Chris Daughtry, one of the most successful "American Idol" contestants, stretches himself a bit next week when he guests on Wednesday's "CSI: NY," playing a rocker (well, maybe not so much of a stretch).

Anyway, that got us to thinking about other "Idol" finalists who have gone to appear on sitcoms and dramas. (We'll stay away from those who have prostituted themselves on reality TV, like Nikki McKibben on "Celebrity Rehab 2.") Tamyra Gray, the Season One finalist, went on to play an extended role on "Boston Public" and season four's Constantine Maroulis did his thing on the soap "The Bold and the Beautiful." Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken have also logged time on other shows.

But for our money, the oddest spectacle of 'em all is first-season runner-up Justin Guarini's brief appearance on the 2003 WB sitcom "Run of the House" (it starred Joey, please call me, Joseph, Lawrence). We happen to have a clip here for your amusement:

Continue reading "Beyond 'American Idol'" »

Expect to hear much much lip-smacking about the suicide of this tragic woman, Paula Goodspeed, who apparently had a morbid fascination with Paula Abdul. It's already been all over the Web the last few hours, and so I would imagine just about now, the moralizers will start to weigh in. They may have a point.

Allow me to foreshadow some of those:

1.) The early rounds are, of course, needlessly cruel, and contestants - some, clearly unbalanced - are often dragged before the judges who are then allowed to sharpen their meat cleavers on them. A show of hands - isn't this WRONG?

2.) Didn't it occur to ANYONE - notably line producers - that someone who has produced many many MANY drawings of Paula may be in need of psychiatric help, and NOT in need of ridicule?

3.) There was a huge outcry in Sweden (of all places) when a contestant on the first season of "Survivor" committed suicide after getting thrown off the island; will we see a similar backlash here? (Highly doubtful - this ain't Sweden...but I bring it up anyway.)

4.) Will "Idol" moderate, or at least cut back, on the early rounds, or make some effort to protect those who clearly need protection from themselves?

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Now, about that album...

Remember David Cook?

Hahahoohooheehee...!!

That's a joke question. Of course you do. One of the best, maybe the best, contestant in "AI" history. Anyway, the first album is out Nov. 18. Mark the day.

This is a big deal, seriously, for lots of reasons, but let's focus for the moment on the most obvious - whether the album will be a huge hit, or not, and whether the performance serves as some sort of reflection on the show's staying power. You know the drill - slow sales = low viewer interest in "AI." Jordin Sparks seemed to get off to a slow start post-"AI" leaving everyone (OK, me) to kinda speculate that this might not be a good thing for the show. Then...you couldn't turn on a radio without hearing one of her hits. But I'm thinking "David Cook" will be a big seller right out the gate - if the Chris Cornell-penned hit "Light On" is any indication. That seems to be everywhere now too, and it's the big single on the big new album so....

(And by the way, I do believe Archie's album is out the week before, on Nov. 11. Who will win the battle of the 'bums?)

(And by the way again, I see that the Chi Tribune's Mo Ryan reports that DC will be on the Nov. 1 edition of "SNL;" check out her blog to find out some more stuff about the candidates' appearances too...)

Honestly, I think 19 Entertainment and Dr. Evil will be verrrry pleased...

Paula Abdul, bless her, continues to make life interesting around "American Idol." She told the audience of some radio show she was on yesterday that SiCo will cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie next season. This is not hugely surprising - he IS an executive producer, after all. But it is intriguing, because it simply means that SiCo, more than ever, will shape the cast of the show. It became a relevant issue when Kara DioGuardi was added to the judging panel. Perez Hilton has the scoop, and I quote his brief in full. See if you can catch the typo - it's a fascinating one, and I'm not sure whether it's intentional, a Freudian slip, or our newest judge has gone ahead and changed her name to something that, ahh...

Well, enough ... herewith Perez:

"Paula Abdul revealed on the Johnjay & Rich radio show Wednesday morning that in the case of a tie, Simon Cowell would have the deciding vote on American Idol. This season, the show has added a fourth judge, Kaka DioGuardi. So if the judges are split 2 to 2 - Cowell's vote will determine whether or not a contestant will make it through or not! Paula also revealed that thus far, all the people auditioning have "been terrible."

So you, me, the rest of the solar system, are all sitting around this morning wondering: What kind of judge will Kara be? An enabler? An equivocator? A push-over?

I think I can safely say, based on the following video: None of the above. If this is a true reflection of Kara the Impaler, she's gonna be one tough cookie; much harder than Randy (who's really pretty darned nice), and a universe away from Paula. In style, she comes closer to Simon - though with a little more passion, and perhaps even anger.

This wonderful clip - and there are mild expletives contained, so the feint of heart, move on - shows Kara in all her glory - a swirling, whirling, manic, passionate (that word again) type who's got little patience for floozies, flunkies, and frak-ups. It comes from "The One: Making of a Music Star," which was that long-forgotten knock-off of "AI." It was a very expensive show but when it bowed two summers ago scored - I believe - one of the lowest viewing levels of any show in ABC history (I still think "Paula Poundstone" still holds that distinction, however.) Kara was a judge and this show, apparently, was her try-out for the big time.

