Minutes to Fame
Encyclopedia
Minutes to Fame is a game show
broadcast on Hong Kong
's TVB
. The show is intended to be satirical and funny, since most of the contestants are unexperienced and try to get famous.
100. The judges are often harsh and make fun of them directly.
Though mostly a competitive show, the laugh track
is heavily used instantly whenever one-liners or off-key singing was present. But sometimes it happens whenever spot-on singing happens if the contestant has an unusual appearance. Note that most Hong Kong variety shows use laugh tracks heavily for network purposes.
and Joey Leung
in the first two seasons. On April 1, 2007, the show was brought back on the air for a third season. It is currently hosted by Miriam Yeung
and Sammy Leung
. Each episode also invites a guest judge.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
broadcast on Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...
. The show is intended to be satirical and funny, since most of the contestants are unexperienced and try to get famous.
Format
On the show, regular Hong Kong citizens appear as contestants on stage to sing and perform. Their objective is to remain on stage for as long as possible, before the judges ring a bell to eliminate them. For each second the contestant remains on stage, the contestant is given HK$Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
100. The judges are often harsh and make fun of them directly.
Though mostly a competitive show, the laugh track
Laugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
is heavily used instantly whenever one-liners or off-key singing was present. But sometimes it happens whenever spot-on singing happens if the contestant has an unusual appearance. Note that most Hong Kong variety shows use laugh tracks heavily for network purposes.
Judges and guest judges
The show was hosted by Hacken LeeHacken Lee
Hacken Lee Hak Kan is an award winning Hong Kong based Cantopop singer and lyricist, actor, Master of Ceremonies and Association football sportscaster.-Early years: 1985-1995:...
and Joey Leung
Joey Leung
-Career:He has starred in movies such as Girl Boxer , Master of Martial Arts and Kung Fu King . He hosted the show Minutes to Fame with Hacken Lee....
in the first two seasons. On April 1, 2007, the show was brought back on the air for a third season. It is currently hosted by Miriam Yeung
Miriam Yeung
Miriam Yeung, RN, is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Before entering the entertainment business, she was a registered nurse at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong. She studied at the Holy Family Canossian College Kowloon...
and Sammy Leung
Sammy Leung
Sammy Leung Chi Kin is a popular DJ/MC/actor in Hong Kong's Commercial Radio.-Life and career:Sammy Leung tried out to become a DJ for Commercial Radio when he was studying at the New Asia College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. At the time, he was working part-time. However Sammy became a...
. Each episode also invites a guest judge.
Season 1
| 1 | Hacken Lee Hacken Lee Hacken Lee Hak Kan is an award winning Hong Kong based Cantopop singer and lyricist, actor, Master of Ceremonies and Association football sportscaster.-Early years: 1985-1995:... , Joey Leung Joey Leung -Career:He has starred in movies such as Girl Boxer , Master of Martial Arts and Kung Fu King . He hosted the show Minutes to Fame with Hacken Lee.... |
| 2 | Andy Lau Andy Lau Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time... |
| 3 | Edmond Leung Edmond Leung Edmond Leung Hon-man is a Chinese singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and television host from Hong Kong. At age 17, Leung became a finalist in the 8th annual New Talent Singing Awards in 1989, which won him a contract with Capital Artists. He made his recording debut in 1990 with the... |
| 4 | Liza Wang Liza Wang Elizabeth Wang Ming-chun, SBS, commonly known as Liza Wang, is an accomplished diva, actress and MC in Hong Kong. She is a well-known personality in Chinese-speaking communities. She has been nicknamed "The Big Sister" in the HK entertainment circle... |
| 5 | Twins |
| 6 | Miriam Yeung Miriam Yeung Miriam Yeung, RN, is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Before entering the entertainment business, she was a registered nurse at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong. She studied at the Holy Family Canossian College Kowloon... |
| 7 | Carol Cheng (鄭裕玲) |
| 8 | Nancy Sit Nancy Sit Nancy Sit Ka Yin is a Hong Kong actress on the TVB network. Her acting career dated back to the 1960s, when she was a popular teen idol alongside Connie Chan Po-chu, and Josephine Siao... |
