Philippine Idol
Encyclopedia
| Philippine Idol | |
|---|---|
| Philippine Idol finalists (with dates of elimination) |
|
| Season 1 (2006) | |
| Mau Marcelo Mau Marcelo Maureen "Mau" Flores Marcelo is a Filipina Puertorican R&B soul singer who rose to prominence as the first winner of Philippine Idol in 2006. She was dubbed as the "Soul Idol" and "The Black Belter" at the competition for her R&B-style vocals... |
Winner |
| Gian Magdangal Gian Magdangal Giancarlo "Gian" Alzate Magdangal , is a Filipino singer, performer, and theater actor currently signed to GMA Network. A former boy band member of 17:28, he rose to prominence as one of the runners-up of Philippine Idol in 2006... |
December 10 |
| Jan Nieto Jan Nieto Jan Kurt Anthony Pasion Nieto, popularly known as Jan Nieto , is a Filipino male singer who rose to prominence as one of the runners-up of Philippine Idol in 2006. With the height of 5' 10½" and weighing 165 pounds , he was dubbed as the "Hunky Idol" during the competition... |
December 10 |
| Miguel Mendoza | November 27 |
| Pow Chavez | November 20 |
| Ken Dingle | November 13 |
| Apple Chiu | November 6 |
| Arms Cruz | October 30 |
| Jeli Mateo | October 30 |
| Reymond Sajor | October 15 |
| Drae Ybañez | October 8 |
| Stef Lazaro | October 8 |
Philippine Idol was the first franchise of Idol series
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...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the 35th country in the world to air a national Idol franchise and the sixth in Asia. The franchise was first awarded by FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
, 19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
and CKX, Inc.
CKX, Inc.
CKX, Inc. is a company founded on February 7, 2005 that owns and develops entertainment content and intellectual property.-Background:The "C" and "K" stand for "Content is King", representing the focus of the company's business strategy to acquire established content, and then to improve, enhance...
to Associated Broadcasting Company
Associated Broadcasting Company
The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
(ABC) in 2006 and then to GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
in 2008. Just like the premise of original 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...
, Philippine Idol aims to find the best singer in the country who can be defined as the "national" singer. Local television personality Ryan Agoncillo
Ryan Agoncillo
Kristoffer Lou Ryan Agoncillo , popularly known as Ryan Agoncillo, is a Filipino Film and Television actor, model, singer, photographer, and TV host.-Early life:Agoncillo was born on April 10, 1978...
hosted the program. Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab is a Filipino musician and was the Executive and Artistic Director of the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts...
(musical composer), Pilita Corrales
Pilita Corrales
Pilita Garrido Corrales is a Popular Filipina singer. She is tagged "Asia's Queen of Songs."-Biography:Pilita Garrido Corrales was born in Lahug, Cebu to a Spanish mother Maria Garrido and a half Filipino half Spanish father Jose Corrales...
(singer, known as Asia's Queen of Songs) and Francis Magalona
Francis Magalona
Francis Michael Durango Magalona , also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, MC The Mouth and The Man From Manila, was a Filipino rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. He was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over to the mainstream...
(rapper and producer) were also judges of the show. Agoncillo, Corrales and Magalona auditioned to be part of the program, while Cayabyab was chosen by the program's producers. Meanwhile, actress Heart Evangelista
Heart Evangelista
Love Marie Payawal Ongpauco , better known by her screen name Heart Evangelista, is a Chinese-Filipino actress, TV show host, singer, VJ, and an endorser.-Biography:...
hosted the daily updates program I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive. Composer Mel Villena
Mel Villena
Mel Villena, a Filipino musician, composer and musical director who has worked with various artists such as Sharon Cuneta, Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera, Lea Salonga, The CompanY, and Mitch Valdez...
was the show's musical director.
Mau Marcelo
Mau Marcelo
Maureen "Mau" Flores Marcelo is a Filipina Puertorican R&B soul singer who rose to prominence as the first winner of Philippine Idol in 2006. She was dubbed as the "Soul Idol" and "The Black Belter" at the competition for her R&B-style vocals...
, an aspiring singer from Lucena City
Lucena City
Metro Lucena has an estimated population of 700,000 which is mostly concentrated in the flat south-central portion of Quezon, which includes the cities of Lucena and Tayabas, Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucban & Pagbilao . The people are often characterized as friendly and hardworking...
