Posted on 01/14/2008 5:52:03 AM PST by silent_jonny
10,000th Post Winners!
when does the show start?
(Thanks to peggybac for finding this article)
Liguori [Peter Liguori, FOX Entertainment President], for one, believes "Idol" is too much of an institution to be impacted much, either way, by the strike."Strike or no strike, January is 'Idol' season," Liguori says. "I don't think a lot about how the strike affects 'Idol.' " …
What may impact this year's bow is the general feeling that last year's edition was a tad lackluster. The show saw some ratings declines as the season progressed, and the ultimate showdown between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis didn't generate as much excitement as past final faceoffs.
Even uber judge Simon Cowell wasn't wowed by the "Idol" class of 2007.
"I think last year just wasn't one of our better seasons," the snarky Brit says, adding that to some degree, producers "are at the mercy of who shows up for the competition." Of course, Simon being, well, Simon, he has some notes for his "Idol" producers.
"The show has got to look better. It's got to be more fun as a show," he says. "It absolutely comes down to the content of what we provide the viewers."
Exec producer Nigel Lythgoe concedes that mistakes were made last year. For starters, Lythgoe says the show spent too much time on big-name guest mentors and performers [and a self-righteous telethon!], at the expense of investing viewers in who's who (particularly early in the show's competition).
"We need to put our hand up and take the blame," he says. "We missed out on telling the best stories. If (contestants) were uninteresting, it's because we made them uninteresting."
As a result, "Idol" is looking to shake things up this year by spending more time on those contestant backstories.
"I want to give up that time and focus on the kids," Lythgoe says. "It's the emotional hooks that sell us, and get us watching every week. I don't think last year we were necessarily an appointment to view. There wasn't a 'I want to watch Bo Bice win' or 'I want to see Justin Guarini get kicked off' feeling to the show."
Already, the marketing of "Idol" has reflected that change, Liguori says.
"We've had our promos talk a little bit more about 'I'm from Nebraska, I'm a cotton candy maker,' and 'I'm from Oklahoma, I'm a cowboy,' " he says. "We're basically trying to set it up that this is a show about people with stories. ... It's about people who think they're good (singers) and (are) not, and people who think they're good and are great."
The behind-the-scenes emphasis will also mean more airtime for contestants' friends and families. Lythgoe notes that the singers themselves may have no connection with some of the older music -- think David Bowie tunes -- but their parents might.
Of course, that's not to say the show will eschew mentors and celeb guests entirely. After all, part of the singers' "Idol" experience includes those brushes with superstars like Stevie Wonder or Jennifer Lopez.
"It's just an amazing journey they're on," Lythgoe says. "We just got carried away with it."
That's not the only change "Idol" fans will see when the talent competish returns Jan. 12. Also on tap:
A new set and opening graphics are in the works. The backdrops for "Idol's" performance shows will now look much bigger, thanks to giant gyroscopes and towers.
As for the very familiar computerized opening titles, Lythgoe was still deciding whether to go with a drastically different opening featuring a real female model (vs. the traditional unisex computerized singer).
Some auditioning contestants will be seen playing instruments rather than simply singing in front of a backdrop. "There's an awful lot of musical talent out there that's not just about singing," Lythgoe says.Three farewell songs, as opposed to one (in last year's case, Daughtry's "Home"). The first, to be used during the early rounds of the competition, will be "Hollywood Is Not America" by Ferras.
Lythgoe is keeping a lid on the song to be used during the final round of 12, but hints that a "major recording star" has covered a classic hit.But, he adds, "ultimately, we as a network are nothing but on that surfboard, and 'Idol' is the wave. Some years it's a huge wave, and some years it's not as big." For his part, Cowell isn't worried about "Idol's" future.
"It's a very, very well-made show that's got a better cast this (season)," he says. Contestant-wise, "I will go on record as saying this is one of the strongest years we've had."
never mind. i just saw the site... this tuesday. : )
Oh, goodie. Another year, another entire year of this show I will miss.
Glad you asked :)
Thanks for the ping. With election results pouring in, it would be easy to forget to switch channels.
See ya there. (But please ping me again before showtime!~~thanks)
Hi people! Can’t wait for this to start.
It’s about time !!! I want to laugh and so does DH. I want something to come home to after dollar fish taco night at Rubio’s !!
Whoo hoo! Thanks for the ping!
