David Archuleta and David Cook by Michael Becker/Fox
Calling into Ryan Seacrest's radio show, American Idol executive produeer Nigel Lythgoe shed a bit of light on what Davids Archuleta and Cook will sing on Tuesday night in order to cement their fate (one way or the other) in this year's competition.Each finalist will perform three songs: One picked by uberproducer Clive Davis; one selected by viewers from some sort of online "Top 10" list; and one of the singer's own choosing — either a tune they have tackled on Idol before, or something new. (Regarding the latter, Lythgoe revealed that David A. has already opted to give us an encore of "Imagine.")As for Wednesday's results show, Lythgoe teased some Celine-and-Elvis-type videos featuring duets between singers living and not, and appearances by "some young brothers" (Jonas? New Edition?) as well as "the biggest star in the world right now." Awww, I hope Ashlee didn’t have to cut her honeymoon short! — Matt Mitovich, with reporting by Erin FoxRelated:• POLL: Vote f...
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Natasha Bedingfield on American Idol by Ray Mickshaw/Fox
It was almost a throwaway line at Fox's Thursday upfront presentation, but it undoubtedly will be welcome news to most American Idol viewers: One of the first announced changes in place for Season 8 is "predominantly" half-hour results shows, versus hour-long, overstuffed and sometimes painfully bloated build-ups to a simple, "See ya!"Less filler, sounds great!This is but the first tweak in store for the next cycle, in which Fox brass hope to inject new energy, bigger "twists and turns" and better storytelling.What's your take? Will you miss seeing [insert CD-pimping singer not especially relevant to the Idolaudience here] perform on the Wednesday show? — MWM
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Taylor Hicks by Jim Spellman/ WireImage.com
Our favorite gray-haired, funky-dancing, soulful-singing American Idol winner Taylor Hicks will join the Broadway cast of Grease on June 6, reports the AP. You'd think the former Idol, who's been missing in action since losing his deal with J Records after selling a respectable 702K albums, would go after a part like sexy Danny Zuko or troublemaker Kenickie. But, no, this Idol winner wants to be your Teen Angel, and plans to add his trademark soulful sound to his version of "Beauty School Dropout."Hicks joins a growing list of former Idols who have joined Broadway shows, including Fantasia (The Color Purple), Clay Aiken (Spamalot), Tamyra Gray (Rent) and more. Hicks considers his debut "the opportunity of a lifetime," and a great way to season his skills as a performer. And coming up this summer, Hicks will be finishing up his second album where he "had creative freedom and the time to write some of the best music that I've ever writen." And even though he's sans record deal, he add...
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Syesha Mercado courtesy Fox
Wednesday night's Idol was the final one for Syesha Mercado, following a surprising steady improvement over the course of the show. Despite multiple weeks in the bottom three, Syesha outlasted all the other female contestants and stood strong to the final three. Ultimately, though, she hit the end of the road, after a week in which all three judges were down on her selection of "Fever" and lack of range. On Thursday, Mercado spoke to press about her Idol experience, her "Fever" pick, her unexpected longevity and more. Here's what she had to say about:Her Improvement Over the Course of the Show"I consider myself a hard worker. I'm always working, I'm always trying to improve. When I first stepped in to the competition, I was really in a little shell, I was vocal resting and it separated me from everyone else. I don't feel like I was at my full potential, because of the negative mind frame I was in. It was harming my performance. Once I got my mind right again, I felt more comfortable...
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American Idol by Frank Micelotta/Fox
Much has been made of American Idol's lack of unpredictability this season, with critics carping that the show has settled into a "comfort" zone that rivets viewers not quite as much as it used to. The tangible result is depressed ratings, though still mighty numbers that any other network would kill for. Still, Fox Chairman Peter Liguori admitted in a conference call with reporters, "I am satisfied creatively, but not necessarily satisfied with the performance [in the Nielsens]." Liguori chalks up the ratings dip to a "post-strike malaise" that has impacted most every prime time program, so of course America's No. 1 show will take the biggest hit. That said, Liguori insists that the Idol producers and Fox are dedicated to injecting Season 8 with new energy, better storytelling and juicier twists and turns.Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly then interjected to note that Idol, seven seasons into its run, still delivers a 57 percent larger audience than any other show on televi...
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American Idol by Frank Micelotta/Fox
Now that the stage is set for a David-David showdown in next week's American Idol finale, we're hoping for some show-stopping, memorable performances. But while we wait to see if such wishes are fulfilled, we're curious to know which performances from this season's Top 10 finalists rocked your world and knocked your socks off.For those of you with very short-term memory, the Top 10 list looks like this:Brooke WhiteCarly Smithson Chikezie David Archuleta David Cook Jason Castro Kristy Lee Cook Michael Johns Ramiele Malubay Syesha MercadoWhat song made you love Jason Castro for more than his eyes? Which performance launched Syesha toward the final three? When did Kristy Lee Cook make you believe she could be a star? Name each contestant's shining moment in the comments below! — Adam Bryant
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The following containers spoiler information relating to American Idol's Wednesday-night results show.We perhaps always knew it would come to this. The weekly TVGuide.com reader polls wavered, but the takeaway rarely changed: This season has been about the dueling Davids, Archuleta and his flawless pipes and wholesome appeal, Cook with his moody, gritty charisma. Now, here they are, mano a mano. No third or fourth party to steal away the crumbs of votes.But hey, before I get to The Question, let's break to give mad props to Syesha. As Lou Grant would say, the gal has got spunk. And as my wife has said, she veritably emerged from nowhere six weeks ago to start laying claim to her deserved piece of the pie. The wallflower who arrived in Hollywood bloomed. The finals arrive next week. Though a handful of songs could swing the pendulum either way, it's time to make the call: Who's your Idol now? Vote, people. PS. Got questions for Syesha? Share them in comments, and maybe I'll run a few...
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We give David Archuleta credit for trying something not so ballad-y last night, but despite the adoring fans, Randy and Simon weren't really feeling his rendition of Chris Brown's "With You." Maybe because seeing the human equivalent of a miniature teddy bear singing lyrics like "I need you Boo" was hard to swallow. Simon actually went so far as to critique the 17-year-old by saying he was like "a Chihuahua trying to be a tiger." It sounded pretty good, but we have to say, we could have done without Seacrest's two cents. — Gina DiNunno
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David Archuleta by Frank Micelotta/Fox
How much of a stage dad is Jeff Archuleta, really? This past week, it was widely reported that David Archuleta's dad was formally barred from the backstage of Idol, and particularly in conjunction with his overbearing approach to helping David with song selection. In response to the rumors, however, David's denying outright that his dad's well-known meddling is troublesome. He told TV Guide: "I've heard some weird things that people have been saying, and it's kind of a bummer. I think I, of all people, would know what's going on, and he's been great." Not only that, but the young Archuleta insists he's embracing his dad's advice. "He's given me a lot of good advice," David said, "and helped me from making any dumb decisions. He understands more than anyone what I want in music, and I've felt really blessed to have someone like that." American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe, meanwhile, confirmed the barring of Jeff Archuleta from inner contest workings, but softened the tone of it all...
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Plus, well, a few of mine own. In his TVGuide.com video sit-down, Jason talks about "packing his suitcase" at Simon's urging, the "weirdness" of American Idol fame, his career plans and, yes, the hair. Enjoy! — Matt Mitovich
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