Back for new season Jan. 12:'American Idol'

"American Idol" will kick off its ninth year with a two-night season premiere in January.

Fox announced Tuesday that the hit singing contest, which last year produced a battle between winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert, will return Tuesday, Jan. 12, and Wednesday, Jan. 13.

This year's big change: Paula Abdul is out as judge and Ellen DeGeneres is in.

Fox also announced that the drama "24" will return with a pair of two-hour episodes airing Jan. 17 and 18, and that "Glee" will take a break after its Dec. 9 episode, returning April 13 to follow "American Idol."

Before that, the coveted post-"Idol" spot will go "Our Little Genius," a new series that tests the knowledge of gifted children and debuts Jan. 13.

From:www.google.com

‘Dancing with Stars’ role for Paula Abdul?

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- ABC is joining the chorus of those seeking to hire Paula Abdul, who said she's quitting "American Idol."

ABC programming chief Stephen McPherson told the Television Critics Association on Saturday that he was "stunned" to hear she'd decided to leave the top-rated Fox series and that he's contacted Abdul, whom he called an old friend.

McPherson told Abdul he'd love to see her at ABC, home of "Dancing with the Stars."

Abdul announced last Tuesday she was leaving as an "Idol" judge following stalemated contract talks with Fox and the show's producers. She said she quickly started receiving "wonderful" offers.

From:wonderwall.msn.com

Paula Abdul will not return to American Idol for another season

Paula Abdul has announced on her Twitter feed, and Fox has confirmed to EW, that she will not return to American Idol for another season. Below is the full statement from Abdul:

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

The full statement from Fox:

“Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”From:news-briefs.ew.com

Giving the judges veto power on "American Idol"

As a person who loves watching solid strategy and gameplay on reality TV, hearing about the coup d'etat on Thursday night's "Big Brother" made me cringe. In theory the coup sounds like a great idea in that it gives America a chance to impact the "Big Brother" household; yet, at the same time, it completely disrespects anyone who has worked their butts off to get into a secure alliance. Now the show is put into the hands of America, and obviously they will want to give more power to underdogs or those with a positive edit.

However, put up against some of the other bad twists in reality TV history, maybe the coup isn't quite so bad. There are some twists out there so bad they make watching a chore.

5. Giving the judges veto power on "American Idol"

All right, we all know that sometimes America messes up on the voting and the wrong person goes home (see Chris Daughtry for evidence); but isn't the controversy really part of the fun? If Daughtry hadn't left the show at the final four, no one would've been talking. Giving the judges the power to "save" a contestant from elimination is silly, especially since we all know that, at the end of the day, record sales will determine how successful a singer really is.

4. "Big Brother 8"

The only thing possibly worse than the coup d'etat was the idea for this season: to randomly put three sets of "enemies" into the house along with "America's Player," who would act on the nation's behalf. Both ideas were actually pretty cool, but CBS only went halfway with casting the enemies and should've made a whole cast about them. This season also introduced us to Dick Donato (which may actually be a good thing to some people). It was too confusing and far too random to be fun.

3. "The Amazing Race: Family Edition"

This season almost killed "The Amazing Race," mainly because it took away from the point of the show: to be amazing. It was a glorified road trip across America (and I guess Panama) with families that were difficult to remember and challenges that included "find a giant rocking chair." Plus it wasn't exactly a fair competition; the teams with small children lost early, and the Linz Family, made up of four adult siblings, ended up winning the grand prize. (Plus, the Weaver Family lasted too long and they were quite frankly frightening at times--who stops on the final leg of the race for fast food?)

2. "Celebrity Mole"

Okay, these two seasons did pretty much kill "The Mole" for a while. The show gained a fan following for being witty and intelligent, and then decided to cast Dennis Rodman and Stephen Baldwin and make the challenges far easier. Nobody asked for a celebrity season of this show--thankfully, ABC redeemed itself by making a new edition last summer with some really great contestants and ideas. However, poor ratings ultimately sent the show to the grave.

1. The Outcast Tribe on "Survivor: Pearl Islands"

Unless they are voting on a winner or coming back for an All-Star season, bringing back previously-eliminated contestants is never a good idea. It's happened on "Big Brother" and "American Idol" before, but nothing will ever top "Survivor" allowing six previously-eliminated contestants the chance to come back into a tribe. Two contestants (Burton and Lil) managed to re-join the game after winning at a challenge, throwing all strategy out the window and angering the cast. The worst part? Lil beat out popular players like Rupert and infamous players like Johnny Fairplay to finish second.From:www.examiner.com

The cynical music lover will argue that comparing "American Idol"

The cynical music lover will argue that comparing "American Idol" lineups is like discussing the merits of different bottles of pink zinfandel.

But from a fan's perspective, Season 8 was a really good year for the juggernaut reality television show. The producers got over their addiction to intentionally bad distractions (Sanjaya!) and seemed to be honestly looking for the most talented performers. Both the fifth and third-place finishers - Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey - could have won in a lesser year.

