Well, folks, we have a new American Idol. If you have yet to watch tonight's show, don't read any further.
**** Spoiler Alert *****
I think Kris was the most shocked of us all when he was announced the winner of American Idol. The judges all but handed the title over to Adam, essentially telling Kris last night that he should be proud of himself, but that he wouldn't go any further. Boy, did America prove them wrong. Twice. For the four that pegged an Adam-Danny showdown, they were sure put in their place when Kris took it all. I guess once Danny left, Kris got all his extra votes, vaulting him ahead of season-long frontrunner Adam. But unlike Danny, Kris definitely said it best in a recent interview, where he said he hoped his being Christian wouldn't affect America's vote, and that they should vote based on talent, not based on someone's personal lifestyle. Well said, Kris, and well deserved. Congratulations, and for the first time, i eagerly await the American Idol's album.
And as for Adam, not winning Idol is probably a blessing in disguise, because now he can go all Daughtry and make the kind of album he wants, and not the kind that Clive Davis mandates, and he doesn't have to sing the horrid Idol song (is it sad that Kara is a better singer than a songwriter? Maybe she should switch professions.)
Well, it's late, but I needed to comment on tonight's upset. For now, good night.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Bachelorette 5: Jillian Meets the Men
A new season of Bachelor/Bachelorette is upon us, and I for one am glad to be rid of whiny, wishy-washy Jason Mesnick and his continuous bewildered expression. This time around we're graced with last season's fave Jillian Harris and a whole array of men, some of whom I liked and some of whom I didn't. And in a new twist, she didn't have just 25 bachelors to choose from, she had 30.
A few observations: This season has a lot of Texans (Wes, Jake, Kyle, Sasha and Tanner P.), a lot of athletic guys (soccer coach, cyclist, surfer, pole vaulter), and a lot of strange names/spellings (Kiptyn, Julien, Matheu, and 2 Tanners). We also learned that Jillian has a soft spot for country music, wine, and guys from the trailer park.
Let's start with who I didn't like. First and foremost, I was glad she didn't keep Greg "Bilbro," the male model-slash-break dance wannabe, Kyle, who gave her a moustache finger "tattoo" and Stephen, the perpetually cynical New Yorkian, who decided Jillian didn't like "awesome guys." I was highly disappointed that she also kept greasy-haired "Great Catch" Mike, trailer-park lovin' "Hot Tub Harris" Brian, "Country Superstar in Chihuahua Mexico" Wes, and of "I'm not gay, I just like feet" Tanner P.
She kept the majority of my favorites from the night, including Kiptyn (the surfer), Sasha (the guy with the huge Serbian family), and Jake (the pilot), as well as Ed (the guy from Chicago), Jesse (the winemaker) Michael (the break dance instructor), and Mark (the pizza maker). I was disappointed she didn't keep John H., the shy guy that didn't get his one-on-one time until the end. I wasn't so sure about a few of the middle-of-the-road picks, like David, who got the first impression rose, Juan, who works with his mommy, and Matheu, whose hobby is collecting signatures for his cowboy hat.
As for the other guys that got little to no screen time --is that due to editing, or did they really not make an effort to talk to Jillian one-on-one? If they did get one-on-one time, I would like to know what they said to her that got them booted.
What do you think, watchers? Did Jillian keep your initial faves? Did you have any comprehension of why she kept Mike, Brian, or Tanner P.?
A few observations: This season has a lot of Texans (Wes, Jake, Kyle, Sasha and Tanner P.), a lot of athletic guys (soccer coach, cyclist, surfer, pole vaulter), and a lot of strange names/spellings (Kiptyn, Julien, Matheu, and 2 Tanners). We also learned that Jillian has a soft spot for country music, wine, and guys from the trailer park.
