CCTV talent show hits big

CCTV's talent program "Express to Spring Festival Gala" is a hit. The show pits against each other entertainers rising from contests at TV stations across China. The top three winners will get the chance to perform at next year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

CCTV Spring Festival Gala is probably the most watched TV program in the world which has been entertaining the whole country on the Chinese New Year's Eve every year since 1983. The current talent program debuted on Sunday night.

The winners of a singing contest from Liaoning Satellite TV belted-out pop song "Red Flag Flying", a tune popularized after the 2004 Athens Olympics. They may have some success under their belts, but getting used to the national spotlight still takes some getting used to.

Contestant said, "Our voices were trembling a bit. For one because we were a little bit nervous, but also because it was too cold."

This may have been these singers' first live TV appearance, but with a score of 94.3, it seems they don't have much to be nervous about.

That being said, there's quite a lot on the line, one of the singers, Guo Wei, is a mechanic by trade, but is now hoping to prove himself as an entertainer in front of the entire nation.

These singers, meanwhile, came from the talent show held by Oriental Satellite TV. They're aiming for nothing short of perfection.

Contestant Chang Shilei said, "Every time there were some tiny mistakes. But we can't afford mistakes. We have only one week to rehearse this program. So we have to practise again and again."

But it may be that that attitude backfired. The judges called their performance a bit wooden.

Judge said, "The girl's dancing was good. But the two boys were so cautious."

Of course, none of this is easy, and it takes real skill to sing and dance fluidly and all at once. And there's the cut-throat competition to contend with too. Many may be competing, but only a few can claim top-honors. That's quite a bit of pressure, especially with so much - careers, success, and maybe whole futures - on the line.