Canadian Idol


Canadian Idol (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Canadian Idol was a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons (appearing in comedy skits throughout the show). Elena Juatco (a season 2 contestant) assumed the role for season four, Dave Kerr had the role in season five and Jully Black in season six.

The show began with a cross-Canada tour in which singers audition in front of four judges: Jake Gold of Toronto, Sass Jordan of Montreal, Quebec, Zack Werner of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Farley Flex of Ajax, Ontario. Eventually the performers were narrowed down to 10 finalists (11 in season one due to a near-tie), with each competitor performing live. Viewers had two hours following the broadcast of the show to phone in their votes for their favourite competitor. On the following night's episode (live again), the competitor with the fewest votes was sent home. After the final two perform, viewers had more than two hours to vote. The next day (five days later in season 4; two days later in season 6), the competitor with the most votes was declared the winner. The show was taped at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.

In December 2008, CTV announced that Canadian Idol would be "suspended", not airing in the 2009 season due to "the current economic climate". At that time, the network stated that it expected the show would return in 2010. However, CTV has not made any further announcement regarding the series since that time, and the series is now generally considered to have been cancelled. Following the announcement of the show's suspension, Joel Rubinoff, television critic for the Waterloo Region Record, strongly criticized the show's direction, declaring that it had "bottomed out creatively in every possible way" and "outlived its usefulness".

Final results

In its six seasons, the winners and runners-up were:

Year Winner Runner-up
2003 Ryan Malcolm Gary Beals
2004 Kalan Porter Theresa Sokyrka
2005 Melissa O'Neil Rex Goudie
2006 Eva Avila Craig Sharpe
2007 Brian Melo Jaydee Bixby
2008 Theo Tams Mitch MacDonald

Season 1

Main article: Canadian Idol (season 1)
In the first season, which debuted on June 9, 2003, Ryan Malcolm of Kingston, Ontario won, with Gary Beals of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia coming in second. Malcolm released his debut album entitled "Home" in October 2003, which included his first single from Canadian Idol: "Something More". In fact, eight members of the Season One Top 11 have now released their own solo albums, including Gary Beals, Billy Klippert, Audrey De Montigny, Jenny Gear, Toya Alexis, Mikey Bustos, and Karen-Lee Batten. Auditions were held in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax, and St. John's.

Date Theme Bottom Four
August 5 Canadian Hits Richie Wilcox Candida Clauseri Karen-Lee Batten Toya Alexis
Bottom Three
August 12 Motown Mikey Bustos Tyler Hamilton Billy Klippert
August 19 Summertime Hits Toya Alexis (2) Audrey De Montigny Gary Beals
Bottom Two
August 26 Elton John Jenny Gear Ryan Malcolm
September 2 Love Songs Audrey de Montigny (2) Gary Beals (2)
September 9 Judges' Choice Billy Klippert (2)
September 16 Final Two Gary Beals (3) Ryan Malcolm (1)
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol Finalists
(with dates of elimination)
Season 1 (2003)
Ryan Malcolm Winner
Gary Beals September 16
Billy Klippert September 9
Audrey de Montigny September 2
Jenny Gear August 26
Toya Alexis August 19
Tyler Hamilton August 12
Mikey Bustos August 12
Karen-Lee Batten August 5
Candida Clauseri August 5
Richie Wilcox August 5
Season 2 (2004)
Kalan Porter Winner
Theresa Sokyrka September 16
Jacob Hoggard September 9
Jason Greeley September 2
Shane Wiebe August 26
Elena Juatco August 19
Kaleb Simmonds August 12
Joshua Seller August 5
Manoah Hartmann July 29
Brandy Callahan July 22
Season 3 (2005)
Melissa O'Neil Winner
Rex Goudie September 14
Aaron Walpole September 7
Suzi Rawn August 31
Casey LeBlanc August 24
Josh Palmer August 17
Daryl Brunt August 10
Amber Fleury August 3
Ashley Leitao July 27
Emily Vinette July 20
Season 4 (2006)
Eva Avila Winner
Craig Sharpe September 17
Tyler Lewis September 5
Chad Doucette August 29
Steffi DiDomenicantonio August 22
Ashley Coulter August 15
Rob James August 8
Brandon Jones August 1
Sarah Loverock July 25
Kati Durst July 18
Season 5 (2007)
Brian Melo Winner
Jaydee Bixby September 11
Carly Rae Jepsen September 4
Dwight d'Eon August 28
Matt Rapley August 21
Tara Oram August 14
Greg Neufeld August 7
Martha Joy July 31
Khalila Glanville July 24
Mila Miller July 17
Season 6 (2008)
Theo Tams Winner
Mitch MacDonald September 10
Drew Wright September 2
Earl Stevenson August 26
Mookie Morris August 19
Amberly Thiessen August 12
Mark Day August 5
Sebastian Pigott July 29
Katherine St-Laurent July 22
Adam Castelli July 15

Season 2

Main article: Canadian Idol (season 2)
The second season of Canadian Idol debuted on June 1, 2004, and became the most-watched show in Canada, drawing in over 3 million viewers each week.