| 9 | Joey Yung Joey Yung Joey Yung is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress from Emperor Entertainment Group. She won the prestigious JSG "Most Popular Female Singer" and "Ultimate Best Female Singer - Gold" awards a record breaking six times, thus emerging as one of the premier Cantonese singers in Hong Kong... |
| 10 | Jade Kwan Jade Kwan - About Jade :Kwan entered the New Talent Singing Awards Vancouver Audition 1999 with the song "Face" and was awarded first runner-up. As such, she represented Vancouver in the New Talent Singing Awards Canada Finals 1999 and won... , Warren Mok Warren Mok Warren Mok , is a Hong Kong operatic tenor who has performed many leading roles since his European debut in 1987 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He has a repertoire of 50 operatic roles, including Calaf in Turandot, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Don José in Carmen and Radames in Aida... |
| 11 | Eric Kwot (葛民輝) |
| 12 | Cheung Tat-ming (張達明) |
| 13 | Dicky Cheung Dicky Cheung -Career:He entered show business in the early 1980s, signing a contract with television station TVB. He won the 3rd annual New Talent Singing Awards in 1984. Up until the mid 90's, Dicky struggled for many years working as a low-paid actor, singer, and appeared occasionally in films... |
| 14 | Michael Miu Michael Miu Michael Miu Kiu-wai is a Hong Kong television and film actor. He was considered as one of the most popular young actors of the 1980s, and along with Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Felix Wong, and Kent Tong, he was a member of TVB's Five Tigers... , Candice Yu (余安安) |
| 15 | Niki Chow Niki Chow Niki Chow is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. She terminated her contract with management company BMA and label BMA Records in January 2011 and currently has an artist contract with TVB. She was born and raised in Hong Kong... , Jerry Lamb Jerry Lamb Jerry Lamb Hiu Fong is a Hong Kong actor. He is also known as Lamb Hiu Fung.He was born in Hong Kong. He is the younger brother of popular DJ, pop singer, and actor, Jan and radio personality-turned-singer Sandy. Jerry is best known to hardcore movie fans as the young lackey Pou-pan in the Young... |
| 16 | Vincent Kuk (谷德昭), Bernice Liu Bernice Liu Bernice Jan Liu is a Chinese Canadian actress, singer, and commercial model based in Hong Kong. She has previously held the title Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000 as well as Miss Chinese International 2001, the latter position bringing her fame in Hong Kong.Liu is best known for her role as Princess... |
| 17 | Alan Tam Alan Tam Wing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music... |
| Hegemony war episode | Natalis Chan Natalis Chan Natalis Chan Pak-Cheung, born 3 December 1950 in Hong Kong, is a Hong Kong television host, film actor and producer.Besides his duties as a variety show host, he has also been a horse racing commentator and horse trainer... , Gigi Leung Gigi Leung Gigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name... |
Season 2
| 1 | Eason Chan Eason Chan Eason Chan Yik-shun is a prominent male singer in Hong Kong's music industry. Undoubtedly one of the most dominant male singers in the post-1997 era of Hong Kong music industry. Eason Chan has been praised by Time magazine as a front runner in the next generation of Cantopop... |
| 2 | Leo Ku Leo Ku Leo Ku Kui Kei is a famous China and Hong Kong artist, Cantonese and Mandarin pop singer, actor, host, cartoonist, MV Director and Producer, and designer; he is one of the highest visibility and Greater China Pop Male Artist, a major figure in popular music culture. Leo had earned the "Ten... |
| 3 | Patrick Tam Patrick Tam Yiu Man Patrick Tam Yiu Man is a Hong Kong actor and singer.-Films:*A Land without Boundaries *The Detective 2 *I Love Hong Kong *Just Another Pandora's Box *Here Comes Fortune... , Ada Choi Ada Choi Ada Choi Siu-fun is a Hong Kong actress best known for her work for TVB television, and to a lesser extent, for her film work. She was the second runner-up in the 1991 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant.... |
| 4 | Chin Kar-lok, Yumiko Cheng Yumiko Cheng Yumiko Cheng is a Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer. Cheng was given the Japanese nickname "Yumiko" by her friends in secondary school, and upon signing with EEG, adopted it as her official stagename.-Career:... |
| 5 | Adam Cheng Adam Cheng Adam Cheng Siu-chow is a Hong Kong TVB actor and Cantopop singer.-Career:Cheng started his career in the 1970s, where he gained a reputation for playing the lead roles in TVB Wuxia drama series based on the works of Louis Cha and Gu Long, such as The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber and Chor Lau Heung... , Nicolas Tse |
