Are TV audition shows damaging the industry?

Nowadays, it seems we can't escape from TV audition shows. You know the type - your typical Essex shop girl auditions for a singing contest and after three weeks of hard work, fine tuning and tears, she is transformed into a Pop star set for stardom.

It seems that on every channel, every season, a new show is introduced that promises to create a star; be it for a lead role in a West End show, a record deal, or five minutes of fame performing in front of the Queen. You got it, shows like X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, and dozens more reality talent-show themed programs are taking over our Saturday nights. And what exactly is wrong with that?
To begin with, the answer to that question was nothing. British shows like I'd do Anything, Any dream will do, and How do you solve a problem like Maria? actually reminded the British public what the West End was all about - and ultimately boosted ticket sales.

However, audition based shows have made it look quick and easy to attain a kind of stardom that is really celebrity culture based. The number of people applying for acting degrees and Performing Arts Schools has rocketed to sky-high figures, and most of the applicants having never set foot in a theatre, or understood what it means to train to be an artist. People are now approaching the industry with no real idea of how it works.
And who can blame them? These TV shows present the idea that you only have three weeks to work on your voice, and bam, you'll be good enough for a West End stage or a Top Ten Hit in the charts. But in reality, there is real commitment required to become an actor. An actor's body is their instrument and thus their career, and most actors in the industry have had at least three years of voice training at a well-established Drama school, alongside other essential training elements that most professionals continue to learn for the rest of their lives.
So essentially, what TV shows like How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria? are doing, is taking away work from actors who have spent time and money on professional training, and plopping them into the laps of what the media likes to call, 'the girl next door'.

Whilst we at Straight From School enjoy celebrating the success of those actresses who attended open castings and found their feet in a flaky industry through a lucky break, it should also be remembered that talent is not an instant right that should be "spotted". Aspiring performers with this misconception are likely to discover a very harsh reality; a professional world that spews out more disappointment than the stardom promised by its false friend - TV audition shows.

Written by Addison. Any questions or opinions, let us know.