Popstars (2001): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2001, Popstars is a documentary and reality series.

What it’s about. Popstars is a UK talent show series that was broadcast on ITV in early 2001. It was the first UK series of the international Popstars franchise, and was billed as a documentary on the formation of a modern pop group. The series began with audition rounds of aspiring singers performing songs before a panel of judges. The best performers were selected to come to London for further rounds of auditions. Over the weeks, the judges eliminated various singers from the auditions until just a few singers were left in contention. In the final weeks, five contestants were chosen by the judges to form the new pop group Hear’Say. The programme then showed the group recording and promoting their first single, documenting their first ventures into the music industry. The first series of Popstars proved popular with audiences, and a second series followed in 2002.

Who’s in it. Popstars stars Nigel Lythgoe as Self, Nicki Chapman as Self, Paul Adam as Self and Darius Campbell as Self, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, Popstars sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Popstars page.

If you liked it. Fans of Popstars tend to enjoy Cosmos, Planet Earth, Planet Earth II and Vikings.