Fancast: Inside TV

American Idol is back starting Tuesday, January 15. Randy Jackson has a new, tougher look (note the sideburns and goatee), Paula Abdul looks tame (her emotions seem in proportion to her hair) after draining her tear ducts on her reality series "Hey Paula," and Simon is...well, thank goodness for Simon Cowell.

We loved him during season one and we rely on him now that the show is returning for its seventh incarnation. On screen and off, he doesn't care what he says, and what he says is usually on the mark. (By the way, he also drives a gorgeous Bentley around Beverly Hills, allowing him to look the super rich Brit heis.) When you pare American Idol to its basics, you don't talk about Kelly, Ruben, or Taylor. No, you talk about Simon. Viewers know he's the most crucial element of the show. Idol is expertly produced. The opening audition shows are the most entertaining episodes of the entire season. But it's Simon who provides the unpredictability and wit that makes for entertaining television. Except for when Paula is in one of her special states, you know, hovering between tears, meltdown and call-the-paramedics.

Following last year's tame, okay boring season, we think the Idol producers could have injected new and must-see-type excitement into the show by firing both Abdul and Jackson and hiring in their place Britney Spears and...someone oddly endearing but weird, say a Scott Storch or Dianne Warren...oh, oh, got it. They should've hired Britney Spears and songwriter and producer Linda Perry.

They didn't, but in a recent conference call interview Cowell said the show has done a bit of needed tweaking this season. Not that last season, in his opinion, was bad. "Well, 90%, I think, of what happened on the show last year was very good," he offered. "I’ve always said it’s a very well produced show. But as I said earlier on, I mean we are completely and utterly reliant on who walks in the door in terms of the quality of the contestants. So, most of our focus this year was to make sure that we got a better top 12 and a more interesting top 12 than what we got last year. I’m pretty certain that we have that this year. So, that’s the most important thing.

"Cosmetic changes. There will be a new set, which will be good. They tried a couple of bits and pieces in the Hollywood rounds of having people play instruments, which wasn’t particularly a good thing or a bad thing. I don’t think it made too much difference because we were lucky enough that the contestants were better, and that was the most important thing.

"On a show like Idol, I don’t think you necessarily want to make change for the sake of change. I think you have to evolve the process, and that’s what I think you’re going to see this year. You’re going to see an improved show with much, much better singers and more interesting contestants."

Television's biggest event, AMERICAN IDOL, returns for its seventh season in a special two-night, four-hour season premiere Tuesday, Jan. 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. This is Seacrest, er, Fancast -- out.

We came across these gallery photos of the American Idol cast and wanted to share them as well as the knee-jerk thoughts they inspired.

Randy Jackson seems to have enlisted in Michael Jackson's army. Paula Abdul appears to be channeling a 1940s siren, which is better than whoever she channeled previously. (Note the large ring on her finger. We aren't sure, but that might be a personal LoJack, emitting signals to Fox's pr department in case she gets lost.)

Ryan Seacrest looks to have been influenced by a combination of Mad Men and some random GQ cover. Simon Cowell comes off as Simon, and thank goodness someone has the guts to show up for work in the skin they actually inhabit.

Is it weird that we think of these people as our best friends?

One of the high points -- or low points, you decide -- of last night's American Idol return was the guy who sang about wanting to stalk Paula Abdul. He called it a love song. Again, you decide.

You probably saw it on TV, but in case you didn't, here's one of those classic Idol aw-shucks moments: For the first time in A.I. history, an auditioner went into labor while waiting with 13,500 hopefuls for her chance to become the next singing superstar. Last Monday, nine-months-pregnant Antoria Gillon arrived at Texas Stadium with hopes of becoming the next American Idol. However, as the time of her audition approached, she realized she was in labor. Determined not to miss her shot at fame, Gillon sang her best while in the midst of contractions. After completing the audition and learning she will return for the next round, Gillon was taken to a local hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son – whom she named Jamil Labarron Idol McCowan. Baby Idol arrived early Tuesday morning and weighed 6 lbs. 7oz.

Getting amped for Idol tonight? Which judge is your favorite? Ours might not be Simon after reading Radar’s shocking article on 50 Things You Need to Know About Simon Cowell, loosely based on his autobiography “I Don’t Mean To Be Rude, But…”

Some things we never knew about Simon?

5. Simon turned out to be a less reliable boyfriend than producer. According to Sinitta, he not only cheated on her three times, he made passes at her sister and her best friend and is "incapable of being faithful."

6. Certainly, no relationship has ever curtailed his strip-club habit, which he indulges girlfriend or no, because, shockingly, he "like[s] it."

7. Cowell has forbidden Seymour from asking him questions after 11 p.m. and suggested she get her boobs enlarged.

11. When in London, Cowell meets with his mother, Julie, a retired ballet dancer, for lunch twice a week. In 2005, he spent $500,000 on her surprise 80th birthday party.

48. Cowell was bullied as a child, and he allowed five British children who'd also been harassed to visit his office, reassuring them, "It happened to me and my friends, too.... But it's the people who are picked on that are the cool ones."

What do you think about some of these admissions? Is Cowell a sinner or a saint?

American Idol's top 12 Finalists (L-R): Carly Smithson, Kristy Lee Cook, David Cook, Jason Castro, Michael Johns, Ramiele Malubay, David Hernandez, Chikezie, Amanda Overmyer, Brooke White, David Archuleta and Syesha Mercado celebrate on the red carpet last Thursday in Los Angeles.

(Video alert: Watch TV Junkies post-Idol analysis of the Top 12, plus performances and more here on Fancast.)

Jim Carrey left no question Who it was last night wearing the elephant suit in American Idol's audience. The funny man showed up to promote the opening of his latest movie, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who. Watch the movie's trailer and then watch a fascinating clip showing how Horton comes to life from a drawing.

By Victor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

The warning came quickly and it came clearly: Don’t ask David Hernandez about his days as a dancer at a gay strip club in Arizona. The weekly “American Idol” eliminated contestant call forced writers to get fancy with their questions as they tip-toed around the steely-eyed, chiseled and well choreographed elephant in the room while asking David questions the day after he was first top 12 singer voted out of the competition.

The call coordinator warned that David was there “to talk about his experience on ‘Idol,’” and that if the questions strayed too far from the call’s intended purpose they “reserve the right to ask the operator to move on.”

Fox announced that this year's American Idol charity special, Idol Gives Back, will raise awareness and funds to benefit six charities: the Children’s Defense Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children and the Children’s Health Fund. Airing on April 9 at 7:30, the network promises this year's event "will be bigger and more ambitious than ever" and "feature incredible international artists and sports figures including Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Mariah Carey, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg." Except more stars to be added. Last season, Idol Gives Back garnered a prestigious Governor’s Award Emmy and raised more than $76 million for charity.

After getting the boot on American Idol, rocker Amanda Overmyer faced the press and proved herself a good sport as well as a good spirit. "I just want to tell everyone that watched and everyone that voted how much I appreciate their time and support," she said. "It’s a really good feeling, knowing that somebody different like me going into a platform such as American Idol, that there were people to support you and keep me in as long as I did. I really appreciate it.

Question: It seems like you’re more capable of going on to the next step and being less needy than a lot of the contestants. Can you just give us an overview of your life at this point? In other words, as I understand it, you already own a home back in Indiana. Did your car or truck get messed up by the action or do you still have one? Do you expect to go back there or do you expect to stick around L.A.? What is your situation right now?

A. Overmyer: Yes, I’ve owned a home in Indiana for three years. I can go back in my career if need be. As of right now, no decisions are being made as far as what exactly I’m going to do, because I have no idea if there are any options out here, if there are any. It’s going to be a little bit of a waiting game for the next couple of months probably.

Question: It was very good nature that you showed and everyone was surprised when you were voted out. Basically, are you quite optimistic about your life and where you’re going from here?

A. Overmyer: Absolutely. Yesterday was the most traumatic thing that’s happened in my life; I just got voted off of a TV show. I was thankful to be there and privileged to have that many millions of Americans vote for me just to keep me on until 11. With someone like me, who is completely different, I’m cut out of a different mold from everyone else in the competition, I found that very warming that I had that much support.

By Victor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

Although many “American Idol” watchers didn’t understand how Ramiele Malubay made it as far in the competition as she did, it was a surprise when she was booted Wednesday night because she had never once landed in the bottom three. Ramiele stepped up to the speaker phone on Thursday to talk about her “Idol” experience. She talked about how the pressure of the show effects every singer, including David Cook whose blood pressure spiked after Tuesday night’s performance show, how the nerves got to her after a strong performance in the opening week and she could never recapture that success, and about which “Idol” she’s planning on moving in with. Check it out:

On how far she thought she could make it…
My goal was to just get by week to week. I didn’t want to think that I was going to be first place or second place, because if you think of it that way, your whole experience is totally erased. My goal was to get as far as I could. And I made it onto the tour, so that’s good.

It's a good night for celebrity gawking as almost everyone turns up tonight on American Idol's charity special, "Idol Gives Back." The list includes all three presidential candidates, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, plus Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus, David and Victoria Beckham, Eddie Izzard, Ricki Lake, Heart, Snoop Dogg, Maria Shriver, Alicia Keys, Julianne Moore, and more. The opening number has the remaining eight contestants trading versus on Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music," Fergie does her thang with both John Legend and Heart's Wilson sisters, Brad Pitt gets "touched" in a certain way, and more. To get in the mood, check out some photos:

Ferras's song "Hollywood's Not America" is the exit music 24 million people hear each week on American Idol. How did this 25-year-old singer-songwriter score such a sweet gig? Check out this video interview and live performance to find out.

By VIctor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

Still in shock at his departure from “American Idol” on Thursday night, Michael Johns talked to TV writers on a conference call Friday to talk about his journey. He had some choice words about Simon Cowell and the rest of the judges, why he has a Wiggles CD in his music collection, and what he thought about host Ryan Seacrest’s semi-cruel twist at the end of the results show that made Michael think for a moment that he might not actually be going home.

On whether he was surprised at his exit…
I don’t know quite yet. It’s a bit of a whirlwind. The last two or three weeks have been my strongest, but we’re in a competition and stuff can happen. And it did.

On what Australians do to drown their sorrows…
Pick your poison [laughs]. Beer, or whatever. We’re a pretty good beer-drinking country, so that’s probably what I’m going to do here in a little bit.

Get out the tissues. American Idol contestant David Cook is going to have a special guest watching from the audience tonight: his 36-year-old brother who is battling brain cancer. Friends of the ailing Cook chartered a medical jet that will take him from Terre Haute, Indiana to Los Angeles to watch his brother take the “Idol” stage, according to Indiana’s Tribune Star. Adam is undergoing chemotherapy for his second diagnosis of brain cancer, which has spread to his spine.

Why did Michael Johns get the boot last week from American Idol? "You cannot deliver an uninspired performance at the top of the show," Simon Cowell told Variety in an interview that mostly concerned the chart success of Leona Lewis. "And you can't be up there imitating another singer." The elimination of Johns continued to reverberate through the Idol stage yesterday, and Cowell explained his surprise exit was all about "personality. They are giving very safe answers to questions, making safe song selections. We are not getting a sense of who they are. We have to try to pull it out of them more." For a quick recap, check out this video of Michael Johns receiving the bad news and then as a reminder that Idol has a heart watch this recap of Idol Gives Back.

By Victor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

It was Wednesday night, and that meant somebody had to go home. The top seven right now are in two distinct groups, in terms of talent, with Jason Castro now serving as the bridge that connects the two: David Cook, David Archuleta and Carly Smithson on top, with Syesha Mercado, Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White in the bottom half. So, who would go home?

Host Ryan Seacrest told viewers that there were a season-high number of votes of nearly 36 million. That was followed by the best group performance of the season as the top seven sang Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day,” which she recorded with Boyz II Men. It’s a song that was practically made for a group version, and it worked nicely with Jason, Kristy and David Archuleta getting some solo turns. It was further proof that Mariah Carey has some pretty tremendous and versatile songs.

Is American Idol in trouble? Even with Andrew Lloyd Webber mentoring the show's final 6 tonight [watch a clip of the final 6], the past few days have been rough on the top-rated show, at least in the press. Then again, it might just be another week in the life of America's top-rated show. Despite dominating the ratings top 10 each week, the series incurred a roughly 7% drop in viewership compared to last year, the Los Angeles Times reported. The paper added that Idol has also seen a drop among younger and female viewers ages 18-34. The Mariah Carey performance show was a five-year low. The Times speculated the show might be suffering from "fatigue." Earlier in the week, judge Simon Cowell told Variety the show was suffering from lack of personality. A Fox exec maintained the show has "defied the odds."

In the meantime, the New York Times stepped into the let's-dis-Idol fray with a behind-the-scenes piece headlined, "If Only Reality Was This Well Organized." Anyone who has wondered what it's like to be in the studio during Idol should consider this required reading. "From the placement of local sorority members along camera sight lines to the instructions to the audience members about when to stand and how to wave their hands, `American Idol' is as scripted as a “reality” show dare be. Finally Fox News' gossip Roger Friedman noted that Idol contestant David Cook's album "Analog Heart," available yesterday for downloading on Amazon's MP3 site, is now gone. "What remains are the 91 reviews from enthusiastic Cook fans who did download "Analog Heart" before "American Idol" had it pulled down," wrote Friedman. "One can only wonder what's gone on backstage with Cook and the "Idol" producers, particularly the folks at 19 Entertainment. Cook seemed to be doing an end run around his contract with the show and management group before the contest ended."

The shock of saying bye-bye to Michael Johns has barely left and now another one: Carly Smithson. Although the tattooed rocker delivered a completely worthy rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar," and although she seemed like a shoe-in for the top three, American Idol fans voted her off in last night's elimination show. Too bad, since a) she has a personality that turns any room into a party; and b) viewers won't get to see any more close-ups of her husband's tattooed face, not something that's on prime time every day. Alas, what's there to say? Perhaps that American Idol's good leave early -- and then they face the press. Here's what Smithson had to say about her Idol experience:

So what was going through your head when you got in the bottom two, first of all?
I think at this stage we’re all kind of we’re in the top six, and I fell that everybody was kind of thinking that they were going to go home. Not one person feels safe anymore, and we’re all just so grateful for the experience. I know I feel like American Idol has given me such a gift, such a platform to be able to launch myself off of and no more theme songs. I’m actually, I’m not that sad to be leaving. I enjoyed every minute thoroughly, but you know we’re back in two weeks to start preparing for the tour and the finale. So it’s like a small break and I’m going to be back. I think anywhere after top ten is just a bonus. I think I made enough of an impact to be able to reach a good fan base, and now I get to be just me without a theme night and make a really cool record. So I’m excited.

Glad to hear. It seemed like one of your most joyful performance.
Oh, I loved every minute it. I really did. I had fun, and I think maybe it was too late, but I realized not to take everything so seriously. You know early on in the show they had set the standard so high for me, and they were a lot harder on me than other contestants and I think it kind of got to me for a maybe a few weeks, and I think by the time I met Mariah Carey I had kind of changed my mind. She was just so cool and so normal and so nice. Because you know obviously we come into this and they want us to be a star, but like I come from a bar and I have no idea what a star really is supposed to act like. So I just thought it was really cool that when we met here I was just like “well, you know I can just be normal and that’s cool.” You know?

VIctor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

Finally. The moment I’ve been waiting for since the announcement was made: Neil Diamond night is almost upon us. This is good and bad news, because with only five singers left, we’ll get to hear fewer Diamond songs than any mentor this season, and that just ain’t right. I don’t think they’ve ever had the singers do two songs in one night this early in the competition, but here’s hoping we’re in for a surprise that will give us 10 songs from one of the greatest songwriters in pop music history.

Until then, let’s play a little, “Which Song Will They Sing?”:

David Cook, “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show”: Someone mentioned this way back when, and it might have been perceived as something of a joke, but this song could be an absolute smash in David Cook’s hands. And he’d get bonus points for saying “Hallelujah,” which seems to be all the rage this season. But he might settle for covering Urge Overkill’s cover of “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.”

David Archuleta, “Heartlight”:Diamond’s “E.T.”-inspired ballad is right up David Archuleta’s alley for so many reasons. The tempo is about right, it’s uplifting, it’ll give him a chance to gaze into the camera (remember to keep those eyes open!), and has long enough spaces in between lines to allow for plenty of lip licking. Of course, David could kick it up a notch in tempo and go with “I’m a Believer.”

By Jen Smith
Fancast.com

With only five finalists left, these kids have got to step up their game. But how? Neil Diamond! What Fox exec thought of this brilliant idea? This is going to be interesting. We start the show by finding out that each finalist will sing two songs each, while Paula sits back comfortably looking like a couture peacock.

Jason Castro: "Forever in Blue Jeans" and “September Morn”
After forgetting the lyrics when he sang for a botoxed-to-death Neil Diamond, I wasn’t hoping for much. And I wasn’t disappointed. When Jason sang “Forever in Blue Jeans,” I couldn’t tell what song it was, never mind if it was any good. Even the little girls in the mosh pit were bored. Then, in a moment of TV history, Paula gave her opinion on Jason’s first song (she liked his lower register) but then dissed his second performance. A good long moment of silent confusion followed until Simon kindly reminded Paula that he only sang ONE song. She was adamant that there were two… but then popped another Xanax (kidding) and fell asleep.

Jason’s second song “September Morn” was just as boring, and the judges agreed. Simon was pissed because he wasn’t the same Jason they put through to the finals. Perhaps because they confiscated his bong.

David Cook: "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need Is You"
David looked totally cute, and sang well. Let me stress, I’m not a Neil Diamond fan (if you couldn’t tell), but I am a David Cook fan (if you couldn’t tell) therefore I liked this performance. He brought a nice raspy sound to the song. Simon thought this performance was just above average. Hey, that’s better than nothing.

For "All I Really Need Is You," David pulled out the guitar. The only thing that was running through my head during this performance: “How the eff did he turn a Neil Diamond song into something modern and likeable?” Simon agreed with me and said he felt like it was a song that was written this year. Paula thinks she’s looking at the next American Idol (for once, she’s right).

Forever in mediocrity? That's sure what it seemed like after American Idol's final five delivered a night of Neil Diamond songs. These were classic pop songs, but none of the performances made anyone scream I'm a believer. No, not a trace of real stardom. And it doesn't seem we're out of our mind with such criticism. Paula said she felt David Cook was the next American Idol. Really? He seems like such a second-rate rocker. David A.'s limitations were never more evident. He has a great voice for a kid, but with limited range and no emotion. Ah well, at least Neil got to hug Syesha. And all of them looked really good, right? Enjoy the photos.

If you watched last night's American Idol, you no doubt cringed, cheered, and replayed about a thousand times this classic Paula Abdul gaff. If you didn't see it, watch -- because everyone is going to be talking about it today. Here's the setup: All five of the Idol finalists have just performed the first of two Neil Diamond songs of the night. Ryan is hurrying everyone along to make sure they get the show finished on time. The judges are asked to review everyone quickly. Enjoy the rest...

There are blond moments. And now there are Paula Abdul moments. Following her gloriously embarrassing mess-up on last night's American Idol broadcast, Abdul went into crisis management mode today. She called in to Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show and blamed her mistake on the show's executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe. She said he changed things up on the judges at the last minute by asking for a quick recap midway through the show instead of at the end. (You can imagine that deer-caught-in-headlights panic in Abdul's eyes when she was told that producers wanted to know her opinion.) "It was so confusing," said Abdul. "The whole thing is like, 'Hello?' It was crazy for us. In seven years, we've never had to do that...So, the kids are coming out, and I'm like 'Oh my God, what do we do?' (Editorial interjection: You can understand that after only seven seasons she still needs to be told what to do. It's a hard show to follow.) "I just started looking at what I had written down and we've never had to do this before." (Another editorial interjection: She's right. In our recollection, the judges have never been asked to read. That can be tricky.) "I was reading the critique of what I had written for Jason Castro, and on the same page, I also wrote David. (Final interjection: Didn't she criticize Jason's imaginary second song using those notes, but then she praised David using those same notes?) "I got lost on my notes," she said. "And that's as simple as it was."

And now we're lost, too.

By Jen Smith
Fancast.com

The latest American Idol slashes the finalist pool down to four, which means we’re only a few weeks from the finale! Start sending your predictions now. The group performance kicks off the episode, with a somewhat disjointed version of “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show.” I enjoyed watching them pretend to dance, forget the words, and laugh at themselves. After the recap package, Ryan decides to address the “rumors” about Paula (referring to Tuesday’s remarks she made about a song Jason hadn’t sung yet). She looks on the brink of tears, but Ryan says a few kind words and everyone claps. On with the show.

They bring Jason out to the stage first. Ryan refers to him as “J. Cass” and I cringed. They banter a bit, but surprise, surprise, Jason is safe. Muppet is up next. Paula thinks he needs to have more fun and energy. In other words, have some chutzpah! Nevertheless, the munchkin is safe another week. David Cook looks handsome tonight… no surprise that he’s safe. That means Brooke and Syesha are in the bottom two.

After Natasha Bedingfield sings, we get to the viewer questions. The best one of the night came from Tara, who turns out to be Simon’s first kiss when he was 9 years old. Ryan wonders if he was a good kisser, we hear crickets on the line, and Simon reminds us that he was only nine. But, in classic creepy Brit fashion, he asks if she’s still cute. Neil Diamond is singing to pimp is new album, but just ends up looking like a Johnny Cash knockoff singing an Irish folk tale. It was an odd, odd performance. The audience wasn’t even sure what to do. The producers probably had to bribe them with free Jamba Juice after the show if they’d just wave their darn arms back and forth like they actually cared. But hey, my grandma was probably pretty turned on.

Back to the results… It’s down to Syesha and Brooke. Ryan quickly puts Brooke out of her misery. She’s sad and crying a lot, but she said she knew it was her week to go. She should have stayed longer than Jason and Syesha, in my opinion, but we can’t always get our way. This just further proves the David vs. David finale theory. I can’t wait to see our first male Top 2 since Ruben and Clay. Hopefully this time the right man will win (key word: man). See you next week for Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame night

By Victor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

Brooke White was known for showing her emotions and she let it all out as she was eliminated from “American Idol” on Wednesday night after making it to the top five. On Thursday morning, she was cheery once again as she fielded questions from TV writers about everything from her struggles with self-confidence to Paula Abdul’s awkward scene on Tuesday to Simon’s meanness. Check it out:

On her performing experience before “Idol”…
I did do an independent album and performed around L.A. for a couple of years. That was just it. It was kind of just going out and doing it the hard way. For a couple of years, I would do a couple of shows at the Roxy. It was just mainly in clubs around L.A.

On what she thought was her best performance of the season…
Totally, it was absolutely “Let It Be.”

On her husband’s pledge not to cut his hair until she was off the show, and when it will happen…
I’ll be the one cutting it, but I’m just not sure when that’s going to happen. We’ll have to pencil it in somewhere. It’ll probably have to be at 3 o’clock in the morning some time.

TV Junkies provide humorous analysis of American Idol contestant Brooke White's elimination. Watch now.

By Jen Smith
Fancast.com

OK, so we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty on American Idol. It’s been a very talked-about season and these kids know that have to step up their game. Going into tonight I was excited because I knew that this was a genre that would give everyone an even playing field. Once again, like last week, they each sing two songs. Unlike last week (and the media blitz that was caused by it) the judges give their critiques after each song. Let’s see how they stacked up.

David Cook- “Hungry Like the Wolf"
Initially, I was excited about this song choice. However, I was mildly disappointed. He sang it about a half-octave too low and made it kind of off-key at points because of this. Simon agreed, saying it was a little too copycat (you should have rearranged this song, David!) but that it’s good enough to get to next week.

Syesha Mercado- "Proud Mary"
When I saw Syesha’s getup (complete with shimmery metallic mini-dress) I knew she was singing Proud Mary. And I shuddered the entire time. It was even worse than when Beyonce did this song at the Tina Turner tribute show. Her “dancing” looked more like an epileptic seizure. Randy and Paula liked it though, but Simon thought it was a shrieky, bad impersonation.

Jason Castro- "I Shot the Sheriff"
Of course the guy with dreads covers a song done by a guy with dreads. But Jason, sweetie, no one can pull of Bob Marley except Bob Marley. It was seriously bad. Randy was just like “dude.” Paula tried to say at least he was genuine. Simon called it “utterly atrocious,” “a song you do not touch,” “a first round audition,” and “a massacre.” I agree.

By Jen Smith
Fancast.com

I’m going to make this quick… because we all pretty much know the end of this story. Last night's American Idol opened with the kids singing their group song “Reelin’ in the Years” by Steely Dan. Another good song which well never be the same for the millions of people watching. After trumpeting the fact that more than 50 million votes were cast, Ryan gets to the results. First up is David Archuleta, who is just plain awkward. He’s bumbling, completely inarticulate, and once again lacks the ability to think on his feet. He’s either really nervous or he’s just not cut out for limelight. Personally, I don’t see how he can handle the stresses that come with winning. Either way, he’s safe. Surprised?

Next, it appears the kids got a short getaway to Vegas on their very own private jet (complete with a bed!) and pretended they were The Beatles. They kissed some dolphins and saw Love by Cirque de Soleil. Sounds like fun. I’m jealous. After the Vegas package, David Cook is brought out on this stage. David confides that he didn’t have a great vibe Tuesday. He woke up just not feeling right and it stayed with him throughout the performance. Randy suggests that if he makes it to the final (which he will) that he needs to just be himself and rock it out, baby. He’s sent to the safety of the oversized couches, leaving Syesha and Jason in the bottom two.

By Victor Balta
Eye On Idol
Comcast.net

Love him or not, Jason Castro was one of the most talked about contestants “American Idol” has seen in a while. He was goofy, he was fun to watch, you never knew what he was going to do or say, and he turned in some truly memorable performances. That is a rare combination in an “Idol” contestant and the show will be a little less exciting with him gone. Jason got on the line with reporters on Thursday and addressed so many of the hot topics that have surrounded him, including whether he forgot his lyrics on purpose, what he thought about Paula Abdul’s now famous mistake, and whether he’d truly never heard of the musical, “Cats.”

This one is a little longer than usual, but I wanted to give the Jason fans a bit more from their fave, and I think he had a lot of very interesting things to say.

On Simon’s suggestion in an interview that Jason forgot his lyrics on purpose…
Yeah, somebody told me that earlier. I definitely did not do that on purpose. I couldn’t believe I forgot such a popular line, you know, something that’s, like, written on your soul. Somehow, it slipped my mind. But I definitely didn’t do that on purpose.

On whether he still wanted to win…
As of yesterday I wanted to win and the day before. I think when it came down to it, it was just my inexperience. And once we doubled up on songs I wasn’t really being able to focus on both of my songs. My mind was just split and I just couldn’t deliver either or.

Big news out of American Idol land: David Archuleta's father has been banned from rehearsals. There had been rumors all season of Jeff Archuleta's meddling and pushing. He was also said to be an intense personality and a Type A stage parent, having groomed his talented child for this moment on America's top-rated talent competition. Now comes word the elder Archuleta was told last week that he can no longer help his 17-year-old son David rehearse.

TMZ broke that story last Friday, and other outlets have since followed up. According to the AP, "Jeff Archuleta's intense backstage involvement had become a source of concern for the series. But it was a lyric change on Tuesday's show that pushed producers to act. Despite a warning, Jeff Archuleta insisted on altering "Stand by Me," one of two songs his son sang on the show Tuesday." Apparently he added a verse from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls," whichincurred additional costs for the show. He was ousted after that.

Apparently 51 million votes on last week's American Idol wasn't enough. The show sent its finale 3 contestants to their hometowns to campaign for more. Here's what it looked like:

David Archuleta waves to his fans in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Syesha Mercado at a rally in her home town of Tampa, Florida.

For those into bad TV, here's a little sumpin'-sumpin' with which to delight yourself -- it's a video with former American Idol boy toy Sanjaya singing Willie Nelson's "Always On My Mind." Uh, enjoy.

Fox will bring American Idol back for an eighth season, it was announced yesterday at the network's upfront presentation. No surprise there. But Fox Chairman of Entertainment Peter Liguori acknowledged the show's dip in ratings and said there will be changes when it returns. What changes? He wasn't specific, though he said he's met with the show's producers and "everyone is really committed and excited." He said the judges will remain the same. "We love Paula," he said. "She's coming back."

Simon Cowell has repeatedly decried the contestants and the show indirectly for being boring and lacking personality. That's the challenge producers face as they address changes. How do they inject excitement into a show whose performers are as bland and unexciting as the song