Greek Idol
Encyclopedia
Greek Idol is a reality television
competition to find new solo singing talent. Part of the Idol franchise
, it is based on the British show Pop Idol
created by Simon Fuller
. The first season of the show debut on March 5, 2010 on Alpha TV
. The second season is scheduled to premiere on 19 February 2011. The show is broadcast simultaneously by Sigma TV
in Cyprus
.
The program, which also holds auditions in Cyprus, aims to discover the best singer with the winner determined by the viewers. Through telephone and SMS text
voting, viewers choose Valanto Trifonos
as the winner of season one.
The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original three judges were songwriter
and record producer
Dimitris Kontopoulos
, music instructor Maro Theodoraki, and music video director
Kostas Kapetanidis
, with media proprietor
Petros Kostopoulos being added as a fourth judge at the start of the first live show. As of the second season, the judging panel consists of Kostopoulos, Kapetanidis, and singer Elli Kokkinou
. The show is hosted by Roula Koromila.
, a Greek show of the Idol series held in 2004 that was hosted by Themis Georgantas on Mega Channel
. The winner was Stavros Konstantinou
. Due to low ratings, Mega Channel had decided to cancel Super Idol after the inaugural 2004 season.
Alpha TV
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.
s. On January 19, 2010, Alpha TV
announced that actress Anta Livitsanou
would host the show. Livitsanou had previously appeared as a guest on the season finale
of rival singing competition The X Factor (Greece)
where she sang "Think".
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 will return to host season 2.
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, Alpha TV
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 Anta Livitsanou
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 reveled 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 Dimitris Kontopoulos
, music teacher and author Maro Theodoraki, who is also the niece of composer Mikis Theodorakis
, 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 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
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 Elli Kokkinou
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.
, features what goes on behind the scenes of the show as well as interviews with the contestants.
.
announced that the show was 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.
The third season of Greek Idol will premiere on 2012 on Alpha TV
.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
competition to find new solo singing talent. Part of the Idol franchise
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
, it is based on the British show Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
created by Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
. The first season of the show debut on March 5, 2010 on Alpha TV
Alpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
. The second season is scheduled to premiere on 19 February 2011. The show is broadcast simultaneously by Sigma TV
Sigma TV
Sigma TV is a commercial network in Cyprus that commenced broadcasting on April 3, 1995. It is a private service and is currently the second-rated channel in Cyprus. Sigma TV is geared at a younger audience, with the focus on the 18-45 age group. It broadcasts a mix of original programmes as...
in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
The program, which also holds auditions in Cyprus, aims to discover the best singer with the winner determined by the viewers. Through telephone and SMS text
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
voting, viewers choose Valanto Trifonos
Valanto Trifonos
Valanto Trifonos , also commonly spelled as Valando Tryfonos, 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 Dipla Thesi"...
as the winner of season one.
The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original three judges were songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
, music instructor Maro Theodoraki, and music video director
Music video director
A music video director is driven by a given music track. These are called music videos and are then used as promotional tools for popular music singles...
Kostas Kapetanidis
Kostas Kapetanidis
Konstantinos Kapetanidis, sometimes credited as Costas Kapetanidis, is a Greek music video director who is associated with the production company Anosi S.A...
, with media proprietor
Media proprietor
A media proprietor is a person who controls, either through personal ownership or a dominant position in any media enterprise. Those with significant control of a public company in the mass media may also be called "media moguls", "tycoons", "barons", or "bosses".The figure of the media proprietor...
Petros Kostopoulos being added as a fourth judge at the start of the first live show. As of the second season, the judging panel consists of Kostopoulos, Kapetanidis, and singer Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou is a Greek singer who was born in Athens, Greece. Kokkinou is among the most popular singers in Greece today. She has performed together with Greek music stars such as Anna Vissi, Glykeria, Paschalis Terzis, Sakis Rouvas, Tolis Voskopoulos, Thanos Petrelis, Natassa Theodoridou,...
. The show is hosted by Roula Koromila.
Background
Greek Idol replaces Super IdolSuper Idol
Super Idol was the first Greek version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. It was a talent contest to find a pop performer. The first series of the show, from February 8 to June 17, 2004, was hosted by Themis Georgantas and the winner was Stavros Konstantinou.Due to low ratings Mega...
, a Greek show of the Idol series held in 2004 that was hosted by Themis Georgantas on Mega Channel
Mega Channel
Mega Channel, also known as Mega TV or just Mega, is a major television network in Greece. Teletypos S.A. was founded in 1989 under the name Teletypos Television Programmes S.A...
. The winner was Stavros Konstantinou
Stavros Konstantinou
Stavros Konstantinou is a Greek Cypriot singer who rose to popularity after winning Super Idol, the Greek version of Pop Idol, shown by MEGA TV in 2004, in its only season under that name...
. Due to low ratings, Mega Channel had decided to cancel Super Idol after the inaugural 2004 season.