So take it away - your first look at Kara DioGuardi:

Kara - (do you mind if I just call you "Kara?") - has spoken, and my initial takeaway from the just-concluded conference call is just how sudden and seemingly off-the-cuff this whole appointment is/was. A lot of questions about how it all came together, and a lot of her answers along this line: Not exactly sure.

Were there (for example) try-outs for this new gig? No. Was she surprised she got the call - just a few days ago? Of course. Did she know why she got it? Not sure.

Here's one answer: "I think they were aware of me in the industry, though I'm maybe not a household name. They ['AI'] asked me to come in and we had a nice discussion and that's basically what happened. I've also worked with many of the Idols, at least six or seven...and in the studio, I'm constantly giving my opinion to people...constantly working with talent, and not only writing for it, but signing to labels..."

Were there auditions with the other judges?

No. None of those either.

Does this matter? Well...maybe, maybe not, but consider that she is about to folded in midway through the summer's audition process (New York tomorrow, where she'll make her debut), so my impression is that this was amazingly precipitous on "Idol's" part. May I be blunt? It feels a little loopy.

What was the show worried about? Why did this happen so quickly? Paula - I believe - has forthcoming surgery (an old cheer leading or dancing injury) which I presume will take place after auditions, but not sure. And judge panel chemistry is hugely important on "Idol" - it's not the whole show, but it's certainly a quarter of the whole show. What Kara is effectively saying is this: She no idea, nor does "AI," what this chemistry will be.

DioGuardi does have a TV judging background, BTW - she was on "The One," a very short-lived ABC summer series two summers ago. (Fox neglected to mention that in this morning's announcement.)
Curiouser and curiouser.

Why did they make this change?

"They added me and obviously this is a very successful show. It's their choice to do what they want to do.. I cant comment on why or what it means."

Also, this: "I just know they wanted to add a fourth judge, and obviously they're thrilled with the panel they already have. It's just about adding another person and creating new chemistry as well as keeping the old. That's all I know."

What's the marching orders? "I'm literally in the dark. Tomorrow is the first day at pre-school."

Curiouser and curiouser and curiouser.

Someone wondered about that radio interview with Paula this morning, in which she expressed some concern about whether this whole arrangement will work out. (Kara and Paula know each other - they co-wrote a song for Kylie Minogue and Kara says they remain pretty good friends - or "[we've] always had a great relationship. I can't imagine her not being happy about it.")

That radio interview? She was using her "right brain...she's pondering what could and could not happen. It's like anyone...")

Curiouser and etc.

Enough with the curiousers. DioGuardi does sound very nice and smart and clearly knows a hell of a lot about pop music and has written a hell of a lot of it too. She's clearly got the qualifications. Here's a nice quote about her b'ground: "I never intended to break in as a song writer; I was trying to be an artist and when I graduated from college I decided to start my own garage band...Parents were upset so I landed a job at Billboard [mag] and they got off my back. [Ah, parents...] In the beginning I couldn't get any songs because I was unsigned and that's how I got into song-writing - I had to write songs for myself."

And here how she describes HER style:

I'm "honest, believe in what I believe in and am willing to fight for it, and I'm feisty."

As you're aware, "American Idol's" got a new fourth wheel and her name is Kara DioGuardi. You're gonna hear a lot more about her in just a little while, but first, go to the jump to read a good Allison Stewart profile from the Chicago Tribune that ran in January. It really gives a full flavor of her many talents and some of her struggles too. And, it raises a bunch of interesting questions - some of which spring from her background, and some I've been thinking about too...

Here those questions are:

Will a fourth judge detract from the performances by sucking more time out of the broadcast?
With four opinions to be heard, that's less time for the performance, so I'm wondering how Fox is gonna cram all this into one 42-minute episode.

Will she get along with Simon?
Always the grand question. Simon is not easy, I hear, and some of the things he says can be insensitive (or, again, so I've heard) and he does tend to bug Paula (I've heard that too.) How will he get along with this newcomer, who will suck the time allotted for his opinions...

Could she one day replace Si?
We've all been noodling about the possibilities of Paula leaving some day, but Simon could head out the door too. Fox/"AI" certainly needs to start thinking about a succession plan one of these years; maybe this is it.

Could she draw new talent to the show?
I'd dunno but I'm thinking that with all her ties to Major Heavyweights like Gwen Stefani - who of course has been on "AI" before - she might get Britney Spears to show up too. This would be what we in the trade call a "heavily promotable appearance."

How will contestants use her songs?
Will they? She's part of the '90s/'00s canon, so I can't see how they'd totally avoid some of the songs, like "Come Clean" or "Rich Girl." There are a lot of songs out there, of course, so maybe contestants won't need to go to this well.

(Photo from her website.)

Continue reading "Kara DioGuardi: Some Basic Questions" »

You know who Nigel Lythgoe is - the sprightly, smart, passionate judge on "SYTYCD" - and for many years the sprightly, smart, passionate off-screen boss at "American Idol." Well, he's leaving "Idol" because he's apparently feeling like millions of other fans towards the hit.

