CarrieUnderwood-related stories
Posted Oct 13th 2009 1:05PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, American Idol, Music and Variety, Contestants, Alumni, News and Gossip, Casting, Reality-Free
Oh man, that variety show format worked so well for Nick & Jessica! Remember what a smash sensation the Osbournes variety show was? Boy, Rosie O'Donnell sure rewrote the book on how to do a great variety special! The networks remember how great these attempts to revive the long dead TV format went, because they're at it again.
This time, FOX is dipping back into the
American Idol well and plucking out plucky season four winner Carrie Underwood. They've scheduled
Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special for a December 7 air-time. Luckily, since Underwood is doing just fine in her recording career, this isn't likely to be an attempt at a weekly series.
If the networks really do believe they can revive the variety format, this is a good way to do it. The holiday season seems to be the best time to lure American audiences into one-off specials and different kinds of programming. If the special does well, they can look for another one next year maybe. Or perhaps they'll have found something to do with all those former
Idol contestants.
Posted Mar 19th 2009 12:06AM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: American Idol, Judges, Reviewcaps, Contestants, Host
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that it's been a couple of years since I've seriously watched
American Idol. I've caught episodes here and there, but haven't sat down with a full season in a while. I bring this up because I'm not sure if it's just that I've been away from it a while or if this year's group of finalists is especially good. We're still not even to the Top 10, and no one's performance was a complete disaster. Sure, I had my favorites, but nobody embarrassed themselves, which seems new to me.
What I love/hate about the results show is how, even if the contestants manage to get through the performance show embarrassment-free, that inevitably comes to an end the next night. Between the Ford commercial and the group sing, I have never watched a results show without spending a good portion cringing.
Speaking of cringing, tonight's result is kind of surprising, and I think it's going to polarize a lot of people. Someone who I thought would make it pretty far in the competition got the lowest number of votes.
But does that mean he or she is going home?Continue reading American Idol: Top 11 Elimination Results
Posted Feb 11th 2009 1:24AM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: American Idol, Judges, Reviewcaps, Contestants, Performances, Host
(S08E09) Seacrest begins the show with some cold, sexy numbers. We started this season with over 103,000 American Idol hopefuls, and now, going into the last night of Hollywood week, we're down to 72. Now that we're under the century mark, we get to be fancy: the contestants have backup singers, bands, and can play instruments if they want.
The way they're doing this is pretty hardcore: Each singer takes the stage, but receives no feedback afterward. Since this is their last chance, it kind of doesn't matter if Simon makes them cry, or Randy calls them Dawg. Either they're good enough or they're not. After they're finished singing, they have to wait until the end of the day, when the entire group is broken up into two groups: those who are going forward, and those who are not. Or, those who are immediately fading into obscurity and those who will fade more slowly, singing some goofy songs while hamming it up in some sort of Ford vehicle on the way.
Continue reading American Idol: Hollywood Round #3
Posted Jan 13th 2009 10:14AM by Kona Gallagher
Filed under: American Idol, Watercooler Talk, Interviews, Judges
The premiere of
American Idol's new season is tonight; can you stand it? Last year brought us a format change with the addition of instruments; this year, we have a new judge. Controversy has been following
Kara DioGuardi since she was named
AI's fourth judge. Is she taking Paula's place? Are there catfights? Will she screw up the balance of the show?
To help drum up enthusiasm about the new season and ostensibly to answer some of these questions, FOX set up a conference call with Kara. Unsurprisingly, she stayed as far away from minefields as humanly possible, instead gushing about how wonderful everyone on the show is and how well they all get along, and blah blah blah, puppies and rainbows. Luckily, she also chatted about what she thinks of the newest crop of contestants as well as past Idols.
Continue reading American Idol's new judge, Kara DioGuardi, loves everyone
Posted May 27th 2008 1:03PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Judges, Contestants, Alumni, Host, Predictions and Trends, News and Gossip
We scoured the earth (and the archives at various record companies for failed projects that showed vocal promise) to create the greatest assemblage of singing talent
American Idol has ever seen! So what happened? After last year's virtual snooze-fest, how did a season that truly did give us perhaps the greatest depth of talent we've ever seen (an argument could be made for Season Five) give us such lackluster shows?
