Posted Oct 28th 2009 3:31PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Music and Variety, Celebrities, Alumni
Adam Lambert's first album since
American Idol is coming out on November 23, and
the cover of For Your Entertainment is stunning. Kris Allen's CD cover will definitely not look like this. Believe me, it won't.
To some, it's already too much. Too touched up. Too over the top. Too glamorous. Too much Adam.
Puh-leeze! Give me a break. This is exactly an Adam Lambert album cover should be. It should be stylized and dramatic. It should take your breath away. It should push the envelope because that's what Adam did in his entire
American Idol experience.
When faced with a chance to play it safe, Adam never did. You know the expression, "Go big or go home"? That was Adam Lambert on
Idol. He may have come in second to Kris, but he made a bigger impression.
Continue reading Adam Glambert... I mean Adam Lambert's new CD is coming out
Posted Oct 13th 2009 1:05PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, American Idol, Music and Variety, Contestants, Alumni, News and Gossip, Casting, Reality-Free
Oh man, that variety show format worked so well for Nick & Jessica! Remember what a smash sensation the Osbournes variety show was? Boy, Rosie O'Donnell sure rewrote the book on how to do a great variety special! The networks remember how great these attempts to revive the long dead TV format went, because they're at it again.
This time, FOX is dipping back into the
American Idol well and plucking out plucky season four winner Carrie Underwood. They've scheduled
Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special for a December 7 air-time. Luckily, since Underwood is doing just fine in her recording career, this isn't likely to be an attempt at a weekly series.
If the networks really do believe they can revive the variety format, this is a good way to do it. The holiday season seems to be the best time to lure American audiences into one-off specials and different kinds of programming. If the special does well, they can look for another one next year maybe. Or perhaps they'll have found something to do with all those former
Idol contestants.
Posted Oct 11th 2009 2:45PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Celebrities, Judges, Casting
Have you wondered why
American Idol's recently debenched judge Paula Abdul has yet to land somewhere? You know, as a TV personality, it seemed like after her tweet that she was not returning to the show, she was hit with an avalanche of offers... and then nothing. No dancing show. No
talk show. Just rumors. Okay, there was the
VH1 Divas thing and a guest appearance on
Drop Dead Diva, but nothing substantial.
Now, Ms. Abdul herself has hinted that there's yet a new possibility for her. She again used Twitter which is cheaper than a publicist.
Paula sort of attached herself to The X Factor. The British musical competition show is coming to America next year if Simon Cowell can work out the deal. Paula may be part of that package. Paula tweeted:
"Hey guys, I'm having a great time in London. Going to watch x factor rehearsals now. So excited! Almost the weekend!!!! Xoxo"Continue reading Will Paula Abdul join Simon Cowell on The X Factor?
Posted Oct 7th 2009 11:02AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, American Idol, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
If you've ever wanted to smell exactly like America's most hated man (please get some kind of psychiatric help immediately), now's your chance.
Simon Cowell, the
American Idol and
X-Factor judge, will have his own brand of cologne along with the rest of the
X-Factor judges, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole.
A specific release date hasn't been picked, although it's said they will hit the stores by Christmas. It also looks as though they will only be released in the United Kingdom. And America wept.
Posted Sep 24th 2009 5:26PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Pickups and Renewals, Judges, Alumni, News and Gossip
Simon Cowell's
The X-Factor has been a huge in the UK for several years now; that's where we got Leona Lewis. Due to his contract with
American Idol, he hasn't been able to bring it to the US. FOX feared the increased competition from a similar singing competition might hurt their juggernaut.
Now that Cowell is in the final year of his current contract, open negotiations to keep him on
Idol are including
talks of bringing The X-Factor to FOX. If
So You Think You Can Dance continues to underperform in the fall,
The X-Factor might be a logical replacement, pushing
SYTYCD back to the summer.
