January 8, 2009
The great abominable machine of American Idol is mere days away from once more setting the network brush ablaze with its up and coming talents, its curmudgeonly Brit, its spritely asexual host, and the tasty bowl of crazy that is Paula Abdul. One new ingredient to the ratings monster this season is Kara DioGuardi. The songwriter and sometimes song-singer has been brought on as Idol's fourth judge this season, a perch never before held by anyone in a permanent fashion. Kara held a conference call for the press today, in which she discussed the new season of Idol and what we can all expect to see from her in the coming months.
American Idol premieres on FOX next Tuesday, January 13 at 8pm.
January 7, 2009
Okay, let me see… Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook. Seven American Idol champions, almost evenly split, with the girls winning four seasons. Judging from their performances, the girls have been more successful, with all four female Idols getting successful albums and successful careers outside of the show. As for the guys, well, we know what happened to Ruben and Taylor, and it's too early to judge whether David will buck the trend.
Last year, however, was a treat, seeing two guys on the final two—something which never happened before. Does this mean we should expect the guys doing some catch-up, and maybe in the upcoming eighth season of American Idol, they'll have a considerably better run that previous seasons? Judging from new judge Kara DioGuardi's statements, it could be the case.
January 5, 2009
2008 has been a bittersweet year for Jennifer Hudson. But of course, we all know that already. The release of her first album, Spotlight, seemed to be a sign that the American Idol contestant—and, not to forget, Oscar winner—is on a roll. Then, her mother, brother and nephew were killed by her in-law in a murderous rampage, and everything suddenly looked bleak for the performer. We haven't seen much of her since, choosing to grieve and recover from the murders privately.
But there's always the comeback, in the tradition of many who went through American Idol. The show has seen many contestants come from what's deemed as a very hopeless situation and bounce back to stardom. Hudson, of course, is one of those stories, and there's no doubt that she'll do the same this year, right?
December 30, 2008
New Years is upon us and this weird thing we call a hiatus is almost behind us. Soon, shows old and new will begin to air and life will seem just a little bit better. Mid-season replacements are on the horizon and reality shows are about to kick into high gear. With so much television to choose from, we thought we'd share the top nine shows we're looking forward to in 2009.
Our list is not what you would expect. For instance, I expect a lot of flack for not having Lost or Battlestar Galactica on the list. This will infuriate a lot of people, but Lost jumped the shark a while ago and I think I gave up after all the “we've always had a plan” and the “this is not a science-fiction show” bull. Battlestar is not on the list simply because how can we really bring ourselves to look forward to the end. Essentially, denial is my number one priority.
December 30, 2008
It's somewhat arbitrary that we start the new year in January. On the ancient Roman and Julian calendars, the new year began when the new consuls took office in Rome. This used to be in March, but eventually changed to January, and so that's when the year began. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, January was merely kept as the start of the year because that's how it was on the previous calendar. (Big ups to my guys over at Wikipedia for that information.) For television, we like to assign some sort of meaning to the arrival of the new year, but usually there is none to give. It's simply the midway point in the typical nine-month TV season. Not anymore, however. These days, with January comes the real TV season. September through December? Just a warm-up. Meaningless. A trifle. American Idol, Lost, 24. That's what January brings. (Also, the return of our favorite fall programs – Supernatural fans, bear with me. I've got something for you a bit later.)
December 24, 2008
How many questions were raised when news of Kara DioGuardi being recruited as a fourth judge on American Idol? Sure, she's got what it takes—she's written so many hits, from established artists such as Kylie Minogue and Faith Hill to Idol graduates like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Katherine McPhee—but why exactly was she put into the show? Right after the announcement was made, there was much speculation that Paula Abdul was being eased out of her judge's seat, in light of her many recent controversies, and questions about whether she can still carry on judging duties or not.
As Idol's January 13 premiere came closer, the folks behind the hit reality show have insisted many times that Paula isn't on her way out, and that Kara has been tossed in to shake up the dynamic. Sure, we took that, with executive producer Ken Warwick enthusiastic over how Kara does her judging, and how her opinions mix in with that of Paula's, Randy Jackson's and Simon Cowell's. But one can't help but still feel sneaky about it. It's somewhat touchy, after all—here comes Kara, then, to clear her side. Is she out to get Paula's spot?
December 23, 2008
Surely you remember Melinda Doolittle, the girl who seemed to have the top prize on American Idol's sixth season marked as all hers. The former back-up singer came on board and just blew us away, reducing everyone to just mesmerizing at her abilities—heck, even usually acerbic Simon Cowell couldn't do anything but praise her vocals. (But what's he got to complain about? Everybody seemed to agree with him; she was never in the bottom three.)
And then, the surprise was pulled: on the week before the finale, she was eliminated, reducing her to third place—and to watching Jordin Sparks triumph over Blake Lewis. But of course, losing out on the two top spots on Idol doesn't mean the end for a contestant, especially one who's come so close. We've seen it time and again—Kimberly Locke, Mario Vasquez, Elliott Yamin, and of course, Jennifer Hudson—so fans probably felt that Doolittle's time is just around. Indeed, she's been busy, performing in different parts of the country, and now, she's finally set to release her debut full-length album.
December 19, 2008
Surely you've probably wanted to join American Idol, but more often than not there seems to be something in the way. Maybe you think you're at your best during the time when nationwide auditions are not being held. Maybe you're a little anxious about how the judges will treat you. Or, maybe you've been rejected before, and you don't ever want to go to the ordeal of crying in front of the camera and swearing at Simon Cowell for being a “bleeping bleep”. Feel free to throw in your choice of words.
But, after seven seasons, and with an eighth coming up, Idol is bound to creep beyond the television screen, and giving you a bigger chance of getting in, or at least experiencing it. Behold the theme park attraction. Disney Parks and Resorts, along with 19 Entertainment and Fremantle Media, recently announced the opening of The American Idol Experience, which will be located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.