Apart from the obvious disappointment of simpering middle class Will and his annoying Jamiroquai-a-like crooning winning, Pop Idol was about as close to a perfect piece of light entertainment television as
Apart from the obvious disappointment of simpering middle class Will and his annoying Jamiroquai-a-like crooning winning, Pop Idol was about as close to a perfect piece of light entertainment television as we are likely to see either this or any year. It easily matched the raw emotion of our (British) victory in the Jeux sans Frontiers finals and climaxed more spectacularly than Big Brother.Undoubtedly the most impressive facet of this jewel in the mire of Saturday night television was the faultless production. The premise for the show was 'Popstars meets Big Brother', which, interestingly, is exactly what we got. The 10-to-one elimination process did not sink the show as many of us thought it might; instead it made it.Despite initial conscientious objection to Kate Thornton, even Pop Idol Extra on ITV 2 became a must-watch. Even poor Kate rose to the final occasion after weeks of drowning in her own questions, faced with surly and exhausted, mute and stammering contestants. She started off more Mrs Overall than Davina, but over time her inappropriate emotional outbursts became endearing.The real stars were, however, the 'ordinary folk', the Joe Blows who dreamt of international stardom but never believed it would happen. Yes, Nicki, Pete, 'Foxy' and Simon - this was your moment.Now, never mind a 17-year-old with a sharp wit, slow tongue and tuneful voice from Bradford, something strange happens to 'execs' when they are put front of camera. Only Pete Waterman has tasted true notoriety before - with his appearances as the 'Hit Man' in Hit Man and Her, a curious show broadcast from provincial discos at 04.00.The unqualified and non-medical 'Doctor' Fox could previously walk down Euston Road with his face if not his voice going completely unrecognised, the fragrant Nicki was sprung on us for Popstars and stayed and the inimitable Simon Cowell was known only as 'that greedy bastard at BMG' by other music execs.Julie Burchill once wrote the incontrovertible truth that 'journalism is showbusiness for ugly people', and likewise most other executivery around TV and music. So what happens when someone becomes more star than suit? Well, other suits become frantic with jealousy. Stories abound of the disgruntlement of no-longer nasty Nigel Lythgoe in a super strop over Simon's award-winning snideyness. Nigel surely rues the day he gave up his seat to Mr Cowell.Worse still is Simon Fuller's fate. Nicki C shrilly announced not once but TWICE on finals night that the winner would also have the huge privilege of working with the half-man, half-Godlike genius of Simon Fuller 'whose idea this whole show was'. One suspects the hand of Fuller who, otherwise, would have had to strut around the gallery shouting 'it was MY idea' to anyone who would listen.At the next Pop Idol I expect the auditions for the judges to be as long as those for the contestants. Oh and next time - sort your phone lines out. None of us could get through on Gareth's number.