Pop Idol

*Pop Idol*
Pop Idol
Genre	Reality competition
Created by	Simon Fuller
Developed by	Nigel Lythgoe (uncredited)
Presented by	Ant McPartlin; Declan Donnelly
Judges	Neil Fox; Nicki Chapman; Pete Waterman; Simon Cowell
Composers	Cathy Dennis; Julian Gingell; Barry Stone
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	46
Production
Executive producers	Simon Fuller; Nigel Lythgoe; Richard Holloway; Ken Warwick ; Simon Cowell
Production locations	Various (auditions); Criterion Theatre (theatre rounds); Teddington Studios (heats); The Fountain Studios (live finals)
Running time	60–165mins (inc. adverts)
Production companies	Thames Television; 19 Entertainment
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	6 October 2001 –; 20 December 2003
Related
	Pop Idol Extra
	Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

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 participation. Two series were broadcast, one in 2001–2002 and a second in 2003. An immense success when it launched in 2001, Maggie Brown in The Guardian wrote, "the show became a seminal reality/entertainment format once on air that autumn".^[1] Series judge Simon Cowell became a major public figure in entertainment, and the show produced instant No. 1 chart hits, including for the first series winner Will Young, whose single "Evergreen" was the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history and the best-selling song of 2002.^[2] Pop Idol was subsequently put on an indefinite hiatus after Simon Cowell announced the launch of The X Factor in the UK in April 2004.^[3]

The show has become an international TV franchise since, spawning multiple Idol series worldwide. In the meantime, a legal dispute arose with the makers of Popstars, which eventually led to the word "pop" being excluded from the titles of all the spin-offs, such as American Idol, Australian Idol, Arab Idol, Canadian Idol, Indonesian Idol, Indian Idol, New Zealand Idol, Latin American Idol, Idol (Norway), Idol (Poland), Idol (Sweden), Singapore Idol, Idols (South Africa), Pakistan Idol, Bangladeshi Idol and Ídolos (same name for the Portuguese and Brazilian series).

The show's theme music was written by Gingell/Stone and Cathy Dennis.

^ "The scribbled note that changed TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^ "Singer Will Young reveals why he is enjoying his role in Cabaret so much and his delight at landing a new record deal". Daily Record. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
^ "Cowell reveals new talent search". BBC. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2013.

[1] "The scribbled note that changed TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2022.

[2] "Singer Will Young reveals why he is enjoying his role in Cabaret so much and his delight at landing a new record deal". Daily Record. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2022.

[xfactor-3] "Cowell reveals new talent search". BBC. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2013.

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