# Soundmixshow

Soundmixshow is a Dutch talent show which was a live-vocals version of the Playback Show. It aired from 17 November 1985 to 27 April 2002 and was hosted by Henny Huisman. The format has since been sold to other countries, notably as the European Soundmix Show.

## History
### Early days

Huisman, former drummer of 1970s band Lucifer and spin-off group Match, toured the early 1980s with his Hitkrant Drive-In Show; this prototype-version of the Playback-show was a joint venture with weekly pop-magazine Hitkrant in which he had a column. In 1983, Huisman brought the format on television during the summer-evening slot as KRO's Zomeravondshow; contestants performed on a hit-or-miss basis.

### Breakthrough

In 1984 the name was changed to Playbackshow and contestants were now given full performance time. Soon afterwards Huisman decided to do a spin-off with real vocals; thus the Soundmixshow was born with artists being judged by a jury of three professionals notably Jacques d'Ancona and Barry Stevens; the latter's "Vooral doorgaan!" ("Keep up the good work!") became a catchphrase.
The Soundmixshow meant a breakthrough for several young Dutch artists, as it was a platform with a relative low threshold and a broad audience. The Soundmixshow was first produced by Endemol for Katholieke Radio Omroep (KRO) and afterwards for RTL 4 from 1990 until 2002.
In the finals of 1988, Huisman asked viewers to phone a specific number for televoting. However, this caused such a big amount of phone calls, that the whole telephone grid was down for a while, and even the emergency services (police, ambulance, firefighters) were out of reach in some parts of the country.

### Other spin-offs

From the latter half of the 1980s till the early 1990s, Huisman presented the Miniplaybackshow as a platform for children; a Minisoundmixshow was announced, but it never happened.
There was also a Seniorenplaybackshow with elder contestants, and more successfully the Sterrensoundmixshow (Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes).
In 2002, the Soundmixshow was the platform for a debate between politicians just before the parliamental elections.

### Aftermath

In 2002, the format was discontinued in favor of Idols and other talent contests. Huisman reunited with former Soundmixshow-contestants on KRO's anniversary-programme in 2010. He used the backdrop whilst playing himself in a children's movie chronicling the events of two aspiring popstars. In 2014, Huisman appeared on the Showtime programme to revisit his time as presenter of Soundmixshow.

## Successful contestants

* Kate Ryan
* Petra Berger
* Marco Borsato
* Tooske Breugem
* Georgie Davis
* Glennis Grace
* Gerard Joling
* Helmut Lotti
* Désirée Manders
* Edsilia Rombley

## List of winners

| Year | Artist | Original artist | Song | Additional information |
| 1985 | Glenda Peters | Randy Crawford | One Day I'll Fly Away | Gerard Joling was third this year |
| 1986 | Gina De Wit | Linda Ronstadt | Desperado |
| 1986 | Frank Ashton | Tony Christie | Don't Go Down To Reno | |
| 1987 | Peter Douglas | Frank Sinatra | New York, New York | |
| 1988 | Jos Van den Brom | John Denver | Leaving on a Jet Plane | Desirée Manders made her TV debut. This was in a legendary final, where people could televote, but because of the huge number of votes, the whole phone grid was down. |
| 1989 | Carina Bos | Timi Yuro | Hurt | Helmut Lotti was also contestant. Last season broadcast on KRO |
| 1990 | Marco Borsato | Billy Vera | At This Moment | First season broadcast by RTL 4 |
| 1991 | Jorge Castro | Luciano Pavarotti | Caruso | Kathleen Prattis sang as Anita Baker, Watch Your Step. |
| 1992 | Nhelly Dela Rosa | Shirley Bassey | This Is My Life | |
| 1993 | Ellen Fransz | Whitney Houston | I will always love you | |
| 1994 | Glennis Grace | Whitney Houston | One Moment In Time | |
| 1995 | Arno Kolenbrander | Simon Bowman (from the musical Miss Saigon) | Why God, Why | Tooske Breugem was also contestant |
| 1996 | Edsilia Rombley | Oleta Adams | I Just Had to Hear Your Voice | |
| 1997 | Mary Ann Morales | Lea Salonga (from Miss Saigon) | The Movie in My Mind | |
| 1998 | Cherwin Muringen | Seal | Kiss from a Rose | Floortje Smit was also contestant |
| 1999 | Erna Hemming | Emma Shapplin | Spente Le Stelle | |
| 2000 | Bart Schwertman | Ian Gillan (from the rock-opera Jesus Christ Superstar) | Ghetsemane | |
| 2001 | Mary Amora | Tina Turner | River Deep, Mountain High | |
| 2002 | Valerie Dwarkasing | Alicia Keys | Fallin' | |

