 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by Raul Burriel Published: September 17, 2003
What is sure to be record numbers of Canadians turned in to CTV on September 16th to catch the two hour finale of the first season of Canadian Idol. Call volume - from viewers calling in to vote for their favorite singer - was said to be greater than that on Mother's Day (traditionally the busiest day of the year for the phone company). Canadians were treated to a myriad of awful song medleys, forced banter and - eventually - a winner selected from a diminutive mushmouth and a tall, lanky Buddy Holly look-alike. When Canadian Idol was first announced on CTV last spring - in commercials during the airing of the second season of American Idol - I dreaded it. All we were given was a logo that looked like an awful Photoshop job. If the rest of the show was as bad as the graphics, we were in for trouble. But as the auditions began and tens of thousands of kids camped out in rain, sleet and snow - resulting in massive news coverage (even from networks not airing the show) - something happened: I began to get curious. As the first "try out" episode hit the air, I was giddy with anticipation. These are always my favorite part of American Idol as we are treated to some of the best venom the judges have to offer and some of the most brutal performances this side of a high school talent show. As the media buzz for the show started to grow, the judges were announced. Canadian Idol would feature four judges, unlike American Idol's 3. There was much speculation as to who the celebrity judge would be. The judges, in the end, were a trio of industry insiders and one celebrity known only to Canadians. Zack Werner: Presented as the "Simon" of Canadian Idol, Zack probably had the best ear of the group and the least fear among the judges. Like Simon on American Idol, he spoke his mind and often said what you were thinking. But he wasn't as flagrantly brutal as Simon. Farley Flex: The big teddy bear of the group. He was honest without being mean. He knew talent when he heard it and wasn't afraid to tell you if you were good (or bad). Jake Gold: The ying to Werner's yang, the two often butted heads but Gold was most useful as a docile calming effect on the judge's panel. He was non-threatening and was often good for a kind word after a bad performance. Sass Jordan: The celebrity judge on the panel, Sass Jordan is best known to Canadians and virtually unknown everywhere else. I'll admit to speculating - in jest - that the celebrity judge may be Sass Jordan. But it was clear from the start that Jordan was an excellent choice. She was bright and lively and more emotional than the other judges who often focused solely on the character's technical skills. Entertainment Weekly wrote a capsule review of Canadian Idol and mocked the show for having Sass Jordan as their celebrity judge. "They couldn't have gotten Corey Hart?" the columnist quipped. To suggest that Corey Hart is the pinnacle of Canadian talent is like suggesting that the Lambada and Macarena are the alpha-omega of Brazilian music. I'm sorry if Americans chose to make Corey Hart a star, but that's America's problem. Sass Jordan is substantially more talented than Hart and was often as spacey as Paula Abdul on her best (or is it worst?) day. These four judges were assailed by wave after wave of talentless Canadian youth singing - mostly - Celine Dion songs. But they were also featured to some of the greatest singers ever to be broadcast. On at least one occasion, the judges were left dumb struck - perhaps even in tears - by one of the auditioning talents. The auditions were excellent for all the right reasons. Hosted by Ben Mulroney (son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney) and his sidekick Jon Dore (picture a more family friendly and less threatening Tom Green), the auditions made for some of the best televised entertainment all summer. Dore's wild antics, in particular, made the show worth watching. The next round of try outs - which pared down a group of 145 to only 30 - was brutal. The last group elimination was emotionally draining and left many aspiring kids devastated. From here, we moved on to the phone voting where the group of 30 would by pared down - by Canadian call-in votes - to only 10. Three episodes give us 3 finalists each. That leaves only one spot for the wildcard episode. But the wildcard episode gives us a shocker. After the last commercial break, we return to Ben Mulroney who announces that the judges (and/or producers) - apparently deciding that a great talent would be left behind if the rules were not changed) - have decided to allow *two* wildcards to advance. The Top 10 becomes the Top 11 and it's a good thing, too! The contestants were eliminated in the following order: Candida Clauseri: In the first group to be eliminated, Candida was mostly forgettable, singing diva-style