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Do You Care About Post-American Idol Albums?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:30:48 -0700

The music industry has been in a tizzy ever since Adam Lambert left the American Idol stage - remember that Rolling Stone cover? Well, Lambert is releasing his debut album next month, along with fellow AI alum Kris Allen, and just today his newest song, "Time For Miracles," leaked online. (Listen here.)

The track is for the upcoming film 2012, but I'm admittedly feeling a little meh about it. It reminds me of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for Armageddon. That's not a bad thing, but I was hoping for something a little more unique from the outlandish Lambert. Luckily, the song reportedly doesn't reflect the sound on his final album, which is supposed to be more glam, less classic rock.

But if I'm going to be 100 percent truthful, my interest in Idol graduates - even Lambert - usually wanes somewhat after the show's finale. They're built up so much on AI, but once the winner is announced, I tend to forget about most of the contestants. (The exception being Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, of course.) Still, I'll probably check out Lambert and Allen's respective albums out of curiosity.

How about you? Do you care about post-Idol albums?

Ellen DeGeneres to Join American Idol as the Fourth Judge!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:15:14 -0700

Those of you holding out for Paula Abdul to return to American Idol this season can stop holding your breath: Ellen DeGeneres is taking Paula's spot as the fourth judge!

Fox confirmed the news this afternoon in a press release, with Ellen saying:

I’m thrilled to be the new judge on American Idol. I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote.

Ellen tweeted her excitement, and I'm excited, too, as this solves the mystery of who will be the fourth judge since Paula confirmed she was leaving Idol early last month over contract negotiations.

Ellen had a memorable run as a guest on this past season of So You Think You Can Dance, so I'm looking forward to her as a judge. (It's rumored to be a five-year deal.)

What do you think of the announcement of Ellen as AI's new judge?

Buzz News Roundup, 9/2

BuzzSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:29:58 -0700

Diane Sawyer will replace Charles Gibson as the anchor on World News. - Variety
Megan Mullally has joined the cast of Party Down. - The Hollywood Reporter
Lena Headey will star in HBO's new fantasy series called Game of Thrones. - Reuters
Mad Men has been renewed for a fourth season. - The Hollywood Reporter
American Idol's Danny Gokey has signed a record deal with 19 Recordings and RCA Nashville. - Billboard
Rashida Jones and Chris Messina will star in the indie romantic comedy Monogamy. - Reuters
Avril Lavigne will be a guest judge on American Idol. - Zap2it
Paul W.S. Anderson has a 3D Musketeers movie in the works. - Coming Soon
HBO will air Boardwalk Empire, a series produced by Martin Scorsese and starring Steve Buscemi. - Variety

Buzz News Roundup, 8/28

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:30:27 -0700

Kristin Chenoweth will be a guest judge on the next season of American Idol. - Zap2it
Mad Men's Christina Hendricks will join Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel in Life as We Know It. - Variety
Laura Linney will star in The C Word, a new comedy pilot for Showtime about a suburban wife battling cancer. - The Hollywood Reporter
Robin Williams will star in the romantic comedy Wedding Banned. - Reuters
Brandon Routh, most famous for his role in Superman Returns, will have a recurring role on the upcoming season of Chuck. - Entertainment Weekly
Daniel Craig will star in the psychological thriller Dream House. - Coming Soon
TNT has ordered a third season of Leverage. - Variety
Helen Mirren has signed on for a film adaption of Graham Greene's Brighton Rock. - Variety

Neil Patrick Harris Is an American Idol Guest Judge

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:30:20 -0700

As Paula Abdul moves from American Idol to VH1's divas, new faces are coming in to take her place. So far we've learned that Idol will feature a variety of guest judges, including Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Shania Twain, and Joe Jonas. And guess who's the latest one to climb into Paula's old seat: Neil Patrick Harris! Fox has confirmed that NPH sat at the judges' table and weighed in on the singers during today's Dallas auditions. Aww!

I love this guy. And it's a good move on Fox's part, since I normally don't enjoy the auditions as much as the live competition. Now, however, I can't wait to tune in to the preliminaries! What do you think? Will it be good to have the former Broadway singer on the judges panel?

