It seems these days that talent shows are all the "buzz around town"—the "town" meaning the world! For the past several years, television programs like Britain's Got Talent and American Idol have been boasting over-the-top ratings in the United States and Europe while numerous others are doing the same in a multitude of other countries, like One Million Star in Taiwan and Let's Go! Oriental Angel in China. It appears the search is on for those with gifts that outshine the brightest stars! What has made these television broadcasts popular is their theatrical appeal. Inspiring singers, dancers, comedians, magicians, and instrumentalists take the stage and perform with passion. The greatest reason is a love for their art, but, adding to the drama, it can also be the desire for prize money, contracts, and fame. Variety talent shows can be traced back to the wellknown American radio show, Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour, which aired for ten years from 1935 to 1945. Major Bowes, manager of New York's Capitol Theater, provided the opportunity for budding artists to perform while the audience voted on who they liked the best. This format has evidently remained a favorite, for it is how many talent shows on TV are done today. Some talent shows, such as American Idol and One Million Star, feature young singers that have a serious potential for becoming vocal pop-star idols. In these contests, they must have charisma and stage presence, and their personalities must be genuine and shine through to connect with the audience. In China, Let's Go! Oriental Angel is a sister show to Let's Go! Good Boys. In these programs, the contestants must bring serious acting skills to the stage as well as their own chosen talent. Contestants do their best in what turns out to be very dramatic presentations, all in the name of winning. The wonderful thing about the popularity of these shows is that some communities in the U.S. are joining in with talent shows of their own as a way of raising funds for charitable institutions. Members of churches, clubs, and schools are putting their talents to good use and having a lot of fun in the process. With the help of the Internet, this measure of good will most likely spread to other countries as a way to reach out to others in need.
現在的選秀節目在各地都很夯，各地指的可是「世界各地」呢！過去幾年來，《英國達人》（Britain's Got Talent ）和《美國偶像》（American Idol ）等電視節目在美國和歐洲等地坐擁高收視率，而許多其他國家也爭相模仿，如台灣的《超級星光大道》和中國的《加油！東方天使》。每個國家似乎都在尋找那些比明星還亮眼的天生歌手！ 這些電視節目之所以受到歡迎是因為節目中有戲劇性的表演。鼓舞人心的歌手、舞者、喜劇演員、魔術師和樂器家紛紛站上舞台，賣力演出。而最主要的原因是因為他們對自身技藝的熱愛，但這其中也不乏戲劇效果，也許是因為這些人都渴望得到獎金、唱片合約和聲望。 這些各式各樣的選秀節目都是起源於有名的美國廣播節目《鮑斯少校新穎的業餘時間》，該節目從1935 年播出至1945 年。鮑斯少校是紐約首都戲院的負責人，專為剛嶄露頭角的新人提供表演機會，而觀眾也可以投票給最喜歡的人。這種方式顯然一直都很受到歡迎，因為現在有許多選秀節目都是採取這種方式。 《美國偶像》（American Idol ）和《超級星光大道》等選秀節目都是以一群年輕歌手為特色，他們都具有成為流行偶像的潛力。在這些比賽中，他們必須具備觀眾緣和舞台魅力，並且真實展現出自我，與觀眾進行互動。在中國，《加油！東方天使》是《加油！好男兒》的姊妹秀。在這些節目中，參賽者在舞台上必須會演戲，並能展現其所選擇的才藝。為了贏得比賽，參賽者賣力演出，呈現了戲劇性的表現。 最棒的是，這些節目的流行帶動了一些美國組織和選秀節目的合作，共同為慈善機構募款。教會、組織和學校團體盡其所能地善用這項資源，並且在過程中得到了許多樂趣。在網路的推波助瀾之下，這種善良的行為會擴散到其他國家，讓需要幫助的人得到幫助。 | 
