In just two short years, One Million Star has churned out more than 20 stars, 12 albums and three EPs.

The popular Taiwan talent show, which airs on E City (StarHub Channel 56) on Thursdays at 8pm and Sundays at 9pm, has certainly lived up to its name. But with seven albums and three EPs released by the show’s alumni in the last year alone, the reality TV show seems to be reaching saturation point.

The singing contest, which premiered in January 2007, is becoming a victim of its own success.

When its debut season earned high ratings of 7.11 per cent in Taiwan and unearthed popular favourites such as Aska Yang, 30, and Jam Hsiao, 21, the producers scrambled and aired Season Two a mere one week after the first season ended.

The show’s alumni have been wildly popular. Yang sold over 60,000 copies of his debut album in Taiwan last year.

Hsiao sold 80,000 copies of his debut album in Taiwan. Season One winner, 21-year-old Yoga Lin, sold 40,000 copies of his debut album within the first week of its release and held a sell-out concert tour in Taiwan last May.

But after four six-month-long seasons with hundreds of contestants each season, even fans are suffering from One Million Star fatigue.

Events coordinator and fan David Ong, 27, says: "I think the producers should hold the contest once a year instead of once every six months. I feel there is an overdose of new singers from the show. I don’t even have time to find out more about them before the next season starts."

Fans are now finding it hard to tell some of the singers apart. The problem is exacerbated because it is not just winners on the show who release albums.

Popular contestants such as Singapore boy Huang Jinglun, Season Two female punk rock contestant Queen Wei and its runner-up Rachel Liang are also releasing albums. These albums are out even before the winners’ debuts have been released.

Wei, 24, whose debut album ‘Silly’ came out in November, acknowledges that the scene is getting more crowded: "With more seasons coming up, there will definitely be more than enough new singers in the scene after a while."

Even the producers of Taiwan’s version of American Idol admit that they are changing the show to keep it fresh and to boost ratings, which have flagged in the latest season.

The highest rating for the fourth season to date is only 3.27 per cent, a far cry from the first season fever. This puts it just slightly ahead of a rival talent show, Super Idol, which has recorded a viewership high of 3.04 per cent in its second season this year.

One Million Star’s executive producer Liu An-hua tells The Straits Times over the telephone from Taipei: "For Season Four, we are airing a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of the contestants to spruce up the programme. This way, the audience will get to know the participants better and feel more connected to the show."

The producers are inviting popular contestants from the past three seasons to sing duets with this season’s contestants.

Liu says the producers are in talks to re-format One Million Star. The new format, like America’s Got Talent, will feature dancers, actors, comedians and more—as long as they have talent. This, she says, will spice up the show and add a new dimension to it.

Currently, the show follows the template of American Idol, with competitors singing before a panel of judges drawn from Taipei’s entertainment industry. Unlike American Idol, however, judges, not viewers, decide who progresses to the next round.

This element accounts for the show’s credibility as it is not just a popularity contest. The judges, including showbiz veterans such as singer—producers John Yuan and Kay Huang, assess real talent as well as looks and marketability.

Sales assistant Mindy Tan, 30, says: "I prefer this show to other TV singing contests because the winner is chosen based on talent and not by how many votes he gets from the public."

This focus on talent has also attracted record companies to the show as they see it as a pool for fresh singers. As the show is aired over a period of six months, record companies have ample time to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of contestants.

Build fanbase, fulfil dreams

Shi Ren-cheng, head of the artist and repertoire department at Taiwanese record label HIM International Music, says in an e-mail interview: "Besides that, the contestants themselves also learn and grow rapidly in the process of joining the contest, gaining valuable experience even before they become professional singers."

HIM signed on Lin, as well as top contestants including Stanly Hsu, Peter Pan and Judy Chou. The latter three all released EP albums in late October and early November.

Shi points out that the show gives contestants a chance to build their fanbase, and these newcomers to the competitive Taiwan entertainment scene have a distinct advantage.

He says: "New singers who do not emerge from the show seldom get so much time onscreen to promote themselves and show off what they are capable of. One Million Star contestants definitely get more publicity and on-air exposure."

As such, industry insiders feel that there is a place for the talent show.

Shi adds: "The show still fulfils its function by churning out talented newcomers for the music industry season after season."

If sales are any indication, the alumni seem to be doing well. Singaporean Huang, for example, has sold over 40,000 copies of his first album, Jing’s Note, in Taiwan. The album sold over 4,000 copies in Singapore. His song Moonlight has been on the radio charts for eight weeks running, even topping the charts once.

The show’s alumni are quick to jump to its defence.

Chou, 21, runner-up in the first season, tells The Straits Times: "I don’t feel stressed by more newcomers emerging from the next few seasons. Instead, I feel happy for them that they also have the chance to fulfil their dreams and become singers."

Wei, who specialises in punk rock music, adds: "I try to distinguish myself from other newcomers by being who I really am and not try to fit into a mould."

Hsu, 23, who came in seventh in Season One, believes he has as much of a fighting chance as any other aspiring pop star: "As long as I work hard and prove myself, I am sure I will make it big as a singer, regardless of the number of new talents in the scene."