songs from Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Karen-Lee Batten: Singing with a whole lot of emotion and talent, Karen-Lee just didn't have the charisma to win this contest. Richie Wilcox: My first disappointment. Richie certainly didn't have the image. If he were any shorter, he'd be a smurf. But I gave him props for singing a James Taylor song during the Top 30 auditions. I voted for him then just because of the sheer balls of it. But by the Top 11, it was clear he just couldn't make it. His brand of folksy singing wouldn't make him Canadian Idol and if he advanced, it would just mean eliminating someone else with better odds. Mikey Bustos: The first true fan favorite to be eliminated, Mikey was gone in the second round of eliminations. He claimed to want to break through the "Asian barrier" in music, although his features were mostly Caucasian and his wardrobe was clearly hip-hop. His haunting rendition of Lionel Ritchie's "Hello" just wasn't enough to save him as he fell victim to the nightmarish Motown episode. Tyler Hamilton: My second disappointment. Tyler was a country rocker with flair and charisma. He was my pick to win it all. Then came the Motown episode. Tyler sang an awful version of "My Girl" in the presence of the Temptations (how they didn't get up out of their seats and beat him to death is beyond me!). The Motown episode was just an unmitigated disaster. The aforementioned Entertainment Weekly columnist based his entire opinion of this series - and its talented kids - on this one episode and I'll be the first to admit that if this was my introduction to Canadian Idol, I wouldn't have stuck around, either. Toya Alexis: The shocker of all shockers. Toya was the first wildcard to make it into the Top 11 although it was clear from the start that she was the judge's favorite. She was never weak. She was never flawed. Toya is a tremendous talent. But by the time we reached the Summertime hits episode, voters were clearly locked into their favorites and Toya just didn't have the requisite following to survive one more week. Her elimination stunned the judges and the live audience. It stunned most of Canada as well, I'm sure, as many who had voted for their favorites probably wished they had sent a few votes Toya's way. Jenny Gear: What an enigma. It was Jenny Gear's audition in Newfoundland - the last audition on the last day - that brought the judges to tears. "Do you have any idea how good you are?" asked Jake Gold after her audition. But Jenny's style of singing wasn't right for the show. She sang a very slow, Jazz style of music. When made to sing pop songs, she was never very good. During the Elton John episode, she sang a very unfortunate rendition of "Rocket Man". This, coupled with her agonizing facial contortions, helped Canada decide it was time for her to go. Audrey de Montigny: This Quebecer turned Canadian Idol from a hit show into a true nationwide phenomenon. For a brief period, Audrey was the biggest star in Quebec, a province where Star Académie (a French language cross between Big Brother and American Idol) has become one of the highest rated shows in French language TV ever and where a Star Académie reject went on to be the winner of France Idol. Audrey trooped on week after week. Her father quit his job in rural Quebec to be with his daughter in Toronto - where the show is broadcast - while mom stayed home to organize a massive grassroots campaign. She survived into the Final Four, long enough for the show to take a trip to Las Vegas and meet Celine Dion (probably the highlight of Audrey's life). Not bad for a girl who's English is so poor that host Ben Mulroney often had to translate the judge's comments into French for her (a job Mulroney excelled at, even though his translations often boiled down to "Same as the last judge.") English Canadians showcased Audrey as a sign of Canadian unity. French Canadians paraded her as a symbol of Quebec's distinctness. By the end, she was a true star, her simple presence on a cross-Canada television hit making her the darling of the evening news. None of this, of course, should take away from Audrey's talent. Her rendition of Sarah Mclachlan's "Angel" was emotionally devastating in its beauty and power, for example. But when faced with the voting blocks behind Billy Klippert, Gary Beals, and Ryan Malcolm, even the whole voting power of the province of Quebec couldn't save Audrey. Billy Klippert: My final disappointment. With Tyler Hamilton eliminated, I expected Billy Klippert to become the Canadian Idol. Billy's a rocker in the purest sense. His stage presence was awestriking. He had a few signature notes that just sent the audience into wails and screams. Billy could do no wrong (except the Motown episode where he inexplicably sang Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You"). His version of Elton John's "Levon" would go on to become his signature