Chart Throb.The ultimate pop quest. Ninety five thousand hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner. And that's Calvin Simms, the genius behind the show.
Calvin always wins because Calvin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement upon the mingers, clingers and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted 'search' for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The 'real' is about to be put back into 'reality' television and Calvin and his fellow judges (the nation's favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves. Ben Elton, author of Popcorn and Dead Famous returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows.
Chart Throb. One winner. A whole bunch of losers. **
Review
"A work of formidable imaginative scope. The writing is so good, the language so surprisingly subtle and the characters so beautifully delineated."
About the Author
Ben Elton’s career encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty-five years. His TV writing and performing credits include such multi-award-winning shows as The Young Ones, Blackadder, Saturday Live, The Man from Auntie, and The Thin Blue Line. His three hit West End stage plays are Gasping, Silly Cow, and Popcorn , which won the Olivier Award for best comedy. He wrote and directed the feature film Maybe Baby, starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson, which was based on his novel Inconceivable. He has also written three stage musicals including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You, which he created with Queen and which he also directs worldwide. He has written ten internationally bestselling novels including Dead Famous, The First Casualty, and High Society , which won the WH Smith People’s Choice Award. He recently returned to stand-up comedy after a gap of almost ten years and his new show, Get a Grip, played to packed houses in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Description:
Chart Throb.The ultimate pop quest.
Ninety five thousand hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner.
And that's Calvin Simms, the genius behind the show.
Calvin always wins because Calvin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement upon the mingers, clingers and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted 'search' for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The 'real' is about to be put back into 'reality' television and Calvin and his fellow judges (the nation's favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves.
Ben Elton, author of Popcorn and Dead Famous returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows.
Chart Throb. One winner. A whole bunch of losers. **
Review
"A work of formidable imaginative scope. The writing is so good, the language so surprisingly subtle and the characters so beautifully delineated."
About the Author
Ben Elton’s career encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty-five years. His TV writing and performing credits include such multi-award-winning shows as The Young Ones, Blackadder, Saturday Live, The Man from Auntie, and The Thin Blue Line. His three hit West End stage plays are Gasping, Silly Cow, and Popcorn , which won the Olivier Award for best comedy. He wrote and directed the feature film Maybe Baby, starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson, which was based on his novel Inconceivable. He has also written three stage musicals including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You, which he created with Queen and which he also directs worldwide. He has written ten internationally bestselling novels including Dead Famous, The First Casualty, and High Society , which won the WH Smith People’s Choice Award. He recently returned to stand-up comedy after a gap of almost ten years and his new show, Get a Grip, played to packed houses in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.