## International versions

| Country | Local name | Channel | Hosts | Broadcast |
| Australia | StarStruck | Nine Network | Larry Emdur Catriona Rowntree | 2005 |
| Belgium | VTM soundmixshow (in Dutch) | VTM | Bart Kaëll (1989–2000) Kürt Rogiers [nl] (2000) | 1989–1995 1997–2000 |
| Belgium | De Nieuwe Soundmixshow (in Dutch) | VT4 | Jo De Poorter [nl] | 1996 |
| Belgium | Star ce soir (in French) | RTL-TVI | Frédéric Herbays | 1997–2002 |
| Denmark | Stjerneskud | TV3 | Anders Frandsen | 1995 |
| Germany | Mini Playback Show | RTL | Marijke Amado (1990–1998) Jasmin Wagner (1998) | 1990–1998 |
| Germany | Soundmix Show | RTL | Linda de Mol | 1995–1997 |
| Greece | Soundmix Show | Alpha TV | Natalia Germanou Nikos Moutsinas | 2006–2007 |
| Hungary | Kifutó | TV2 | András Csonka [hu] | 1998 |
| Italy | Re per una notte | Italia 1 | Gigi Sabani | 1994–1996 |
| Italy | Momenti di gloria | Canale 5 | Mike Bongiorno | 1999–2000 |
| Italy | Sei un mito | Canale 5 | Roberta Capua | 2005 |
| Italy | È nata una stella gemella | Canale 5 | Lorella Cuccarini | 2008 |
| Norway | Med blikket mot stjernene | TV3 | Ragnar Otnes [no] | 1995 |
| Norway | Stjerner i sikte | TV 2 | Jahn Teigen | 1996–1999 |
| New Zealand | Stars in Their Eyes | TV One | Simon Barnett | 2008–2009 |
| Poland | Zostań gwiazdą | TVN | Krzysztof Ibisz | 1998–1999 |
| Portugal | Chuva de Estrelas | SIC | Catarina Furtado (1993–1994) José Nuno Martins [pt] (1995–1996) Bárbara Guimarães (1997–2000) | 1993–2000 |
| Spain | Lluvia de estrellas | Antena 3 | Bertín Osborne | 1995–2001 |
| Spain | Lluvia de estrellas | La 1 | Sonia Ferrer | 2007 |
| Sweden | Sikta mot stjärnorna | TV4 | Lasse Holm (1994–1997) Agneta Sjödin (1999–2000, 2002) Paul Tilly [sv] (2002) | 1994–1997 1999–2000 2002 |
| Sweden | Småstjärnorna (kids version) | TV4 | Agneta Sjödin (1995–1999) Martin Timell (2000–2001) Pernilla Wahlgren (2003) | 1995–2001 2003 |
| United Kingdom | Stars in Their Eyes | ITV | Leslie Crowther (1990–1992) Russ Abbot (1993 Elvis special) Matthew Kelly (1993–2004) Davina McCall (2003 specials) Cat Deeley (2004–2006) Harry Hill (2015) | 1990–2006 2015 |
| United Kingdom | Stars in Their Eyes: Kids | ITV | Matthew Kelly (2001–2002) Cat Deeley (2003–2004, 2006) | 2001 (pilot) 2002–2004 2006 |
Spain's Antena 3 created a similar format, under the title Tu cara me suena, in 2011. A UK version of this was also produced by ITV in 2013 and, like Stars in Their Eyes and Soundmixshow, is also a format owned by Endemol Shine Group. Another similar format, Starstruck, was launched by ITV in 2022.