Star Académie

"Star Académie" is a Canadian reality TV series started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of competing young women and men for the title of the best singer. It is the Québécois adaptation of the French television show "Star Academy" produced by Netherlands company Endemol, based in the Spanish format called "Operación Triunfo".

Description

It is aired for two months each year (February to April) on the TVA network. It is part of the reality television craze of the turn of the millennium. Hosted by Julie Snyder, the show is a competition to find the best young francophone singer, not only in Quebec, but also in French speaking regions of Canada, having auditions in Ontario (Eastern Ontario) and New Brunswick (l'Acadie). Then fourteen people (seven of each gender) are chosen to compete in front of the cameras.

It is separated in two simultaneous formats: each day during the week, a show presents moments of the life and training in the common house of the "Académiciens" and each weekend sees one "Gala" show where the contenders sing. At each of these "Galas", some participants are put on the line and one is chosen to stay by the public and by the judging panel.

It proved to be immensely popular, drawing not only viewership, but genuine affection from the public for the young idealistic contenders. Pride also arises for the regions where the participants are from, like pride was felt by many from the Acadian people when Wilfred Le Bouthillier, from Acadia, was chosen for the competition and later crowned winner of the first, 2003 edition.

It has also proved to be an effective springboard for the singing careers of some of its past participants, like 2003 finalists Wilfred Le Bouthillier, who recorded with the help of renowned Cajun singer Zachary Richard, and Marie-Élaine Thibert, who also released an album and sung for the soundtrack of Léa Pool's movie "The Blue Butterfly".

Origins

It is inspired by the French show "Star Academy" and is similar to the "Pop Idol" & "American Idol" phenomena. The name was francized for its Quebec adaptation because of the local importance given to the respect of the French language. However, it does create a grammatically impossible phrase in French. The proper translation would be "Académie des stars", although this could be considered less "catchy". Francization is typically given even more importance in Quebec French than in France itself (see "Office québécois de la langue française").

A relatively small, but notable difference in the show format from its French counterpart is the selection process. Each week, the French version asks the public and judging panel to vote for which one, out of the contenders "in danger", should be excluded from the show. The results are announced live, on stage, to the excluded member and the viewers. While this formula was followed in the beginning for "Star Académie", it soon was changed because of protests, for the system was seen as cruel treatment to the excluded participant. On one early show, singer Daniel Boucher quit the studio halfway through the show because of this impression. Consequently, the public and judges are now asked to vote for the participant to "remain" at the "Académie". The results are still announced live.

Criticism

"Star Académie" drew criticism for the capitalist and vertical integration strategies of producing megacompany Quebecor to publicize the show and make it profitable. For example, each vote from the public costs one dollar, the website is in large part reserved to paying members and the Quebecor company, massive owner of many Quebec media, heavily promoted the show via TVA (its own television network), all of its magazines and newspapers like "7 Jours" and "Journal de Montréal". Astral Media's "RockDétente" also did a lot of heavy promoting themselves during the 2005 edition, as the official stations of "Star Académie". Also were criticized the "instant celebrity machine" and supposed lack of artistic integrity aspects of the whole enterprise.

Theme songs

*2003: Et c'est pas fini by Stéphane Venne
*2004: Un nouveau jour va se lever by Jacques Michel
*2005: L'étoile d'Amérique by Claude Leveillée

Victors

*2003: Wilfred Le Bouthillier from Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick
*2004: Stéphanie Lapointe from Brossard, Quebec
*2005: Marc-André Fortin from Hebertville, Quebec

Académie's principal

*2003: Josélito Michaud
*2004: Denise Filiatrault
*2005: Denis Bouchard (René Simard had retired before the show started)
*2009: René Angélil

Notable guests

*Plastic Bertrand
*Daniel Boucher
*Jean Charest
*Céline Dion
*Charles Aznavour
*Samantha Fox
*Bernard Landry
*Daniel Lavoie
*Paul Piché
*Gino Vannelli
*Roch Voisine
*Natasha St-Pier
*Isabelle Boulay
*Lara Fabian
*Michel Rivard
*Claude Léveillée
*Marjo

Discography

Official albums

*2003: "Star Académie"
*2004: "Star Académie 2004"
*2004: "Star Académie 2004: Meilleurs moments des finalistes aux galas"
*2005: "Star Académie 2005"

