Culture clash looms as reality show moves to Paris

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Residents of the historic Marais neighborhood in the heart of Paris are bracing themselves for an invasion of sequins and big hair as the reality TV show "Star Academy" moves into one of its 17th century town houses.

The program, in which aspiring pop stars are progressively voted out by viewers until a winner emerges, has run on French television since 2001 but up to now has been filmed in a chateau east of Paris.

Next season, the action switches to an elegant house in the rue Charlot, a narrow street in an area steeped in history and culture where residents reminisce about classical concerts that used to take place in the premises.

"I have to admit I think it's an odd choice to bring the 'Star Academy' here," said retired Latin teacher Aline Dore.

"I don't watch it myself, but I gather it's rather a bling-bling program. It's not really the spirit of the neighborhood."

She promised to keep an open mind but other residents were less charitable, expressing fears that the program would attract fans, causing noise and congestion in their warren of picturesque streets.

The rue Charlot was blocked to traffic on Wednesday by trucks full of building materials outside the house, which was being renovated. Endemol, the production company behind "Star Academy", had posted signs saying it had permission to monopolize some of the street's parking spaces.

"It's too much power for a TV company. This means that if you have money you can have your own private street," said Samy Belkilani, 25, a security guard at a nearby car park.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Andrew Dobbie)