Stars’ School after 30 years!

update 2025

Any day now it’ll actually be 31 years since the first show, and Stars’ School is still around in conversations, images, news, memories and “I know you from somewhere…”.

A bunch of talented young people brought a new vibe to television and to the music scene of the ’90s.

TALENT SHOW

Back then we didn’t even know the term “talent show”. Titus Munteanu, inspired by a show from the Italians, thought of creating a school where young people with artistic potential would be trained vocally, in choreography and in acting, in the most promising context – an entertainment show on public television (a powerhouse, in those days).

THE STUDENTS OF THE STARS’ SCHOOL

I was an editor on this production and I still remember how hard we worked to find “students”. Back then there were only a few Popular Schools of Art; sometimes we’d ask composers to recommend their students, we’d wander through music high schools, we’d convince people from the music world to send their sons and daughters to the auditions. And Romanian Public Television would announce castings, which brought us most of the candidates, especially from the rest of the country!

I can still see the huge crowds at the Gate of Romanian Television… hundreds of kids with their parents, or teenagers coming on their own, eager to get in as fast as possible and show their talent.

Our search was constant, so after every episode aired, we’d still pick up 1-2 more “students”.

I watched thousands of teenagers at castings – some super talented, others ordinary, funny or… clueless. But I treated them all with respect.

We were looking for the “perfect package”, the ones with the potential to become complete stars.

STARS’ SCHOOL ON THE SET

Many people used to call me the “form teacher of Stars’ School”, which really annoyed me 🙂 I was an editor and host, and on the tours where we travelled alone, I was even the “policeman of Stars’ School” haha.

I took part in all stages of the show’s production, which really was a true school for me, as a television professional.

I worked in a really great team, making shows that are still dear to me today!

Just like the photos taken with my old camera that I always carried with me, taking advantage of every free moment to gather the group for a photo. Back then we didn’t have PR or “online teams” coming to take photos on filming days. I took them myself, whenever I could.

They’re amateur photos, but for us, the ones involved, their value goes far beyond the quality of the camera or the photographer’s skill:

Robots, angels, sailors, soldiers, cooks, monsters, firefighters, outlaws, ladies, policemen – there’s nothing the Stars’ School students didn’t play during the recordings…

NEW YEAR’S EVE SHOW

The debut of Stars’ School was the show filmed in December 1994 and broadcast on New Year’s Eve 1995.

The huge success brought a flood of requests afterwards: more TV shows, performances, concerts, invitations to various programs. And even national tours.

The crazy things that happened while traveling, on trains, backstage at concerts around the country, could easily make for a good book…

We kept making shows month after month, as well as Specials for New Year’s Eve nights, playing without limits.

And the ratings were without limits too. It’s absolutely shocking to see how many people watched Stars’ School – New Year’s Eve 1997. Even if you don’t work in the field, I’m sure you’ve heard a thing or two about TV ratings. Back then we reached the gigantic figure of… 85% share!!! Hahahaha. It’s shocking!!! (I know, private TV stations weren’t as strong back then as they are today, but I still can’t help laughing at such numbers. They should be framed 🙂 )

SHOWS

We performed recitals at the biggest Music Festivals of those years – the Golden Stag and Mamaia! Well-planned shows, for which we worked our heads off…

Mamaia Music Festival ’95 – our first important appearance! Here, at rehearsals, with the sun beating down on us, plus a shot from the show.

Mamaia Music Festival ’96 – at rehearsals, maximum fun doing the Macarena in sync 🙂

STARS’ SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS

I realize now that I did take some photos with my old film camera. Many of them turned out badly, but I kept them anyway. Oh, if smartphones had existed 30 years ago, wow, what an archive I’d have by now…

Luckily I also found some photos from photo shoots where we all took part. Photo shoots for the albums that were going to be released (with Roton we came out for the first time) or shoots like the one for Pro TV Magazin, the publication that brought us together (those of us who were around), for a Stars’ School reunion, after 17 years.

We released albums, we received Gold Records, and many of the “students” won prizes at festivals – for performance and for songwriting. And, best of all, we won First Prize at a major television festival – Rose D’Or, Montreux (1996).

BEHIND THE SCENES

We spent more time inside Romanian Television than we did in our own homes… The control room, the make-up rooms, the costume rooms, the workshops, the rehearsal and editing rooms – there wasn’t a corner we didn’t know like the back of our hand.

