Season 1
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? is a British reality competition talent search television series created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bea Ballard which documents the search for an undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2006 Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian stage production of The Sound of Music.
Presented by Graham Norton and "masterminded" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the title of the show was derived from a line in the production's song "Maria".
The series aired in the UK on BBC One from 29 July to 16 September, 2006. There are eight episodes in the series, which vary in length from 30-90 minutes.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? premiered in South Africa on DStv's BBC Entertainment channel on Sunday 4 April 2010, at 19h30. New episodes air weekly.
Repeats
Mondays: 05h00
Fridays: 20h20
Saturdays: 01h30
Synopsis
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? That's the question on the lips of Graham Norton as he searches for a new Maria Von Trapp for the West End production of The Sound of Music.
The brainchild of legendary impresario and composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? sets out on the unenviable task of trying to fill the wimple of Julie Andrews.
Who could possibly be a nun in training, a governess, a will-o'-the wisp and a singing sensation?
Andrew Lloyd Webber and theatre producer David Ian launched a new production of The Sound of Music later in 2006, after this show ended. But in a twist, rather than pick their new leading lady themselves, they decided to let the viewers decide.
In the audition shows we'll see how thousands of potentials are whittled down to just 10 finalists. Then each week the wannabe Marias perform live for Andrew Lloyd Webber and a panel of three expert critics - David Ian; John Barrowman, leading man and musical theatre stalwart; and Zoë Tyler, a tough vocal coach.
In each episode the hopefuls sing for the public's vote, and the two with the lowest number of votes get a chance to perform again - but only one will be saved by Andrew.
After seven weeks of battling it out, only three hopefuls remain.
In a tense finale, these three survivors must then give the performance of their lives as they strive to win the starring role in the musical and begin a glittering stage career.