TVSquad

Clay Aiken's career track is an interesting one. For someone with my musical tastes and interests, he virtually disappeared after his season of American Idol was over. His act is really just not for me. Unlike so many other also-rans from the show though, a couple times a year, he pops up again. Clay is performing here. He's sold another million albums there. And along the way he's managed to build one of the most devoted fan bases anyone could ask for.

That brings us to the latest rise of Clay on to the radar for the rest of us. He's kicking off the release of his fourth studio album next Monday, with an appearance on QVC. I'm reminded of Arsenio and the old "things that make you go hmmm" bit. I'm not sure I get it, but we should probably just not question Clay's judgment. He seems to be doing alright. He's never going to have the media exposure of Kelly Clarkson, but he's not going to just fade away either.

[ via E! Online ]

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes.
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7.
• At 7:30, FOX has a new episode of The Loop (another new episode airs at 8:30 and the series finale airs at 9:30).
• At 9, Disney has a new Hannah Montana.
• Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire perform together on a new Crossroads, on CMT at 9.
• HBO has a new John From Cincinnati at 9, then new episodes of Entourage and Flight of the Conchords.
• USA has a new episode of The 4400 at 9, followed by a new Dead Zone.
• At 10 there's a new Next Food Network Star on...well, you know.
• Lifetime has a new Army Wives at 10.
• Showtime has a new Meadowlands at 10.
• Also at 10: WE has a new Bridezillas.
• At 10:30, TCM has Martin and Lewis in At War With The Army.
• At midnight, Cartoon Network has new eps of Saul of the Mole Men and Moral Orel.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• Charlie Rose: a conversation about Claude Monet
• The Daily Show: Don Rickles (repeat)
• The Colbert Report: Howard Dean (repeat)
• The Late Show With David Letterman: Senator Barack Obama and Halle Berry (repeat)
• Jay Leno: Will Ferrell, Senator Joe Biden, and Paolo Nutini (repeat)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Matthew Fox and Kelly Clarkson
• Tavis Smiley: Right To Return, Part 2
• Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Dr. Phil, Emily Deschanel, and Colexico (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Lance Burton, Matt Serra, and Chantal Kreviazuk (repeat)
• Last Call With Carson Daly: Eddie Izzard and Vietnam (repeat)

If you somehow found yourself feeling unsatisfied after last week's inspirational "Idol Gives Back" smorgasbord, you can always head over to iTunes for a second helping.

For a limited time, iTunes is offering video and audio versions of the performances as well as some exclusive content that wasn't televised during the original air date.

While you can expect to pay a nominal fee for everything you download, all proceeds will be distributed to relief organizations within the U.S. and Africa via the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund.

Although "Idol Gives Back" has already brought in $60 million in donations, it's nice to see some ancillary methods like this iTunes arrangement continuing to bring even more money to the charitable cause.

Check out the American Idol official Fox Site for more details.

I watched the first few seasons of American Idol and enjoyed it, but after too many singers got through that shouldn't have, and singers got cut that shouldn't have gotten cut, not to mention screwed up phone lines and fans flooding the phone lines to pick someone they "like" and not necessarily the best singer, I had to give it up. Here are 5 reasons why maybe you should too.

1. Its time has come. Seriously, what season is this? Is there really anything new to the process, to the auditions? Is it that surprising who makes it through and who doesn't? Sure the show continues to get mega-ratings and coverage, but I think there comes a point where you have to say, "it's not worth watching anymore."