Continue reading Simon Cowell may bring The X-Factor to FOX after all
Posted Sep 22nd 2009 11:05AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Reality Shows, Late Night, American Idol, Celebrities, Game Show, TV Squad Lists
American Idol's choice of Ellen DeGeneres as a judge replacement threw everyone for a loop, even schlubs like me who don't watch the show.
It's not that she's not talented, successful or funny. It's just an odd choice, putting a comedian on the show that takes its goal of crushing losers' dreams on live television so seriously. It would evoke the same reaction from me if they picked Andrew "Dice" Clay as the new judge, if the Diceman was talented, successful or funny.
And besides, why do they need humor and comedy on such an otherwise serious show? There are lots of humorless, vapid and downright boring shows that are crying out for comedic interjection.
Continue reading Seven shows that need funny commentators more than American Idol
Posted Sep 17th 2009 5:35PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, American Idol, Judges, News and Gossip
The past few seasons have seen some controversy about some
American Idol contestants. Particularly in the case of Carly Smithson who'd already had a major label deal. People want their American Idol to be an unknown. Some waitress plucked from Texas or something.
Now that Kara DioGuardi's sticking around on TV's top show, she wants to have her own reality show. Everybody else on the panel has side projects. So
DioGuardi is shopping around a show she's developed called Dropped. The idea is simple: grab the best acts that have been dumped by their labels and give them a second chance to make it big. America loves second chances, right
Biggest Loser?
What a great idea. There are a lot of talented artists who got dropped by labels because of poor sales on an initial CD, or just differences in creative direction before they even got that far.
Continue reading Kara DioGuardi thinks Dropped artists deserve a second chance
Posted Sep 11th 2009 9:01PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, American Idol, Host
Chance's original premise, as tweeted by Ryan Seacrest, was that it would help people and give others a second shot. Apparently, the second shot angle has been dropped, and now they're just looking to make dreams come true.
Instead, the "reality game show"
Chance is said to be "America's Got Talent meets Shark Tank." Rather than come to rich people with million-dollar ideas, these contestants approach the wealthy with their hopes and dreams. If they win them over, they get their dream financially backed. It could be an invention or a business, but it could just as easily be a drive to save the chipmunks. You know what, I'm still not really clear what they're looking for, but maybe that's the point.
I think I'm going to go compete on the show with my dream of independent wealth. I'll just explain to them that it's always been my dream to be independently wealthy. Think how happy I could be if I never had to do anything ever again for as long as I lived. Think they'll go for it?
Posted Sep 10th 2009 4:28PM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Judges, News and Gossip
If the news that
Ellen DeGeneres was going to become a judge on American Idol had broken a year ago, I would have been totally psyched. Hopefully she would replace Paula, and bring some much-needed humor to the show (humor that isn't mean-spirited or
allegedly pill-addled, that is). But now that Ellen will be the new fourth judge on Idol, the news comes as somewhat as a disappointment.
I've been a huge fan of Ellen since her stand-up days, so I'm all for her showing up anywhere. I also think her purpose of bringing a "fan's perspective" to the show is a good idea on the producers' part. But does Paula need to be the only judge Ellen replaces?
Continue reading Can Ellen replace another American Idol judge too?
Posted Sep 10th 2009 2:07PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Sports, American Idol, Celebrities, Judges, Casting
Now regular Squad hoppers know I'm no drooling
American Idol watcher, so maybe you think my opinions on this show are worth less than the U.S. dollar injected with swine flu.
But this move to bring in Ellen DeGeneres, a talk show host, actress and comedian, screams of another move in the world of TV commentating. A move that seemed well reasoned enough but went down in a glorious ball of blue and orange flames on live television.
Comedian and long time TV fixture
Dennis Miller's very short stint as the color commentator for ABC's
Monday Night Football screams of similarities louder than that guy in the Edvard Munch painting watching the Orson Welles sex tape. Great, Miller's voice is back in my head again. Thanks cha cha, I mean, Ellen.
