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CNN Live Today
Finding 'Fame'
Aired May 28, 2003 - 10:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just a little taste there of the new show "Fame." It's nothing like the old film and television version that you might remember. This time around, the would-be stars are singing and dancing their way into the realm of reality television. But you will see at least one familiar face from the original "Fame," Debbie Allen, and she's joining us now from Los Angeles to talk about the new show.
Miss Allen, good morning. Thanks for being with us today.
DEBBIE ALLEN, "FAME": Good morning, Daryn. I'm very happy to see you this morning. Thank you.
KAGAN: You have to be sitting at home during some of these reality television shows, some of these talent searches over the last year or so, and thinking, please, I was doing stuff like that 10, 15 years ago, looking for young talent.
ALLEN: I've never stopped. You know, I've been artisan, residence of the Kennedy Center for a decade, I've done the Academy Awards for a decade, and I now have the Debbie Allen Dance Academy here in Culver City. So I never stopped doing it. I'm still doing it.
KAGAN: I know you haven't stopped; you're one of the busiest women in show business.
And this time, with this kind of talent search, you're actually raising the bar. We have seen young people singing. You want young people who can sing, dance, who can all out wow on stage live.
ALLEN: Yes, you know, it's a different journey when you're looking for that triple threat, someone who can really sing and dance and has that bigger than life personality, and so I think we're taking the whole idea of this kind of a competition to another level with this kind of artists that we're going to present tonight. Tonight, honey, we're hitting tonight.
KAGAN: And when does it start? I think it will be tonight.
ALLEN: Tonight.
KAGAN: Let give people a preview and take a look at the a clip from the show.
So, Debbie, how's this going to work? There has already been these nationwide auditions. ALLEN: Well, how it works is tonight, we're going to have a two- hour premiere on NBC, and what you're going to see the documentary part of the search, and then you're going to meet the 24 semifinalists from all over the country, and they're going to dance and sing in a big production number. You're going to meet them individually. And the first contestants are going to go up tonight. And the judges are going to judge for the first four shows. And then, hopefully, the American public will watch every episode, start to pick their winner, and then they will choose who is going to ultimately win.
KAGAN: And How is that going to happen? There has been some controversy over this whole phone-in system with "American Idol?"
ALLEN: Well, I'm not totally aware of the whole controversy, but...
KAGAN: How are you guys going to do it?
ALLEN: What happens, is you keep the phone lines open I think for about two hours after the show airs, and then you, you know, put it together and add up the votes, tally it up. I'm not sure of the controversy. What is the controversy?
KAGAN: Just when they kept the phones open like that for two hours and people were trying to call in couldn't, and the phone systems got overwhelmed and maybe, you know, it was so close between Ruben and Clay perhaps the real -- whatever. We're going to talk about your show.
ALLEN: That's OK. I like that show, too.
KAGAN: Let's me ask you this. As you were -- you have been walking the walk of the show for a while. You went out across America and went to these auditions. What's it like out there? Are there a lot of talented young people across America?
ALLEN: There is so much talent out there. That one reason I'm competed to throw my hat in the ring with this kind of a show and raise it to another level. This gives an opportunity to so many talented young people, but it also speaks volumes why we need more arts education opportunity in the public schools and every community, because this is a that way we can uplift the human spirit. We expect everyone to watch tonight.
We know "Fame" is going to uplift the world. We're going to bring so much joy.
When we did the show originally, we were in countries fighting with each other, and they would lay down their arms, because I was bringing the kids from "Fame" on the road in concert, and it was just amazing the power of song and dance and what it can do for the human spirit.
So Here we go again, and I'm just excited, and I hope everybody watches tonight and starts to focus in on their winner.
KAGAN: Well, here you go again. I watched the show when I was growing up, and I'll be watching tonight.
Debbie Allen, good luck with the show.
ALLEN: Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
KAGAN: Appreciate it. You'll have to bring the winners back on.
ALLEN: We will be happy to.
KAGAN: OK, we look forward to that. Good luck.