That would be: Bored.

Per TMZ, which broke this and also cited the boredom factor, he'll now devote his full attention to "SYTYCD," which just hours ago got a fifth season renewal by Fox. If this is true - and it is true because "Idol" will give a statement shortly - then this departure marks the second biggie to leave "Idol" in as many years. Bruce Gowers - longtime director - also took off last year, and both of these exits beg the question: Are they leaving now so they don't have to ride a tiring franchise to the ground?

Lythgoe - or Lythie, as I fondly call the lad - was an important part of "Idol's" success; of course, he is not as important as Simon or even quite as central off-off-screen as Simon Fuller, whom I fondly refer to as "Dr. Evil" - but darned important. He was also a very good spokesman for the show over the years, fielding press inquiries and deftly dispatching them as well. (Believe me, there are about a thousand in-season controversies at "Idol," and Lythgoe has put out about that number of fires.)

(Photo of Lythie, above, left, courtesy Kelsey McNeal, Fox)

Old news for fans of Ryan Seacrest's ayem national radio show, but everyone else will be appalled, or delighted, to learn that Ry was attacked by a shark over the weekend. (Details provided by Us Mag, and linked by the indomitable TVtattle.com.) This is serious: Ry was in the water when he felt a sharp pain, or some such sensation, when he turned to watch the jaws of DEATH clamping on his right shoulder. He instantly recognized Simon Cowell...

Ba-dum...

No seriously, it was a shark. Ry said it was. How big? Hold out your hand. Now stretch the fingers. That's right...that big. Poor Ry. What's a guy to do? Announce it on your national radio show. Here are some outtakes, with elaboration by moi:

"I thought it was a stick," he said.

[Maybe it was a stick?]

"I wasn't sure what had happened."

[Then why announce to the world that you were mauled by a Great White?]

"I saw it swim! He took a bite, and he left." Ry then found the tooth embedded in his leg: It "wasn't a great thing to find. It was like finding a splinter!"

[Again, maybe it was a splinter. Ry, DO you know the difference between a piece of wood and a man-eating scavenger...Oh, wait -- I forgot. You DO work for Simon.]

He was "in pain."

[I'm in pain, too, just reading this. But I don't think I've been attacked by a shark in the past few minutes.]

Though mauled and in shock, Ry still found that ol' reliable sense of Seacrestian humor:

"There were like 1,000 people in the ocean, and I get bit by the shark!"

[Let's put it this way, Ry. You're a shark - assuming this wasn't just a block of wood -- and you have the choice between snacking on a guy who once used to say "SEACREST OUT" or snacking on someone who's the office manager for a personnel agency in Redondo Beach? I think I know who YOU'D attack, too.]

(Pix, Courtesy The Discovery Channel...)

We have right here, right now, the the information you've been waiting breathlessly for...Or maybe not. The "Idol" audition dates: They start in a few weeks at the Cow Palace, but the whole process wraps late July at the Izod Center. Here are all the dates just in case, oh, you find yourself in Louisville with nothing to do on July 21...

What's especially interesting about this list? San Juan, of course. That's a first, and an interesting first. While "AI's" had Latino contestants over the years - and of course Bridgeport's own Syesha Mercado qualifies, wouldn't you say? - there really haven't been that many. In fact, the vast Latino community could argue that "American Idol" has sort of ignored it, and with ratings down, that's not a good thing. So, on to San Juan...

The list:

San Francisco, CA Thursday, July 17 Cow Palace

Louisville, KY Monday, July 21 Freedom Hall

Phoenix, AZ Friday, July 25 Jobing.com Arena

Salt Lake City, UT Tuesday, July 29 EnergySolutions Arena

San Juan, Puerto Rico Saturday, Aug. 2 Coliseo de Puerto Rico

Kansas City, MO Friday, Aug. 8 Sprint Center

Jacksonville, FL Wednesday, Aug. 13 Veterans Memorial Arena

East Rutherford, NJ Tuesday, Aug. 19 IZOD Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex

The greatest singer in "Idol" history - whom voters, due to their innocence and tone-deafness, declined to crown a couple seasons ago - was on "Today" this morning. This was an interesting and entirely unexpected appearance by MD, insofar as she's been MIA, and - small world alert - she is actually the COUSIN of the young lady who got hitched on this morning's wedding edition (LaDonna.) Before serenading the newlyweds, MD told Ann Curry that she'll finally have an album out this fall, and essentially apologized to fans for taking so long. A couple of weeks ago, MTV News, offered this backgrounder on MD:

"Aside from doing some commercials for Zaxby’s, a chain of casual restaurants that operates primarily in the Southeastern United States, Doolittle traveled the country this year, promoting 'Idol'-branded Edy’s ice-cream flavors at Wal-Mart and supermarkets.Apparently, she’s recording an album as I write this that should be out by fall - just in time for you to forget who she is."

Ouch. True perhaps, but I'll ALWAYS remember as MD as the Great One... I don't, BTW, believe I'm the only one.