Summary

in the article entitled „Being a juror, that is the matter of panels of judges in talent show pro-
grammes" a thorough analysis is carried out covering the scope of the following two scientifically
unexplored areas: talent shows and their panels of judges. Firstly, i wish to give the definition of what
really constitutes a talent show. The comparison of all the most significant program mes of this cat-
egory emmitted on the Polish television after 1989 indicate the most important and the most frequently
repeated features of talent show. They include among others: multi-phasic, dual-typicality, cyclical,
editing,time of emission, types of exhibited skills, ultimate number of participants, mechanizm of
elimination, method of transmission stage design or at the end – the jury. in the discussion about the
formation of panel of judges a lot of attention is focused on the relations between the so-called "level
of expertness "and "level of celebrity "as well as activities leading to the appointment of the desired
commission of judges as well as a judge’s classification as "a good policeman", "a bad policeman" or
a mediator. i also present the functions of the talent show jury which i separate into the principal (the
natural ones) and the derivative (the additional ones). i describe the later as moralizing, fame-creating
and imag ery (in this, advertising and public relations). An essential part of the article is also the graph-
ic layout of the promotional functions of the panel of judges, indicating areas for publicity building
around talent show jud ges as well as a detailed list of program mes issued after 1989,in which i have
analysed 18 talent show program mes in such categories as: date/title of 1st edition, licence/original
concept, transmission/time of emission, number of editions to May 2011, prize,show mechanics, type
of assessed skills, type of competition, person presiding and the jury.