Stars in Their Eyes

(→Trivia)
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Singer impersonation show. Five people who think they sound like a musical star talk to Matthew about their job, their life and the universe. They then go through the "star door" and (kaboom!) after a few dry ice clouds they suddently become the star of their choosing. You don't see the bit where they're done up in Make-Up for an hour but still...
Singer impersonation show. Five people who think they sound like a musical star talk to Matthew about their job, their life and the universe. They then go through the "star door" and (kaboom!) after a few dry ice clouds they suddently become the star of their choosing. You don't see the bit where they're done up in Make-Up for an hour but still...
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_singing.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="site_singing.jpg">
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''The lighting effects do overtime.''</div>
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They then give a performance sounding like the star of their choice. Of the five, an average of two or three will be people you're guaranteed to have never heard of, the audience has never heard of (but will clap exactly four bars into their song regardless) and the producers have never heard of, but the performances are usually of a high standard.
<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/stars_michael.jpg" alt="stars_michael.jpg" width="238" height="298">
<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/stars_michael.jpg" alt="stars_michael.jpg" width="238" height="298">
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''A member of the public becomes George Michael for the night''</div>
''A member of the public becomes George Michael for the night''</div>
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They then give a performance sounding like the star of their choice. Of the five, an average of two or three will be people you're guaranteed to have never heard of, the audience has never heard of (but will clap exactly four bars into their song regardless) and the producers have never heard of, but the performances are usually of a high standard.
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At the end of the show, the audience votes for whoever they thought was best, the winners going through to the live final. In the live final, the 12 heat winners (10 from 2000-6) each sing on live television and there is an hour-long phone poll to decide the winner.
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At the end of the show, the audience votes for whoever they thought was best, the winners going through to the live final. In the live final, the twelve (or whatever) heat winners each sing on live television and there is an hour-long phone poll to decide the winner.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_results.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="site_results.jpg">
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''The final scores for the 10th series final.''</div>
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_emotion.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="site_emotion.jpg">
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''...and "Chris de Burgh" is the winner!''</div>
<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_set.jpg" alt="site_set.jpg" width="320" height="240">
<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_set.jpg" alt="site_set.jpg" width="320" height="240">
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''The set of Stars in Their Eyes. The triangle-shaped door in the background is where the contestants emerge from.''</div>
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''Matthew Kelly congratulates the winner.''</div>
Often, record companies watching the show ring up offer contracts to certain contestants and aren't told about it until their amount of votes is read out in the results show. The winners are always the bloke playing Marti Pellow from Wet Wet Wet (even if he isn't actually in the final) and BT who take over a million 0898 calls.
Often, record companies watching the show ring up offer contracts to certain contestants and aren't told about it until their amount of votes is read out in the results show. The winners are always the bloke playing Marti Pellow from Wet Wet Wet (even if he isn't actually in the final) and BT who take over a million 0898 calls.
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A special show in 1998 allowed celebrities to become other celebrities (confused?) for a night. It's fair to say there were some surprises.
A special show in 1998 allowed celebrities to become other celebrities (confused?) for a night. It's fair to say there were some surprises.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site.jpg" alt="site.jpg" width="350" height="165">
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''Promotional postcard for the first celebrity special''</div>
Tricia Penrose (actress from ''Heartbeat'') portrayed Lisa Stansfield; Frank Skinner (comedian) was Elvis Costello; [[Carol Vorderman]] (''[[Countdown]]'') became Cher, Steven Houghton (from drama series ''London's Burning'') was Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley. Five of the cast of supersoap ''Coronation Street'' became The Spice Girls.
Tricia Penrose (actress from ''Heartbeat'') portrayed Lisa Stansfield; Frank Skinner (comedian) was Elvis Costello; [[Carol Vorderman]] (''[[Countdown]]'') became Cher, Steven Houghton (from drama series ''London's Burning'') was Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley. Five of the cast of supersoap ''Coronation Street'' became The Spice Girls.
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There have been several more of these since then.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/starsineyes.jpg" alt="starsineyes.jpg" width="299" height="216">
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site.jpg" alt="site.jpg" width="350" height="165">
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''Host [[Matthew Kelly]] (third from right) with the cast of Coronation Street, before their transformation.''</div>
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''Promotional postcard for the first celebrity special''</div>
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There have been several more of these since then.
== Catchphrases ==
== Catchphrases ==
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== Pictures ==
== Pictures ==
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_singing.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="site_singing.jpg">''The lighting effects do overtime.''</div>
 
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/starsineyes.jpg" alt="starsineyes.jpg" width="299" height="216">''Host [[Matthew Kelly]] (third from right) with the cast of Coronation Street, before their transformation.''</div>
 
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_results.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="site_results.jpg">''The final scores for the 10th series final.''</div>
 
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/s/stars_in_their_eyes/site_emotion.jpg" width="300" height="225" alt="site_emotion.jpg">''...and "Chris de Burgh" is the winner!''</div>
 
<div class="image">[[File:Stars_in_eyes_crowther1.jpg|300px]]''Original host Leslie Crowther''</div>
<div class="image">[[File:Stars_in_eyes_crowther1.jpg|300px]]''Original host Leslie Crowther''</div>

Revision as of 20:06, 12 June 2011

Contents

Host

Chris Tarrant (non-broadcast pilot)

Leslie Crowther

Russ Abbott (one-off Elvis special)

Matthew Kelly

Davina McCall (guest presenter)

Cat Deeley (adult and kids' version)

Co-hosts

Announcer:
Andrew Brittain
Peter Dickson (stand-in)

Broadcast

Granada for ITV, 21 July 1990 to 23 December 2006

Synopsis

Singer impersonation show. Five people who think they sound like a musical star talk to Matthew about their job, their life and the universe. They then go through the "star door" and (kaboom!) after a few dry ice clouds they suddently become the star of their choosing. You don't see the bit where they're done up in Make-Up for an hour but still...

The lighting effects do overtime.

They then give a performance sounding like the star of their choice. Of the five, an average of two or three will be people you're guaranteed to have never heard of, the audience has never heard of (but will clap exactly four bars into their song regardless) and the producers have never heard of, but the performances are usually of a high standard.

A member of the public becomes George Michael for the night

At the end of the show, the audience votes for whoever they thought was best, the winners going through to the live final. In the live final, the 12 heat winners (10 from 2000-6) each sing on live television and there is an hour-long phone poll to decide the winner.

The final scores for the 10th series final.
...and "Chris de Burgh" is the winner!
Matthew Kelly congratulates the winner.

Often, record companies watching the show ring up offer contracts to certain contestants and aren't told about it until their amount of votes is read out in the results show. The winners are always the bloke playing Marti Pellow from Wet Wet Wet (even if he isn't actually in the final) and BT who take over a million 0898 calls.

Celebrity special

A special show in 1998 allowed celebrities to become other celebrities (confused?) for a night. It's fair to say there were some surprises.

Promotional postcard for the first celebrity special

Tricia Penrose (actress from Heartbeat) portrayed Lisa Stansfield; Frank Skinner (comedian) was Elvis Costello; Carol Vorderman (Countdown) became Cher, Steven Houghton (from drama series London's Burning) was Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley. Five of the cast of supersoap Coronation Street became The Spice Girls.

Host Matthew Kelly (third from right) with the cast of Coronation Street, before their transformation.

There have been several more of these since then.

Catchphrases

"Tonight, Leslie/Matthew/Cat, I'm going to be..."

Inventor

Based on Joop van den Ende's Dutch format, The Soundmixshow.

Trivia

The finals during Leslie Crowther's era were pre-recorded.

Peter Dickson temporarily replaced Andrew Brittain as announcer when the live final and a celebrity special both had to be relocated to BBC Television Centre because of an asbestos outbreak at Granada's Manchester studios where the show was usually recorded.

Matthew Kelly was inititally hired as caretaker host following Leslie's car accident in 1992, but became permanent when Leslie was unable to return and later died in 1996.

For the first two series (1990-91) the shows were 30 minutes each. From 1992, the shows were 45 minutes each and also filmed profiles of the star guests were added.

In 1994, Greg Bannis landed the job of lead singer of Hot Chocolate after appearing on the show as the group's former lead singer Errol Brown. He's still touring with them to this day.

Champions

Year Champion Impersonating
1990 Maxine Barrie Shirley Bassey
1991 Bernard Wenton Nat "King" Cole
1992 Amanda Normansell Patsy Cline
1993 Jacquii Cann Alison Moyet
1994 John Finch Marti Pellow
1995 Lee Griffiths Bobby Darin
1996 Paul Doody Marti Pellow
1997 Faye Dempsey Olivia Newton-John
1998 Jason Searle Neil Diamond
1999 Ian Moor Chris De Burgh
2000 Garry Mullen Freddie Mercury
2000* Nicola Kirsch Maria Callas (*Millennium special show)
2001 Emma Wilkinson Dusty Springfield
2002 Stewart Duff Elvis Presley
2004 Charles Ngandwe Paul Robeson
2005 Gordon Hendricks Elvis Presley

Champion of Champions

1999 Ian Moor as Chris De Burgh

Stars in Their Eyes: Kids

2002 Charlotte Geffen Eva Cassidy
2003 Laura Jenkins Connie Francis
2004 Paul Cowperthwaite Michael Jackson
2006 Christopher Napier George Formby

Merchandise

The Best of Stars in Their Eyes (VHS)

Stars in Their Eyes (CD)

The Secrets of "Stars in Their Eyes" (Book)

Stars in their Eyes Board Game

Web links

Wikipedia entry

A fan page (Blimey, someone's impersonating us!)

Pictures

Original host Leslie Crowther
Second host Matthew Kelly
Retrieved from "http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Stars_in_Their_Eyes"

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