Let's start with who I didn't like. First and foremost, I was glad she didn't keep Greg "Bilbro," the male model-slash-break dance wannabe, Kyle, who gave her a moustache finger "tattoo" and Stephen, the perpetually cynical New Yorkian, who decided Jillian didn't like "awesome guys." I was highly disappointed that she also kept greasy-haired "Great Catch" Mike, trailer-park lovin' "Hot Tub Harris" Brian, "Country Superstar in Chihuahua Mexico" Wes, and of "I'm not gay, I just like feet" Tanner P.
She kept the majority of my favorites from the night, including Kiptyn (the surfer), Sasha (the guy with the huge Serbian family), and Jake (the pilot), as well as Ed (the guy from Chicago), Jesse (the winemaker) Michael (the break dance instructor), and Mark (the pizza maker). I was disappointed she didn't keep John H., the shy guy that didn't get his one-on-one time until the end. I wasn't so sure about a few of the middle-of-the-road picks, like David, who got the first impression rose, Juan, who works with his mommy, and Matheu, whose hobby is collecting signatures for his cowboy hat.
As for the other guys that got little to no screen time --is that due to editing, or did they really not make an effort to talk to Jillian one-on-one? If they did get one-on-one time, I would like to know what they said to her that got them booted.
What do you think, watchers? Did Jillian keep your initial faves? Did you have any comprehension of why she kept Mike, Brian, or Tanner P.?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Show Cancellation/Renewal Updates!
It's Monday and the Network Upfronts have begun, bringing news of sorrow and joy to loyal fanbases everywhere....
FOX
FOX announced a 2-season pickup for Bones (whee!) despite a disappointing season ender. Other exciting pickups include a trimmed-back Dollhouse and a fall run for So You Think You Can Dance. New anticipated series Glee also debuts this fall, but make sure to catch the "preview" episode tomorrow night following Idol. So what got the axe? Terminator. Sorry folks, something's gotta give.
NBC
NBC made a good decision today and picked up Chuck for 13 more episodes, but its shrunken budget might mean fewer Chuck-karate sequences and a slimmed-down cast. Since both Chuck and Morgan left the Buy More, it's a safe bet we'll lose both the set and the employees. If I had to guess, I'd say that Big Mike and Emmet are definitely goners, but the show will likely keep Morgan and Jeffster in limited capacity. NBC has also yet to pick up Medium, but if it's not renewed at the Peacock, it may have a new home at CBS come the fall.
ABC
ABC picked up Castle (yay!) but not the Unusuals. Can't say I blame them. It also looks like Scrubs will be renewed for another half-season, with Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke both reportedly signing 6-episode deals.
CBS
The Eye has all but canceled Without a Trace but has a few new shows lined up on the horizon, including a yet-to-be-named NCIS spinoff starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J and a medical drama called Three Rivers starring Moonlight's Alex O'Laughlin.
Do you have any other intel on the 2009 Fall lineup? Any other shows you're still wondering about?
FOX
FOX announced a 2-season pickup for Bones (whee!) despite a disappointing season ender. Other exciting pickups include a trimmed-back Dollhouse and a fall run for So You Think You Can Dance. New anticipated series Glee also debuts this fall, but make sure to catch the "preview" episode tomorrow night following Idol. So what got the axe? Terminator. Sorry folks, something's gotta give.
NBC
NBC made a good decision today and picked up Chuck for 13 more episodes, but its shrunken budget might mean fewer Chuck-karate sequences and a slimmed-down cast. Since both Chuck and Morgan left the Buy More, it's a safe bet we'll lose both the set and the employees. If I had to guess, I'd say that Big Mike and Emmet are definitely goners, but the show will likely keep Morgan and Jeffster in limited capacity. NBC has also yet to pick up Medium, but if it's not renewed at the Peacock, it may have a new home at CBS come the fall.
ABC
ABC picked up Castle (yay!) but not the Unusuals. Can't say I blame them. It also looks like Scrubs will be renewed for another half-season, with Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke both reportedly signing 6-episode deals.
