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Australia’s Got Talent

Who knew there was enough talent to go around this year? Nine's new show accentuates the positive.

Uncle Jed (1)Say what you like about our population numbers suggesting we have a lack of budding stars but right now television will tell you that Australia’s Got Talent.

The X Factor on Seven has uncovered some excellent singers this year and Australia’s Got Talent on Nine is about to weigh in with its own discoveries, many of whom are equally impressive.

Coincidentally, both are produced by FremantleMedia (their audition files must be bustling at the seams).

Nine famously picked up the series after Seven let it go last year, largely because the series underperformed against the might of The Voice‘s debut season. The talent wasn’t that bad, but timeslots are crucial in these battles -something that Nine is now facing given its show is going up against X Factor this Sunday night.

Casting is also crucial in the Reality genre and Nine has 3 new judges plus a recycled Kyle Sandilands behind its judging desk. A large chunk of the opening is given over to the celebrity-status of Sandilands, Dawn French, Geri Halliwell and Timomatic, arriving via limousine and red carpet at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne with frenzied crowd in adoration.

It’s quite a contrast to The X Factor giving no introduction to its judges but opting for a talented kid at its opener. Australia’s Got Talent includes a montage of acts, host Julia Morris standing on the cliffs of Sydney filmed by chopper, and the backstage bustle of preparation. It’s a glitzy TV overture.

Thankfully when we get to the acts the show delivers. More vaudeville than straight-up singing contest, Australia’s Got Talent includes musical, dance, martial arts and novelty acts. Given this, you have to be a pretty good singing act to make the cut.

One trio, oddly named Uncle Jed, was the stand-out with its elegant female vocalist, whose pure sound held the audience spellbound. It has to be said, she’s a better singer than any of the judges -two of whom are musical professionals. She is good enough to be a serious contender on The Voice.

The tiny boy singing My Girl on the commercials is wonderfully disaffected, if heavily influenced by talented parents. You won’t believe where this audition progresses, but it’s definitely feelgood.

A rollerskating duo, one of whom distracts doey-eyed Halliwell, gives the first episode its biggest moment of drama.

A hirsute bloke from Byron Bay surprises while a Psy-impersonator is generously embraced by the crowd. There are robotic dancers and dexterous martial artists in auditions intercut from across the country.

As judges go, Sandilands is decidedly tame -but truth be told, he mellowed during his time on the same show on Seven. After one dare, he makes a fair fist with some nunchucks. Halliwell and Timomatic all get into the spirit of the auditions, while the lovable Dawn French still needs her own moment to better define her role. I’ve no doubt it will come. In all, the overwhelming mood is of accentuating the positive, with Morris in the wings with a few zany asides.

On the downside, the show takes too long to showcase its performers, with much of the first 90 minutes profiling one act per segment. With so much talent on offer, it could do with some slicker editing.

At the moment X Factor has momentum, so Nine’s show has its work cut out, but if you’re enjoying the sugar-hit of seemingly ordinary Aussies showcasing a (hidden) talent in two minutes, then this is for you.

At the very least it underpins how strategic Nine was to gamble that there were still more acts to uncover. Based on the first episode, they were right.

Australia’s Got Talent premieres 6:30pm Sunday on Nine.

11 Responses

  1. not sure whether to think nine are gutsy or stupid to put this up against X-Factor, it would have seemed more sensible to me to wait till X-Factor was over to start AGT, time will tell though i guess!

    Agree with others the 1 act per segment is a turn off, this imho was the same problem with the Voice, a whole lot of build up & talk about the act when i just want to see them perform. Although X is doing its fair share of that, maybe not as much though.

  2. I’ll record this and watch The X Factor. IMO Nine has taken a backwards step with this show by going back to the old logo and look. I won’t judge it until i’ve seen it but i think against The X Factor it is going to be a rough start. I could be wrong but seeing the promos for the show, its gone from being very good to tacky for me.

  3. Nine has a rich vein of variety talent & this is a show that I always thought was better suited to Nine. Think New Faces for the new Millenium.
    Know you don’t like to hear this David but no Grant Denyer improves this show for me.
    Is X Factor going to stay with Sunday nights or just for the audition rounds? If they don’t have performances on Sunday nights then AGT is going to shine.
    Seven really only has X Factor holding everything together. I still think Slideshow will falter again.
    BB might not be doing well but it is still scoring in the Demos so I think Nine will persist.

  4. Why do channel 9 take every other channels leave-offs cant they find any new shows of their own, do they think these shows are going to do any better on their channel, when shows have run there time let them die in peace. BB going down the gurgler by the looks of things and I think AGT will go the same way, might get a second series if they are lucky. Channel 9 really is pathetic at times.

  5. In my opinion the set and logo look boring and tired and doesn’t do its star judging panel any justice. Although its great to see they’re not marketing sob stories, the promos are still lacking in effort. Lines like “Nine’s much bigger, much better Australia’s Got Talent with an all new Kyle” don’t convince me that this is worth watching. But I think its the timeslot and the competition that will determine the success or failure of this show.

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