Pop Stars

Popstars
Genre	Reality television
Release
Original release	1999 (New Zealand)

Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss. Popstars remains one of the most successful TV show formats of all time with the format being sold to more than 50 countries. The show was the inspiration for Simon Fuller's Idols franchise.

The series originated in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss. Dowling then licensed the concept to Screentime in Australia, who then on sold it to TresorTV in Germany before taking it worldwide. Popstars remains one of the most successful TV show formats of all time with the format being sold to more than 50 countries.

The show was the inspiration for Simon Fuller's Pop Idol franchise which would dominate reality TV, (along with Big Brother and Survivor) for the next few years.

Although Popstars had started successfully in most countries during the early 2000s, the shows gradually began to fail and were dropped by many broadcasters due to poor ratings. The last country where Popstars was still popular and successful – beside other casting shows such as The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as Idol – was Germany. In Germany, ProSieben produced the ninth season in 2010 because of the show's massive success in the ratings, but in 2012, Popstars was finally cancelled because of the poor and short success of the bands. In 2007, the show returned to France on M6 for one season. Since August 2008, there has also been a new version of Popstars on TV in the Netherlands. It has now ended its third season.

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