After Sanjaya-gate last year, the biggest controversy to come out this year was that finalist David Hernandez used to be a stripper and David Archuleta's dad might be a Mr. Meany-Pants. And we got to be pissed that Kristy Lee Cook outlasted the likes of Michael Johns. Not until we got to the finale of Davids did things get really intense.
Continue reading AI7 Report Card: The season that was
Posted May 23rd 2008 10:20PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: American Idol, Contestants, Alumni, Performances, News and Gossip
Welcome to the final installment of
"AI Aftermath," where we explore
Idol's past. Each installment, as one more
American Idol hopeful is eliminated from the competition, we take a look back at contestants past who were eliminated at the same point. We'll examine how they did on the show and what they've been up to since their eliminations. In honor of David Cook's crowning as your
American Idol, we will look back at other winners
.
This week: The Winners, featuring Kelly Clarkson (Season One), Ruben Studdard (Season Two), Fantasia Barrino (Season Three), Carrie Underwood (Season Four), Taylor Hicks (Season Five) and Jordin Sparks (Season Six).
Continue reading AI Aftermath: The Winners - VIDEOS
Posted Apr 10th 2008 11:20AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: American Idol, Alumni, News and Gossip
How much cooler would it be to send your stalker letter to Kelly Clarkson with a Kelly Clarkson stamp? As Ryan Seacrest announced on last night's
American Idol "Idol Gives Back" special, PhotoStamps has inked a deal with the show to produce commemorative stamps featuring the likenesses of each of the
Idol winners so far, including this year's winner. In fact,
Kelly Clarkson's PhotoStamp is already available, with subsequent stamps released each Tuesday.
So if you're planning to kidnap one of Kelly's hats and send her a ransom note with cut-out letters from various newspaper articles about her, demanding that she go out on a date with you if she ever wants to see it again, go that extra mile and show her you really care in that extra-special creepy way by using a Kelly Clarkson PhotoStamp! Remember, net proceeds from the sales of these stamps go to charity. And while you may be crazy, that doesn't mean you don't care!
Posted Apr 9th 2008 7:45PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: American Idol, Reviewcaps, Contestants, Alumni, Performances, News and Gossip, Celebrity Commentary, Episode Reviews
(S07E29) Well, this is what you've all been waiting for, right? What's that? Finale? Yeah, I guess that'll be cool, too. But if you've listened to Ryan all season then you know TONIGHT is really what it's all about! If you're looking to find out who got eliminated by vote last night you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. But if you're looking for two-and-a-half hours of entertainment chock full of celebrities and song and charity, then you're looking for "
Idol Gives Back."
Last year's inaugural edition was very good, and
Kristin's report of the Idol Gives Back taping from this past Sunday was also very positive. We don't have any pesky (non) eliminations to deal with like last year, so just kick back, donate and enjoy. And, if you want, join us online and chat about it in real-time with other giving
Idol fans.
You can join the chat starting just before 7:30/6:30pm CDT by following this link. Look for the full episode review right here later tonight.Continue reading American Idol: Idol Gives Back 2008
Posted Apr 9th 2008 10:02AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: American Idol, Video, Interviews, Alumni, News and Gossip
Way back in the early days of
American Idol, and by early days I mean "Season Four," there was a girl who was a little bit country and a long-haired fellow who was a little bit rock and roll. I think we all know who went on to win that season, but that southern rocker was a pretty amazing presence of his own. In fact, they were so strong together in the final, they both released "Inside Your Heaven," the
Idol single for that year. And they even swapped spots at number one with the track.
Now Bo's out promoting
See the Light, his latest album
which is more true to his southern rock roots. But that doesn't mean he's not willing to take a break from his touring schedule to spend some quality time with the kids down at
American Idol Camp this summer. The program, which began last year, is for 10-15 year olds and runs in five two-week sessions throughout the summer.
There, kids can go to learn about the music industry and hone their craft as musicians, as well as experiencing all the traditional things that make summer camps fun, just with the added bonus of hanging out with and learning from
Idol alumni like Bo. For more on Idol Camp check out the official
American Idol Camp website. For more on my chat with Bo Bice, follow me after the jump.
