Australia might as well be the 51st state of America judging by the rate it is copying what America does. And we won't even talk about the Iraq war which John Howard & Tony Blair blindly followed America into.
I just read in the Sydney Morning Herald that there's going to be an Australian version of "queer Eye for the Straight Guy". The original American version is now showing on TV to test the waters with audiences here. I just think it's such a copycat.
There's also "Australian Idol" which is currently on, which is based on the exact format of "American Idol". There are three judges, two male and one female. Ian Dickson aka "Dicko" is the equivalent of Simon Cowell with his biting and scathing comments. But I love those caustic comments - that's half of the entertainment of the programme. He was so mean that he got called a dickhead by some of the very deluded auditionees (I think that deserved it really!). There's even a contest to vote on Dicko's most memorable comment. He once told an auditionee that her voice's a weapon of mass destruction. Haha.
I rather enjoy watching "Australian Idol" 'cos there's something very spine-tingling when you listen to a good singer giving a heartfelt rendition of a song. At this point in time, it's down to the final 8 contestants. They all sing very well, and I always enjoy listening to good singing. The human voice is one of the best musical instruments.
Anyhow, it's like a pseudo-America with all these Australian versions of American shows. But I believe that Australia has plenty of creative talent of its own and does not need to rely on American show formats to draw audiences.
Posted by DSD at September 30, 2003 4:56 PM