I didn’t think it would ever get here....just hope there’s better contestants this year than last.....and please, please let there be at least one country singer....
Yea!!!!! I can’t wait!!
BTW, the Kelly portrait is amazing. You are truly blessed with an amazing gift, my friend.
Ready to get this season of Idol going!
Thanks in advance for a new season!
Yay! Can’t wait! My grown girls and I have so much fun watching it together and talking about the contestants. And can’t wait for the threads to start!
YAY Jonny! I can’t wait, miss you guys!!!
How many times will Randy say the word dog this season.
Checking in here...
That said, I doubt I’ll be posting much early on. I’ve been very disappointed in the “audition” episodes the last couple of years — they spend too much time making fun of the bad auditions, and not enough time showing us the potential contenders. By the time you get to Hollywood, you don’t care who gets cut because you’d never seen them before (for more than 5 seconds, if that).
So, I’ll likely be skipping or glossing over the episodes until the final 32 unless the focus changes.
Since we all last met in this forum..Jessica Sierrra is in jail, and Katherine McPhee has been dropped by her record label, along with Reuben Sierra..Life is sweet...
The best part is the tryouts.
Thank you, jonny, for graciously hosting another season of AI on FR. You are the best!
...and..Sanjaya and his sister are going to have a new variety show. They are hoping to be the next “Donny and Marie”.
Could you add me to the ping list, please? Thank you!
Looking forward to it. Both the show and the thread.
I hope so. Almost anything would be better than last season. I bet they learned their lesson.
but so has Tay-Tay.....hopefully he’ll bounce back - and get some good song writers.....however, Carrie, the Pickle, Bucky and Josh are all doing great in Nashville.....
I bought several of the albums of the previous contestants - Taylor, Kelly, Bucky, Chris, Elliot. I will not buy the one from Blake ------ or Jordan (I heard it did not do well).
Looked her up on Wikipedia as I could not remember her. She has had an interesting two months:
On November 19, 2007, Sierra was sentenced to 12 months probation after she pleaded "no contest" in a Tampa courtroom to charges of battery and possession of cocaine.[2] Both charges stemmed from an April 29, 2007 arrest at South Tampa's Hyde Park Cafe in which Sierra was arrested after she threw a cocktail glass at a male patron, causing a cut above his eye. She claimed the man had spat on her, but later said she may have mistaken the victim for another person. After she was placed in the squad car that night, officers had to threaten her with leg restraints, a police spokesperson said, because Sierra was kicking at the car windows so hard the officers thought they would break. When Sierra was being booked into Orient Road Jail on the assault charge, police found a small amount of cocaine (less than 1 gram) in her purse. Represented by prominent Tampa attorney John Fitzgibbons, Sierra initially entered "not guilty" pleas to both charges and missed a scheduled court appearance on August 29 because she was in a rehab facility in California. Fitzgibbons stated that she had been at the facility since July. It was later revealed that Sierra was participating in a VH1 rehab reality show being run by Dr. Drew Pinsky of Loveline. The show will debut on VH1 on January 10, 2008.[3] A civil suit is still pending in Hillsborough County in which Wisam Hadad, represented by Dennis Hernandez & Associates, PA, is seeking unspecified damages for his injuries.On December 1, 2007, shortly before she was to return to California for continued rehab treatment, Sierra was arrested again at a Tampa bar, this time for disorderly intoxication (misdemeanor), resisting arrest without violence (misdemeanor), and violation of the conditions of her parole on the earlier felony charges. Due to the parole violation charge, Sierra is being held without bond and has been in jail since December 1. The police report of the bar incident alleges that she shouted obscenities and slurs at the authorities also offering a sexual deed if they would release her.[4][5][6] After that offer was apparently declined, Sierra said, "F*** you, n****r" several times, according to the police report.[7]
On December 6, 2007, Fitz Gibbons entered a "not guilty" plea on Sierra's behalf to all charges, but indicated to the court that he ultimately did not anticipate protesting the violation of parole charge but rather needed time to consult with doctors and come up with some sentencing options for the court's consideration. She will remain in jail at least until her next court appearance, scheduled on December 20.[8]
In December 2007, Vivid Entertainment announced it was releasing a 72-minute sex tape titled "Jessica Sierra Hardcore" involving Sierra and a past boyfriend.[9][10]
On December 20, 2007, it was announced that Sierra was pregnant. The father is said to be a rapper and Sierra is very happy. The news came while she was still in jail.