| 6 | Denise Ho Denise Ho Denise Ho Wan-See, also known as HOCC, is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer.-1996-2001:Denise Ho was born in Hong Kong and received her education in Canada and Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Hong Kong. She emigrated with her family to Montreal, Quebec at the age of 11. She studied and graduated High... , Bosco Wong Bosco Wong Bosco Wong Chung-chak is a Hong Kong actor under TVB management and singer under East Asia Music.-Early career:Bosco's entertainment career began in 1998. He was spotted on the street by a talent-recruiter and soon appear for the first time in a lemon tea commercial and several minor modelling jobs... |
| 7 | Jessica Hsuan Jessica Hsuan Jessica Hester Hsuan, or Suen Huen is a Hong Kong actress. Jessica holds a degree from Imperial College London.She is currently one of the most popular television actresses of Hong Kong. She started her career in late 1992 and early 1993... , Roger Kwok Roger Kwok Roger Kwok Chun-on is Hong Kong television actor who works on the TV station TVB. Kwok was born in Hong Kong and his native family roots are in Zhongshan, Guangdong... |
| 8 | Wong Hei (王喜), Kenix Kwok Kenix Kwok Kenix Kwok Ho Ying is a Hong Kong actress. Along with Maggie Cheung Ho Yee, Esther Kwan, Marianne Chan, Ada Choi, Flora Chan and Jessica Hsuan, Kenix is known as one of the Top 7 "Fa Dans" of TVB from the mid 1990s to mid 2000s.Kwok got her start as a finalist in the Top 5 of the 1993 Miss Hong... |
| 9 | David Lui (呂方) |
| 10 | Cathy Chui (徐子淇) |
| 11 | Halina Tam Halina Tam Halina Tam, also known as May is a model, singer and television actress. She is also best known for her role in Legend of the Demigods and The Gentle Crackdown with co-star Wayne Lai.Tam was the winner of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 1994... |
| 12 | Kelly Chen Kelly Chen Kelly Chen is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. Kelly has also been known as a diva in Asia. She has a great success in Asia Entertainment industry with nearly 20 million record sales of 38 albums... |
| 13 | Sam Lee Sam Lee Sam Lee Chan-Sam is an actor from Hong Kong. He started his film career when he was first spotted by director Fruit Chan who cast him in Made in Hong Kong. Since his debut, Sam has been working hard on many films. In 1999, he made thirteen films in that year alone. He appeared in a Japanese... |
| 14 | Grasshopper Grasshopper (band) Grasshopper is a Hong Kong Cantopop boy group formed in 1982. The band consists of Edmond So Chi Wai, Calvin Choy Yat Chi and Remus Choy Yat Kit. Calvin and Remus are brothers and grew up with neighbour Edmond in a poor neighbourhood in Hong Kong. It was Remus who was interested in dancing and... |
| 15 | Ekin Cheng Ekin Cheng Ekin Cheng is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Early in his career he used the name Dior as a first name. He has also been referred to as Noodle Cheng, after a popular noodle product with a similar name... |
| hegemony war episode II | Jordan Chan Jordan Chan Jordan Chan Siu-Chun is a Chinese actor and musician from Hong Kong.Chan got his start by enrolling in the TVB Dancers' Training Class in 1985. Soon after graduation, he joined a few of the studio's troupes that would accompany popular singers during their live performances... , Dayo Wong Dayo Wong Dayo Wong Chi-wah , born 5 September 1960, is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter.Wong gained a degree in philosophy from the University of Alberta in Canada. He began his entertainment career in Hong Kong in 1984, but only became known since 1990 for his stand-up comedy... |
| imperial hegemony war | Aaron Kwok Aaron Kwok Aaron Kwok Fu-shing is a Hong Kong singer, dancer and actor. He has been active since the 1980s to the present. The media refer to him, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . Kwok's onstage dancing and displays is influenced by Michael Jackson... |
Season 3
| 1 | Leo Ku Leo Ku Leo Ku Kui Kei is a famous China and Hong Kong artist, Cantonese and Mandarin pop singer, actor, host, cartoonist, MV Director and Producer, and designer; he is one of the highest visibility and Greater China Pop Male Artist, a major figure in popular music culture. Leo had earned the "Ten... |
| 2 | David Lui (呂方) |
| 3 | Roger Kwok Roger Kwok Roger Kwok Chun-on is Hong Kong television actor who works on the TV station TVB. Kwok was born in Hong Kong and his native family roots are in Zhongshan, Guangdong... |
| 4 | Harlem Yu Harlem Yu Harlem Yu was born 28 July 1961. He is a Taiwanese Golden Melody Award singer-songwriter. He was the first artist to experiment with the style of R&B and rap in Chinese music. He has released 14 studio albums. He contribution to the Asian music industry has earned him the reputation of 'God of... |
