''Greek Idol'' is a

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...

competition to find new solo singing talent. Part of the ''Idol'' franchise, it is based on the British show ''

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and par ...

'' created by

Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...

. The first season of the show debuted on March 5, 2010 on

Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by Alph ...

. The second season premiered on 19 February 2011. The show is broadcast simultaneously by Sigma TV in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

. The program, which also held auditions in Cyprus, aimed to discover the best singer with the winner determined by the viewers. Through telephone and SMS text voting, viewers chose

Valanto Trifonos Valando Tryfonos (Greek: Βαλάντω Τρύφωνος; born 6 March 1988), is a Greek–Cypriot singer who rose to fame after winning the first season of talent show ''Greek Idol'' in 2010. She subsequently released the digital single "Sti Di ...

as the winner of season one. The series employed a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original three judges were

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris Kontopoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Κοντόπουλος born November 9, 1971, in Athens, Greece) is a Greek music composer. Personal life Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971. After graduating from the ...

, music instructor Maro Theodoraki, and music video director Kostas Kapetanidis, with

media proprietor A media proprietor, media mogul or media tycoon refers to a entrepreneur who controls, through personal ownership or via a dominant position in any media-related company or enterprise, media consumed by many individuals. Those with significant co ...

Petros Kostopoulos was added as a fourth judge at the start of the first live show. As of the second season, the judging panel consisted of Kostopoulos, Kapetanidis, and singer

Elli Kokkinou Elli Kokkinou (; el, Έλλη Κοκκίνου) (born 24 July 1970) is a Greek singer. Sony BMG Greece. Retrieved on February 20, 2008 She is among the most popular singers in Greece today and has performed together with many notable Greek nam ...

. The show was hosted by Roula Koromila.

Background

''Greek Idol'' replaced '' Super Idol'', a Greek show of the Idol series held in 2004 that was hosted by Themis Georgantas on

Mega Channel MEGA Channel, also known as MEGA TV or just MEGA, is a television network in Greece, that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It is the first and the oldest private television network in Greece. History Mega Channel (1989–2018) ...

. The winner was Stavros Konstantinou. Due to low ratings, Mega Channel had decided to cancel Super Idol after the inaugural 2004 season.

expressed desire to revive the show in a revamped version. It was first revealed to the public on December 15, 2009 when Alpha TV began airing the first advertisement. The name was also changed from ''Super Idol'' to ''Greek Idol'' and the new logo launched.

Hosts

A number of Greek entertainers had been rumored as potential hosts of the show, haven gone through

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

s. On January 19, 2010,

announced that actress

Anta Livitsanou Ada Livitsanou ( gr, Άντα Λιβιτσάνου; born July 23, 1979) is a Greek actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Lola in ''Lola'', the Greek edition of the television series ''Lalola''. Livitsanou is an actress who has sta ...

would host the show. Livitsanou had previously appeared as a guest on the

season finale A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try ...

of rival singing competition ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' where she sang "

Think In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, an ...

". However, it was revealed on April 20, 2010 that Roula Koromila would be the new host of the show as of April 26, 2010 when the "live shows" would begin. Anta Livitsanou still was present on the show though, presenting backstage segments. Following the conclusion of season 1, Anta Livitsanou announced she would not return for the second installment. Roula Koromila returned to host season 2.

Judges

Shortly after announcing the show, Alpha TV started airing a new ad on December 22, 2009 announcing

Nikos Karvelas Nikos Karvelas ( el, Νίκος Καρβέλας; born Nikos Leonardos on 8 September 1951) is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaborat ...

as the head judge. On January 20, 2010, it was rumored that Karvelas will not be part of Greek Idol, and had left for undisclosed reasons. On January 21, 2010, one day before auditions began,

confirmed that Karvelas had left the show, and thanked him for his work up until that point. Although Alpha TV and Karvelas did not state the reason for his departure, various news outlets reported that it was due to comments made by host

after being picked, downplaying the judges roles, and stating that the judges have little say in the competition, as well as other potential jury picks Karvelas did not agree with. On the same day, it was announced that singer Giannis Kotsiras would be a judge on the show, but on January 23, 2010 Kotsiras revealed that he would not take part in the show and thanked Alpha for their enthusiasm with him. On January 24, 2010, Alpha announced that the judges for the show would be songwriter

, music teacher and author Maro Theodoraki, who is also the niece of composer

Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( el, Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films ''Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' ...

, and video director Kostas Kapetanidis. Petros Kostopoulos, media proprietor and president of Imako Media S.A., served as a guest fourth guest judge to the show on April 26, 2010 with the premiere of the first live shows. At the start of the second live show on May 3, 2010, it was announced that Petros Kostopoulos would become the fourth permanent judge for the rest of the season. Following the end of season one, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Maro Theodoraki announced they would not reprise their roles as judges for the season. Kontopoulos came to the decision to walk away from the show citing the need for more time to focus on his work and music. Maro Theodraki announced she would not return as well, citing scheduling issues with her work, while mentioning that the decision was mutual with Alpha TV. Following Kontopoulos and Theodoraki's departures, Alpha TV began actively seeking replacements. In September 2010, singer

Elena Paparizou Helena Paparizou (; , ; born 31 January 1962) is a Swedish-born Greek singer, songwriter and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek parents, she enrolled in various arts schools before launching a career in Sweden in 1999 a ...

confirmed that Alpha TV had asked her to be a judge for season two, although she declined the offer saying she is still too young to judge her peers. In October 2010, it was reported that singer

agreed to be a judge for the second season. Alpha TV later announced on October 26, 2010 that the judges for the second season would be three instead of four, and would consist of Elli Kokkinou, Petros Kostopoulos, and Kostas Kapetanidis.

Spin Offs

A special show titled ''All About Greek Idol'' hosted by Themis Georgantas premiered on April 10, 2010 when the "recall rounds" began, and aired weekly on Saturdays following each show. The show, which is similar to '' American Idol Extra'', features what goes on behind the scenes of the show as well as interviews with the contestants.

Season 1 (2010)

The first season of Greek Idol premiered on 5 March 2010 on

. *¹ Top 15 narrowed down to top 10 in one night *² Following the 7th live show, Christos Tsakiris decided to quit the show voluntarily after learning that he would be forced to sing an English song the next week. This came after increased tensions between Tsakiris and the judges after a performance of an English song the week prior, where he sang "Na-na-na" in place of the actual lyrics. *³Nikos Tasiopoulos was brought in by Alpha TV to replace Christos Tsakiris after his withdrawal. Tasiopoulos had not previously made it to the top 15.

Season 2 (2011)

announced that the show had been renewed for a second season early on, and called for auditions in October 2010. Season 2 premiered on 19 February 2011, and featured a shake up in the judging panel. *¹ Top 15 narrowed down to top 10 in one night

References

External links

Official website
{{Idol series Alpha TV original programming Greek reality television series Greek music television series 2010 Greek television series debuts 2011 Greek television series endings 2010s Greek television series Greek-language television shows Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows set in Athens Greek television series based on British television series