The latest American Idols Live concert reflected the new philosophy, offering a gimmick-free showcase for the ten singers who rolled through the Oracle Arena in Oakland on Saturday night. (And then at HP Pavilion in San Jose on Sunday.)

The not-quite-sold-out crowd seemed more subdued than previous shows, with one 15-minute exception. The audience made it clear that in the Bay Area, second-place finisher Adam Lambert was the majority choice. The androgynous, Bjork-like power singer didn't disappoint, giving the most memorable performance - justifying the crowd's decision to stand for every one of his songs, while sitting through most of Season 8 winner Kris Allen's performance.

Lambert came out dressed like he should have been in a dune buggy chasing Mel Gibson across the Australian Outback, and followed Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" with a medley of David Bowie songs - complete with a fake British accent. But it was still the low-key Allen who flirted with self-parody. As he tinkled the piano to Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," it sounded instead as if he might be trying to cover Dana Carvey's "Choppin' Broccoli." (Look that one up on YouTube, kids.)

Previous Idol traveling shows have tried too hard, relying on awkward group pairings and too-obvious attempts to wedge each singer into their stereotype (the rocker girl, the diva, the piano man ...). For this concert, the performers were simply trotted out from last to first, with each singing between two and five abbreviated covers. The night ended with a group version of "Don't Stop Believing."

Giraud was a standout in the pre-intermission set. The charismatic singer had a populist Rowlf-from-"The Muppet Show" thing going, following a rousing Black Crowes-y version of "Hard to Handle" with "Georgia on my Mind."

"I can't believe I was doing this in a hotel lobby a year and a half ago," Giraud gushed.

With a little luck, he won't be back there a year and a half from now

From:www.sfgate.com

Ryan Seacrest is Fox's 45-Million-Dollar Man:American Idol

Ryan Seacrest is Fox's 45-Million-Dollar Man.

The "American Idol" host has closed a major new three-year deal with CKX, parent of "Idol" producer 19 Entertainment, worth $15 million per year.

Under the pact, which is believed to be the richest ever for a reality host, Seacrest will be exclusive to CKX in broadcast TV primetime to host "Idol" or any CKX-produced show that might succeed it.

The pact, which had been in the works for the past several weeks, more than triples his previous salary of slightly less than $5 million per season.

"Idol" producers 19, FremantleMedia North America and Fox all declined to comment on Seacrest's new deal, as did his attorneys. The pact is expected to be announced Monday.

Seacrest has a separate cable deal with Comcast and is E! Entertainment's lead anchor. He also produces such shows as E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and ABC's upcoming Jamie Oliver reality series.

With Seacrest's renegotiation out of the way, the "Idol" producers will focus on securing the show's judges for next season.

Uber judge Simon Cowell has made statements that he might leave the singing competition when his contract is up at the end of next season. The British media have pegged his salary demands at more than $100 million per year.

The other judges -- Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi -- all have said they hope to close deals to return next season.

While the ratings for the reality juggernaut have slipped in the past couple of years, "Idol" remains the highest-rated series on television by a mile and is a windfall for its producers.

From:www.reuters.com

Adam Lambert could go out for a night on the town in Hollywood

There was a time, not too long ago, when "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert could go out for a night on the town in Hollywood and blend in with the rest of the guyliner-wearing set. But not anymore.

Since coming in second to winner Kris Allen and emerging from the hermetic "Idol" bubble, Lambert is suddenly paparazzi bait, and one of the biggest bounties town is a photo of the 27-year-old singer on an apparent date.

As he's coyly kept (some of) the public wondering about his sexuality, which he's teased he might discuss in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine, UsMagazine.comreported on Tuesday (June 2) that Lambert was seen holding hands and being "very flirtatious" with interior designer Drake LaBry on Monday night at West Hollywood hotspot Guys & Dolls.

The photos of Lambert and LaBry holding hands as they left the club lit up the Internet on Tuesday, and one unnamed onlooker told the magazine that the pair were "dancing very closely together, very flirtatious inside" as they sipped on vodka drinks. Apparently they weren't alone in their PDA, as actor Ryan Phillippe and girlfriend actress Abbie Cornish were also reportedly smooching in a booth near Lambert and LaBry.

Another anonymous gawker told the magazine, "It was cute to see two couples — one gay and one straight — acting the same and nobody caring!"

Though Lambert has long resisted discussing his sexuality, "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi recently said on "The View" that she thought the singer was "always openly out."

From:www.mtv.com/news/articles

American Idol' Roundup: Jennifer Hudson is pregnant

It's a drip-feed of news items on American Idol since, well, it's been two weeks since we named Kris Allen the winner. (Well, most of us, at least.) So, there's nothing else to do but to lump them all together. Jennifer Hudson pregnant? Diana DeGarmo stalked? That's after the cut.

Item one: Jennifer Hudson is pregnant? That, according to a friend of hers. While the whole thing has been very quiet, the only possible proof of such is a baby shower that was held over the weekend in the former Idol contestant's hometown, Chicago.

"It was a baby shower, a quiet gathering of friends and mostly family," the friend, singer/actress Felicia Field, told the Chicago Tribune. "They're really trying to keep it kind of quiet."

