Popstars is an international
reality television franchise and a precursor to the
Idol series. The series first began in
New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group
TrueBliss.
Popstars remains one of the most successful TV show formats of all time with the format being sold to more than 50 countries. The show was the inspiration for
Simon Fuller's
Idols franchise.