Kara DioGuardi: Getting to know the new 'American Idol' judge
During a conference call with the media this afternoon, newly added “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi got a barrage of logistical questions. Where would she fall in the judging order? What would happen if the four judges were split down the middle on whether a contestant should go through to Hollywood?
DioGuardi, for her part, was just as clueless as the reporters. “I just know that I’m on the judging panel and that I’m supposed to have my makeup done by 11 o’clock tomorrow,” she stated simply.
But although she didn’t know much about how panel decisions would shake out, DioGuardi was confident about her judging style. “I’m going to be a straight shooter and say it like I see it,” she explained. When asked which of the judges’ style most reflected her own, DioGuardi replied, “I don’t think I’m similar to anybody. I have my own style.”
And her “style” has done pretty well for her thus far. The Grammy-nominated songwriter has penned hits for Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Pink and many more. DioGuardi has also written for a handful of Idols, including Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. “I’m a big fan of Kelly’s,” raved DioGuardi. “I had an incredible experience with her, and I was so happy when ‘Walk Away’ did so well for her.”
'American Idol' gets a fourth judge: Kara DioGuardi
It's a girl!
When "American Idol" premieres in January, there will be a fourth judge seated at the judge's table: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi, Fox announced today.
DioGuardi will use her background as a songwriter and producer to praise or critique the contestants throughout the competition, according to a press release. The eighth season of the show premieres in January.
The network, partly responding to a small decline in ratings, announced in May that there will be changes to the format to the show.
In the press release, creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said: “We are turning the heat up on ‘Idol’ this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table. She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show.”
The show had always intended to have a fourth judge, according to executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz.
"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges’ table," Fox President of Alternative Programming Mike Darnell said in the release. "She’s been as an island of consideration and gentle criticism between Randy and Simon, offering her invaluable expertise as a performer and No. 1 artist to the thousands who have competed on 'American Idol.' With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some backup, and now there is going to be a lot more ‘girl power’ on the show.”
More details came later when Fox hosted a conference call with "Idol's" new judge.
-- Maria Elena Fernandez
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that "American Idol's" premiere date will be January 29. While the show will return in January, its premiere date is not yet set.
(Photo: Anne Cusack / LAT)
Exclusive Interview: David Archuleta's 'Crush' tops charts
“All my friends keep saying, ‘You should try to hook up with Shawn Johnson,’” confessed “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta with a giggle.
It was 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, and Archuleta had managed to squeeze in a quick chat between signing autographs and walking a press line in Tampa, Fla.
Our topic of conversation –- Archuleta’s real-life crushes – was prompted by the outlandish success of his first single, “Crush.” Not only was it the top-selling digital download of the week, but “Crush” also hit No. 2 on the U.S. pop singles chart today; the best chart debut in 18 months, according to Billboard.
So, I just had to ask: Does Archuleta have a “Crush” of his own? “I’m just afraid to mention anything now,” confessed Archuleta. And he’s right to be afraid. Recently, after one of Archuleta’s female friends attended his show, she received a deluge of hate mail from Archuleta’s fans. “They said, ‘You’re not good enough for him, and you’re ugly,” Archuleta said, shuddering. “You can see why people want to keep things to themselves.” Despite the fact that his rabid fans harassed his guest, however, Archuleta continued to defend them. “They’re just really protective,” he concluded.
'American Idol': A trip to Idol Camp
In a world of brand extension and merchandise obsession, "American Idol" is king. Spearheaded by FremantleMedia, the company that owns the "Idol" trademark, there are the requisite T-shirts, journals, water bottles and CDs. There is also Dreyer's Choc 'N Roll Caramel "American Idol" ice cream, Karaoke Revolution's "Idol" video game and a new attraction at Disney World.
Then they opened Idol Camp.
Idol Camp is a two-week performing arts sleep-away gathering for aspiring singers, aged 10 to 15. The camp, which opened in Massachusetts last year, moved to California this summer. It costs $2,995.
