TVSquad

In a press release today, FOX announced that Ellen DeGeneres would again be taking on co-hosting duties with Ryan Seacrest for the 2nd "Idol Gives Back" special, airing Wednesday April 9 7:30 - 10:30 pm ET. Just like last year, Ellen will host from the Kodak Theatre while Ryan covers from the American Idol stage.

The talent roster continues to expand as well. The complete list (so far) now includes Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men and The Clark Brothers along with already announced Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg. Most of these will be the pre-recorded "Give, give, give" but I'm looking forward to seeing Boyz II Men back in action.

I think Ellen is a great choice to co-host such an event. Sure, Idol does shameless promotion more than anyone else, but regardless of what you think, "Idol Gives Back" is a good thing. Last year the show raised $76 million dollars for education and charity both overseas and here in the states. Think about it. How often does the top-rated television series take advantage of their ratings power to raise money and awareness for social issues.

Need more American Idol? Get an inside look at Season 7's contestants and think back to these scathing (and hilarious) Simon Cowell quotes. Also: Don't forget to choose your favorite Idol!

I know Oprah and Ellen herself have done this kind of thing on their daytime shows, but for a prime-time show I think this may be breaking new ground. After all, this sort of thing isn't the point of the show (like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). It's not what the show is about. This is a network show choosing to use their ability to reach a huge number of people to bring some good to the world. I'm sure Idol rakes in the dough on this project, as they do in everything else they touch, but they truly are giving something back, and I think it's to be commended.

This year, viewers will be able to make donations via the phone and internet. The proceeds raised will be distributed among the following charities: the Children's Defense Fund, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children; and the Children's Health Fund. It promises to be a hugely entertaining show, and I like that there are no pretenses this year about any eliminations during this episode. There's a "Results Show" scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2008 to take care of that nasty business. Wednesday's all about the celebration and charity.