| 5 | Fish Leong Fish Leong Fish Leong is the stage name of Jasmine Leong, a Malaysian Chinese singer in the Mandarin pop scene who has had much success in Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan... |
| 6 | Eric Suen (孫耀威), Gia Lin (林苑) |
| 7 | Grasshopper Grasshopper (band) Grasshopper is a Hong Kong Cantopop boy group formed in 1982. The band consists of Edmond So Chi Wai, Calvin Choy Yat Chi and Remus Choy Yat Kit. Calvin and Remus are brothers and grew up with neighbour Edmond in a poor neighbourhood in Hong Kong. It was Remus who was interested in dancing and... |
| 8 | Lo Ka-ying (羅家英) |
| 9 | Ron Ng Ron Ng Ron Ng Cheuk-hei is a Hong Kong TVB actor, singer, professional dancer, ambassador, and model. He is one of the most demanded artists from TVB.-Early Childhood:... , Tavia Yeung Tavia Yeung Tavia Yeung Yi is a Hong Kong actress under Hong Kong's Television Broadcast Limited or TVB. She has starred in numerous popular Hong Kong television series such as Vigilante Force, Twin of Brothers, Dicey Business, Heart of Greed, Moonlight Resonance and Beyond the Realm of Conscience.- Career... |
| 10 | Bernice Liu Bernice Liu Bernice Jan Liu is a Chinese Canadian actress, singer, and commercial model based in Hong Kong. She has previously held the title Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000 as well as Miss Chinese International 2001, the latter position bringing her fame in Hong Kong.Liu is best known for her role as Princess... , Bosco Wong Bosco Wong Bosco Wong Chung-chak is a Hong Kong actor under TVB management and singer under East Asia Music.-Early career:Bosco's entertainment career began in 1998. He was spotted on the street by a talent-recruiter and soon appear for the first time in a lemon tea commercial and several minor modelling jobs... |
| 11 | Andy Hui Andy Hui Andy Hui Chi-On is a Hong Kong singer and film actor. Hui was the First Runner-up in the 5th Annual New Talent Singing Awards in 1986. Hui has appeared in about 25 films.... |
| 12 | Denise Ho Denise Ho Denise Ho Wan-See, also known as HOCC, is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer.-1996-2001:Denise Ho was born in Hong Kong and received her education in Canada and Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Hong Kong. She emigrated with her family to Montreal, Quebec at the age of 11. She studied and graduated High... |
| 13 | Cheung Tat-Ming (張達明) |
| 14 | Stephen Fung Stephen Fung Stephen Fung Tak-Lun is a Hong Kong based actor, singer, model, writer and film director.-Biography:Fung's mother, Julie Sek Yin, was a famous Shaw Brothers actress... , Amanda S. (模特兒) |
| 15 | Ella Koon Ella Koon Ella Koon Yun Na is Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer, actress and model. She is French by citizenship.-Biography:Ella Koon was born in the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, of Cantonese descent. She was raised in Hong Kong and attended high school in Birmingham, England... , Nancy Sit Nancy Sit Nancy Sit Ka Yin is a Hong Kong actress on the TVB network. Her acting career dated back to the 1960s, when she was a popular teen idol alongside Connie Chan Po-chu, and Josephine Siao... , Charles Ying Charles Ying Charles Ying is a Cantopop singer from Hong Kong. After singing the theme song Do I Still Love You of the film Leaving me, Loving you, he was signed by Leon Lai of East Asia Record Production and became one of the new hotly promoted new artists in 2005.... |
| imperial hegemony war | Hacken Lee Hacken Lee Hacken Lee Hak Kan is an award winning Hong Kong based Cantopop singer and lyricist, actor, Master of Ceremonies and Association football sportscaster.-Early years: 1985-1995:... , Joey Leung Joey Leung -Career:He has starred in movies such as Girl Boxer , Master of Martial Arts and Kung Fu King . He hosted the show Minutes to Fame with Hacken Lee.... |
Slogan
The slogan of this programme is "全城盡興，殘酷一叮！" (The whole city (Hong Kong) gets excited for the minutes to fame).Going global
- Starting from May 2005, primaries are not only held in Hong Kong, but also in GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
etc.
- The European branch of TVB, TVB-S Europe, held a Minutes to Fame contest in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
on August 28, 2005 and August 29, 2005 respectively. The winner of both contests would proceed in a Minutes to Fame special later that year, where contestants from all over the world would compete.
Awards
- TVB Anniversary Awards (2005)TVB Anniversary Awards (2005)TVB Anniversary Awards 2005 is an award ceremony that celebrates the best in TVB programming of 2005. The award ceremony took place on 19 November 2005.-Best Actor:"Best Actor in a Leading Role" Award ....
- Won: Best Variety or Informative Show
- Won: Most Creative Program