Most successful fame creator of the century, Simon Fuller, speaks exclusively to Time about hih latest plans

The creative force behind Pop Idol reveals his newest reality-TV concept

LONDON: OCTOBER 28, 2002: In this week�'s issue (November 4), TIME reveals the plans and future projects of Simon Fuller, king of music reality TV and creator of the hugely successful TV show, Pop Idol. In a rare and exclusive interview with TIME, the British entrepreneur speaks about the evolution of music reality TV and his future plans.

TIME details Fuller�'s brand new reality TV concept, a talent contest for faded stars who will compete for a comeback. Collaborating with U.S. network Fox, Fuller says, "It�'s [the show] where we go to people who have had a taste of fame, but sadly their candle has been snuffed." The show, with a working title of Second Chance Idol, is Fuller�'s solution to the saturation in the reality TV market. Giving stars a second chance to flourish, Fuller tells TIME that, "The clever thing is to take it [reality TV] and parody it". Never done before, the show could reach U.K.�'s screens as early as next February and audiences will get to choose between famed old names like Tiffany, Vanilli (from Milli Vanilli) and Debbie Gibson.

TIME reflects on Fuller�'s phenomenal success with Pop Idol, the T.V. show that received 32 million viewer telephone calls when the audience voted for its favourite performer. Scheduled for a second series in the U.K., it also did equally well in the U.S. as American Idol, commanding $60 million through sponsorship and ad revenue. Coca-Cola and Ford, the headline sponsors have already signed on for the next series. The show will also debut in Germany on November 9 as Germany Seeks A Superstar, and will present some of the 10,000 hopefuls who have flocked from four cities.

TIME shows how Fuller gained credibility while working with Annie Lennox for twelve years. He also managed the famous Spice Girls who under his direction sold over 40 million albums worldwide and he later launched the music band, S Club 7, which had it�'s own TV show and sold more than 7 million CDs. In 1985 Fuller founded 19, a privately-held group of companies named after his first hit act; a synthesizer- heavy song about the average age of Vietnam veterans.

TIME reports Fuller�'s other upcoming projects in the U.S. that include a movie, Ajs, which Fuller describes as a "cross between Fame and Grease" and a reality TV show called Superstar Girl that will "reinvent the beauty pageant".

As TIME explores the evolution of reality TV shows, it charts the successes and failures of the industry and reflects on a genre that is said to have become as essential to modern day culture as drama and comedy. For the full article please go to www.timeeurope.com.

The international editions of TIME magazine are published specifically for readers outside of the United States. There are four regional publications covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Asia; the South Pacific and Canada. Each edition offers readers access to Time Inc.'s global resources with regional, relevant stories. TIME is Europe's leading weekly newsmagazine, with a circulation of 600,090 across EMEA and 315,000 in Asia. Founded in 1923, TIME�'s worldwide circulation is more than 5.6 million.

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