Auditions were held in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax, Regina, and St. John's. The season provided an Idol franchise first when the final six contestants played their own instruments during a group performance of the Gordon Lightfoot classic "Canadian Railroad Trilogy".

Kalan Porter of Medicine Hat, Alberta won the series, and Theresa Sokyrka of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was the runner-up. In November 2004, merely two months after the competition, Porter released his debut album entitled 219 Days " the number of days spanning from his first audition to the release of his CD. It was certified double platinum within two months and he received three Juno nominations. Porter also won Fan Favourite Canadian Artist at the MuchMusic Video Awards. Other competitors from Season Two's Top 10 who have released albums include: Sokyrka, Jacob Hoggard (four albums with his band Hedley), Jason Greeley, Shane Wiebe, and Joshua Seller. Porter is the first CI winner to have a second CD released by Sony BMG (Wake Up Living launched August 28, 2007). Jacob Hoggard released his second album (Universal) with his band, Hedley; the album's first single, "She's So Sorry", was released to radio August 20, 2007.

Date Theme Bottom Three
July 22 Canadian Hits Brandy Callahan Manoah Hartmann Joshua Seller
July 29 British Invasion Manoah Hartmann (2) Shane Wiebe Kaleb Simmonds
August 5 Rock & Roll Joshua Seller (2) Shane Wiebe (2) Elena Juatco
August 12 Lionel Richie Kaleb Simmonds (2) Elena Juatco (2) Shane Wiebe (3)
August 19 Gordon Lightfoot Elena Juatco (3) Jacob Hoggard Shane Wiebe (4)
Bottom Two
August 26 Summertime Hits Shane Wiebe (5) Jason Greeley
September 2 Standards Jason Greeley (2) Theresa Sokyrka
September 9 Judges' Choice Jacob Hoggard (2)
September 16 Final Two Theresa Sokyrka (2) Kalan Porter

Season 3

Main article: Canadian Idol (season 3)
In December 2004, CTV announced that they would be producing a third season of Canadian Idol in 2005. Auditions began in February and finished in April 2005 and the show debuted May 30, just days after the conclusion of the fourth season of American Idol but did not follow suit yet on the new change to that show.

Auditions were held in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Winnipeg, London, Sudbury, Saskatoon, St. John's, Moncton, Charlottetown, Sydney, and Whitehorse.

This season introduced a twist in the Wildcard semi-final round. On the group 4 results show, after the results were revealed, 11 previous competitors were brought out. (CTV had advertised the broadcast as having 12 competitors, but one dropped out at the last minute.) The judges expressed how they felt about each competitor, and each competitor had a chance to show why they should sing in the Wildcard, whether it be through song or a plea. Then, the public had a chance to vote which would decide which of the 11 competitors would sing in the Wildcard.

After the final, Melissa O'Neil of Calgary, Alberta was crowned the winner; with Rex Goudie of Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador the runner-up. Melissa O'Neil, Rex Goudie, Aaron Walpole, and Suzi Rawn have released albums; while Casey LeBlanc, Ashley Leitao and Amber Fleury have released an album as a group called Braided. Josh Palmer is also working on an album release.

Date Theme Bottom Three
July 19 Canadian Hits Emily Vinette Daryl Brunt Melissa O'Neil
July 20 Stevie Wonder Ashley Leitao Melissa O'Neil (2) Josh Palmer
August 3 The 1980s Amber Fleury Suzi Rawn Josh Palmer (2)
August 10 Big Band Daryl Brunt (2) Aaron Walpole Casey LeBlanc
August 17 Classic rock Josh Palmer (3) Suzi Rawn (2) Rex Goudie
Bottom Two
August 24 The Guess Who Casey LeBlanc (2) Suzi Rawn (3)
August 31 Elvis Presley Suzi Rawn (4)
September 7 Barenaked Ladies Aaron Walpole (2)
September 14 Final Two Rex Goudie (2) Melissa O'Neil (2)

Season 4

Main article: Canadian Idol (season 4)
In January 2006, CTV announced their plans for a fourth season of Canadian Idol. An 11-week audition tour took place in February, March and April 2006. Auditions were held in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Kitchener-Waterloo, Halifax, Regina, St. John's, and Yellowknife. Season two competitor Elena Juatco joined the show as the roving reporter, while Jon Dore did not return for the fourth season. The season premiered on May 29, five days after the finale of American Idol Season 5. The season finale of Canadian Idol took place on Sunday, September 17, 2006. The finale, originally scheduled for Tuesday, September 12, was moved to help resolve a conflict with ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars', which CTV also carried and which ABC announced would debut September 12. Eva Avila took the title in the closest final vote to date; CTV announced that 3.3% -- which amounted to 131,000 votes"?separated her from Newfoundland's Craig Sharpe.