CBS
The Eye has all but canceled Without a Trace but has a few new shows lined up on the horizon, including a yet-to-be-named NCIS spinoff starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J and a medical drama called Three Rivers starring Moonlight's Alex O'Laughlin.
Do you have any other intel on the 2009 Fall lineup? Any other shows you're still wondering about?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
American Idol: Kris Kills it with Kanye
Top Three Night on American Idol was really nothing more than lackluster. On a night when I expect all the finalists to bring their A-game, I found a majority of the performances disappointing.
Judges' Picks
Danny - Paula picked some unknown 80s ditty by Terence Trent D'Arby, who's had one or two minor hits before changing his name and falling off the Earth. I can only guess that he's an old friend of Paula's, and she must owe him a favor. Danny did better than I expected, and I like the upbeat sound for him better than his traditional ballads. However, the song was too stuck in the past and didn't give Danny that modern edge I was hoping for. Granted, this is a reflection of Paula, and not Danny, so I give him props for making do with what he was given. And after listening to the original, Danny's version was much more tolerable.
Kris - I hate to say it, but I agreed with Kara on this one. He sang the song exactly as it was written and did nothing to change it up. I was a bit underwhelmed because Kris has been known as the "true artist" and failed to take advantage of this position. After his second performance, I understand why he chose not to do two acoustic guitar songs, but I feel like he owed it to himself to try something different.
Adam - Simon picked U2's "One" for Adam, but dare I say I didn't like all the liberties he took with the melody. He sang it alright, but it was hard to even discern what the song was after he messed with it so much. Once again, I wasn't a fan of the song choice - I would have given him a song by the Killers or White Stripes or something - modern classic rock that he would knock out of the park.
Contestants' Picks
Danny - I knew Danny would pick something old, lame, and boring, and he delivered. He could have at least sung it with just a guitar or piano accompanying him, but he went all out and gave it a gospel feel. By this point in the show, I was only half paying attention.
Kris - That is, until Kris came on and sang an acoustic, stripped down version of Kanye West's "Heartless." I really loved what Kris did with the song and agreed with Simon that this performance redeemed him. I could definitely hear this song on the radio tomorrow.
Adam - Adam chose 'Cryin', although not the song I would have picked for him. I love Aerosmith and I would chosen "Love in an Elevator" (and "Crazy" for Danny) But I'm just an innocent viewer, so what do I know? :) I thought the background vocals drowned him out a little bit, and overall I was not too impressed by his performance. It sounded very karaoke to me, but I still think Adam is the one to beat based on his past performances.
So that's it folks, who do you think will be final 2? Who should it be? Do you miss Allison as much as I do?
Judges' Picks
Danny - Paula picked some unknown 80s ditty by Terence Trent D'Arby, who's had one or two minor hits before changing his name and falling off the Earth. I can only guess that he's an old friend of Paula's, and she must owe him a favor. Danny did better than I expected, and I like the upbeat sound for him better than his traditional ballads. However, the song was too stuck in the past and didn't give Danny that modern edge I was hoping for. Granted, this is a reflection of Paula, and not Danny, so I give him props for making do with what he was given. And after listening to the original, Danny's version was much more tolerable.
Kris - I hate to say it, but I agreed with Kara on this one. He sang the song exactly as it was written and did nothing to change it up. I was a bit underwhelmed because Kris has been known as the "true artist" and failed to take advantage of this position. After his second performance, I understand why he chose not to do two acoustic guitar songs, but I feel like he owed it to himself to try something different.
Adam - Simon picked U2's "One" for Adam, but dare I say I didn't like all the liberties he took with the melody. He sang it alright, but it was hard to even discern what the song was after he messed with it so much. Once again, I wasn't a fan of the song choice - I would have given him a song by the Killers or White Stripes or something - modern classic rock that he would knock out of the park.
Contestants' Picks
Danny - I knew Danny would pick something old, lame, and boring, and he delivered. He could have at least sung it with just a guitar or piano accompanying him, but he went all out and gave it a gospel feel. By this point in the show, I was only half paying attention.
