Soundmixshow

Soundmixshow is the original Dutch version of Stars in Their Eyes; it was hosted by Henny Huisman,^[1][2] as a live-vocals version of the increasingly obsolete Playback Show. It has since been sold to other countries,^[3] for instance the European Soundmix Show.

History

Early days

Huisman, who spent the 1970s drumming for Lucifer (of House For Sale-fame) and spin-off group Match, toured the early 1980s with his Hitkrant Drive-In Show; this prototype-version of the Playback-show was a joint venture with pop-weekly Hitkrant. In 1983 he brought the format on television during the summer-evening slot as KRO's Zomeravondshow; contestants performed on a hit-or-miss basis.

Breakthrough

In 1984 the name was changed to Playbackshow and contestants were now given full performance time. Soon afterwards Huisman decided to do a spin-off with real vocals; thus the Soundmixshow was born with artists being judged by a jury of three professionals featuring long-time stalwarts Jacques d'Ancona and Barry Stevens.

The Soundmixshow meant a breakthrough for several young Dutch artists, as it was a platform with a relative low threshold and a broad audience. The Soundmixshow was first produced by Endemol for Katholieke Radio Omroep (KRO) and afterwards for RTL 4 from 1990 until 2002.^[4]

In the finals of 1988, Huisman asked viewers to phone a specific number for televoting. However, this caused such a big amount of phone calls, that the whole telephone grid was down for a while, and even the emergency services (police, ambulance, firefighters) were out of reach in some parts of the country.^[4]

Other spin-offs

From the latter half of the 1980s till the early 1990s, Huisman presented the Miniplaybackshow as a platform for children; plans to do a Minisoundmixshow never materialised.

There was also a Seniorenplaybackshow, aimed at the elderly, and more successfully the Sterrensoundmixshow (Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes).^[2]

In 2002, the Soundmixshow was the platform for a debate between politicians just before the parliamental elections.

Aftermath

In 2002, the format was discontinued in favor of Idols and other talent contests. Huisman, like many other contemporaries, was thanked for his services and spent a few years with evangelical broadcaster EO; he documented his quest for God and hosted the Dutch version of Last Choir Standing (Korenslag). In 2010, he reunited with former Soundmixshow-contestants om KRO's anniversary-programme.

Successful contestants

• Petra Berger
• Marco Borsato
• Tooske Breugem
• Georgie Davis
• Glennis Grace
• Gerard Joling
• Gil Semedo
• Désirée Manders
• Edsilia Rombley

List of winners

References