| Hosts | |
| Debbie Allen and Joey Fatone | |
| Judges | |
| Carnie Wilson Johnny Wright Jojo Wright | |
| Broadcast | |
 | |
| Packagers | |
| MGM Television Entertainment Stone Stanley Entertainment | |
Fame was a short-lived reality competition show, loosely based on a 1980s movie and TV show of the same name, where 24 contestants (picked by Debbie Allen) performed a talent contest in front of judges to compete for a professional contract and of course a chance at "fame".
Premise[]
The series chronicles Allen's attempts to recruit multi-talented performers (ages 16 and up) from across the country, followed by an intense "boot camp" drill by Allen. As the group hones their skills and rehearse their routines in front of celebrity judges, family and friends, the field is narrowed. Viewers at home will determine who ultimately travels the path all the way to "Fame".
Voting Methods[]
In the initial rounds, the producers and judges chose which performers would stay or go, with the final dozen or so performances surviving based on the recommendations of the judges as well as phones votes from fans. Unlike American Idol, where one viewer could call up to thousands of times in a 2-hour window, the series limited a number of votes to five per phone number.
Finalists[]
The final two performers were Shannon Bex and Harlemm Lee. Lee himself was not without controversy, as he had lied about his age (even though there was no age limit on this show) and his short-lived 1980s musical career as Gerry Woo. However, he dazzled viewers with his campy performances of such songs as Oleta Adams' "Get Here" and they deemed him as "the true triple threat". Lee's prizes included a record deal, a starring role in the off-Broadway play Fame on 42nd Street, along with a free year-long hotel stay. Lee's record, Introducing Harlemm Lee was barely promoted and quickly flopped, he did not appear in the play (the producers cited a scheduling conflict at the time) and by summer 2004. he told fans if not for unemployment checks and the free hotel stay, he would have been penniless and homeless. In spite of the shabby treatment, Lee said that he had no hard feelings. In 2005, Bex became a member of the successful girl group Danity Kane until their spilt in 2009.
Criticism[]
Although the series premiere did well in the ratings, it was criticized got several choices. Unlike Idol, where producers had absolutely no connection to any performers before the auditions, Allen personally and had worked with a number of those who made it to the final round.
In the middle of the season, the series announced they would bring in a "spoiler", a new finalists who could make it to the last round if the public enjoyed their work. They asked viewers to send in audition tapes by July 1. On July 2, the announced the winner - Tyce Keith Diorio. Diorio was introduced on the show as a mere dance instructor, but his actual credits included being a former backup dancer for Fatone's *NSYNC, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and dancing in a Academy Awards piece choreographed by Debbie Allen, raising the suspicion of those who auditioned as the spoiler that the work they put into their audition tapes was completely in naught and the 'competition' for that slot was fixed. The twist in the end did not affect the full contest, as the audience vote saw Diorio eliminated in the next episode.
Dropping Ratings[]
Unlike American Idol, which focused on singing or Star Search which divided talent up into several categories, the series sought a "triple threat", someone who could dance, sing and have star quality. In the eye of many viewers, most of the finalists had shockingly poor singing abilities and so much emphasis was placed on dance numbers that their voices never improved. Viewers reaction quickly gave way apathy and the ratings fell considerably.
Trivia[]
The show was based on an Italian format called Aimici (Friends) or Aimici di Maria De Fillippi (Friends of Maria De Fillippi) also formerly called Saranno Famosi (They'll Be Famous) where young talented dancers, singers and actors attended a school to become triple threat performers. Originally hosted by Danielle Bossari in 2001 and later was replaced by Maria De Fillippi since 2002. The series originally aired on Italia 1 from 2001 until 2003 followed by Canale 5 since 2002 and Real Time from 2014 until 2020 in daytime only.
Production Location[]
Hollywood, California