娱乐英语新闻:Chinese version of "American Idol" to have overseas contests

CHANGSHA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese TV show "Happy Boys", deemed as local version of "American Idol", will for the first time to launch contests in the United States and Australia this year, the show producer Hunan Satellite Television said Thursday.

Winning contestants in the two countries will likely join other contestants in China in the final, though the contest's details have yet been finalized.

Li Hao, spokesman of Hunan TV based in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, said the decision was made in order to attract more talented musicians overseas to join the popular program.

Li said previous shows had attracted quite a number of overseas Chinese and foreigners to join the contests in China.

Su Xing and Li Xiaoyun, two Chinese students who studied both in Australia, shot to fame overnight after they respectively won the second places in "Happy Boys" in 2007 and "Happy Girls" in 2009.

Hunan TV created a nationwide star-making trend by broadcasting "Super Girls" from 2004 to 2006, "Happy Boys" in 2007 and "Happy Girls" in 2009, which was transformed from "Super Girls".

The 2005 "Super Girls" champion Li Yuchun has become a national celebrity as singer, actress and producer.

The show, however, also caused a lot of controversy as many people worried it might encourage youngsters to seek instant fame.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, which oversees all TV productions in China, also asked Hunan TV not to broadcast the show before 10:30 p.m., and that anchors and judges must "act and speak decently."