On January 8, 2008, Sierra released her first EP on iTunes, as well as Amazon.com and Napster.
On January 9, 2008, Jessica Sierra was released from a jail in Tampa, Florida with the intent of flying directly to California to begin her court-ordered one year treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center; however, California refused to allow her to transfer into the state. A scheduled meeting was planned for Thursday, January 10, 2008 with a Hillsborough County judge to discuss the situation.
Dang. About as big a train wreck as Brittney without all the cash....
I loved that clip from Family Guy. They nailed that “character” of the black girl who thinks she’s the next Mariah Carey when she gets rejected.
Here we go again!!
Every time Randy says “Dawg,” you “take a drink.”
Come to think of it, that’s what Paula’s been doing.
\_/ *hic*
Now I can plug my TV back in!
LOL!! The American Idol clip, that was funny! I’m so glad to have the #1 thread on FR back jonny. Thanks for the ping. :)
Agreed. We're making do with 3 seasons of Lost and The Office and 10 years of Stargate SG-1.
AI is just bonus.
Gee, Simon. Ya think?
And come to think of it, I surely haven’t seen all the CSI episodes airing on Spike, not to mention all the football now on (not for long though), and well, the Hallmark channel is good if you want to break out the hankies. Kiss my butt, writers, don’t miss your stinkin shows!
I feel like summer's over and we're all returning to school.
Missed everyone and will enjoy catching up.
Exactly - except my TV is still plugged in but rarely on. I can cut it on now....for the first part of AI anyway. I love the tryouts portion. I dropped out of these threads pretty early on last year - til the final week or two. Sanjaya just put me out...what a joke.
Thanks, SJ, for starting the AI threads up again. How many years have you been doing this now?
Hello to all the “oldtimers” and any “newtimers” on the AI threads.....and to all who think this is just plain a waste of time....yes it is —— so stay off these threads.....LOL.
Very Cool Dawg!
I’m leaving after work tomorrow, driving from Baltimore to York PA, to spend the evening watching the Idol kick off with my nice. It’s sort of a tradition with us. It started when we lived together for a time, both of us going through some difficult personal times and painful break ups and Idol provided us with some escapism from real life and some comic relief.
She and I share the very same sarcastic sort of humor gene. We watch Idol with a sort MST3K dialogue going on the whole time. While we are both music lovers and musicians (although not singers) at one time or another in our lives, and while we really appreciate seeing the real talent, there is something very sadly satisfying in laughing at people making complete fools of themselves. We know it’s wrong, but we can’t help ourselves. I love the bad auditions. Does that make me a bad person?
But I am interested to see how this year’s show may be a bit different in that the contestants are allowed to play an instrument as well as sing. That might make things a bit more interesting.
I’m looking forward to this year’s competition. I hope that there is no Sanjia making it the finals. And enough with the Country, Standards and Pop signers; personally I’d like to see a “real rocker” or an original singer-song writer make it this year. I’d like to see someone doing some original songs rather than just reinterpretations of covers.
BTW – I love the drawing. You are very talented.
Not me, I love the bad auditions.
Hi again jonny. Hi all.
Messy story on Jessica Sierra. Sad.
Today’s the Day Bump! Thanks for the thread, Jonny - this is going to be fun!
This year's telethon is slated for April 9th.
American Idol Hosts "Idol Gives Back" Again Wednesday April 9 12/13/07
“IDOL GIVES BACK” RETURNS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, ON FOX
After raising an astounding $75 million last season, AMERICAN IDOL will once again host IDOL GIVES BACK, a music celebration raising awareness and benefiting various U.S. and international charities.
The two-hour concert and fundraiser will air Wednesday, April 9 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
In 2007, IDOL GIVES BACK raised $75 million for various U.S. charities that deliver support to underprivileged children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, providing them with medical care, food and grocery products, health and life skills, literacy programs and obesity prevention, among other important initiatives. In Africa, funds were dedicated to organizations that support efforts to battle poverty through various health and education programs, including delivering medical supplies and providing clean water.
The brainchild of Simon Fuller, last season’s IDOL GIVES BACK special featured performances from the AMERICAN IDOL stage, where Ryan Seacrest hosted alongside AMERICAN IDOL judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. The special was also broadcast from the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles where Ellen DeGeneres served as host.
more at link
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