, defeated two other contenders on the show's Finale to become the first Philippine Idol. FremantleMedia subsequently awarded the franchise to GMA Network and the program was renamed Pinoy Idol
Pinoy Idol
Pinoy Idol was a Philippine interactive reality-based singing competition created and developed by FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment which aired on GMA Network...
, which does not recognize the results of ABC's franchise.
Production
ABC started negotiating with FremantleMedia in order to acquire a Philippine franchise of Idol in 2004, when Filipino-American Jasmine TriasJasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias is an American singer-entertainer who was the third place finalist on the third season of American Idol, due in part to tremendous call-in support from California, New York, and her native state of Hawaii. She has released one album to date, Jasmine Trias...
placed third in American Idols third season
American Idol (Season 3)
The third season of American Idol premiered on Monday, January 19, 2004 and continued until May 26, 2004. The third season was won by Fantasia Barrino, who defeated Diana DeGarmo by an approximate margin of 2% ; the vote total was the highest recorded vote total in the show's history until the...
. It reportedly cost millions of dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. During the program's development stage, notable personalities in music and recording industries tried out to become Idol judges, including former Eraserheads
The Eraserheads
Eraserheads, or E-Heads was a Filipino rock band of the 90s, formed by Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala and Marcus Adoro. The band is one of the most successful, critically acclaimed, and significant bands in the history of OPM...
vocalist Ely Buendia
Ely Buendía
Eleandre Basiño Buendia, popularly known as Ely Buendia, and also once adopting the stage name, Jesus "Dizzy" Ventura, is a Filipino writer and musician who gained fame as guitarist, songwriter, and lead vocalist in the popular Pinoy rock band The Eraserheads...
, singer-actress Pinky Marquez, and talent manager Wyngard Tracy
Wyngard Tracy
Wyngard Tracy was a Filipino talent manager who had represented various actors and music artists, like Side A, in the Philippines through his office Artiststation, Inc. As of June, 2008, he was one of three judges in Pinoy Idol on GMA Network...
. The chosen judges were addressed according to their agreed-upon nicknames: Cayabyab was called "Mr. C", Corrales called "Mamita", and Magalona, "Kiko".
Before it was launched, there was skepticism among the local entertainment press about Philippine Idol as singing contests are common in local television, with recent ones branded as Idol knockoffs. The Filipino culture
Culture of the Philippines
Philippine culture is related to Micronesian, Bornean, Mexican and Spanish cultures. The people today are mostly of Malayo-Polynesian origin, although there are people with Spanish, Mexican, Austro-Melanesian and Chinese blood. Geographically, the Philippines is considered part of Southeast Asia...
of "westernized conservatism" was also noted, as Pinoy
Pinoy
Pinoy is an informal demonym referring to the Filipino people in the Philippines and overseas Filipinos around the world. Filipinos usually refer to themselves as Pinoy or sometimes the feminine Pinay...
s tend to shy away from direct criticism especially in front of cameras. Promotion began during the Finale of American Idol season 5
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
. One of its tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
s reads, "Hindi lang STAR, hindi lang SUPERSTAR, kundi PHILIPPINE IDOL" (Not just a STAR, not just a SUPERSTAR, but a PHILIPPINE IDOL). This was in reference to two singing contests being held during that time—Search for the Star in a Million
Search for the Star in a Million
Search for the Star in a Million is a television program in ABS-CBN. The shows premise is almost the same to that of American Idol, although the format is derived from GMA's Search for a Star and ASAP Mania's Star in a Million segment....
on ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
and Pinoy Pop Superstar
Pinoy Pop Superstar
Pinoy Pop Superstar was a Philippine television show featuring a year-long talent search for the best Filipino amateur singers. It was broadcast every Saturday evening on GMA. The format is loosely patterned on the original Tawag ng Tanghalan....
on GMA Network. Initially, the program was scheduled to begin on July 29, 2006, but ABC moved it to July 30, 2006. On its premiere, Philippine Idol registered a 7.7% rating according to an independent survey, in contrast to GMA Network's Mel and Joey
Mel and Joey
Mel & Joey is a Filipino television talk and lifestyle show that airs every Sunday evenings by GMA Network.It replaced the previous talk show, Partners with Mel Tiangco, where Mel Tiangco hosted when Jay Sonza ran for election to the Senate of the Philippines under the party, Aksyon Demokratiko,...