For that price, the Idol Camp grounds are a tween's dream. A skate park full of half-pipes beckons thrill seekers. A 20-foot-tall inflatable glacier floats in a pond, ripe for the climbing. Among the all-terrain vehicles, the go-karts, the rope course and the horse stables, there is something for every personality.
But for the 60 or so lucky kids who have come to Lake Arrowhead's Pali Mountain to attend Idol Camp, half-pipes and go-karts are just distractions from practicing for the end-of-session production. In the grand finale, campers will sing, dance and play instruments while their proud parents and counselors look on.
When I arrived at Idol Camp's lush grounds last week, camp director Dean Cudworth -- better known as "Crunch" -- was there to greet me. Cudworth's nickname may be playful, but his attitude about show business is serious. "I in no way want to coddle these young men and women," Cudworth said of his campers. "I want them to know how hard it is."
Cudworth, an actor since age 7, is intimately acquainted with the difficulties of the entertainment world, and he readily shares his insights with his campers. "I say, 'Look, there's always gonna be someone slightly better than you. It doesn't mean you can't work, but if you get caught in this complacent state where you think you're gonna just slide through, you have another thing coming,' " Cudworth said.
Although he is devoted to giving his campers a wake-up call, the atmosphere in the open-mike bungalow was decidedly more forgiving. One by one, campers stood before their peers and sang, either a cappella or with a tape. The style is reminiscent of "American Idol" auditions, but there was no Simon Cowell in the room. Even after performances by campers that -- let's face it -- are never going to be professional singers, the other campers were unwaveringly supportive. Every time a singer finished performing, the others bellowed "Oh!" and made "O" shapes over their heads, a gesture I later discovered is the Idol Camp-equivalent of a standing ovation.
Seated beside me at the open-mike was Vonzell Solomon, better known to her fans as "Baby V" Solomon, who finished third on the fourth season of "American Idol." She was not the only "Idol" alum scheduled to visit the camp this summer. Jon Peter Lewis, Chris Sligh and Paris Bennett are also slated to appear.
Solomon, a former postal worker from Fort Myers, Fla., said she is more than happy to remain under the "American Idol" umbrella, mentoring children at Idol Camp. She said, "I always wake up and pinch myself 'cause I feel like I'm dreaming, and I'm gonna have to wake up and deliver the mail, and I'm like, 'No!' "
During her week at Pali Mountain, Solomon ate every meal with the campers, played improvisation games with them and watched them perform. On the day of my visit, the tables were to be turned and Solomon was to perform a concert for the campers. Singing for a group of rowdy kids was quite a change from Solomon's last gig -- performing for Michelle Obama -- but she seemed to be having a blast.
"All the kids wanna know how the judges are in real life and what it was like being on the show and what has my life been like after the show," said Solomon.
She was surprised, she said, by the campers' willingness to perform on command. "They're only 10 to 15, and they get up at the drop of a dime," she marveled. "They're just like, 'I can do it!' "
When I caught up with the camp's videographer, Jake -- a.k.a. "Machine" -- he echoed Solomon's sentiment, saying he can't get over the campers' fearlessness.
"Idol kids run up screaming and smiling and waving to the camera. Like, they are camera-hungry. They're just loving it," marveled Jake, who was working on a take-home DVD for the Idol Camp families chronicling the two-week experience.
"They love the camera," agreed the camp still-photographer Mandy, also known as "Dot." "Any time I'm like, 'Hey, girls, you wanna smile,' at least seven more pile in the picture."
Once I had an image of the average Idol Camp camper, I couldn't resist asking about the average Idol Camp parent. Jake said that as a general rule, they are not stage parents. Still, he admits that "some of the parents are just as, if not more, outgoing than the kids. . . . There was this one mom I met that was kinda like, 'C'mon, c'mon get out there.' Like pushing the kid!"
But from what I could tell, most of these kids don't need pushing. After videotaping a conversation with bunkmates Elizabeth and Chelsea for our Show Tracker blog, I asked the girls if they would like to sing for me. Before I knew it, the tiny campers were belting something fierce.
I also caught up with Chad, a camper whom I had met in February at the "American Idol" Top 24 party. Since Chad, then 14, seemed to have a passion for all things "Idol," I asked whether he was planning to audition for the show when he turned 16.
"If my music career hasn't taken off yet," he mused then.
Chad has returned to Idol Camp, he said, first and foremost, "just to get better at what I love to do." He's enjoying his percussion class and considering picking up a beat-boxing course.
"My ultimate goal is just to get better at music and enhance my career," he said.
And although not all of the children at Idol Camp are as career-oriented as Chad, they do share a desire, however vaguely plotted, to see their name in lights. When I asked bunkmates Elizabeth and Chelsea whether most of the kids at Idol Camp want to be famous, Chelsea looked at me as if I had asked the dumbest question on the planet.
Then she burst out laughing. "Why wouldn't they?"
Idol Tracker: 'American Idol's' Season Eight Auditions begin
"American Idol" may not eat its children, but it certainly seems to move on past them pretty quick. No sooner had the goliath put David Cook and the stars of Season Seven on the bus and sent them off to road school then, without a moment's ado, the search has begun for the next American Idol.
The search began at San Francisco's historic Cow Palace, which now inhabits an area that, to hear locals describe it, is in a league with pre-surge Sadr City for mayhem and destruction. To a bellman, every San Franciscan who heard I was going to the Cow Palace urged me to stay off the local streets at all costs.
At 4 a.m. my taxi entered the palace's demesne and I crouched in the back seat, flak jacket at the ready as we cruised through the empty, pre-dawn streets. One turn down the main drag, however, and the cab slammed into not a raging firefight but the oddest traffic jam I have seen: In the still and darkness, cars stretched for over a mile, waiting to pull into the CP. I finally made it to the gates and walked onto the grounds with thousands emerging on foot, car and bicycle out of the black, like a giggly zombie army. Then I see the line -- 20 across stretching back into the void far back up to the distant end of the parking lot.
At the front of the line, ready to be the first contestants considered for Season Eight, Shatteo, 25, Nyla, 17, and Damon 19, all Bay Area natives, sprawled on blankets, awaiting their brush with destiny, shivering together in the cold as a steady wind raced across the parking lot. Shatteo is here for his second shot at "Idol" glory, having tried previously in 2004. Despite that earlier disappointment, he and his two comrades all express unblinking confidence that each of them individually and all of their friends in turn are the next American Idol. They use the phrases I'll hear over and over again: "Singing is my life." "Its all I've ever cared about." "I am the full package." Who is to say that they are not all three right? Speaking with them, their confidence is hard to dismiss, despite the knowledge that numbers being what they are, and the audition tour is stopping in seven cities, likely no more than one or two and certainly no more than three of the 7,000-ish on line this morning are destined to take a place on the big "Idol" stage in March. But not doubting that that place belongs to them, and raring to go claim it, the group arrived at 1 a.m. to claim their place at the line's head, but had found the grounds closed. They told me of the line of cars parked alongside the road in the middle of the night, tomorrow's superstars sleeping at the wheel.
Idol Tracker: The tour comes to the Staples Center
A few very long months ago, these nine singers shared hotel rooms on the other side of downtown with a couple hundred other aspiring superstars summoned for the semifinal round of "American Idol" auditions known as Hollywood Week. Half a year later, the 10 who emerged from those masses touched down momentarily in the filled-to-the-rafters Staples Center to entertain an ecstatic audience that greeted the returning champions like gods falling to Earth as the "Idols Live" tour came home to Los Angeles.
The most frequent criticism a professional "Idol" watcher hears of the show is the "this is not real stardom" saw, that these singers did not rise organically through the grassroots along our mythical (and, largely, no longer existent) path for superstars, playing tiny bars to a handful of drunks in Butte, Mont., rising to a capacity-40 nightclub in Boise until suddenly -- and untainted by the touch of the professional music industry -- they force their way onto a radio station and instantaneously charm the millions. By contrast, the grudge goes, "American Idol" stars are "invented" TV show confections who have not paid their dues, and their rise is forever tainted by their corporate overlords and sponsors.
Seen through that prism, Monday night at Staples would no doubt have taken on a bit of a Disneyland glow -- a stadium full of people willing themselves to believe that these are actual stars and this is an actual rock concert, mistaking fame for talent, etc. etc. etc.
Unabashed "American Idol" apologist though I am, I can only say that if this was mass delusion, it was a thoroughly satisfying one that left the crowd grinning like Cheshire cats from a concert whose sheer fun topped that of any musical event I've been to lately. Wherever they came from -- from the votes of the American people or from the executive suites of Rupert Murdoch -- these 10 singers singing three songs each (and four for David Archuleta, five for David Cook) proved that each of them had the showmanship to, in their brief concert time, hold a giant arena in their thrall.
Idol Tracker: The San Diego show
The San Diego show
At the aging San Diego Sports Arena, the crowd at the second show was perceptibly younger than the firmly middle-aged audience in the premiere show in Glendale, Ariz. The difference was immediately noticed by the performers as they made their way backstage after their sets, who, although somewhat bleary from the first night’s journey, seemed to get a fresh burst of adrenaline from the crowd. First up, Chikezie, who came backstage soaking wet from his energetic set but smiling broadly at how it had gone.
Some moments from the night:
+ Micheal Johns introducing "Dream On": This song got me kicked off the show, but I’ve been told by the authorities it won’t get me kicked off the tour.”
+ Kristy Lee Cook seems to make a tradition of throwing T-shirts to the crowd, a country-friendly gesture that sets off a mad scramble. Also her rendition of “God Bless the USA” seems to provoke different responses. In Arizona, the crowd was instantly on its feet. In San Diego, the room stayed mostly seated, although a sizable percentage of the room could be seen mouthing the words along with her. Kristy seems more comfortable in the rocking country mode than either of her "Idol" country chanteuse predecessors, Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler. One can see her in a duet with Bo Bice much more naturally than either of the others.
+ Massive huge explosion of applause for hometown girl Carly Smithson, although she later says that because of the monitor in her ear she was unable to hear the noise except what came through her mike, which she kept extending to try to make it out. “Do you know how awesome this feels?” she asked the crowd. Once again, and especially on home turf, the set of the greatest performer in "Idol" history was, simply, electrifying.
+ Carly’s introduction of the next singer: “She tans worse than I do. Her name is Brooke White. And if she makes a mistake in her song, she’ll start it again for you!”
+ Jason Castro’s fan base is the most clearly identifiable, with hippies in tie-dye dotting the auditorium. Most introduce themselves by their dreadhead number, given in the order of their registering at the Castro fan site. “I’m dreadhead No. 3052” is a typical hello.
+ The scream for David Archuleta’s set was once again deafening. Young girls, in tears, hopped up and down. And once again, one can see the young man who can be so awkward grow into the most confident, self-assured human being on the planet when he sings before a crowd of thousands.
+ On my second listening, David Cook’s set is truly great. All the nights that he brought the Idoldome to a standstill are relived.
+ Backstage after the show, Kristy reports that there are thousands of people standing outside the bus parking area waiting to see them get on board. Carly says that the night before, when a similar crowd was arrayed, Kristy impishly ran in and out of the bus to provoke the tidal wave of screams every time she came into view. Tonight, she tries to egg Carly into joining her.
And then, finally, it is on board again and on to Fresno. Two cities down, many to go!
-- Richard Rushfield
Photo: Michael Johns, courtesy Michael Buckner / Getty Images)
Idol Tracker: Tour hits Carly Smithson's San Diego, where we visit hubby Todd
Immediately after the Glendale, Ariz., show, the Idols boarded buses and attempted to sleep on the long ride across the desert to San Diego, site of their second concert. Reports seemed near unanimous that little sleeping got done on this first overnight trip as they each adjusted to their new homes for the next 52 cities and counting –- bunks on the boys' and girls' buses. David Cook said later in the day that he had been too pumped up with adrenaline from the excitement of the Glendale show to get much sleep. In any event, by the evening, if their enthusiasm remained undimmed, it was tinged offstage with a barely perceptible bleary quality.
Not having a berth on the bus myself, I hopped a plane to San Diego, following the path of the tour. With time to spare before the evening’s show, I paid a visit to one of the most intriguing and little-known figures from this season, Todd Smithson, husband of Carly, the greatest singer in Idol history.
Throughout Season 7, Todd was the subject of much curiosity and a fair amount of rumor-mongering in some of the Web’s more scurrilous corners. To say he stood out among the homespun, sorority-girl-heavy audience in the Idoldome would be an understatement. With his skater garb and his body blanketed in tattoos, face included, Todd blended into the crowd about as well as Bob Dole might fit in at the mosh pit at Lollapalooza. At almost every show, he gamely watched his wife’s brilliant "Idol" career but gave few interviews or public appearances during the season, leaving many to judge the book entirely by its well-adorned cover.
'Idol' Tracker: The national tour set list
Here is the complete list of what the singers perform on the tour, with the sources as best as I can figure them. If it wasn't clear from the title of this post -- SPOILER ALERT!!! -- you are about to see the tour set list.
Chikezie Eze:
"I Believe to My Soul" (Ray Charles)
"Caught Up" (Usher)
"So High" (John Legend)
Ramiele Malubay:
"I Want You Back" (Jackson 5)
"Love Will Lead You Back" (Taylor Dayne)
"If I Never See Your Face" (Rhianna)
Michael Johns:
"We Will Rock You"/"We Are the Champions" (Queen)
"It's All Wrong, but It's Alright" (Dolly Parton)
"Dream On" (Aerosmith)
'Idol' Tracker: Live from Arizona, the tour begins
From standing in line with the untold thousands outside stadiums at the auditions last summer to headlining last night, the Top 10 "American Idol" finalists began the final leg of their journey, kicking off the 53-city concert tour at the Jobbing.com Center in Glendale, Ariz., before a crowd estimated in the neighborhood of 12,000. Week after week in the relatively intimate confines of the Idoldome the question was: Do these aspiring superstars have what it takes to command vast audiences? Tonight we would find out. Some observations, then, from opening night.
THE SCENE
It is sweltering hot outside at 1 p.m. My car thermometer reads 117 degrees. The wind that blows through the parking lot only presses the heat into you. There is no crowd out front. I was relieved to find that no "Idol" fans are demented enough to spend the day outside in this heat. Only in the adjoining Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant do I find signs of humanity, taking shelter from the inferno. Inside the Jobbing Center is a nicely chilled paradise, however, I happily note as I’m led down through the backstage underground tunnels in search of the Idols.
In the hallway, I ran into Chikezie Eze, holding a surgical mask in his hand. He tells me, somewhat abashed, that he just had “a little tic in his throat” and is “just being extra careful.”
Onstage, the band and crew runs through the set of the greatest performer in "Idol" history, Carly Smithson, with the choreographer Stacy Walker standing in for the singer. With its 12,700 seats empty, the hall seems unthinkably vast, the idea of a lone person holding it in rapt attention impossible. As they finish the run through for Carly, an announcer intones “No. Five. Brooke White.” A piano rises from below onto the stage at which the lady herself is seated singing “Let It Be,” which she performs beautifully for the empty house.
'American Idol' tour kicks off
For months, as the entertainment world revolved around them, as desperate fans speed-dialed voting lines, as celebrity-driven tabloids and websites fought in mortal combat for every scrap of information about them, as television, music and Broadway rebuilt their firmaments in their wake, the contestants of “American Idol” toiled in the show’s protective cocoon-like bubble. “We were in a white room for three months,” said Irish songstress Carly Smithson.
But now, at last, their duties on the show over, America’s Top 10 gladiators of competitive singing are leaving the bubble and taking their songs directly to the millions of “Idol” fans as they prepare for the 49-city “American Idols Live!” tour, which begins Tuesday in Glendale, Ariz.
“There’ll be no one to say you sang horrible,” said “Idol” finalist Ramiele Malubay, who, along with the other women of the Top 10 — Smithson, Brooke White, Syesha Mercado and Kristy Lee Cook (present, but silent on vocal rest) — took a break from tour rehearsals two weeks ago to sit down for a freewheeling conversation over dinner at West Hollywood’s One Sunset restaurant.
Emmy Awards: Whose reality do you prefer? Ryan Seacrest's, Ty Pennington's, Tyra Banks' or Padma Lakshmi's?
Betcha didn't know that Ryan Seacrest could get an Emmy Award for making contestants squirm?
Or that Ty Pennington could get one for making you sob?
Or how about Cat Deeley for simply looking fabulous?
This year marks the first time the television academy will recognize those who roll out the reality TV welcome mat every week.
From Padma Lakshmi to Tyra Banks and back, who'll be up for the inaugural honor? We make 32 contender predictions, slide-show style.
Related:
Emmy wish list
Padma Lakshmi: The anti-Martha Stewart
A list of possible reality TV show Emmy competitors
Hosts with the most: Ryan Seacrest, Cat Deeley, Phil Keoghan, Jeff Probst
Reality TV hosts eligible for Emmy
'American Idol' makeup guru Mezhgan Hussainy tells all
“I love the big transformations,” gushed “American Idol” makeup guru Mezhgan Hussainy in a phone interview last week. Every season, as we watch country cuties like Carrie Underwood morph into full-blown superstars, Mezhgan is the woman behind the blush brush. This year, Mezhgan was most impressed by Syesha Mercado’s transformation from bohemian queen to old-Hollywood glamorpuss.
But it’s not just the ladies who benefit from Mezhgan’s artistry. The gentlemen clock some serious time in her makeup chair as well. Mezhgan disguises their perpetual exhaustion with primer, foundation, and a little bit of bronzer. But the “Idol” men weren’t always as bronzer-friendly as they are today. Season 2’s Ruben Studdard, for instance, wasn’t having it. “I remember when I said, ‘I’m ready for you in makeup,” laughed Mezhgan. “He was like, ‘Uh, what are you talking ‘bout?’”
But this season’s men aren’t just accepting, they’re enthusiastic. David Archuleta, for instance, once asked Mezhgan if she thought he needed a dusting of bronzer on his neck. Mezhgan inspected Archie and decided he was right. “Good call!” Mezhgan exclaimed, and “put a little bronzer around his collar.”
And don’t be fooled be his dreadlocks and lazy demeanor; Jason Castro embraced Mezhgan’s makeup case as well. According to Mezhgan, he fell hard for the eyelash curler, which made his blue eyes “pop,” without the use of mascara. “Now he insists on it,” said Mezhgan. “There’s no way we can forget about it.”
For the women, eyelashes are a tricky subject. Mascara and false lashes must be able to survive torrential downpours. “If they cry, the mascara's gonna be running,” sighed Mezhgan. Plus, the women wear false eyelashes, and Mezhgan has to “make sure their eyelashes aren’t falling off up there.” When you look back at all of the sobbing ladies we’ve seen over the last seven seasons of “Idol,” it’s a wonder we’ve never watched a wayward false lash flutter to the floor.
'American Idol' finalists David Cook and David Archuleta on girls, video games and more
"I just wanna make a record that's gonna make the hair on the back of your neck stand up," exclaimed newly crowned "American Idol," David Cook, during a conference call with the media this morning. When asked when he would recover from the exhaustion and excitement of it all, Cook replied, "Hopefully never."
Throughout the competition, Cook's mentality has been "hope for the best, expect the worst." After all, following Tuesday's performance, the general sentiment was that Cook's rival, David Archuleta, had won the night. Believe it or not, Cook agreed. "I definitely thought if you were basing it off of Tuesday, [Archuleta] deserved to win. He came out and did three amazing songs," recalled Cook.
After his big win, Cook stopped by the "Idol" after-party with none other than his family. Throughout the call, Cook's family was at the front of his mind. Cook even mentioned the possibility of a collaboration with his musician brother. "I've left the option open, and I'm kinda leaving it up to him," Cook explained, adding that he hopes that his brother will come hang out with him on tour, if only for "a short stint."
After all, Cook's brother was the one who persuaded him to attend the "Idol" audition in the first place. "He has been my No. 1 supporter from Day One," emphasized David Cook, "and has routinely told me how proud he is of me." When asked what he had given his brother in return, Cook replied, "Inadvertently, I'm responsible for getting him into video games." Hmmm, sounds like one of the Cooks is getting the short end of the stick here.
'American Idol' finale ratings surprisingly high
The battle of the Davids propelled Wednesday’s "American Idol" finale to one of the show’s best numbers ever, with 31.7 million viewers tuning in.
Rocker David Cook’s upset victory over the runner-up, teen crooner David Archuleta, capped a historic season for Fox, which amid the disruptions of the three-month writers strike became America’s most-watched network for the first time ever. It also notched its fourth straight season as No. 1 in adult viewers aged 18-49, according to data from Nielsen Media Research.
The 2007-08 TV season officially ended Wednesday.
The high viewership for "Idol’s" Season 7 finale came as something of a surprise, because the show had seen lower-than-expected ratings this season. As recently as earlier this month, "Idol" retreated to some of its softest numbers in years.
But the match-up between Cook and Archuleta evidently proved irresistible. In fact, the two-hour episode was the third most-watched "Idol" finale, after the 2006 showdown between Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee (36.4 million) and the 2003 face-off between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken (38.1 million).
Last year’s contest, between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, drew 30.7 million.
In Los Angeles, the "Idol" finale overlapped for about 45 minutes with a closely watched game between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs on TNT. Yet both programs performed strongly in the local market, with "Idol" capturing 1.3 million area viewers vs. the Lakers’ 1.2 million.
The "Idol" finale was a welcome dash of good news for the broadcast TV industry, which has been brought low by the writers strike and ongoing viewer defections to cable.
Every network except Fox saw significant ratings declines this season, including CBS, which shed 16% of its average total viewers compared with last season. As a result, Fox snatched the crown for most-watched network away from the usual victor, CBS, with 11.1 million vs. 10.5 million (this data does not include the Wednesday results).
Among the ad-friendly demographic of viewers aged 18-49, Fox led the season while ABC and CBS, which both logged double-digit declines, tied for second.
Results for the May "sweep" period, which local stations use to help set ad rates and which also ended Wednesday, were even worse. Every network posted losses, even Fox, which slipped 7%. NBC shed nearly one-fifth of its audience compared with a year ago.
Against that backdrop, the "Idol" numbers assume even more importance, proving that broadcast TV can still deliver huge audiences with the right program.
-- Scott Collins
'American Idol' Banter: It's one for the rockers
“WHAT does it look like when the No. 1 show reaches its critical mass?” said Ryan Seacrest as this year’s “American Idol” finale began Wednesday night. “THIS!”
And there they stood, the oddest couple to grace a soundstage since David Bowie and Bing Crosby bonded beneath Christmas tinsel and sang “The Little Drummer Boy.” Though they share a given name, finalists Archuleta and Cook embody two strains of pop that could be fairly compared only in a competition like this. For most of this century, in fact, scruffy rock dudes like Cook have considered sugar pop purveyors like Archuleta mortal enemies. But not on “Idol” — a Top 40 lovefest designed to heal such divides by touting universal qualities, like “originality” and “making it your own.”
With Cook crowned king, it would seem that “Idol” voters have embraced classic rock as this year’s universal language. But reality is not so simple. The problems “Idol” faced this season, which a very fine finale almost washed away for two energetic hours, reflect the dissolution of any kind of unifying force in pop, even one that can be maintained for the length of a television program.
