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Star Académie is a Quebec reality TV series started in 2003, featuring an array of competing young women and men for the title of the best singer. It is the Quebecois adaptation of the French television show Star Academy produced by Netherlands company Endemol, based in the Spanish format called Operación Triunfo.
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Description
It is aired for two months each year (February to April) on the TVA channel. 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 singer, not only in Quebec, but also in Acadia. After many auditions across Quebec and Acadian cities, 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 Quebec 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.
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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 an 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 Quebec, 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 horizontal integration strategies of producing megacompany Videotron 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 Vidéotron company, massive owner of many Quebec media, heavily promoted the show via TVA (its own television network), all of its magazines and newspapers. Also were criticized the instant celebrity machine and supposed lack of artistic integrity aspects of the whole enterprise.
Theme songs
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Victors
- 2003: Wilfred Le Bouthillier from Tracadie-Sheila, Acadia
- 2004: Stéphanie Lapointe from Brossard, Quebec
Notable guests
- Plastic Bertrand
- Daniel Boucher
- Jean Charest
- Céline Dion
- Samantha Fox
- Bernard Landry
- Daniel Lavoie
- Paul Piché
- Gino Vannelli
Discography
Official albums
- 2003: Star Académie
- 2004: Star Académie 2004
- 2004: Star Académie 2004: Meilleurs moments des finalistes aux galas
Works of 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
Contenders
2003
- François Babin from Rimouski, Gaspésie
- Jean-François Bastien from Saint-Boniface, Mauricie
- Émily Bégin from Saint-Jérôme, Laurentides
- Dave Bourgeois from Baie-Comeau, Côte-Nord
- Maritza Bossé-Pelchat from Montréal, 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-Nord, 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, Gaspésie
- 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
- Janie 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
See also
- List of Quebec television series
- List of Quebec musicians
- List of Quebec regions
- Television of Quebec
- Music of Quebec
- Culture of Quebec
- Videotron
External link
- Official site (http://www.staracademie.ca/) (in French)
- Album entry on Amazon (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008UE80/qid=1092148461/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/701-2741316-9341121)
- Videotron Website (http://www.videotron.ca) fr:Star Académie