at 21% and ABS-CBN's Rated K
Rated K
Rated K is a magazine show broadcast on ABS-CBN. It is hosted by Korina Sanchez. The program is similar in style and presentation with the defunct magazine program Balitang K which was also hosted by Sanchez.-Awards and nominations:...
at 26.7%. ABC officials, however, were overwhelmed at the results, considering they were up against "giant networks". They also noted that ratings for Philippine Idol increased to as much as 12% towards the final 30 minutes of first episode.
Early reviews compared the show with American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, which was shown locally on ABC. Entertainment writers said that the local Idol franchise was not as glossy as its American counterpart, but it was able to succeed because of promising elements such as human interest, talent, and proper casting of judges and host. Meanwhile, reviews during the Finale were mixed, with Nestor Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
commenting that the Performance Show was phlegmatic and anticlimactic as the Final Three failed to rise up to the challenge and instead played safe, while Results Show was stretched out with one unspectacular number after another. He also noticed sound glitches, which he blamed on faulty equipment and lax personnel. In contrast, Billy Balbastro
Billy Balbastro
Filemon R. Balbastro, Jr. , better known as Billy Balbastro, was a Filipino lawyer and entertainment columnist.-Early life:...
of Abante Tonite wrote that he was impressed with the show's "flow", song choices, pacing, and camera shots. He also noted that the Finale did not have melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
and lingering shots for the sake of effects.
Auditions
Pasay City
The City of Pasay is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.Pasay City was one of the original four...
(advertised as Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
) for Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, on June 3, 2006, in Philippine International Convention Center
Philippine International Convention Center
The Philippine International Convention Center is a convention center located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines...
; Davao
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
for Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, on June 23, 2006, in Waterfront Insular Hotel; and Cebu
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
for Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
, on July 4, 2006, in Bigfoot Entertainment’s International Academy of Film and Television. Meanwhile, Fast-Track Screenings were also held in SM Supermalls
SM Supermalls
SM Supermalls, owned by SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is a chain of shopping malls in the Philippines, with 42 malls across the Philippines as well as branches in China....
located in Baguio
Baguio City
The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...
, Lucena
Lucena City
Metro Lucena has an estimated population of 700,000 which is mostly concentrated in the flat south-central portion of Quezon, which includes the cities of Lucena and Tayabas, Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucban & Pagbilao . The people are often characterized as friendly and hardworking...
, Batangas
Batangas City
- Foreign Rule :The first Spanish missionaries arrived in Batangas City since 1572. Finally on 1581 Spanish authorities governing the Philippines created a pueblo in the area which included the hill where the present Provincial Capitol of Batangas stands after the formal end of the Coumintang...
, Iloilo
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
, and Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...
between May and June 2006. Screenings were also held in cities without an SM Mall such as Dagupan
Dagupan City
The City of Dagupan is a 1st class city in the Philippines. It is an independent component city of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, Dagupan City has a population of 149,554 people in 25,921 households. Located on Lingayen Gulf on the island of Luzon, Dagupan is the...
, Ilagan in Isabela
Ilagan, Isabela
Ilagan is a 1st-class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. It is the capital municipality and the largest town of Isabela...
, Tacloban
Tacloban City
The City of Tacloban is a port city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the first in Eastern Visayas to be classified as a Highly Urbanized City. It is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas...
, and Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
. Applicants were asked to fill out necessary forms and perform two songs before a set of judges, usually from local radio and music industries. Successful applicants were given a pass for the Main Auditions. ABC and its media partners Radio Mindanao Network
Radio Mindanao Network
RMN is the largest radio network in the Philippines with almost 60 company-owned AM & FM radio stations located around the Philippines. Radio Mindanao Network remains the legal name of the radio network, while Radyo Mo Nationwide is the slogan of the network. The network's first radio station was...
and Manila Broadcasting Company provided free transportation, food and lodging to those who were eligible for Theater Eliminations.