On Saturday, September 16, 2006, a day prior to the public announcement of the Idol results, Sony BMG Music Entertainment began offering Avila's version of the first single, Meant to Fly, for sale on the website . Although the page was subsequently blanked, the artwork for the single can currently be located within the image files of the webpage. This occurrence led to the creation of many rumours regarding the winner of the competition. Both Avila's and Sharpe's singles were made available for pre-order for the September 26, 2006 release date on Amazon.com.

As of 2009, Eva Avila ('Somewhere Else' and 'Give Me the Music'), Craig Sharpe ('I Am', Chad Doucette ('Hit It'), Tyler Lewis ('I'm Coming Home'), and Brandon Jones ('All for You') had all launched debut CDs.

Date Theme Bottom Three
July 17 Canadian Hits Kati Durst Ashley Coulter (2) Steffi D (2)
July 24 Rolling Stones Sarah Loverock Ashley Coulter (3) Steffi D (3)
July 31 The 1980s Brandon Jones Chad Doucette Eva Avila
Bottom Two
August 7 Classic Rock Rob James Steffi D (4)
Bottom Three
August 14 Unplugged Ashley Coulter (4) Craig Sharpe Steffi D (5)
Bottom Two
August 21 Country Standards Steffi D (6) Eva Avila (2)
August 28 Judges' Choice Chad Doucette (2) Tyler Lewis
September 4 Standards Tyler Lewis (2)
September 11 Final Two Craig Sharpe (2) Eva Avila (2)

Season 5

Main article: Canadian Idol (season 5)
In December 2006, CTV announced the plans for the fifth season of Canadian Idol. The audition tour began in Vancouver on February 3, and visited nine more cities across Canada in a 10-week trip. This year, the network announced that the auditioners can play along with their instrument in their audition. The network also indicated that Dave Kerr will replace Elena Juatco in the co-hosting role for Season Five. Season Five premiered on June 5, 2007. On July 11, 2007 Canadian Idol voters picked their top ten. On September 4, 2007 these were narrowed down to the final two, Jaydee Bixby and Brian Melo. On September 11, 2007, Brian Melo was voted the winner.

Date Theme Bottom Three
July 17 #1 Hits Mila Miller (2) Carly Rae Jepsen Khalila Glanville (2)
July 23 The 1960s Khalila Glanville (3) Brian Melo (2) Martha Joy
Bottom Two
July 30 Unplugged Martha Joy (2) Matt Rapley
Bottom Three
August 6 Queen Greg Neufeld Brian Melo (3) Carly Rae Jepsen (2)
August 13 Pop-Rock Tara Oram Carly Rae Jepsen (3) Dwight d'Eon (2)
Bottom Two
August 20 My Own Idol Matt Rapley (2) Dwight d'Eon (3)
August 27 Standards Dwight d'Eon (4) Brian Melo (4)
September 3 Judges'/Peoples' Choice Carly Rae Jepsen (4)
September 10 Final Two Jaydee Bixby Brian Melo (4)

Season 6

Main article: Canadian Idol (season 6)
In January 2008, CTV announced the plans for the sixth season of Canadian Idol. The sixth season held auditions in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St. John's, and Toronto. In addition to the auditions, contestants who failed to advance to the next round or were unable to make it to an audition on the scheduled date were able to audition via cyberspace by uploading their 2 minute audition to the show's website. This was the first season to feature a top 24 instead of top 22 along with an uneven number of men and women in the cast. The Canadian voters selected their Top 10 on July 9, 2008 and chose Theo Tams as the winner in the finale, which aired September 10.

Date Theme Bottom Three
July 14 David Bowie Adam Castelli (2) Sebastian Pigott Mookie Morris
July 21 Rock and Roll Heaven Katherine St-Laurent Sebastian Pigott (2) Amberly Thiessen
July 28 Unplugged Sebastian Pigott (3) Mookie Morris (2) Mark Day
August 4 Top 10 UK Hits Mark Day (2) Earl Stevenson Theo Tams
August 11 Canadian Rock Amberly Thiessen (2) Earl Stevenson (2) Drew Wright
Bottom Two
August 18 Judges Choice of Beatles songs Mookie Morris (3) Drew Wright (2)
August 25 Anne Murray + Free choice Earl Stevenson (3) Theo Tams (2)
September 1 Bryan Adams Drew Wright (3)
September 8 Final Two Mitch MacDonald Theo Tams (1)

Season 7

In December 2008, CTV announced that Season 7 of Canadian Idol would not be aired in 2009, citing the current difficult economic situation as the reason for the hiatus.

Canadian Idol appeared to be non-existent from 2010 to 2012 as auditions that normally occur during February, March, and April were not announced and speculation continued that Idol has been cancelled outright. A Toronto Sun article, dated August 11, 2010, hinted that the show has ended.

Top selling Canadian Idol alumni

Main article: Canadian Idol alumni album sales

See also

  • Music of Canada


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