"The winner for outstanding lead actor in a drama series... after this." This might be heard at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, which will be exec-produced by American Idol bosses Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. But can we text-vote for the major categories? That is the question....In other Idol news, Season 3 champ Fantasia will perform live — and "make a special announcement" — on this Thursday's results show, airing at 8 pm/ET. Lythgoe teased last week that the show would soon unveil "the biggest thing to happen to Idol in five years," but rebuffed speculation that it involves Michael Jackson.
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He played the game with true honesty and integrity, but North Carolinian author Austin Carty found his Survivor: Panama — Exile Island (Thursdays at 8 pm/ET on CBS) tribe mates eager to turn the page after his island stay reached the three week mark. TVGuide.com chatted with Austin — who earned the first seat on this season's jury — the day after his snuffing to find out how he managed to survive Exile Island, his voting strategy for the finale and his reality-star crush.
TVGuide.com: What has been the reaction at home to your elimination?Austin Carty: Everyone's incredibly disappointed. The way things started out, people thought I had a chance to win. I thought so, too.
TVGuide.com: You recently admitted to throwing a challenge by not performing to your true ability, in order
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As American Idol's "elite eight" await their fate, TV Guide calls a time-out to ask — and get answers to — some of the more-popular-than-ever contest's burning questions. Such as:
1. Is it us, or are Paula and Randy trying to be tougher this season?Seems so. "People aren't stupid," says American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, explaining that Simon's brand of brutal honesty has rubbed off on both of his less-acidic sidekicks. "Paula and Randy are not just going to sit there and say, 'Oh, you're wonderful' when they know some of the singers aren't." So that explains why Pollyanna Abdul keeps getting tongue-tied: She's just trying to find the sweetest insult possible without having to "dawg" anyone!
2. W
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As American Idol's "elite eight" await their fate, TV Guide calls a time-out to ask — and get answers to — some of the more-popular-than-ever contest's burning questions. Such as:
1. Is it us, or are Paula and Randy trying to be tougher this season?Seems so. "People aren't stupid," says American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, explaining that Simon's brand of brutal honesty has rubbed off on both of his less-acidic sidekicks. "Paula and Randy are not just going to sit there and say, 'Oh, you're wonderful' when they know some of the singers aren't." So that explains why Pollyanna Abdul keeps getting tongue-tied: She's just trying to find the sweetest insult possible without having to "dawg" anyone!
2. W
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Question: There is a movie called "Dream Girls" that's either supposed to come out in theaters or air on TV — I can't remember when. The cast includes Eddie Murphy, Beyoncé Knowles and some girl from American Idol. Can you please let me know the 411? Thanks.Answer: Dreamgirls is a feature-film adaptation of the late theater director Michael Bennett's 1981 Broadway musical chronicling the rise of the Dreamettes (later simply the Dreams), a 1960s singing trio who bear no small resemblance to the real-life Supremes. The original cast included Jennifer Holliday (the show's breakout star) as Effie, the full-figured belter who gets squeezed out in the group's bid for crossover success;
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