Alpha TV
Alpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
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 testScreen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/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 camera to see if they are suitable...
s. On January 19, 2010, Alpha TV
Alpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
announced that actress Anta Livitsanou
Anta Livitsanou
Anta Livitsanou is a Greek actress. She is best known for her role as Lola in Lola, the Greek edition of the television series Lalola....
would host the show. Livitsanou had previously appeared as a guest on the season finale
The X Factor (Greece series 1)
The first series of the music talent show The X Factor Greece began airing on ANT1 on 04 October 2008 and was won by Loukas Giorkas of Larnaca, Cyprus on 30 January 2009. The show was presented by Sakis Rouvas. It was also broadcast abroad via ANT1's international stations.-Auditions:Public...
of rival singing competition The X Factor (Greece)
The X Factor (Greece)
The X Factor is the Greek version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....
where she sang "Think".
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 will return to host season 2.
Judges
Shortly after announcing the show, Alpha TV started airing a new ad on December 22, 2009 announcing Nikos KarvelasNikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas 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 collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
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, Alpha TV
Alpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
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 Anta Livitsanou
Anta Livitsanou
Anta Livitsanou is a Greek actress. She is best known for her role as Lola in Lola, the Greek edition of the television series Lalola....
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 reveled 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 Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
, music teacher and author Maro Theodoraki, who is also the niece of composer Mikis Theodorakis
Mikis Theodorakis
Mikis Theodorakis is one of the most renowned Greek songwriters and composers. Internationally, he is probably best known for his songs and for his scores for the films Zorba the Greek , Z , and Serpico .Politically, he identified with the left until the late 1980s; in 1989, he ran as an...
, and video director Kostas Kapetanidis
Kostas Kapetanidis
Konstantinos Kapetanidis, sometimes credited as Costas Kapetanidis, is a Greek music video director who is associated with the production company Anosi S.A...
.
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 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
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for 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 Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou is a Greek singer who was born in Athens, Greece. Kokkinou is among the most popular singers in Greece today. She has performed together with Greek music stars such as Anna Vissi, Glykeria, Paschalis Terzis, Sakis Rouvas, Tolis Voskopoulos, Thanos Petrelis, Natassa Theodoridou,...
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 ExtraAmerican Idol Extra
American Idol Extra was a television show that was shown on the Fox Reality Channel and Star! and billed as "the show that picks up right where American Idol leaves off"...
, 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 Alpha TVAlpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
.
| Contestant | Week 1 4/261 |
Week 2 5/3 |
Week 3 5/10 |
Week 4 5/17 |
Week 5 5/24 |
Week 6 5/31 |
Week 7 6/7 |
Week 8 6/14 |
Week 9 6/21 |
Week 10 6/28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valanto Trifonos Valanto Trifonos Valanto Trifonos , also commonly spelled as Valando Tryfonos, 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 Dipla Thesi"... |
Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner (week 10) |
| Nicole Paparistodimou | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Runner-up (week 10) |
| Nikos Tasiopoulos | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 9) |
|||||||
| Stergios Ntaousanakis | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 8) |
|
| Christos Tsakiris2 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Withdrew (week 7) |
||
| Antigoni Psihrami | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 7) |
||
| Giorgos Douros | Bottom | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 6) |
|||
| Diogenis Frantzanas | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 5) |
||||
| Gloria Oghomwen | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 4) |
|||||
| Vasilis Logothetis | Bottom | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 3) |
||||||
| Tania Karra | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 2) |
|||||||
| Aristeidis Komninakis | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| Athina Lianou | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| Christina Lakoumenta | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| Dimitris Evripiotis | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
| Ioanna Zervolea | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||
- 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 EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
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)
Alpha TVAlpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
announced that the show was 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.
| Contestant | Week 1 4/161 |
Week 2 4/25 |
Week 3 4/30 |
Week 4 5/7 |
Week 5 5/14 |
Week 6 5/21 |
Week 7 5/28 |
Week 8 6/4 |
Week 9 6/11 |
Week 10 6/18 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panagiotis Tsakalakos Panagiotis Tsakalakos Panagiotis Tsakalakos a Greek-American singer and guitarist is the winner of the second series of Greek Idol. In the final held on 25 June 2011, he won with 53.8% of the public votes against rival finalist Malou Kiriakopoulou... |
Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Safe | Winner (week 10) |
||
| Malou Kiriakopoulou | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up (week 10) |
||
| Maria Theodotou | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 9) |
||
| Giorgos Xilouris | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 8) |
|||
| Aris Plaskassovitis | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 7) |
||||
| Erofili Tzanou | Bottom | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 6) |
|||||
| Keren Tamami | Bottom | Bottom | Safe | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 5) |
||||||
| Dimitris Tiktopoulos | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 4) |
|||||||
| Katerina Koukouraki | Safe | Safe | Bottom | Eliminated (week 3) |
||||||||
| Konstantinos Frantzis | Bottom | Bottom | Eliminated (week 2) |
|||||||||
| Marianna Malantzi | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||||
| Chrisa Bandeli | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||||
| Katerina Morena | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||||
| Chrisanthos Kanteres | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||||
| Christos Tsoumanis | Bottom | Eliminated (week 1) |
||||||||||
- 1 Top 15 narrowed down to top 10 in one night
Season 3 (2012)
The third season of Greek Idol will premiere on 2012 on Alpha TV
Alpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
.