song. But his song selections for the penultimate episode of Canadian Idol would spell his downfall. With an hour to fill, Billy would sing two songs. Firstly, the judges picked Paul Young's "Everytime You Go Away" for him to sing (why?! God why?!). Billy followed this up with his own selection, the Stone Temple Pilot's "Plush" (which I feel he did well but Zack said he sounded like a cover band). Billy's elimination was easily as stunning as Toya Alexis'. A gasp came over the audience when Billy's name was announced. Surely it was a mistake. I mean, he even had the perfect name. Billy. Idol. Get it? There were tears in the audience, on stage, and across Canada as Billy closed out the show with his signature song, "Levon", in his most powerful performance ever. Had he just done that same song over and over week after week, he'd be Canadian Idol today. But then, that's not how the game is played. Gary Beals: What a curious thing Gary Beals is. By all rights, Gary shouldn't be here. His total lack of enunciation meant his every performance was a mumble of non-existent words. And his version of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman" should have had him arrested. He shouldn't have survived that debacle but if Billy can survive singing "I Just Called To Say I Love You" then why not Gary Beals and "When A Man Loves A Woman"? His gospel style of singing required loud, clear singing and Gary was anything but. I still find Gary's continued survival astounding. How does he outlast all these others? Surely he's not that good? Or am I missing something? But Gary's fate was sealed by Billy's elimination. Ryan Malcolm: Ryan Malcolm, the Buddy Holly look-alike; the waiter from Kingston; a member in a Jazz trio with his father and brother. Ryan Malcolm formed a strong bond with Billy Klippert during the series. They were rarely seen apart. When Billy was eliminated, Ryan was devastated. And when rumors began to circulate that Gary's mom was seen booing Billy in the audience after his elimination, it was clear that all of Billy's loyal fans would migrate to Ryan. The final episode was two hours of torture as the Top 11 returned to perform medleys of songs most of them seemed uninterested in performing (Tyler Hamilton hammed it up for the camera and Richie Wilcox seemed to be performing with novocaine shot into his mouth, rivaling Gary Beals' lack of articulation). Still, every time Billy Klippert sang a note, the audience went nuts. It was clear Billy still had a following, and that following would back Ryan up. But in the end it all came down to two words read out by Ben Mulroney 10 minutes before the end of the show. And the Canadian Idol is... Ryan Malcolm. As judges and former contestants poured onto the stage to congratulate the winner, there was one unmistakable image. That of blond, spikey haired rocker Billy Klippert, with his lip quivering, tears streaming down his face, as he embraced his friend Ryan. Canadian Idol was a hit, but it wasn't without its misses as well. There was an attempt by producers to make host Mulroney and judge Werner antagonists. They were fed scripted dialogue and fired barbs at each other but it never really worked. The tragic Motown episode was also a low point (presented in the presence of guests the Temptations, no less). And, I can't say it enough, the medleys in the final episode were just plain bad. No one wants to see the Top 11 sing "I Had The Time Of My Life" or the Top Two sing "Don't Dream It's Over". And then there was the appearance by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard in the finale. He appeared to sing his solo hit "Fly Without Wings" wearing a suit where only the top button of the jacket was done. He looked awkward and uncomfortable, like a little boy pushed onto stage by his mother during a talent show. His performance was bland and uninspired. But we also had some great highlights. John Dore's antics were always entertaining, culminating in a "Best of the Worst" episode where not only were some of the worst auditions aired, we were also treated to a group number by some of these awful singers (as well as Dore and Mulroney!). What I wouldn't have given to have seen American Idol's Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell do the same. The parallels between Malcolm and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken (whom many consider the winner given the successful release of his album as well as how much more press he's getting than Studdard) are unmistakable. They're both tall, skinny, geeky looking kids with straw-like hair. Are North Americans as a whole harboring some kind of secret fetish for geeks? Perhaps it is true that the geek shall inherit the Earth. Or, at least, the title of Idol. On the Internet: Canadian Idol | SirLinksalot.net |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2010 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |