it looks like the x factor may finally be going somewhere. after months of speculation, simon cowell announced the show's official cast. while we've known music mogul la reid would be joining cowell at the judges' table, the other two spots remained a mystery- until now. cheryl cole and paula abdul will fill out the final two mentor slots on the show. cole's virtually unknown to american audiences, but she definitely has the industry know-how and pull to make a star. she's served as a judge for the uk x factor, producing the most promising act during the most recent season, cher lloyd (i'm a little obsessed).
but before joining x factor, cole helped headline the biggest girl group to hit britain since the spice girls, called girls aloud. the group was formed on the uk's idol predecessor, popstars. while the group never made it to america, there's a good chance they will with cheryl's sure-to-be stateside success. a reunion (the group disbanded to pursue solo careers) is planned for sometime in 2012.
and there's no need to explain paula - we all know paula. i'm just excited she'll be reunited with cowell for moments like this.
paula is reportedly in final negotiations to join the show after some contractual obligations with cbs (where her failed dance show, live to dance aired). but the hosts have signed on the dotted line. pussycat doll front-woman nicole scherzinger will join british tv presenter steve jones on stage to moderate and commentate on the series. apparently high school musical costar corbin bleu originally had the gig, but because of his lack of chemistry with scherzinger, he was dropped last minute.
all this news make me even more excited for the x factor to premiere. after the voice premiered before any of the x factor's cast was nailed down, i was nervous for the series' success. but i don't think i need to worry anymore - the cast is just as impressive (and will probably bring more personality and drama) as nbc's competition crew.
paula abdul is headed back to tv. the former american idol judge signed on to produce, judge and play mentor on got to dance. the show, which will air on cbs, is adapted from a british series of the same name. the competition series looks to be a combination of america's got talent and american idol, with judges choosing finalists from auditions that take place in front of a live audience. it seems like the answer to so you think you can dance? - it's pretty much everything that show isn't. here's a preview of the british series.
the show will most likely air in midseason (as in january) and could very well be pitted against american idol, which will be in its first season without mainstay simon cowell. i just don't know if it will work. yes, america has fallen in love with the competition series. but, have they fallen in love with dancing? i think that remains to be seen. dancing with the stars is big because of the stars. and so you think you can dance? is successful because it's a summer series and on fox, home to the king-of-kings, american idol. the announcement of paula joining got to dance comes after months of speculation as to what she would do after exiting the idol judging table last year. abc was the first network to enter talks with her, but failed to land her as one of their dancing stars or as the host for the net's relaunch of star search (fun fact: original star search host arsenio hall and abdul used to date). there's no word on whether or not abdul headlining got to dance will impede the pint-sized spitfire (yeah, i went there) from joining simon cowell as a mentor on his new talent competition the x factor. either way, abdul and cowell are set to reunite in the near future. rumor has it abdul will return to the idol stage as part of a special sign-off for mr. cowell.
it looks like abc may have finally gotten their wish. reports are surfacing that the network will be relaunching star search with paula abdul as host and judge. the former american idol judge passed up the chance to join dancing with the stars in some capacity earlier this season, but is now set to headline tv's latest talent competition. too bad it probably won't work. the series was a syndication staple in the 80s, but its popularity puttered in the mid-90s. then, cbs attempted to jump on the singing competition bandwagon in 2003 with its own relaunch of the show to compete with american idol. that version only lasted one season, so i don't know what abc expects from their interpretation. abc hasn't had much luck with the talent competition genre, with their one attempt (the one: making a music star) being pulled off the air after just four episodes. funny enough, idol's current judge kara dio guardi was one of the judges on the one. the paula abdul-helmed star search is slated to be developed for this summer in an attempt to compete with america's got talent and so you think you can dance. the one thing that will help abc is abdul. she's a tv personality people will tune in to see. and by see i mean try to figure out what the hell is going on with her.
it's been over a year since leona lewis broke into the international music scene with her single "bleeding love" and now the most successful x-factor winner is back with a new single, "happy," off her sophomore disc, echo. i was starting to get worried that leona was going to be a one-hit wonder stateside after her second single off her first record, spirit, didn't get radio play. but, now that i've heard "happy," i'm pretty sure leona is here to stay. the song is very much-so in the vain of "bleeding love" - most likely because "happy" re-teamed lewis with the creative force behind "bleeding love," one republic's ryan tedder. it's really catchy and is already stuck in my head after just two listens - so, you've been warned. check out the song in the video above and hear for yourself. the one thing that troubles me is that leona is very much in the real of celine dion, whitney houston, and 90s mariah; that era of music is kind of dead and gone. to really become a pop force, leona is going to have to release something super-upbeat. i hope, for her sake, that she has a track that could compete with kelly clarkson or even miley cyrus on the radio today. because, i don't want her to end up like mariah carey, who really doesn't seem to understand what her career or musical focus is anymore, or like whitney, who has a top selling album right now, but isn't really getting radio play. leona will most likely debut "happy" as part of her vh1 divas performance on september 17th. jordin sparks recently joined the divas showcase, which will also feature adele, miley cyrus, and kelly clarkson. the fact that they booked miley over taylor swift is crazy to me, because taylor easily could have pulled in the young audience just as well as cyrus. paula abdul is set to mc the evening, so i'll be tuning in just to see how much she slurs.
there's a lot of news floating around today that we must discuss, but none of them are enough for a full blown blog post. let's get started. victoria beckham has already filled paula abdul's recently vacated crazy shoes as a guest judge on this year's idol auditions in denver and is about to make another, unprecedented stop with the idol crew. eonline reports that the former spice girl was seen boarding a flight to boston alongside some other idol-ers; boston just so happens to be the next stop on the audition train. this is fueling rumors that victoria is set to fill those crazy shoes permanently. i think this could work; she's more famous than paula and pretty much everyone forgets she started as a musician. the only thing is america doesn't care about the beckhams as much as the beckhams (and the uk for some reason) think america does. case in point, victoria and david were supposed to star in a reality series based on their big move stateside. but, when buzz wasn't big enough and no one seemed interested, the program was shortened to a one-off special on nbc that garnered almost no ratings. putting posh on idol may be a good way to finally get her ingrained into the american pop lexicon. plus, she'll probably play the same role (she even said was trying to) as paula. she's far less credible than everyone else on the table, but had a successful career. hopefully the similarities stop there. however, there are still very likely chances that paula-gate is just a big publicity stunt and the rainbow-fairy judge will be back starting with the post-audition rounds.
because of budget cuts, america's next top model is going to look quite different this cycle. first off, all the girls were required to be 5'7" and shorter. 5'7" is usually a model-minimum (i'm pretty sure this is just another part of tyra banks trying to make sure no one looks prettier than her on the show - she always picks the less likely contender of the final two in fear of being threatened by her beauty - just saying). in addition, the show will have less model credibility. paulina poriskova was let go earlier this year because she was too expensive (how or why is beyond me - i didn't even know who she was until she embarrassed herself on dancing with the stars). so, in her place, we'll be seeing a revolving cast of celebrity faces. no word on whether or not any of these guest judges will be models (which would add some cred to the show), but names announced so far are kim kardashian and lauren conrad. how those names make sense in the modeling world, i don't know. but, in the teen-viewer world, they're huge. and, let's be honest, this show has never made a star so ratings are everything. it's probably the only reality competition show still on the air who has never made its winner a household name. the show premieres on the cw september 9th with the always boring casting special
in e! reality star baby news, kendra wilkinson has revealed that she and new hubby hank baskett are expecting a baby boy. all i can say is thank baby jesus. the world does not need a baby kendra running around. and between her and hank's genes, a boy is more likely to turn out attractive. but, kendra won't be the only vowel-net star becoming a mom. kourtney kardashian revealed today that she is expecting her first child. i know what you're thinking - what the buckcherry? i had the same reaction when i received the e!news text. kourtney hasn't revealed any details about the pregnancy, just saying "you'll have to watch." what great timing to announce a baby bombshell when you have a new show desperate for viewers premiering this sunday (kourtney and khloe take miami). i just hope the baby's daddy isn't that creepola ex-boyfriend scott (above) we got to see kourntey cavort with on keeping with the kardashians. and, because the show is finished filming (as far as i know), i see this baby news coming as the shocking, cliff-hanger season finale that will lead viewers into an all new season of keeping up. if they don't do that they're stupid. while it may not seem it, kourtney actually is the oldest kasdashian sister and recently turned 30. so, while she might not be following a traditional path of love-marriage-baby, she is mature enough (at least on her driver's license) to have a child
and, finally, disney has acquired the film rights to the diary of anne frank. while it's great that frank's story is being told, i don't know if disney is the right place for this. i'm scared that we'll be seeing a trailer touting "miley cyrus is...anne frank" too soon and that's just something that doesn't need to happen.
paula abdul sure knows how to eff things up. the now former american idol judge is currently in peachtree, georgia filming a second guest star gig on lifetime's new hit drop dead diva, but that doesn't mean she hasn't left a wake of chaos back in la la land. the "forever your girl" singer's recent announcement that she would be leaving the biggest show on tv has left fox and idol's producers trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do. while paula wasn't always the best judge, she was a fan favorite and provided hours of entertainment with her ramblings. her sudden departure from the show - reportedly over a salary issue (she wanted $12-20 mil, they were offering $8) - has left producers very little time to fill her slot. yep, they're sticking with the four-judge formula as of right now. official auditions (preliminaries have already been held) begin this weekend and, in paula's place, will be some famous-faced guest judges. so far, the show has confirmed two guest judges and they're pretty big nabs: first up will be victoria "posh spice" beckham, followed by katy perry. both pop stars have arranged one-time guest gigs that will be a part of the auditions rounds. it seems like producers will be putting in a revolving cast of faces in hopes that one is desperate enough to stick around full term. another word on the street is that - shocker! - paula will be back. supposedly, this whole salary dispute is a big publicity stunt to reinvigorate the show. last year's ratings slipped pretty big (not enough to knock the show from first place, though), so the show is trying everything to bring back interest. if paula abdul somehow pops up mid season, fans will come rushing back. pretty ingenious, right? but, if the whole stunt is found out, fans might feel cheated and decide not to return to the program. pretty risky. i'll be interested to see how this whole thing pans out. my guess is the producers will lure paula back somehow and idol world will be happy once again.
on a sadder note, director john hughes (the breakfast club, ferris bueller, every 80s teen movie) died today. rest in piece and thanks for memories.
yesterday, mtv released the final list of nominees for their annual video music awards show. the list is pretty predictable, but there's a few surprises. every year, i try to figure out if the show is actually honoring the videos or just the songs. or, maybe just the hype around the artists. so, here's a list of the nominees in the major categories and my picks to win.
best female video
- beyonce, "single ladies" * (big duh! nothing was bigger)
- katy perry, "hot and cold"
- kelly clarkson, "my life would suck without you"
- lady gaga, "poker face"
- pink, "so what"
- taylor swift, "you belong with me"
best male video
- eminem, "we made you"
- jay-z, "doa"
- kanye west, "love lockdown"
- neyo, "miss independent"
- ti featuring rihanna, "live your life"* (anything with rihanna is bound to win, will she pick up the statue if the vid wins because ti's in jail?)
best pop video
- beyonce, "single ladies" (sorry, b, you can't win them all)
- britney spears, "womanizer"* (nothing like a comeback to win)
- cobra starship, "good girls go bad"
- lady gaga, "poker face"
- wisin y yandel, "abusadora" (who the hell are these people!?)
- eminem, "we made you" (did this song even do enough be be nom'd?)
- kanye west, "love lockdown"
- lady gaga, "poker face"
best video (that should have won a moonman)
this is basically the honorable mentions of video music awards past.
- beastie boys, "sabatoge"
- bjork, "human behavior"
- david lee roth, "california girls"
- dr dre, "nothin but a g thang"
- foo fighters, "everlong"
- george michael, "freedom"
- ok go, "here it goes again"*
- radio head, "karma police"
- tom petty and the heartbreakers, "into the great wide open"
- u2, "where the streets have no name"
best choreography
- ar rahman and the pussycat dolls, "jai ho"
- beyonce, "single ladies"* (i have no other description that "duh!")
- britney spears, "circus"
- ciara ft. justin timberlake, "love sex magic"
- kristinia debarge, "goodbye"
best direction
- beyonce, "single ladies"
- britney spears, "circus"
- cobra starship, "good girls go bad"
- green day, "21 guns"
- lady gaga, "paparazzi"* (it's basically a mini-movie and will most likely pick up the cinematography trophy, too)
best special effects
- beyonce, "single ladies"
- eminem, "we made you"
- gnarls barkley "who's gonna save my soul?"
- kanye west, "paranoid"* (add rihanna and you'll win. plus the special effects amaze me)
- lady gaga, "paparazzi"
best hip-hop video
- asher roth, "i love collge"* (too big to not win)
- eminem, "we made you"
- flo rida, "right round"
- jay z, "doa"
- kanye west, "love lockdown"
best new artist
- 3oh3!, "don't trust me"
- asher roth, "i love college"
- drake, "best i ever had" (he will always be jimmy from degrassi to me)
- kid cudi, "day n nite"
- lady gaga, "poker face"* (she's had the biggest boom)
so, basically, it's going to be beyonce's year.
no more rainbows and butterflies and idol
paula abdul has officially decided not to return to the show that has strung her along, american idol. the female judge could not come to a financial agreement with fox; with news that ryan seacrest would be making $45 million for the next three years, and simon cowell even more than that, paula felt like she was being cheated, only getting $8 million for her contract. understandable, but not exactly chump change. sadly, for paula, she was expendable. news broke last week that kara dio guardi finalized her new contract for the show. no word on how long she'll be with idol, but i'm thinking pretty long. kara is officially the third judge. personally, i would have much rather seen randy jackson go - at least paula's commentary was entertaining. randy's is so predictable and means nothing (ie "it was pitchy, dawg"). however, paula's departure might mean the beginning of the end for fox's staple show. when a major player leaves a show, that player's fans leave, too. add together the backlash producers are still getting (and will continue to get) from bringing kara on board with paula's departure and the show is destined to self destruct.
with this season including their 100th episode, so you think you can dance isn't cutting any corners. the idol-cousin dance competition has already wrangled itself a couple celebs for season-ending dance numbers - including katie holmes, who will be paying tribute to judy garland and broadway in her routine - and may have just nabbed another: paula abdul. the american idol judge won't be jumping ship forever, but is in negotiations to do a michael jackson-themed dance tribute on the show. each season, a paula rumor has hit the internets about her involvement with the dancing show; abdul got her start as a laker girl and was discovered by the jackson family in the 80s, working mostly with janet (see the video above to watch teacher v student) during the peak of her career. my question is what will become of jackson's big "comeback" concert series in england that was scheduled for just a few weeks from now? i can see some celebs getting together to do a series of tribute concerts, but how will they fill the 50 shows? that remains to be seen.
last night's american idol results show brought some surprises. not only was last female contestant standing allison iraheta booted from the show, leaving adam lambert, danny goeke, and kris allen as the final 3, but paula abdul debuted her new "comeback" single, "i'm just ehre for the music." check out the song above and her performance last night on idol here. paula was definitely back to her 80s dancer self, with a highly choreographed routine, but she was breaking one rule idol usually doesn't allow - lip syncing. but, what do you expect? the song is obviously computer enhanced. i wouldn't be surprised if paula's voice is virtually shot - she doesn't just break out in vocal lessons like kara dio guardi (who is sticking around for at least another season). i didn't really have a problem with paula, but i do have a problem with the song. should a performer pushing 50 be singing a song probably intended for a 20something? the lyric "sorry if i turn you on" or however is goes is just disturbing. is paula turning anyone on? "i'm just here for the music" is the first single from paula's upcoming album hot and bothered. okay, that's not the real title, but it should be.
while the focus this week has been on our newly sworn in presidente, word of various celebrity craziness in and around the festivities is starting to trickle out. first up is none other than repeat diva mariah carey. the songstress formerly know for her high pitched notes (now known more for her club beats) was apparently so dissatisfied in her treatment at the affair, that she bailed out of the ceremony altogether. now, you ask, what could have been so bad that mariah stormed off? her seat. mariah was disappointed with the fact that she had to sit with the "commonfolk" (aka her celebrity peers, like jon bon jovi, mary j blige, alicia keys, and bruce springsteen); she wanted to sit with the obamas themselves. now, the "front row" seats are almost exclusively for family and government officials, past and future. where carey got the idea she was a relative of the obamas or a member of barack's cabinet is beyond me. before mimi left dc, however, she did get a chance to sing "hero" at the neighborhood inaugural ball, an event created by obama to make all neighborhoods across the country aware, at the same time, of what was going on in washington the day of the inauguration through a variety of web-based components. carey wasn't the only star disappointed in her role at the inauguration. fellow diva sean "diddy" combs is said to have been frustrated with his seating arrangement as well, in addition to not being asked to perform and his "second fiddle" role to more prominent jay-z (diddy even had to sit next to mr beyonce during the ceremony - how tragic!). where do these people get off thinking it's their day?? diddy's people did refute the claims, saying the inauguration was "one of the greatest moments of his life." okay...
twilight lands another name
in addition to dakota fanning (and possibly vanessa hudgens, though reports are now claiming that the character she auditioned for won't even be making an appearance in new moon), america ferrera is said to be joining the cast of the vampire/werewolf mega franchise. while the first move featured a virtually unknown cast of actors only known for their former, small supporting roles, the sequel is shaping up to be a big name blockbuster. the ugly betty actress, and reported avid fan of the series, has reportedly auditioned for the role of leah clearwater, the only known female werewolf in the stephanie meyer-created quileute tribe. there's no official word on this casting decision, but if it's true, word is sure to break soon - why would they want to keep such a "name" a secret? while the film series really doesn't need any more publicity, adding actors and actresses with names is sure to draw more attention to the franchise and more fans to the box office, which means even more money for the films.
paula abdul, responsible for all music videos
or, so, she would like us to believe. the lakers girl-turned pop star-turned american idol judge has been quoted as saying that her videos, like "opposites attract," are the "almanac" for for current stars like beyonce and rihanna, and the videos they've created. now, i don't know about you, but i don't really recall beyonce and rihanna dancing and singing with an animated character...and, if paula is referencing the rap-singing duet, i don't think she invented that, either. had paula called attention to the "straight up" video, then, maybe, i could see where she's coming from. that video is much more, stylistically speaking, like the videos of today. sometimes we just have to excuse miss abdul's comments (to be real, we have to do this most of the time)...but this one struck me as quite the quote. to say that abdul's videos have stood the test of time is a bit extreme, even for abdul to say herself.
after a failed bravo tv show (hey paula!) and numerous out-of-her-mind interviews, american idol's loopiest judge, paula abdul, may be getting her own daytime talk show, joining the ranks of such "long lasting" programs as the megan mullaly show and the jane pauley show...oh, wait, those each lasted less than a season. abdul is apparently in final negotiations with cbs/paramount to establish a daily show similar in format to the tyra banks show - more free form and tackling "issues" paula cares about. paula has also been pushing ai's bosses for a big pay increase for the next season of the show - or else she's threatening to walk. oh, what a tragedy that would be. no longer would we be able to hear how she wants to rip of david archuleta's head and hang it from her rear view mirror (should this woman be driving anyway?) and making up performances in her head, like she did with jason castro's performance last season. if she doesn't get the reported $10 million asking price she wants, paula abdul will be off of idol and onto her talk show. the reality competition really doesn't need her anymore as they have acquired new 4th female judge kara dio guardi.
spoiler chat, usa
here's a little buzz of what's happening on some returning shows come the launch of mid season. up first is grey's anatomy - with the introduction of tyne daily as derek's mother, tensions are sure to be on the rise at seattle grace. mother shepherd supposedly has the same "loving" personality derek's sister had towards meredith when she stopped by last season. as well, it looks like the crew behind the show is this close to keeping tr knight (aka george) around for at least one more season ... now that gossip girl has kicked off the second half of its second season, rumors are swirling again over who will take the show into its next frontier, the spinoff. with a deal to bring back michelle trachtenberg as uber bitch georgina sparks reportedly in the final stages, the girl everyone loves to hate is said to be the object of the cw's affections and the character the show's creative team want to carry on in her own adventures ... when 24 returns on sunday, look for some bourne identity action. chloe (mary lynn rajskub) has gone rogue with some former ctu cohorts who all believe the us government to be too corrupt to be trusted. this gives season/day 7 a supposedly renegade vibe ... and, over on one tree hill, it looks like there's about to be some brooke davis drama (what else is new?). millicent will confess that she slept with owen to brooke, just as brooke begins seeing julian.
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