Fox is playing this new series off like it is a new idea and maybe the attention span of most pop fans won’t notice the similarity between “Star Chamber” and the previous, let’s watch the manufacturing of a boyband series, “Making the Band”. 

Fox has teamed up with the Dutch production company Endemol, those responsible for current hit reality TV offerings, "Big Brother 3", "Fear Factor" and "Spy TV". Fox has purchased the rights to three program ideas from Endemol, with “Star Chamber” being touted as the key series. 

Under the agreement Fox will air up to 15 hours of the “Star Chamber” series during the summer of 2003 according to Variety. 

When asked what “Star Chamber” will be all about, Endemol USA president David Goldberg says, “It's basically a musical performance show that picks up where 'American Idol' leaves off. The show is about the process of someone going from being a regular person to a performer." But didn’t we already see that with the “Making the Band” series? Strangely, Goldberg acts as if that series never existed and goes further back to the 80’s to find a series to compare it to, "This is the reality version of 'Fame’. The key difference is that this show gives viewers a much better behind-the-scenes look at how stars are made as opposed to just seeing them perform." 

According to the Variety report, Star Chamber will show the finalists in competition, living together, going through various stages of training (or as we call it here at antiMUSIC, manufacturing) including singing, choreography and ass kissing (ok, Varity called it public relations). Then once a week one contestant will be voted out. Sound familiar?  But it’s not really a rip off of “Making the Band”, which was only slightly different. No, according to the producer’s pr spin “Star Chamber” will be more a take off of “Fame” meets “Star Search” meets “Big Brother”. Or is the idea to pick seven wanna-be popstars, put them in a house and watch what happens when people stop being polite and start getting egos. 

Then again the execs at Fox have never seen a lame show idea they couldn’t make lamer with an inferior knock-off.  Now what would make a really interesting program is for them to show how record company spin doctors could take a teen pop singer like Avril Lavigne, put her in some trendy “skate-punk” cloths, add a few guitars and convince kids (plus MTV and Rolling Stone) that she’s not pop at all but “like the tr00-ly kewl punk roq star, ya know?” 
 

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