In 2004, Hunan Satellite Television initiated a singing contest called “超级女声” or “Super Girl.” It grew famous overnight, impressed millions of Chinese viewers and soon gained fame as the most popular entertainment show in the country, with following seasons to come.

    However, “Super Girl” was taken off the air on September 16, 2011, beacuse it failed to meet the regulations made by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

    The main task of SARFT is to administer and supervise the country’s television, radio and film industries. It has imposed several regulations on television programs, especially entertainment programs such as “Super Girl.”

    As China has the world’s largest population and probably the largest number of TV viewers, what is shown on TV can have huge impacts. Thus, it is imperative for SARFT to be strict on the quality of TV programs.

    According to the restrictions, a maximum of 90 minutes of entertainment content is allowed every night, between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. But “Super Girl” failed to limit its program to 90 minutes, with some episodes lasting three hours, until midnight.

    To be fair, “Super Girl” provided a new stage for girls with big dreams. There were millions of girls who wanted to be singers but couldn’t find ways to reach their goals. But the program created a path for them, and ignited millions of girls’ dreams. It encouraged singers to pursue music despite their backgrounds. Zhang Liangying, who won third place in the 2005 competition, was one example.

    In addition, viewers were allowed to decide singers’ fates by sending text messages with their votes. It was the first and most influential voting exercise of its kind in China.

    The show entertained a large audience, but also drew harsh critics.

    Inspired by 2005’s “Super Girl,” various talent shows in the country have since popped up, one by one. Some media outlets have taken advantage of the shows and lured young people to give up their jobs or studies to participate. They led millions of youths to have unrealistic dreams of becoming famous overnight.

    As those programs went on, some contestants were accused of bribing judges or getting connected with producers. Whether the accusations were true or not, audiences grew frustrated by the negative news.

    Despite the accusations, the fresh TV program, costumes and quality of young contestants’ singing continued to impress viewers.

    A professor named Lei Wei commented on talent shows in China by saying that “maybe people never thought about this kind of possibility before.”

    Talent shows do provide unique possibilities. Some companies have found young idols through the shows, and do not have to spend a big sum of money to cultivate a star.

    Now, though, most Chinese viewers are getting tired of learning the background story of a singer, deciding on their favorite singer by appearance or sending text messages to support a singer, all trends created by “Super Girl.” As more shows are either created or adapted from overseas producers, the show has been taken over by more creative programs, and for all these reasons, the life of “Super Girl” has undoubtedly come to an end.