We also travelled around the country – not only for tours, but also to film themed editions. Each such production felt like a stint in the army 🙂

It wasn’t easy. The “fun” you saw on screen meant entire days of preparation, tens of hours of filming, sometimes accidents, hoarse voices and trying to innovate in a period when we didn’t have many resources.

filming at height, done from an utility truck used to change the streetlight bulbs…

When exhaustion became unbearable, there were always solutions, while the “others” were filming:

We were a dog-friendly team 🙂

Even though stray animals weren’t allowed inside Romanian Television, we always found a way to host a stray or two, right there in our dressing room.

Or, when travelling, we’d stick to the local dogs whose territory we were invading with our filming:

THE YEARS HAVE PASSED…

…and look how 31 years have gone by! Luckily, we didn’t scatter too far. Many of us stayed in showbiz, we grew professionally and we still work, I’d say, with the same passion as back then.

As for the “form teacher”, it’s simple: after being the show’s editor and studying journalism, my path was a pretty normal one – I became a producer of entertainment shows. I’ve always been fascinated by the job behind the cameras, more than the one in front of them. That doesn’t mean I don’t value all my experience as a presenter. Both at Romanian Television and at Antena 1.

(My unique experience as a host on Stars’ School, you can quickly read about here.)

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STUDENTS FROM STARS’ SCHOOL?

Many of them stayed in the music field. You know Calin Goia from Voltaj or Adi Despot from Vita de Vie. Or the band Class. Geambasu and Laurentiu built up event bands (Calin Geambasu Band and The Colours) and they’re rocking the whole country! Malina Olinescu also kept singing for some years…

Diana Munteanu is part of the presenting team at Neatza, Antena 1. I admit, I also used her as an actress in several sketches on Next Star, the Antena 1 New Year’s Eve shows and Scena misterelor.

Lili Sandu is currently hosting Vorbeste lumea, on Pro TV.

Marius from Timisoara also stayed in television, hosting several shows on Romanian Television. Now we pray he brings us luck at the 6/49 lottery draws…

I worked for years with some of them, as a producer. With Carmen – on production, with Lulu – on musical direction. Carmen is now the Advertising Director at a TV station and a radio station, and on top of that, she also has her own business in the HoReCa industry.

After Școala Vedetelor, Titi started his own music project called ULTRA TT and was picked by The Prodigy to open for them! He didn’t quit TV either – he’s been involved in producing several shows, and when it comes to events, he really knows his stuff!

Alice was the Health & Beauty Editor at Elle for many years, and she is now the PR & Community Manager for DIOR Romania!

Nadine has started several interesting projects on TV and, more recently, online.

Madalina fulfilled her dream of becoming an actress, in Timisoara.

So did Kitty, in Italy! Recently back in the country, she’s already involved in several Romanian-Italian projects. But the best part is that, precisely because of this work, this year she was decorated by the President of Italy with the title of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy!

Mirela went on singing in Morocco, even together with her husband, the Moroccan star Elam Jay!

Rares Dragomir acts in TV series.

Nicoleta is a psychologist in America. Angelica… Simona… Ramona… Raluca… oh, it’s clear we need to call the roll to get up to date with everyone.

What’s clear to me right now is that, from being the “form teacher of School of Stars”, I could become… the “grandmother of Stars’ School” 🙂 And I’d love to produce a super show with all the children of the Stars’ School students, because there are quite a few! Wouldn’t that be great???

STARS’ SCHOOL REUNION

The lucky thing for some of us is that we still meet at work, on television or around the TV world… We haven’t really made time for parties.

But every time we meet again, it’s a chance to remember moments that put us in a good mood.

Stars’ School was a beautiful kind of madness! Which, I’m sure, we all still carry in our hearts.

27 years ago (!) we made a final show. A kind of… that’s it, we’ve graduated, it’s over, we’ve grown up too much!

We laughed a lot while filming that show, but there was also emotion and tears.

As the show’s editor, I dug through our whole video archive and chose, for that graduation moment, a whole bunch of images with the School’s students.

Whether you were part of our generation, whether you caught Stars’ School when you were little, or whether your parents told you about this show because you weren’t even born then, I invite you all to (re)discover – in less than 3 minutes of music by Calin Geambasu – a few of the “adventures” of the Stars’ School students: