26 March 2020 (2020-03-26) – 1 April 2022 (2022-04-01)
SuperStar (Arabic: سوبر ستار) was an Arabic television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol created by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment & developed by Fremantle Media. The show unites the Arab community by democratically choosing the next singing sensation. The show is broadcast worldwide on Future TV, a Lebanese television station. It is also the first Idol franchise to feature contestants from multiple countries.
The show was a huge success. Ali Jaber, the executive manager of Future TV, was quoted as saying "This (program) is the most successful for an Arab television. There isn't a television program that moved the Arab world like that."[1]
However, SuperStar was eclipsed by rival show Star Academy on LBC in the Middle East, in terms of popularity and ratings, after only its first season. It has been surpassed by Star Academy as the number one Arab show, and did not move the Arab world the way it did during the first season.
Future TV subsequently lost the Idol licence to the MBC network, which in 2011 relaunched the programme as Arab Idol on MBC 1.
lost the Idol licence to the MTV Lebanon & FOX Egypt channel, which in 2011 relaunched the programme as SuperStar.
Diana Karazon performed the first radio single from her CD Super Star El Arab - Ensani Ma Binsak.[2]
Diana Karazon received the following scores respectively:
United Kingdom awarded 4 points
Belgium awarded 1 point
Australia awarded 4 points
United States awarded 8 points
Arab world awarded 12 points (default award)
Poland awarded 1 point
Netherlands awarded 1 point
Canada awarded 5 points
Germany awarded 6 points
Norway awarded 2 points
South Africa awarded 1 point
SuperStar 2 (2004)
The second series was held 31 May and 23 August 2004.
Three new audition cities were announced - Tunisia, Bahrain & Paris, France while Algiers was dropped. Tonia Moreeb decided to quit after receiving bad comments about her judging skills in the previous season. She was replaced with music critic/agent Fadia Tanab. An amazing 83 contestants had advanced to the semi-finals of Super Star 2, 81 ended up performing before 2 contestants each week would advance to become part of the Top 14 contestants. This series also offered a Wildcard show where it was revealed by the CEO of Future TV - Ali Jaber, that the Top 14 would become a Top 17 & that the Top 5 vote getters in the Wildcards would advance.
Ayman Alatar from Janzour, Libya won the title of Super Star on 23 August 2004, beating runner up Palestinian Ammar Hassan with a weighting of 54% to 46%.[3]
It was revealed later that Ayman had missed the audition in Cairo, Egypt by one day & had one last chance to audition in Damascus, Syria.
Participants and special guests
Participants, their countries and date of elimination
The telecast of SuperStar 3 was delayed after the assassination of Future TV founder & Lebanese Prime Minister - Rafik Hariri, as the TV station went into mourning.[4]
SuperStar 3 was the longest Idol production ever with auditions beginning in Cairo on 10 November 2004, with the program culminating on 6 February 2006.
Rania Kurdi did not want to renew her hosting position for Season 3, as a result Heba Sisi was hired for Season 3, but due to the lengthy hiatus over the Hariri murder, her contract prematurely ended before the semi-finals had begun, leaving Ayman to host solo for the rest of the season.
94 contestants advanced to the theatre round in Beirut. 6 from America, 4 from Australia, 21 from Lebanon, 8 from Egypt, 5 from Jordan, 9 from Syria, 32 from Tunisia & 5 from UAE.
Participants, their countries of origin and date of elimination:
The new semi final format from Denmark & America was similarly adopted this season whereby the Top 21 (10 male & 11 female) were placed in male & female groups with 5 contestants advancing to the Top 12.
As of 12 December 2005, the competition of Super Star has been delayed due to the assassination of Lebanese senator Gebran Tueni, the results show scheduled to air on Monday 12 December 2005 will be included with the results due on Monday 19 December 2005.
On 15 January 2006, the competition was once again postponed due to the passing of another key political figure, Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The performance show was recorded on Tuesday & aired on Thursday 19 January. The votes from this round will be combined with the performance show on 22 January with the elimination of 2 contestants.
On the evening of Monday 6 February 2006, Ibrahim El Hakami from Saudi Arabia became the 3rd Super Star over Shahd Barmada with a 53% to 47% weighting. Along with the title of Super Star, Ibrahim also won a Ford Focus.[5]
Auditions took place during September 2006 and the new season premiered on Future TV in late January 2007, one week after the premier of the sixth season of American Idol. The performance show airs on Sunday night with the results show on Monday night.
Participants and special guests
Participants, their countries of origin and date of elimination
Season 5 kicked off with the first episode on 24 February 2008. There were 3 big changes:
New female judge replacing Fadia who judged the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th season
Wael Mansour (former contestant from SuperStar 2003) & Majdala Khatar now replace Ayman Qaissouni who hosted the first 4 seasons.
Results are no longer given on Mondays, they are on Thursdays giving people 5 days to vote
This year's Top 20 featured 9 females and 11 males. The Top 9 females performed on 6 April and Top 11 males performed on 13 April. 10 were chosen, and 9 of the remaining 10 came back for a Last Chance show on 20 April. One of the girls chose to drop out of the competition but did not state a reason. The Top 12 was completed on 24 April.
Future Television was forced into closing on 9 May, during the 2008 Lebanon conflict. After moving its broadcasting headquarters, the station was back on the air on 13 May at 4:30 p.m (Lebanese Local Time)
Participants and special guests
Names of contestants, their countries of origin and date of elimination:
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