The One (TV program)
| The One | |
|---|---|
| Developed by | Seven Network |
| Presented by | Andrew Daddo |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Maxine Gray |
| Producer | Tim Thatcher |
| Running time | Approximately 60 minutes (including advertising intervals) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 8 July 2008 – 2011 |
The One is an Australian television program broadcast by the Seven Network, hosted by Andrew Daddo. The program pits several psychics against one another, participating in trials which challenge their purported abilities in activities such as clairvoyance, telepathy and mediumship to determine who is Australia's "top psychic".[1]
The show was originally created by Fox Studios Australia, who in 2006 contracted Simon Turnbull, President of the Australian Psychics Association, to help create the show. The psychics' abilities are observed by a studio audience or at external locations, and are judged by a two-person panel including Stacey Demarco, a psychic, and Richard Saunders, vice president of Australian Skeptics.[2]
The show premièred in Australia on Tuesday, 8 July 2008 and ended following its second season in 2011. The program was broadcast with closed captions and classified PG.
Season 1 (2008)
The show featured seven top Australian psychics, selected from over 1500 applicants. All had been certified by the Australian Psychic Association, and passed police background checks.
Contestants
- Mitchell Coombes - First to be voted off and author of 2 books has 7 years professional experience.
- Rayleen Kable - Second to be voted off and host of a paranormal radio show on the mid-coast of NSW, also stars on "Haunting:Australia".
- Rev. Dr. Shé D'Montford - The show's token witch is a former Queensland Business Woman of the and Australian of the Year nominee. Third to be voted off she is the author of over 10 books and 5 DVDs, editor of 4 alternative magazines of which she is the editor-in-chief of "Magick" and "ESP."(journal of The Ethical Society of Psychics) Shé had over 35 years professional experience working as a psychic in Australia, the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Asia. Shé had a guest starring role in the Dutch production Ushi Must Marry playing herself. Shé was later parodied by English comedian Tom Binns as his psychic character Ian D Monfort in a skit called The One: Britain's Most Gifted Psychic.
- Dr. Jason Betts - Australian psychic and fourth to be voted off. Member of Mensa with 20 years professional experience. Winner of the 2008 Australian Psychic of the Year award (APA) and the 2010 Tasmanian Psychic of the Year Award (APA).[3]
- Amanda Roussety - Top Three contestant. Housewife and young mother of 3, was the only non-professional psychic to appear on the show.
- Ezio De Angelis - Top Three contestant. A stage medium with over 10 years professional experience.
- Charmaine Wilson - The winner of the inaugural season of The One. This Australian medium began working professionally in the field in 2002, and was also honored as Queensland Psychic of the Year in 2009 and Australian Psychic of the Year for 2005 by the Australian Psychics Association.
Eliminations were made by the judges each week. On the final episode of The One the winner was chosen by the Australian public, voting via a telephone popularity poll.
Season 2 (2011)
After a long absence, the series returned at 19:30 on 5 October 2011.[4] Andrew Daddo returned to host the second series.
Controversy
The show was controversial for content shown in the final episode of season 1, featuring a hunt for the body of murder victim Peter Falconio. The stunt was condemned by Colne Valley MP Kali Mountford, who had worked with the Falconio family, with "Some reality shows are worthwhile and show people having a laugh, but there is nothing funny about such a personal, terrible tragedy."[5] The search for Falconio was additionally criticized by the eventual winner Charmaine Wilson as being "in bad taste".[6]
Shé D'Montford also publicly criticized the show for editing out many of the things that the psychics got right in order to make the show more believable to the general public. Her comments have been published on this in the August 2008 issue of Spheres magazine. Further reports were in The Australian Psychics Directory of that year and Spellcraft magazine as well as on several radio programmes including the following web archive.[7]
All of the tests followed conditions discussed with Richard Saunders, who was the secretary for The Australian Skeptic Society and a judge on the show. However, Saunders has stated that contestants failed 94% of tests.[8]
In season 2 over 800 people were invited to audition for the show, in accordance with an agreement with the Seven Network and the Australian Psychics Association.
References
- ^ "Just act paranormal". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 July 2008.
- ^ The One - Channel 7 TV Show
- ^ Dr Jason Betts Australia’s Top Psychic – 2008 Australian Psychic of the Year (Television). Today Tonight via YouTube.
- ^ "7 Australia TV guide". Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ "Peter Falconio murder on TV reality show". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ "'Falconio stunt in bad taste'". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ "She' D'Montford & The Freddie Mercury wrist band Psychic reading on The One". Podcast Station. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ "An Interview with a Skeptic". Paranormal Field Investigates. Retrieved 12 October 2011.