Saturdays, 8:30pm,
ITV
Altogether now: “If you could be a popstar, who would you be? Come share your dream with us, the makeover’s free!”
In this totally unique and different talent show, people get professionally made-up and perform as their favourite popstars whilst Olly Murs looks on. Only this time three people are pretending to be the same star and a judging panel determines which one gets to go through to the grand final for a shot at £50,000, “it’s not going to change your life, but it’s not going to ruin it either.”
Everyone’s just going to call it Stars In Their Eyes anyway. Will it have the enduring legacy? Let us know what you think.
Your day-after recap.
Group of three amateurs are introduced: we find who has worked on a cruise ship, who works behind a bar, and who has an office job. Then we find who they’re singing as.
Our three performers stride onto stage, and sing a version of their star’s big hit. Each has some solo lines, each is part of the chorus.
The judges say how wonderful everything was.
Rinse and repeat for four performances. Last night’s seemed to be an Italian-American special, with three Ladies Gaga, three Arianas Grande; also some Marvins Gaye, and a trio of Freddies Mercury.
Once everyone’s performed, the judging panel choose one of the trios to sing again. They perform another song from their star. Viewers watching from home pick one to send through to the series final.
Liked: the scale of the performances. They’re big and imposing, everyone involved is clearly living their dream and enjoying every second of it. Quality of the vocals was top-notch, choreography very good.
Not convinced by: the makeovers. Smokey doors are gone, replaced by CGI trickery.
Didn’t like: the panel. They’re not offering constructive criticism, they’re certainly not offering destructive criticism, they’re just talking heads. We hear Adam Lambert or Sheridan Smith blether on: that’s time a competitor is not living their dream.
Will have to see: overall structure. Five eps give one winner, then the usual sort of final?
Toe-curlingly slow to watch in real time, it felt like a 45-minute programme stretched out to fill a 70-minute slot. Needed a fifth group or performers. Suspect I’ll end up PVRing the rest of the series, and fast-forwarding through the panel – and the adverts.
Agree it was little drawn out, felt a tad slow.
Liked the opening performance and the Freddie’s where brilliant.
Set, lighting, and production all good.
Lots of comparisons with Stars in their eyes, which is obvious – but no more so than the multitude of singing formats that copy each other in an endless cycle.
Nice to see itv trying this sort of thing.
Did 3.8m ratings, following masked singer doing a series high 6.3m
Both won their slots so itv will be happy no doubt
First episode of this off the back of Masked Singer final 3,218 (Live) 697 (VODSAL) 392 (Catch-up) 4,308 (Total) if you’re playing along at home.
Ep2 at to 3.2m in the overnights, just pipped by The Wheel.
Second series confirmed looking for contestants now http://www.starstrucktv.com
It truly is the year of everything that isn’t The Answer Trap getting a second series