
4 October 2003 (2003-10-04)
Related

Fame Academy was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise Star Academy known under various titles in various countries.

In the UK version, the prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one year. It was broadcast by the BBC and co-produced by an Endemol company called Initial. The first series was won by David Sneddon and the second and final series by Alex Parks.

Starting in 2003, Comic Relief Does Fame Academy saw celebrities singing as students of the academy with proceeds from the phone votes being donated to the charity.

Format

The format was originally created in the Netherlands under the title Star Maker, and has already achieved major success around the world (especially in France and Spain) under the titles Star Academy and Operación Triunfo. A German version also called Fame Academy had been launched in 2003 on RTL II with far lesser success.

Every week, depending on the perceived quality of their performances, contestants would be put into either "safe" or "danger" zones. Anyone in the latter had to undergo a system of voting by the other participants to determine which one would then be forced to leave.

The show was partly reality television, because the daily lives of the contestants could be watched through live streaming via Freeview. This was accomplished through the instalments of 'spycameras'. Coverage of the show was widely shown on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Prime and CBBC (latterly under the title CBBC at the Fame Academy, on both the channel and the BBC One and Two strands).

Concept

Although it was viewed by critics as being very similar to the Pop Idol and Popstars series, and was generally classified as an entertainment programme, Fame Academy was presented as a relatively new concept. The show was advertised as being considerably more than just a talent contest with the contestants singing on weekly live TV shows, as on the Pop Idol and Popstars series. The programme makers also included a long-term vision.

Fame Academy claimed to emphasise the creative talent of the contestants (called "students" on the show), who were encouraged to write their own songs and music as well as developing their singing technique and performing skills. Inside the academy for a period of ten weeks, the students were given a complete musical education. This included individual vocal coaching with tutors including Carrie Grant and David Grant, songwriting lessons, personal development, fitness/dancing classes, and workshops with professionals. The students stayed at Witanhurst, an historic Georgian-style mansion in Highgate that was specially redressed for the series. They were provided with dormitory-style living accommodation, communal meals and recreation areas.

The programme was filmed as a reality television show in the Big Brother format, with the students being completely cut off from the outside world and were not allowed to leave the "Academy" without supervision. The contestants were televised constantly through a vast network of cameras that were monitored 24 hours day.

Viewers of the streaming programmes were able to watch almost everything going on behind the scenes. Singing lessons, dance classes, rehearsals and costume fittings were all filmed, as well as the daily life of the contestants from waking up to going to sleep. This also included mealtimes, relaxation periods and "private" moments. The social interaction between the students, and the growing tensions as their numbers dwindled, added to the interest of the show week by week and highlights of the live streaming, heavily edited, were also shown as part of the CBBC and BBC Three spin-off programmes and on the weekly showdown.

The pre-selection auditions, of over 12,000 applicants, were held nationwide by music professionals and the production crew and were not part of the show. The final selection of contestants were presented to the public in the first airing of the series. Students performed live on the main weekly shows, individually, in pairs or in groups, singing a selection of cover songs chosen by the production team. Some of the self-penned material by the students was also showcased on the live performance shows.

The second series, broadcast from July–October 2003 reverted to a more "Pop Idol" style reality format, with little emphasis placed on the education of the students and the main focus being performance and the judges' criticism. It was perceived that this shift occurred due to the disappointing ratings of Fame Academy compared to Pop Idol, which ran over the same period in 2002, even if it was not placed in head-to-head competition.

Teachers and judges gave their opinions of the students' performances on air, and the television audience voted to "save" their favourite student throughout the week and at the live showdowns each Friday night, with one student leaving each week.

Series overview

Series Start Finish Winner Runner-up Third place Presenters Judges
1 4 October 2002 6 December 2002 David Sneddon Sinéad Quinn Lemar Obika Patrick Kielty
Cat Deeley 		Richard Park
Carrie Grant
David Grant
Robin Gibb
2 26 July 2003 4 October 2003 Alex Parks Alistair Griffin Carolynne Good

Spin-offs

Main article: Comic Relief Does Fame Academy

The first live show took place on 7 March 2003 and lasted until Red Nose Day on 14 March, where the final show was presented and the winner was announced as Will Mellor.

On 26 February 2005, Comic Relief does Fame Academy returned for a second live airing. During the Comic Relief show on 11 March (Red Nose Day), Edith Bowman was announced as the winner.

The Comic Relief series returned on 3 March 2007 for a third series. It was announced by the BBC that Cat Deeley would not return because she was hosting So You Think You Can Dance. Patrick Kielty returned this time with co-host and host of the former spin-off show, Claudia Winkleman. The third series ran nightly from Wednesday 7 to 16 March (Red Nose Day). The winner of this series was Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

Charities

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The long-term vision behind Fame Academy was to inspire young people into music. Beside the televised series, a project was launched during the 2002 series to fund a charity through the telephone voting of the live performance shows. This became the Fame Academy Bursary and is supported by Youth Music, British Council and the BBC.

It featured instrument/equipment awards and a number of three-year educational bursaries for the public to give them the opportunity to further their careers into music-making.

Production

Behind the scenes of Fame Academy was also a vast array of technical production personnel to ensure a smooth live broadcast on television.

The 2002/2003 series was headed by a team of 9 production managers encompassing the areas of web production, 24/7 reality filming for live streaming, setup of the weekly live 'expulsion' performances both at Shepperton Studios and Witanhurst, daily live broadcasts for BBC Three and CBBC. In general they also ensured the smooth running on-location. This also meant to act as a liaison with local authorities (Southwark London Borough Council and Camden London Borough Council), get building consent and permissions from its planning departments, handle (tele)communications between BT and BBC TV Centre and keep track of Security, Health, Safety and Fire issues.

References

  1. "Search Results – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  2. "BBC – New Talent Music – Fame Academy Bursary". Archived from the original on 2 March 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2006.

External links

Official homepages

Press releases by the BBC

Other

Fame Academy
Series
Celebrity series
Main series winners
Celebrity winners
Other alumni
Winners songs
Related articles
Star Academy
Americas
Europe
Asia
Pan-Regional
Categories: