GeoStar | |
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Logo of Geostar 2008'
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Created by | Simon Fuller |
Country of origin | Georgia |
Release | |
Original network | Rustavi 2 |
Original release | 2006 – present |
Geostari (Georgian: ჯეოსტარი) is the Georgian franchise of the Idol series, which airs on Rustavi 2. Georgia is the fifth former Soviet country to have acquired an Idol franchise after Armenia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The series began on 2006 as an Idol spin-off, but it is only in its third season in 2008 that it has enable to acquire a license from FremantleMedia, owner of the Idol franchise which resulted in a change of the rules following the same format as other Idol shows were only the viewers decide upon the verdict of the contestants. Former seasons have seen the judges saving one of the bottom two contestants with their Power of Veto at the end of each episode.
After six seasons known as "Geostari/ჯეოსტარი", the program is to be redeveloped in 2012 by Rustavi 2 to the new title of "საქართველოს ვარსკვლავი/Sakartvelos Varskvlavi" (Georgian Star) was to premiere in September however was delayed to the 2012 Georgian protests, however the series will debut on October 8 implementing the current Hall Of Idols format.
Geostar is also the name of a satellite communications system that operated in the 1980s.
Giorgi Sukhitashvili won the third season making him the first male contestant to win the show following the two women Tiko Chulukhadze and Ani Kekua. It is therefore also the first former Soviet country which saw victory for both genders in its Idol adaptation whereas Narodniy Artist (Russia) and SuperStar KZ (Kazakhstan) only had male winners and Hay Superstar (Armenia) and Eesti otsib superstaari (Estonia) only had females.