Should Idol Replace Paula With Rotating Judges or Just One?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:30:42 -0700

Paula Abdul has tweeted her goodbyes to American Idol, but the show must go on. This morning at the Fox TCA session, execs Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly confirmed that they've already started the process to fill her empty chair, starting with a rotation of female pop stars. Victoria Beckham and Katy Perry are already signed on to help judge the auditions, which start filming this week.

Apparently Fox is hoping to have permanent plans for Paula's seat by the time the show goes live next year. They liked the four-person dynamic, and there's still a chance one single judge will take Paula's place long-term. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to hearing from a different female artist every week. What about you - do you think Idol should continue with rotating guest judges through season nine, or focus on finding one new person to take Paula's spot for good?

Paula Abdul Confirms That She's Leaving American Idol

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:55:10 -0700

We've been hearing rumblings about Paula Abdul leaving American Idol for a few weeks now, but things just got a lot more interesting. Tonight she took to her verified Twitter account to tell the world that she's made the decision not to return to the show. In a string of tweets, she said:

With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to #IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day1become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me . . . It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month . . . I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all

FOX has confirmed that Paula will be leaving the show, stating, "Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she's a tremendous talent and we wish her the best." Most of you prefer Paula over Kara, so how do you feel about the reality of an American Idol judges' table without Paula's wacky antics? Will you still tune in next season?

Buzz News Roundup, 8/3

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:30:08 -0700

The debut novel by Lori Culwell, inside-showbiz tale Hollywood Car Wash, is headed for the big screen. - Variety
The entire original voice cast of Futurama will return for the new episodes. - The Hollywood Reporter
An Austrian pianist performed two newly discovered pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for the first time in public on Sunday. - Reuters
Will Ferrell and director David Dobkin are no longer involved in the comedy Neighborhood Watch. - ComingSoon
The premiere of The Real Housewives of Atlanta had the best ratings for any Housewives season opener. - Zap2it
Battlestar Galactica was named program of the year at the Television Critics Association Awards. - The Hollywood Reporter
Tom Arnold says he's reuniting with director James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger for a movie next year that "might as well be" called True Lies II. - ComingSoon
Kara DioGuardi will officially return to American Idol. - Variety

Source

Which Judge Should Idol Keep: Kara or Paula?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:30:00 -0700

Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson are both in for the next season of American Idol. But will either of this year's female judges be back to join them at the table? Newest judge Kara DioGuardi doesn't have a contract yet for season nine, nor does Paula Abdul, whose manager recently said he doesn't expect she'll return to the show.

Now, this isn't necessarily a Kara vs. Paula situation. There's no reason they couldn't both come back. But let's pretend for a moment that Idol wants to go back to three judges, and only one of the ladies can make the cut. Which judge would you pick?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Could American Idol Really Ditch Paula?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:30:47 -0700

It seems like we've heard some variation on the Paula-Abdul-might-leave-American Idol rumors for years now, and every time, Paula's returned to her place at the judging table come January. But this year, Paula's own manager is saying he doesn't think she'll be back on the show - unless something changes fast with the show's producers.

Her manager told the LA Times that Paula doesn't even have a contract offer yet: "I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven't stepped up and said what they want to do," he said. She and Kara DioGuardi are the only two Idol judges not under contract: Simon Cowell's deal runs through next year, while Randy Jackson's on board through 2011. Plus, Ryan Seacrest has a new contract that includes a huge raise.

Meanwhile, according to her manager, Paula has never been particularly well-paid for her work on Idol. (Though that's gotta be relative . . . ) Even if the producers do propose a contract, he said she's "not a happy camper" at the way she's been treated and is already tossing around ideas for new shows she could do after Idol.

A lot of times, this kind of thing is just a PR negotiating tactic (Remember Katherine Heigl?), but still, Idol and Paula don't have a ton of time. The first round of auditions is nearly done for season nine, and the LA Times said the judges are supposed to get to work on Aug. 6. So tell me: Do you think Idol would be the same without Paula? Would you miss her judging antics? Or do you think it's time for her to sign off?

Photo courtesy of Fox