Continue reading Idol's Ellen DeGeneres decision sounds eerily similar to MNF's Dennis Miller manuever
Posted Sep 9th 2009 9:38PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Celebrities, Judges
There is big news in the world of television tonight. Multiple Emmy winner and talk show host
Ellen DeGeneres has joined American Idol as a judge. She will essentially be the permanent replacement for Paula Abdul, so if any of you were holding out hope that Paula was standing by to resume her post, forget about it.
The bigger story here is that a star of Ellen's stature, someone who has high visibility and is beloved by the public, has decided to become a member of America's number one rated prime time show.
Ellen DeGeneres on
American Idol as a guest star would be a rating boost, so it's safe to say that her weekly presence will ensure that
Idol's numbers will continue to be top of the chart.
Continue reading American Idol shocker: Ellen DeGeneres replacing Paula...permanently
Posted Sep 8th 2009 2:32PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Judges, Reality-Free
Oh sure, now that she's not there anymore, they miss her. Sounds like a familiar story, but this is
American Idol.
Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell are missing Paula Abdul at the judge's table. They're in the midst of the audition process, using guest judges like
Neil Patrick Harris and
Kristin Chenoweth, and Randy confessed that he's looked over for Paula during the process and wondered, "Where's my P?"
Simon, who seems to have a lexicon all his own, said that he misses Paula, too. But in his bizarre way with words, he compared the new
Idol atmosphere as different, like "comparing a carrot to a banana."
Continue reading So now Simon and Randy miss Paula
Posted Sep 2nd 2009 4:25PM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: American Idol, Celebrities, Judges, News and Gossip, Casting
I'm not a giant fan of guest judges on
American Idol. I don't mind when musicians come in during the later rounds to mentor the contestants, but guest judges during auditions just kind of throw off the dynamic of the judging. However, recent judges like
Kristen Chenoweth and
Neil Patrick Harris are awesome enough that I totally don't mind them showing up.
Avril Lavigne and
Katy Perry? Well, that's an entirely different story.
FOX has announced that the "I Kissed a Girl" singer will be guest-judging the final two days of the Los Angeles auditions along with Lavigne, who from what I remember from 2003, is an angry Canadian. If I was asked to think of two people that I would enjoy watching less, I would be hard-pressed to come up with anyone. Wait, okay.
Heidi and Spencer Pratt would be worse, but that's just a given, right?
Continue reading American Idol tries to annoy me to death with guest judges
Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:33AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Celebrities, Talk Show, Judges, Reality-Free
Paula Abdul needs some career advice. In the wake of her departure from
American Idol, the sometime choreographer/occasional singer and QVC pitch woman has been rumored to be doing all kinds of TV projects. Most have turned out to be rumors and nothing more, but in an interview with
TV Guide, Paula said there is a TV dream she covets.
Paula Abdul would like to host a TV talk show.
I can't imagine a worse TV vehicle for Paula, especially the kind of talk show she envisions. She said, "It would be a lot of fun variety with a ton of unexpected stuff and tributes to everyday people getting their big chance."
That sounds perfectly cloying, especially if you assume that Paula will be pretty much herself, pretty much like she was on
American Idol, which was uncritical, sweet, gentle and pleasantly unfocused.
Continue reading Could Paula Abdul thrive as a talk show host?
Posted Aug 27th 2009 10:04PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Celebrities, Judges
Could the departure of Paula Abdul from
American Idol actually result in a revitalization and renewal of the Fox monster hit? I ask that question because in the past couple of days, guest judges have been announced to sit in Paula's place and I'm absolutely psyched by the choices. The other day it was
How I Met Your Mother star
Neil Patrick Harris. Today,
Pushing Daisies' Kristin Chenoweth has been snagged as an American Idol guest judge. She's currently filming auditions in Orlando, Florida.
Continue reading Kristin Chenoweth on board as American Idol guest judge
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