Works of participants

First season participants

*2003: "Wilfred Le Bouthillier" by Wilfred Le Bouthillier
*2004: "Marie-Élaine Thibert" by Marie-Élaine Thibert
*2004: "Comment J'feel" by Maritza Bossé-Pelchat
*2004: "Inoxydable" by Marie-Mai Bouchard
*2004: "Ent'chums" by Dave Bourgeois, François Babin, Stéphane Mercier
*2004: "Légendes Urbaines" by Émily Bégin
*2005: "Quand je ferme les yeux" by Annie Villeneuve
*2005: "Sortilège" by Élyse Robinault
*2006: "Poussières" by Wilfred Le Bouthillier
*2007: "Dangereuse Attraction" by Marie-Mai Bouchard
*2007: "Comme ça" by Marie-Élaine Thibert
*2007: "Voila" by Stéphane Mercier
*2007: "Dave Bourgeois" by Dave Bourgeois
*2007: "Emily" by Émily Begin
*2008: "The Open Book" by Élyse Robinault
*September 2008: "Unknown" by Suzie Villeneuve

econd season participants

*2004: "Corneliu Montano" by Corneliu Montano
*2005: "Sur le fil" by Stéphanie Lapointe
*2005: "Tête première" by Meggie Lagacé
*2005: "Marc-André" by Marc-André Niquet
*2005: "Faut que j'te dise" by Martin Giroux
*2006: "On s'en reparlera" by Dave Roussy
*2006: "Je l'ai jamais dit à personne" by Étienne Drapeau
*2007: "C'est pas de ma faute" by Jean-Francois Prud'homme
*2007: "Le coeur qui chante" by Corneliu Montano
*2008: "En cavale" by Martin Giroux

Third season participants

*2007: "Marc-André Fortin" by Marc-André Fortin
*2007: "Dans mon espace" by Bruno Labrie
*2007: "Je suis qui je suis" by Linda Rocheleau
*2007: "Sur l'autre rive" by Annie Blanchard
*2008: "L'enfant roi" by Marc Angers
*2008: "Ad vitam" by Audrey Gagnon

Contenders

2003

*François Babin from Rimouski, Bas-Saint-Laurent
*Jean-François Bastien from Saint-Boniface, Mauricie
*Émily Bégin from Saint-Jérôme, Laurentides
*Dave Bourgeois from Baie-Comeau, Côte-Nord
*Maritza Bossé-Pelchat from Montreal, Montreal Region (born in the Dominican Republic)
*Marie-Mai Bouchard from Boucherville, Montérégie
*Wilfred Le Bouthillier from Tracadie-Sheila (in Acadia)
*Stéphane Mercier from Normétal, Abitibi
*Pascal Nguyen-Deschênes from Charlesbourg, National Capital Region
*Élyse Robineault from Montreal North, Montreal Region
*Martin Rouette from Montreal, Montreal Region
*Marie-Élaine Thibert from Lasalle, Montreal Region
*Annie Villeneuve from Jonquière, Saguenay
*Suzie Villeneuve from Jonquière, Saguenay

2004

*Véronique Claveau from Rimouski, Bas-Saint-Laurent
*Marie-Ève Côté from Brossard, Montérégie
*Étienne Drapeau from Quebec City, National Capital Region
*Stéphanie Lapointe from Brossard, Montérégie
*Meggie Lagacé from Saint-Hubert, Montérégie
*Jannie Lemay from Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi
*Marie-France Lettre from Gatineau, Outaouais
*Cornéliu Montano from Montreal, Montreal Region (born in Romania)
*Marc-André Niquet from Pierreville, Centre-du-Québec
*Dave Roussy from Port-Daniel, Gaspésie
*Jason Battah from Joliette, Lanaudière
*Sandy Duperval-Agnant from Montreal, Montreal Region
*Jean-François Prud'homme from Saint-Donat, Lanaudière
*Martin Giroux from Gatineau, Outaouais

2005

*David Tremblay
*Marc Angers
*Steve Provost
*Audrey Gagnon
*Annie Blanchard
*Jennifer Silencieux
*Francis Greffard, from Rapide-Danseur, Quebec
*Jenny Hachey (leaves after the first gala, on September 18)
*Kaven Haché
*Linda Rocheleau
*Stéphanie Bédard
*Marc-André Fortin
*Valérie Boivin
*Bruno Labrie

ee also

*List of Quebec television series imports and exports
*List of Quebec television series
*List of Quebec musicians
*List of Quebec regions
*Television of Quebec
*Music of Quebec
*Culture of Quebec
*Videotron
*" (English adaptation broadcasted on ABC and CBC)"

External links

* [http://www.staracademie.ca/ Official site] fr
* [http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008UE80 Album entry on Amazon]