The Luzon Main Auditions and Fast-Tracks yielded over 10,000 registrants, with Contestant no. 0001 arriving at the audition venue at 1:00 a.m., auditions starting at 9:00 a.m. The Main Auditions were composed of three stages—passing the first two stages gave the participant a blue form, allowing them to face the Idol judges about a week later. The Idol judges were so overwhelmed with the amount of talent presented to them that it was difficult for them to say "no" to hopefuls who did not pass their standards. Cayabyab exasperatedly stated during the Luzon Main Auditions,
He admitted becoming angry at times and felt like he was the anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
because of intense reactions from rejects who viewed the competition as a ticket out of poverty. The judges even allowed candidates to sing up to five "redemption songs" after saying "no" for the first time. After seeing the auditions, FremantleMedia supervising producer Sheldon Bailey said that she was amazed at the abundance of musical talent in the Philippines as well as the amount of touching human stories.
Theater round
The Theater Round was held between August 1 and August 3, 2006 at the Cultural Center of the PhilippinesCultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
. A total of 169 competitors received the Gold Pass from the three main judges, 119 from Luzon and Metro Manila, 17 from Davao, and 33 from Cebu. However, only 157 showed up for the Theater Round as other Gold Passers either backed out or were allegedly "pirated" to join rival talent search Pinoy Dream Academy
Pinoy Dream Academy
Pinoy Dream Academy is the Philippine version of Endemol's Operación Triunfo . The format is similar to Big Brother, where a set number of finalists would live inside the Academy for four months and will be trained by guest teachers to be multimedia performers...
. They were billeted at the Bayview Park Hotel, where Gold Passers from outside Luzon arrived after a first-class trip in Super Ferry, while the Luzon contenders were picked up in selected SM Malls. The contestants were divided into 11 groups with 15 members. Each contestant performed an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
, after which the judges selected who would go home and advance to the next round. From 157 contestants, 84 were chosen to proceed to the group performance, with each group having three members. The list was trimmed down further to 40 contestants, each of which sang solo with a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
accompaniment. Eventually the judges selected the 24 contestants who would compete in the Semi-Final Round. The Top 24 was officially announced on August 27, 2006.
Semifinal round
The Semi-Finalists were then divided by gender, with the two groups performing alternately at SM MegamallSM Megamall
SM Megamall is a huge shopping mall located in the Ortigas business district of Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the 3rd SM Supermall developed and operated by SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall operator in the Philippines owned by Henry Sy Sr. The mall has two buildings interconnected with a bridge...
Cinema 3 on a stage built specifically for the live shows. The viewers voted for their favorites by dialing a toll-free telephone number
Toll-free telephone number
A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, 800, 0800 or 1-800 number is a special telephone number which is free to the calling party, and instead the telephone carrier charges the called party the cost of the call...
or sending an SMS
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...
as often as possible from the end of the show until 8:30 p.m. the following day. The four contestants of each group who received the highest number of votes entered the Finals. Ten of the remaining 16 semi-finalists then performed in a Wildcard round, with four contestants with the highest number of votes completing the Top 12 Finalists. Candidates for the Wildcard were announced after the second Semi-Finals Results Show, although it was shown on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
a day later in Philippine Idol: Exclusive.
Final round
Philippine Idol: The Final 12
Philippine Idol: The Final 12 is a compilation album from the talent show Philippine Idol, an Idol franchise in the Philippines. It was released by Sony BMG Pilipinas in the Philippines in 2006. The album consist of 13 tracks and performed by the top 12 contestants of the t.v...
, consisting of Original Pilipino Music songs they have performed during the first Finals Week. The remaining three contenders, namely Gian Magdangal
Gian Magdangal
Giancarlo "Gian" Alzate Magdangal , is a Filipino singer, performer, and theater actor currently signed to GMA Network. A former boy band member of 17:28, he rose to prominence as one of the runners-up of Philippine Idol in 2006...
, Jan Nieto
Jan Nieto
Jan Kurt Anthony Pasion Nieto, popularly known as Jan Nieto , is a Filipino male singer who rose to prominence as one of the runners-up of Philippine Idol in 2006. With the height of 5' 10½" and weighing 165 pounds , he was dubbed as the "Hunky Idol" during the competition...
, and Mau Marcelo
Mau Marcelo
Maureen "Mau" Flores Marcelo is a Filipina Puertorican R&B soul singer who rose to prominence as the first winner of Philippine Idol in 2006. She was dubbed as the "Soul Idol" and "The Black Belter" at the competition for her R&B-style vocals...