Kris - That is, until Kris came on and sang an acoustic, stripped down version of Kanye West's "Heartless." I really loved what Kris did with the song and agreed with Simon that this performance redeemed him. I could definitely hear this song on the radio tomorrow.
Adam - Adam chose 'Cryin', although not the song I would have picked for him. I love Aerosmith and I would chosen "Love in an Elevator" (and "Crazy" for Danny) But I'm just an innocent viewer, so what do I know? :) I thought the background vocals drowned him out a little bit, and overall I was not too impressed by his performance. It sounded very karaoke to me, but I still think Adam is the one to beat based on his past performances.
So that's it folks, who do you think will be final 2? Who should it be? Do you miss Allison as much as I do?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
American Idol: Rock Idols
YAY Rock Night! Finally a stage for little miss Allison to shine. I didn't give a shout out last week, but happy uber-belated birthday to Allison, who happens to share my birthday (April 27) and is exactly 10 years my junior. Wow, do I feel old now! I know it's a little irrelevant now, but who cares, it's my blog!
So, we all knew Adam would tear up the stage like he does every week. He was a natural on stage with Slash during rehearsal. Why wasn't Slash playing during the actual show? That would have been awesome. So of course Adam did his thing, but I was not feeling his new hair 'do or his diamond earring. Kara told him that he would own the '70s classic rock/'80s glam rock scene today, because no one is doing it. Well, Kara, there's a good reason for that. It's 2009! You know I love Adam, but he definitely has the challenge of making himself relevant.
The judges did not love Allison this week, but I thought it was one of her best performances ever. I thought it was a great song and really enjoyed hearing her sing it. I felt like she owned the stage. Are the judges smoking something, because I thought their comments were way off base. Wrong song choice - no way!
Danny sang "Dream On," which just so happened to get Michael Johns booted last year. (Maybe there's an Idol "Dream On" curse..*fingers crossed*) But to make matters even worse for Allison, Danny got nothing but praise for his horrendous song choice and even worse performance. (By the way, Stephen Tyler would never wear wire-rimmed glasses and a tuxedo vest.) "A Plus for effort?" Come on! When have the judges ever given a contestant props for singing a song completely out of their ability for "going for it"? Ugh!! They must have Danny Kool Aid in their Coca-Cola cups, because nothing else can explain it.
As for Kris, well, I wrote him a brief letter, since this might be his last appearance in my blog.
Dear Kris,
Don't you know I hate 80% of Beatles songs, with "Come Together" being one of the worst offenders? And that last year's Beatles Night was as bland as Simon's wardrobe? Apparently, you and Danny learned nothing from Season 7, but you gave it your all. Too bad he outsang you during your duet. I'll miss you!
Sincerely,
TV Tam
What was your take on the performances? Do you think poor Kris will be sent packing tonight?
So, we all knew Adam would tear up the stage like he does every week. He was a natural on stage with Slash during rehearsal. Why wasn't Slash playing during the actual show? That would have been awesome. So of course Adam did his thing, but I was not feeling his new hair 'do or his diamond earring. Kara told him that he would own the '70s classic rock/'80s glam rock scene today, because no one is doing it. Well, Kara, there's a good reason for that. It's 2009! You know I love Adam, but he definitely has the challenge of making himself relevant.
The judges did not love Allison this week, but I thought it was one of her best performances ever. I thought it was a great song and really enjoyed hearing her sing it. I felt like she owned the stage. Are the judges smoking something, because I thought their comments were way off base. Wrong song choice - no way!
Danny sang "Dream On," which just so happened to get Michael Johns booted last year. (Maybe there's an Idol "Dream On" curse..*fingers crossed*) But to make matters even worse for Allison, Danny got nothing but praise for his horrendous song choice and even worse performance. (By the way, Stephen Tyler would never wear wire-rimmed glasses and a tuxedo vest.) "A Plus for effort?" Come on! When have the judges ever given a contestant props for singing a song completely out of their ability for "going for it"? Ugh!! They must have Danny Kool Aid in their Coca-Cola cups, because nothing else can explain it.