Continue reading Bo Bice: The TV Squad Interview - VIDEO
Posted Apr 7th 2008 6:00AM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol
Last night I went to a taping of the second installment of
Idol Gives Back at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. This year the charities that benefited were Malaria No More, Children's Defense Fund, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Children's Health Fund, and Save the Children.
Keep in mind, there will be spoilers. It's not like I found out the secret to
Lost, but I figured I would still give fair warning. The show will air on Wednesday April 9th at 7:30 pm ET / PT. For what happened at the taping and in the press room, read on after the jump. And check back for
Jason's review Wednesday night.
Continue reading My visit to Idol Gives Back
Posted Mar 19th 2008 1:27PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: American Idol, Daytime, Talk Show, Contestants, Host, News and Gossip
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.
Continue reading Ellen DeGeneres to co-host growing roster on Idol Gives Back
Posted Nov 19th 2007 3:01PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Industry, American Idol, Watercooler Talk, Host, WGA Strike
With Daughtry, fronted by American Idol alumnus Chris Daughtry, and former Idol winner Carrie Underwood each taking home three trophies at this year's American Music Awards (AMAs), it's clear that the music landscape continues to be shaped by the dominant FOX reality competition. Daughtry, who didn't win his season of AI but has gone on to more commercial success than any of his season's compatriots thus far, picked up awards for favorite pop-rock album, breakthrough album and adult contemporary artist for his band's self-titled debut Daughtry. While Daughtry acknowledged the show's role in his success, as reported on AOL.com, he insists "the show didn't make me who I am. It just gave me a chance to show everybody else who I am."
Underwood, meanwhile, continued her award show success with trophies for favorite female country artist, country album (for Some Hearts) and the T-Mobile text-in award. For the first time in its 35 year history, winners this year were chosen by online voting. With the AMAs being essentially a "popularity contest" it should come as no surprise that two of the most popular artists ever on one of televisions most popular television shows ever would have a good showing.
Continue reading Idol dominates AMAs with two triple-crown winners
Posted Sep 20th 2007 6:40AM by Anna Johns
Filed under: American Idol, Celebrities, Alumni
I did not realize that Carrie Underwood was such a big star. Country Music Television (CMT) will become 'Carrie Music Television' today when it plays her new music video for six hours straight. That's six hours of one video, over and over, from 6 o'clock this morning to noon. CMT estimates it will air 66 times in those six hours.
Carrie's new video is for her song, So Small, from her upcoming new album called Carnival Ride. If you miss the video, it'll also be for sale on iTunes today.
Continue reading CMT becomes Carrie Music Television
Posted Feb 25th 2007 7:01PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: FOX, American Idol, Music and Variety, Celebrities
American Idol has an impressive guest list of artists for the rest of this season. Guests include Tony Bennett, Bon Jovi, Barry Gibb, Jennifer Lopez, Lulu, Martina McBride, Peter Noone, Diana Ross, and Gwen Stefani. Looking at that list, it's pretty obvious there will be themes including disco, rock, pop, '50s, country, and lounge.
First of all, I'd love to see Diana Ross be a guest judge. I think her zanyness could rival Paula's and maybe even make Paula look sober.
I think the biggest 'get' is Gwen Stefani, who is on top of her game right now. I guess she knows where her fans are. There's no doubt (har, har) that Gwen's young fans are the same people who watch
Idol.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though any of these celebrities will actually perform.
Idol's
press release lists the celebs as "coaches" and "guests". So... they'll be helping performers choose and prepare songs and probably also be guest judges.
Performers scheduled for this season are former
Idol contestants Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler.
Posted Feb 11th 2007 10:34PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: CBS, American Idol, Music and Variety, Celebrities
American Idol winner Carrie Underwood has won her first and second Grammys tonight. Underwood won 'best female country vocal performance' award and 'best new artist', a real biggie against popular singers such as Corinne Bailey Rae and James Blunt.
During her acceptance speech for the first award, she thanked God, music producer Clive Davis and Simon Cowell, someone who did not get a mention from Kelly Clarkson when she won two Grammys last year. The writers of her hit song "Jesus, Take the Wheel" also won a Grammy for their songwriting.
Carrie is the second
Idol winner to win a Grammy. Fellow winners Fantasia Barrino and Ruben Studdard were both nominated but neither one got the little statue and the Thank You speech.
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