Idol is an original series about a fictional music industry, where contestants vie for a spot as the top idol. The show is a send-up of pop culture, with the characters often portrayed as satirical caricatures of real-life singers. The broad-strokes music industry satire is fine, but the lack of character development and attention to detail keeps the show from reaching its full potential.
The show does have some genuinely good moments, but it's often hard to tell whether the creators of Idol really wanted to make a show with substance or just a bunch of raunchy scenes with hot girls in tight dresses. It also struggles to balance the serious issues with the lighter fare, with the characters frequently resorting to cliched pop-culture references and ad-libs.
This may be a good idea for a film, but it doesn't really work in television, which relies more on propulsive plotting and an identifiable (if obtuse) moral centre. Likewise, the idol genre, which thrives on moral and tonal ambiguity, camp vapidity and leaning heavily on the audience for meaning, doesn't translate very well to TV, where viewers expect more in-depth story and characterization.
A big part of the appeal of Idol is that it is a show about idols — those young women who become famous for their singing, dance or other talents. But idols are not always wholesome or well-adjusted, and the pressure of performing can lead to depression and suicidal idealization, as two stars بت یک did in 2019. Idol one tries to capture the anxieties of the job by showing idols being trolled and harassed on social media and in public, and suffering from depression.
In its first episode, the show introduces Jocelyn, a woman who dreams of becoming a pop star and is pushed to the edge by her adoring fans and the industry itself. Her obsession with success leads to her suffering a number of setbacks, including depression and the abuse of her body by her manager.
Idol one benefits from the talents of a strong cast of actors who elevate the show's flat characters and shallow premise with their performances. Lily-Rose Depp, who also starred in Euphoria, is particularly impressive as the show's protagonist, with a kinetic range of emotions that can shift from frayed and wounded to composed and ruthless. Troye Sivan is likewise compelling as Xander, Jocelyn's childhood friend who becomes more and more detached from humanity. A number of the idols are also talented musicians, and the show features many great song performances, both from the idols and the cast members. Idol one's soundtrack is available for streaming on Spotify, iTunes and Google Play. It features a diverse mix of artists, from the pop punk band AKB48 to the gospel group Jelly Roll and 17-time Grammy winner CeCe Winans. It also contains an original song from the show, "Hard Fought Hallelujah" by Brandon Lake.