, competed in the Finale, instead of the usual two contestants in most Idol shows, held on December 9 and December 10, 2006, at the Araneta Coliseum
Araneta Coliseum
The Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines...
in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
.
Weekly themes
- September 30 – OPM songs dedicated to a special someone
- October 7 – SoulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/R&BRhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a... - October 14 – Songs from the Metropop Song Festival
- October 21 – Contemporary Filipino rockPinoy rockPinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock,...
- October 29 – Personal theme songs
- November 5 – Dance musicDance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
- November 12 – RadioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
hits - November 19 – Movie themesSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, and BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show tunes - November 26 – Big bandBig bandA big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
- December 9 – Personal choice, Judges' and Musical director's choice, and Record company's choice
Guest judges
A guest judge was enlisted each week for five weeks beginning on October 14 while resident judge Magalona was away on a tour in Europe. Additionally, a sixth guest judge supplemented the panel on the week of Magalona's return. Each guest judge generally had expertise relating to that week's theme.- October 14 – Hajji AlejandroHajji AlejandroAngelito Toledo "Hajji" Alejandro is a Filipino singer and actor, who was a major pop star in the 1970s and 1980s. He is the father of singer Rachel Alejandro, and Delara drummer Ali Alejandro...
(interpreter of the first winning song of the Metropop Song Festival) - October 21 – Wency Cornejo (songwriter and front man of AfterImageAfterimage (band)Afterimage was a Filipino Alternative Rock / pop rock band who was active in the 1990s. The group disbanded after 11 years and made three studio albums. After disbanding, Wency Cornejo, the band vocalist, pursued a solo career...
) - October 29 – Luke Mejares (solo artist and former vocalist of South BorderSouth BorderSouth Border is a Filipino Pop and R&B band formed in the 90s who gained recognition in the music scene in the 2000s.Having undergone several permutations in its long career, South Border has nevertheless retained its unique sound and musical sensibility and has even moved up along the current...
) - November 5 – Regine Tolentino (professional dancer, former MTV VJ and TV personality)
- November 12 – Mo TwisterMo TwisterMohan Gumatay or commonly known as Mo Twister, is a radio disc jockey and television host in the Philippines. He is best known for his Good Times programs, which started as a Radio Show and spun off into TV and Internet.-Personal life:...
(radio DJ and talk show host) - November 19 – Lea SalongaLea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
(Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning singer and musical theatreMusical theatreMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
performer)
Notable events
Typhoon Xangsane
The name Xangsane has been used to name two tropical cyclones in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The name was contributed by Laos and is a Laotian word for elephant.* 2000's Typhoon Xangsane - affected the Philippines and Taiwan....
. In the results show, finalists still went through a familiar elimination routine. Agoncillo called three contestants to an area dubbed the "Hot Spot" before revealing that no one would be eliminated and the votes would be carried over to the succeeding week. This was done because there were no official results to be announced. According to sources from the network, the votes were not yet counted at the time. ABC-5 Director for Creative and Entertainment Production Perci Intalan stated that the three finalists who were put in the "Hot Spot" (Marcelo, Armarie Cruz and Jelli Mateo) were not necessarily the Bottom Three. Intalan said, "We were not allowed to announce who the Bottom Three were because the votes will be carried over next week and it might affect the voting if people knew who the Bottom Three were." As a result, two contenders—Stef Lazaro and Drae Ybañez—were eliminated the following week. Another non-elimination occurred on the fourth Finals Week due to reports of disrupted voting (among Sun Cellular
Sun Cellular
Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc., is a mobile telecommunication service provider in the Philippines doing business as Sun Cellular. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Digital Telecommunications Philippines, or Digitel. Digitel is in turn owned by the JG Summit Group with a minority stake...
and Smart
Smart Communications
Smart Communications is a wholly owned mobile phone and Internet service subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company .On June 30, 2010 the company reported that it had over 45 million cellular subscribers.-Brands:...
subscribers). The votes amassed for this week were carried over to Week 5. Through the rest of the results night, each of the judges picked one finalist to give an encore performance: Cornejo picked Cruz, Corrales chose Marcelo, and Cayabyab picked Magdangal.
