China's TV singing contest "Super Girl" will return to screens after a ten-year hiatus.
The show -- to be re-launched by Hunan Satellite TV, in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province -- is similar to "American Idol" and among the earliest contests in China offering ordinary people a chance at stardom.
About 610,000 people have registered to enter the contest, according to a press conference held on Tuesday.
Women above 18 years old can apply to be a contestant. They will be scored by the judging panel and public votes. The twenty finalists will be announced on June 18.
Hong Tao, a judge, said that the show aims to "discover uncut jades that will shine with a bit of polishing."
The show was first produced in 2004, and at its height 200 million people tuned in to watch the live, three-hour finale of "Super Girls 2005."
Li Yuchun, a student with Sichuan Conservatory of Music, won the contest in 2005. She later appeared on the cover of Time Asia Magazine as one of the 25 Asian Heroes of the year. A set of stamps were issued featuring her.
Some contestants who rose to fame through the show are still singers, such as Zhang Liangying and Shang Wenjie, while others married celebrities, like Ye Yiqian whose husband is Chinese diver, Sydney and Athens Olympic gold medalist Tian Liang.
Since the run-away success of the format, Chinese TV producers have competed to make similar reality shows, like "Voice of China." There are concerns that "Super Girl" may not be able to achieve its past glory.