ALLEN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 28, 2003 - 10:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, just a little taste there of the new show "Fame." It's nothing like the old film and television version that you might remember. This time around, the would-be stars are singing and dancing their way into the realm of reality television. But you will see at least one familiar face from the original "Fame," Debbie Allen, and she's joining us now from Los Angeles to talk about the new show.
Miss Allen, good morning. Thanks for being with us today.
DEBBIE ALLEN, "FAME": Good morning, Daryn. I'm very happy to see you this morning. Thank you.
KAGAN: You have to be sitting at home during some of these reality television shows, some of these talent searches over the last year or so, and thinking, please, I was doing stuff like that 10, 15 years ago, looking for young talent.
ALLEN: I've never stopped. You know, I've been artisan, residence of the Kennedy Center for a decade, I've done the Academy Awards for a decade, and I now have the Debbie Allen Dance Academy here in Culver City. So I never stopped doing it. I'm still doing it.
KAGAN: I know you haven't stopped; you're one of the busiest women in show business.
And this time, with this kind of talent search, you're actually raising the bar. We have seen young people singing. You want young people who can sing, dance, who can all out wow on stage live.
ALLEN: Yes, you know, it's a different journey when you're looking for that triple threat, someone who can really sing and dance and has that bigger than life personality, and so I think we're taking the whole idea of this kind of a competition to another level with this kind of artists that we're going to present tonight. Tonight, honey, we're hitting tonight.
KAGAN: And when does it start? I think it will be tonight.
ALLEN: Tonight.
KAGAN: Let give people a preview and take a look at the a clip from the show.
So, Debbie, how's this going to work? There has already been these nationwide auditions. ALLEN: Well, how it works is tonight, we're going to have a two- hour premiere on NBC, and what you're going to see the documentary part of the search, and then you're going to meet the 24 semifinalists from all over the country, and they're going to dance and sing in a big production number. You're going to meet them individually. And the first contestants are going to go up tonight. And the judges are going to judge for the first four shows. And then, hopefully, the American public will watch every episode, start to pick their winner, and then they will choose who is going to ultimately win.
KAGAN: And How is that going to happen? There has been some controversy over this whole phone-in system with "American Idol?"
ALLEN: Well, I'm not totally aware of the whole controversy, but...
KAGAN: How are you guys going to do it?
ALLEN: What happens, is you keep the phone lines open I think for about two hours after the show airs, and then you, you know, put it together and add up the votes, tally it up. I'm not sure of the controversy. What is the controversy?
KAGAN: Just when they kept the phones open like that for two hours and people were trying to call in couldn't, and the phone systems got overwhelmed and maybe, you know, it was so close between Ruben and Clay perhaps the real -- whatever. We're going to talk about your show.
ALLEN: That's OK. I like that show, too.
KAGAN: Let's me ask you this. As you were -- you have been walking the walk of the show for a while. You went out across America and went to these auditions. What's it like out there? Are there a lot of talented young people across America?
ALLEN: There is so much talent out there. That one reason I'm competed to throw my hat in the ring with this kind of a show and raise it to another level. This gives an opportunity to so many talented young people, but it also speaks volumes why we need more arts education opportunity in the public schools and every community, because this is a that way we can uplift the human spirit. We expect everyone to watch tonight.
We know "Fame" is going to uplift the world. We're going to bring so much joy.
When we did the show originally, we were in countries fighting with each other, and they would lay down their arms, because I was bringing the kids from "Fame" on the road in concert, and it was just amazing the power of song and dance and what it can do for the human spirit.
So Here we go again, and I'm just excited, and I hope everybody watches tonight and starts to focus in on their winner.
KAGAN: Well, here you go again. I watched the show when I was growing up, and I'll be watching tonight.
Debbie Allen, good luck with the show.
ALLEN: Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
KAGAN: Appreciate it. You'll have to bring the winners back on.
ALLEN: We will be happy to.
KAGAN: OK, we look forward to that. Good luck.
ALLEN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