Schedules were changed starting the Fifth Finals Week, with performances held on Sundays while elimination nights were on Mondays, as opposed to the previous arrangement of Saturday performances and Sunday eliminations. The voting time was also shortened from 21 to 2 hours. Agoncillo explained that this change was adopted (partly due to public clamor) from the voting period of American Idol. Mateo and Cruz were eliminated because of the non-elimination on the previous week.
On the Seventh Finals Week, each finalist sang a song chosen for them by a fellow Idol based on these assigned pairings: Magdangal and Nieto, Marcelo and Mendoza, Chavez and Dingle. After the night's performances, guest judge Mo Twister confidently said that Dingle would be eliminated the next night and even wagered that he would go to work in a dress for a week if his prediction proved wrong. Dingle was indeed eliminated the following night. The Big Band Week became a "mini-concert", as each of the remaining four finalists performed two song numbers with a short spiel to the audience in between. The following week featured special segments about the final three contenders: Marcelo, Magdangal, and Nieto.
Finale
Cueshé
Cueshé is a Filipino pop rock band from Cebu, Philippines, currently based in Manila.-Background:In March 2005, the group decided to move to the Philippine capital of Manila...
, Aiza Seguerra
Aiza Seguerra
Cariza Yamson Seguerra better known as Aiza Seguerra is a Filipino actress, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She traces her roots from Calauag, Quezon....
, the SexBomb Girls
SexBomb Girls
The Sexbomb Girls are an all-female singing, dancing, and acting group from the Philippines. They are known for the novelty songs "Spaghetti," "Bakit Papa" and "Bilog na Hugis Itlog" that were certified platinum in the Philippines...
, G Toengi, Hajji Alejandro, and Gary Valenciano
Gary Valenciano
Edgardo Jose Martin Santiago Valenciano , better known as Gary Valenciano or Gary V., is a Filipino musician. He is also dubbed as Mr. Pure Energy. He has released 26 albums, and won the Awit Awards for "Best Male Performer" 11 times. In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines first national Ambassador...
, as well as resident judges Francis Magalona and Pilita Corrales. Ryan Cayabyab also performed his compositions by joining the finalists through his piano accompaniment. In what can be regarded as the climax of the show, the Final 12 and resident judges Corrales and Cayabyab performed a medley of songs composed by Cayabyab, including an original one which he made with finalist Miguel Mendoza entitled "Here I Am".
Marcelo was voted as the first Philippine Idol, amassing about 35.26% of the vote. The vote was a hotly contested one with the runners-up earning about 33.84% and 30.90% of the votes. It was not revealed, however, which runner-up garnered which percentage, but they each received P
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
250,000. Aside from the title, Marcelo also earned a contract with Sony BMG Music Philippines, a management contract with an agency of FremantleMedia's choice, a P1,000,000 non-exclusive contract with ABC, and P1,000,000 cash prize.
Elimination chart
| Did Not Perform | Female | Male | Top 24 | Wild Card | Top 12 | Winner |
| Safe | Hot Spot | Bottom 3/4 | Eliminated | |
| Stage: | Semi-Finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| Week: | ||||||||||||||
| Place | Contestant | Result | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Mau Marcelo | Elim | HS | HS | Winner | |||||||||
| 2-3 | Gian Magdangal | Elim | ||||||||||||
| Jan Nieto | HS | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Miguel Mendoza | Top 12 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 5 | Pow Chavez | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Ken Dingle | Elim | Elim | |||||||||||
| 7 | Apple Chiu | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 8-9 | Jeli Mateo | HS | Elim | |||||||||||
| Arms Cruz | HS | |||||||||||||
| 10 | Reymond Sajor | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Drae Ybañez | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Stef Lazaro | Elim | ||||||||||||
| Wild Card |
Joseph Astor II | Elim | Elim | |||||||||||
| Jasper Onyx Culala | Elim | |||||||||||||
| Ramirr Grepo | Elim | |||||||||||||
| Elim | ||||||||||||||
| Elim | ||||||||||||||
| Elim | ||||||||||||||
| Female Semi- Final |
Elim | |||||||||||||
| Male Semi- Final |
Elim | |||||||||||||
1 Due to the power interruptions and network problems, no elimination was held on October 1. All votes cast for the week were carried over to the following week.