As for Kris, well, I wrote him a brief letter, since this might be his last appearance in my blog.
Dear Kris,
Don't you know I hate 80% of Beatles songs, with "Come Together" being one of the worst offenders? And that last year's Beatles Night was as bland as Simon's wardrobe? Apparently, you and Danny learned nothing from Season 7, but you gave it your all. Too bad he outsang you during your duet. I'll miss you!
Sincerely,
TV Tam
What was your take on the performances? Do you think poor Kris will be sent packing tonight?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Your Favorite Shows: Dead or Alive?
With network upfronts just around the corner, the Big Four (er, Five if you count the CW) are making official announcements as to which shows will be back next fall and which, well, will just fall off.
ABC
Alive:
Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Houswives, The Bachelor, Brothers & Sisters, LOST, Dancing with the Stars, Private Practice
Dead:
In the Motherhood, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Life on Mars
On Life Support:
Castle, Samantha Who, Scrubs, The Unusuals
NBC
Alive:
Southland, Heroes, Biggest Loser, Law & Order: SVU, 30Rock, Parks and Recreation, the Office, Celebrity Apprentice, Friday Night Lights
Dead:
Life, Kath and Kim, Knight Rider, Kings, Lipstick Jungle, ER
On Life Support:
Chuck, Medium, My Name is Earl, Law & Order
CBS
Alive:
Amazing Race, Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Survivor, CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York, How I Met Your Mother, Ghost Whisperer, NCIS, The Mentalist, Rules of Engagement, Criminal Minds
Dead:
Harpers Island
On Life Support:
Cold Case, Flashpoint, Gary Unmarried, Eleventh Hour, New Adventures of Old Christine, Numb3rs, The Unit, Worst Week, Without a Trace
FOX
Alive:
American Idol, Family Guy, Simpsons, Til Death, Fringe, Kitchen Nightmares, Bones, House, 24, Lie to Me
Dead:
Prison Break, Sit Down, Shut Up
On Life Support:
Dollhouse, Terminator
CW
Alive:
Gossip Girl, 90210, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model, Smallville
Dead:
Everybody Hates Chris, Reaper
On Life Support:
The Game, Privileged
ABC
Alive:
Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Houswives, The Bachelor, Brothers & Sisters, LOST, Dancing with the Stars, Private Practice
Dead:
In the Motherhood, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Life on Mars
On Life Support:
Castle, Samantha Who, Scrubs, The Unusuals
NBC
Alive:
Southland, Heroes, Biggest Loser, Law & Order: SVU, 30Rock, Parks and Recreation, the Office, Celebrity Apprentice, Friday Night Lights
Dead:
Life, Kath and Kim, Knight Rider, Kings, Lipstick Jungle, ER
On Life Support:
Chuck, Medium, My Name is Earl, Law & Order
CBS
Alive:
Amazing Race, Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Survivor, CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York, How I Met Your Mother, Ghost Whisperer, NCIS, The Mentalist, Rules of Engagement, Criminal Minds
Dead:
Harpers Island
On Life Support:
Cold Case, Flashpoint, Gary Unmarried, Eleventh Hour, New Adventures of Old Christine, Numb3rs, The Unit, Worst Week, Without a Trace
FOX
Alive:
American Idol, Family Guy, Simpsons, Til Death, Fringe, Kitchen Nightmares, Bones, House, 24, Lie to Me
Dead:
Prison Break, Sit Down, Shut Up
On Life Support:
Dollhouse, Terminator
CW
Alive:
Gossip Girl, 90210, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model, Smallville
Dead:
Everybody Hates Chris, Reaper
On Life Support:
The Game, Privileged
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