Hudson is currently engaged to David Otunga, a former reality star who's currently pursuing a pro wrestling career. There's no official word on the pregnancy yet, as representatives for the singer have denied such rumors. But, judging from her recent appearances, speculation pegs her as being pregnant for many months.

If true, there's no word on whether she's carrying her son or daughter.

Item two: Diana's cyber-stalker gets time. An Australian woman who's been accused of stalking season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo has been sentenced to jail for up to two years.

23-year-old Tanya Maree Quattrocchi pleaded guilty to four charges of cyber-stalking after hacking into DeGarmo's MySpace account, as well as intercepting emails between her, her mother, and her housemate. To complicate matters, she was slapped with the jail term since she committed these offenses six months after being convicted on similar charges; she was sentenced to 150 hours of community service after doing similar misdeeds in 2006.

Quattrocchi was sentences to 26 months in prison, with the possibility of parole after 12 months.

Item three: A little quote from Kanye West. I just find this amusing, since, well, it's Kanye West! Anyway, here's what he apparently said in reaction to Kris Allen's cover of "Heartless" in the penultimate week of the eighth season:

"I penetrate pop culture. I write Broadway-level melodies that transcend any genre."

You judge.From: www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol

The next American Idol

And the winner is...Kris Allen. This came as a shock to him as well as others.

He knocked Adam Lambert out of the top spot and became the next American Idol on season 8 of the popular TV reality show.

Kris (I like the way he spells his name.) was in disbelief when he found out he was the winner.

I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy.

Both men did a really good job and are winners no matter what.

I didn't personally watch it this season, but have heard and read some stuff about it. I haven't watched it since Carrie Underwood won. That to me was a very special moment.

Good luck to both of these guys. They worked hard to get this far
From:www.examiner.com

Allison Iraheta was eliminated by "American Idol"

"Idol" boots last woman singer, Allison Iraheta

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Allison Iraheta was eliminated by "American Idol" viewers on Wednesday in a season-high tally of 64 million votes that ousted the last surviving woman singer and left three finalists standing. Iraheta, 17, wiped here eyes moments after host Ryan Seacrest announced her name, but tears streamed down as she sang the Janis Joplin song "Cry Baby" in her final performance on the top-rated U.S. television talent show.

Studio ups download figure for pirated "Wolverine"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - An unfinished pirated version of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" that hit the Internet March 30, well before the film's No. 1 debut in theaters, has been downloaded some 4 million times, News Corp's. 20th Century Fox said Wednesday. Whether such online attention hurt "Wolverine" at the box office is debatable, but Fox's assertion of 4 million is about four times greater than previous estimates.

From:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn

'No Surprise' on next Wednesday's 'American Idol'

Prepare yourselves: Daughtry, the modern-rock band fronted by American Idol alum and all-around nice guy Chris Daughtry, will perform a brand-new single called "No Surprise" on next Wednesday's episode of the show that made their singer famous. "No Surprise," which does not appear to be a Radiohead cover (probably ultimately a good thing), will appear on Daughtry's as-yet-untitled second album, due July 14. Anyone looking forward to hearing the first official follow-up to Daughtry's megasmash 2006 debut?

Simon Cowell may walk away from American Idol

Simon Cowell has publicly declared that he may walk away from American Idol when his contract expires after next season, hinting (repeatedly), "Maybe it's time for a change." That should have executives quaking in their loafers, as Cowell is the face of a show that's not only No. 1 in all of television, it's essentially Fox's ATM. (Portfolio estimated it brings in $6.4 billion a year for the network.) And though ratings are down 12 percent since this time last year, it's pretty much the only show that can consistently nab 25 million viewers. "It's like if Alan Alda left M*A*S*H or Ted Danson left Cheers," says Horizon Media analyst Brad Adgate. "How do you replace someone who's the essence of why people watch?" (Fox and Cowell declined to comment.)

The snark-master certainly has viewer sentiment on his side, and season 7 finalist Michael Johns agrees, telling EW that Idol sans Simon would be like "a golf tournament without Tiger Woods."

While Cowell has threatened to quit Idol before -- even over seemingly minor matters, like the season 6 Sanjaya debacle -- this time seems different. After seven years of intercontinental commuting between the L.A. Idol set and his London-based pet projects -- The X Factor and the increasingly buzzed-about Britain's Got Talent -- the 49-year-old megamogul sounds exhausted. And he certainly doesn't need the cash: Britain's recent Sunday Times "Rich List" pegged his net worth at a recession-proof $175.2 million.

Moreover, he's hinted that he's itching to bring The X Factor to the U.S., which his current deal prohibits. But that's hardly a surefire move. Yes, Cowell struck gold with AI and America's Got Talent (for which he's an exec producer). But remember the other reality shows he produced here? You know, American Inventor, Celebrity Duets, and Cupid? We don't either. And the prospect of finding a new monster hit gets dicier every day, Adgate says: "That's not an indictment of Simon Cowell -- it's more a comment on the TV landscape. I think there's only one American Idol."

From:hollywoodinsider.ew.com