2 Two contestants were eliminated this week in lieu of the non-elimination the week before.
3 Due to network problems, no contestant was eliminated. All votes caat for the week were carried over to the following week. This serves as Philippine Idol's Second Non-elimination week.
4 Two contestants were eliminated this week in lieu of the non=elimination the week before. This also marks the first Monday elimination, as performance nights were moved to Sundays, with eliminations moved to Mondays.
Kakaibang Idol
Kakaibang Idol was a special episode of Philippine Idol held on September 23, 2006, a week after the Top 12 FinalistsPhilippine Idol finalists
The Philippine Idol Finalists consisted of 12 aspiring singers who competed for Philippine Idol. They were selected after several stages of audition and theater eliminations, and succeeded in earning a spot in the Finals by popular votes from the viewers.The Final Round started on September 30,...
have been named. It was an interactive
Interactive television
Interactive television describes a number of techniques that allow viewers to interact with television content as they view it.- Definitions :...
reality
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...
singing competition consisting of notable auditionees who either did not pass or failed to make it through Semifinals
Philippine Idol semifinalists
The Philippine Idol Semifinalists consisted of 12 aspiring singers who competed for Philippine Idol, but were unable to secure a spot in the Top 12 Finalists. They were selected after several stages of audition and theater eliminations...
. The program was named Kakaibang Idol (A Different Kind of Idol) because the seven contestants made an impact among viewers. The twelve finalists were present that night, but only performed at the beginning and end of the show. Likewise, Magalona, Corrales, and Cayabyab took a back seat, appearing in clips taking their "times off". Taking over jury duties that night were comedic performers Ethel Booba
Ethel Booba
Ethel Gabison, also known by her stage name Ethel Booba, is a Filipino TV personality and comedienne. She has also worked in the recording industry.She is a former talent of GMA Network and was one of the hosts of Extra Challenge...
, Arnell Ignacio
Arnell Ignacio
Arnel Ignacio is a Filipino game show host, comedian and actor. Arnel has hosted several shows like Chibugan Na, Kwarta o Kahon, Go Bingo, Katok mga Misis, and K, The P1-Million Videoke Challenge...
, and Tuesday Vargas. Although the event served as a breather, voting was still active, involving viewers picking the performer who should be proclaimed Kakaibang Idol. The next night, with finalists and judges present, Kenneth Paul "Yova" Alonzo—a transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
call center agent from Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
—was chosen by viewers as Kakaibang Idol.
I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive
I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive, originally Philippine Idol: Exclusive, is a thirty-minute daily program that features updates, news and behind-the-scene footages of the show. Since its premiere on August 14, 2006, a male voice talent (who also voices the plugs for ABC programs) has been facilitating the program, with appearances by Jmie Mempin who is also a production associate of Philippine Idol. Actress Heart EvangelistaHeart Evangelista
Love Marie Payawal Ongpauco , better known by her screen name Heart Evangelista, is a Chinese-Filipino actress, TV show host, singer, VJ, and an endorser.-Biography:...
took over on September 4, 2006. Accordingly, Philippine Idol: Exclusive was renamed I Love Philippine Idol: Exclusive with a heart shape reflecting the new host.
Auditions
A Fast-Track audition that was to be held at SM City Sta. Mesa was canceled, leading to complaints from hopefuls and their parents. After hours of waiting, a representative of ABC arrived and relocated each of the 160 frustrated applicants to other scheduled screening. Meanwhile, Filipinos living in Mindanao reacted negatively to what Philippine Idol judges said after a low Gold Pass turnout at the Davao Main Auditions, with Corrales (a CebuanaCebuano people
The Cebuano people , are a Visayan ethnic group in Cebu and form the second largest cultural-linguistic group in the Philippines.-History:...
herself) saying that "Davao is not the place to look for an Idol" and "all the good ones are in Cebu". Corrales later clarified in the Wildcard Round that she said such a statement because of the low turnout in the Davao auditions and the even lower Gold Pass output. She added that "Davao's best talents" might have probably auditioned earlier in Manila.
