Synopses & Reviews
Ben Elton is about to put the “real” back into Reality TV in his biting satire of one of todays most popular cultural phenomena — the TV talent show.
95,000 hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner.
And thats Colin Simms, the genius behind the show.
Colin always wins, because Colin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgment on the mingers, clingers and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted “search” for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The “real” is about to be put back into “reality” television, and Colin and his fellow judges (the nations favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves.
From the best-selling author of The First Casualty, Popcorn, and Dead Famous comes Chart Throb. One winner. A whole bunch of losers.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Review
"Another brilliantly savage, laugh-out-loud page-turner from Elton." —OK Magazine
Synopsis
Chart Throbthe ultimate pop quest. Ninety-five thousand hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner. And that is Calvin Simms, the genius behind the show. Calvin always wins because Calvin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgment upon the clingers and blingers whom he has preselected in his carefully scripted "search" for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The "real" is about to be put back into "reality" television, and Calvin and his fellow judges (the nations favorite mom and the other guy) are about to become "ex-factors" themselves. Ben Elton returns to blistering comic satire with a vengeance in this no-holds-barred competition. One winner. A whole bunch of losers. Crazed, no-talent, fame junkies . . . and those are just the judges.
About the Author
Ben Eltons career encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty-five years. His TV writing and performing credits include such multi-award-winning shows as The Young Ones, Blackadder, Saturday Live, The Man from Auntie, and The Thin Blue Line. His three hit West End stage plays are Gasping, Silly Cow, and Popcorn, which won the Olivier Award for best comedy. He wrote and directed the feature film Maybe Baby, starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson, which was based on his novel Inconceivable. He has also written three stage musicals including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You, which he created with Queen and which he also directs worldwide. He has written ten internationally bestselling novels including Dead Famous, The First Casualty, and High Society, which won the WH Smith Peoples Choice Award. He recently returned to stand-up comedy after a gap of almost ten years and his new show, Get a Grip, played to packed houses in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.