INXS contestants J.D. Fortune from Oakville, and Mississauga-native Suzie McNeil. (Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS)

Why is Rock Star: INXS a bigger hit in Canada than in the United States?

Are we just a little bit more rock 'n' roll? Is it because the Australian band at the centre of the series, INXS (which is searching for a lead singer to replace original frontman Michael Hutchence, who died in 1997), was always more popular in Canada than the U.S.?

Maybe it's because we finally have a chance to win one of these damn things. I put the question to executive producer Mark Burnett last week in New York.

Burnett, the creator of Survivor and The Apprentice, acknowledges that, with the exception of his first series, Eco-Challenge, this is the first reality show he's produced where Canadians can participate.

Two of the remaining six Rock Star: INXS contestants are Canucks: J.D. Fortune from Oakville, and Mississauga-native Suzie McNeil. One remaining singer hails from London (Mig Ayesa), while the other three are Americans: Marty Casey of Chicago, Ty Taylor of Los Angeles and Jordis Unga of St. Paul, Minn. The live finale is scheduled for Sept. 20; Dave Navarro and Brooke Burke host.

The series resumes tonight at 10 on both CH and CBS with a performance episode, followed by another special hour-long results show tomorrow night at 9 p.m. CH still shows the Monday at 9 Rock Star backgrounder shows (bounced to VH1 in the U.S.).

CBS has a strict Yankees-only policy on Survivor and Burnett is contractually stuck with it. CBS' worst nightmare is that some dude from Barrie would be sitting at the final four tribal counsel. Americans love to root for Americans, as any U.S. Olympic coverage viewer can attest.

Rock Star: INXS, however, was always conceived as an international contest. Auditions were held last winter at The Mod Club in Toronto as well as in England, New Zealand, and Australia and 13 U.S. cities. Originally, there were four Canucks in the final 15. Burnett said he was a big fan of Deanna Johnston, the attractive Kingston native who last week became the ninth finalist eliminated. "I'd go with her in a second," Burnett gushed.

McNeil seems to be a favourite of the remaining INXS band members, who selected her to do an encore of The Stones' Start Me Up last week. The 28-year-old singer, who has performed with Jeff Healey as well as with an ABBA tribute band, nailed it.

Fortune has shown he's not afraid to step on a few toes, and seems to relish being Rock Star's bad boy. A few weeks ago, he sassed back when asked to sing a song he didn't like. That's rock star 'tude.

Seeing the edgy dynamic emerge between the contestants and the band members is a dimension Rock Star has that Idol doesn't. This show seems more real, more grown up.

The series cracked the Toronto Top-10 last week with 242,000 viewers (according to Nielsen Media Research). That was behind last Tuesday's Canadian Idol performance show (No. 3 with 332,000) but ahead of Idol's Wednesday results show.

Rock Star also rocks in Vancouver, where BBM Canada ranked it as that city's No. 2 show Aug. 15-21. In the U.S., the show has yet to crack the Top-20 in one of the slowest TV summers on record.

Burnett says he's as "proud of the show as anything I've ever done." He seemed cheered, at least, that CBS seems to be sticking with it despite lower than expected U.S. ratings. "I'm held to my own standards," he says.

J.D. FORTUNE

Age: Turns 32 Thursday

Home: Raised between Nova Scotia and Toronto

Experience: Everything from fronting a rock band to working as an Elvis impersonator. Has performed at the SkyDome in front of 50,000 people

Fan of: INXS

SUZIE MCNEIL

Age: 28

Home: Mississauga

Experience: Currently tours with the ABBA tribute show ABBA Mania. Has performed with Garth Hudson (The Band), Alan Frew (Glass Tiger) and Jeff Healey

Fan of: Everything from Bread to Phish to Spearhead to Queen as well as great vocalists like Etta James and Lauryn Hill

Plays: Piano, guitar and harmonica