Talent piracy
ABC confirmed that a Gold Passer (later identified in the show's official website as Czarina Rose Rosales) was pirated by ABS-CBN's Pinoy Dream Academy, the Philippine franchise of Star AcademyStar Academy
Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
. Sources said that representatives of ABS-CBN even approached a judge to "just let (some of) the contestants go". This came after news that ABS-CBN wanted to co-produce Philippine Idol with ABC, but was denied. ABS-CBN sent a letter to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which published the said report denying the allegations. The network added that they successfully staged competitions without taking contestants from other contests and would fully respect a contestant's choice as to which competition they would join. Auditions for Pinoy Dream Academy were being held before the Theater eliminations. ABC then sent a formal letter of complaint to ABS-CBN, alleging that three Gold Passers of Philippine Idol became contestants of Pinoy Dream Academy. The latter did not comment on the letter, as neither of the three talents questioned became a finalist of that show.
Vote padding
Upon the announcement of the first four male finalists, there were viewers of the show who had negative reactions regarding its format. They were shocked, disappointed, and were left complaining as two of the contestants that were favored by the judges based on their performances failed to make the cut. Instead, two others who had rather bad reviews from the jurors took the spots. Viewers critical to the program concluded that it was just another "popularity contest" rather than a singing competition. Cayabyab mentioned that people should not be complacent regarding the contestants' status on the show, and advised them to keep on voting for their favorites because of the show's uncertainty. This criticism was also reflected during the Women's Semi-finals, as talent critics believed two contenders that failed to make the cut should have become finalists. Critics also noted that viewers did not take heed to the judges' remarks about performance. Torre stated in his article that the results of Philippine Idol Semi-finals revealed that viewers were not yet knowledgeable or objective enough to pick the first Idol, and pointed to the compromised voting based on "subjective campaigns" from some of the semi-finalists' backers. He later commented that the show did not affirm a contestant's popularity but "the determination and deep pockets of his supporters." This was supported on a report published by the Manila BulletinManila Bulletin
The Manila Bulletin , is the Philippines' largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation, followed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It bills itself as "The Nation's Leading Newspaper", which is its official slogan...
about contestants who "buy their way to the top". Cayabyab divulged that he did not expect the way people voted and would see if that trend would continue in the coming weeks. However, he admitted that such campaigns were part of the game.
Looks over talent
During the Results Show of the Wildcard Round, Marcelo jokingly said that Philippine Idol is not a singing contest but a "pagandahan" (beauty contest), which received a thunderous applause and laughter (especially from Cayabyab). Her statement was interpreted in two ways: as a way of venting out her frustrations in the voting process or as a means of sarcasm. She later made it to the Finals. In a later interview in I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive, she said that she did not mean anything. Marcelo later apologized for her remarks during the Finale's post-results show press conference. The judges were also scored by viewers for their constant comments about contestants who should lose weight, especially Marcelo. Marcelo admitted getting hurt by comments on so-called physical flaws, adding that she entered a "singing contest" not a "dancing competition". Cayabyab said that he avoids commenting on the singer's physical attributes.Cayabyab losing cool
Cayabyab had shown signs of frustration during Results Shows where the best performers of the previous night got eliminated. He finally expressed his disgust over the results after Sajor's elimination, calling it "dreadful". He also appeared to have surrendered the prospect of finding the best singer in the contest, predicting that it would be a "lightweight competition" with contestants singing nursery rhymeNursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
s.
Transition to Pinoy Idol
Although it had previously announced that it would, ABC did not produce a second season of Philippine Idol Sources stated that ABC had incurred large losses producing the first season due to lower than expected advertising revenue.On September 16, 2007, FremantleMedia officially announced that the Idol franchise would be given to GMA Network under the name Pinoy Idol. FremantleMedia representative Geraldine Bravo said that it was "very fortunate" to find a new partner, while GMA Network's Senior Vice President for Entertainment Wilma Galvante added that both parties agreed that the network "has the experience, the resources, and the people to mount talent-search programs". Reports said that GMA was planning to treat Pinoy Idol as a completely different show, without referring to Philippine Idol as its "first season" and not recognizing Marcelo as the "first winner". Agoncillo and Cayabyab would not reprise their roles in the new Idol show as they appeared in the second season of Pinoy Dream Academy.
In an article published before Pinoy Idols premiere, Torre gave the lapses in Philippine Idol which he hoped Pinoy Idol should not replicate, such as Agoncillo's less than effective hosting style and the somewhat scripted and less wise comments of Magalona and Corrales.