“Idol” relies on a belief in what the venerable rock critic Robert Christgau has dubbed the “monoculture” — in pop, that means a sound and style most everybody hears and likes and thinks is important. This idea was always only part of pop’s reality, and in recent years it’s become very difficult to maintain: Blame identity politics, the Internet or niche marketing, but the era of blockbuster artists singing for all of us seems to be over. Panic over the monoculture’s death is aiding in the music industry’s slow collapse, making rock- and soul-bred parents fret over their seemingly superficial kids, and preventing even popular songs (like the huge hit OneRepublic performed Wednesday night with Archuleta) from seeming anything but ephemeral.
As a paradigm dies, the romantic side of human nature reaches for some last thread of it to love. “Idol” is that thread — 97.5 million votes were cast for Cook and Archuleta, Seacrest announced. They must be at the center of pop’s universe!! They deserve our passion, our faith.
What does it mean, though, that Archuleta’s and Cook’s own sensibilities are so disparate that they can’t sing a duet without discord? Their personal camaraderie can’t overcome the flat feeling that arose when their voices combined. Even splitting a power ballad by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger — a blandly ecumenical songwriter if there ever was one — their harmonies grated.
In fact, every group number the final 12 contestants performed in what was (in part) a long advertisement for their summer tour reflected this season’s mood of friendly friction. Chikezie’s soul man moments clashed with Kristy Lee Cook’s country twang. Ramiele Malubay’s disco-flavored sensuality was buried by the big waves of rock belters Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. Even the Davids lost their footing in the group sings, unable to settle into their particular grooves.
The would-be Idols did fine when left to their own devices. Jason Castro again showed why Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is always deserving of another revival, and Brooke White made a sweet duet partner for her folk-pop elder, Graham Nash. Smithson and Johns brought the house down with a stomping take on the Box Tops’ soul-rock classic, “The Letter.” And both Davids seized their spotlight moments, the rocker comfortably hamming it up with ZZ Top and the pop boy crooning gorgeously as OneRepublic played that forgettable hit.
“Idol” has always celebrated the breadth of the Top 40, making room for soul queens — Syesha Mercado, standing up to Seal’s hip-shaking invitations, can count herself among them now — and beat-boxing white boys, treacly balladeers and country barn-burners. This finale’s star-studded guest list made the argument for such well-processed diversity. Bryan Adams, Donna Summer, Gladys Knight, guest of honor George Michael — all share one thing, the ability to translate a niche sound for the largest audience possible. (Up-and-comers the Jonas Brothers fit in there, no matter how Disney-fied their sound — teen pop is a niche too, just a very well-marketed one.)
It’s a welcoming definition of greatness that has room to call all of these performers legendary. Certain snobs abhor it, but many millions have found it captivating for seven seasons now. But the “Idol” model still turns on the ultimate belief in one star to rule us all — the final “Idol,” anointed and armed with the collective wishes of the show’s judges and mentors, ready to conquer an empire.
Such empires, if they ever really existed, are no more. We live in fractious times, in music as in religion, lifestyle and politics; we rarely sing the same songs, and the few we do share are the old ones. There is no real critical mass, no matter how many times frantic dialers hit their cellphone buttons Tuesday night.
At least David Cook belongs to the rare special interest group that still considers itself an embodiment of the norm. Meat-and-potatoes rock, which Cook clearly loves and believes in, hasn’t ruled the zeitgeist for a while, although it can still move large quantities of product for a few hard-working Joes, like unofficial Idol champ Chris Daughtry and Nickelback. Yet its fans pride themselves on loving “real,” “meaningful” music — the kind you can pass down to your kids, or sing in a crowd at a state fair. So maybe Cook will dominate, after all — just in a smaller arena than he may have once imagined.
And what of “Idol” itself? Rumors are buzzing that the show will benefit from a major overhaul next season. It’s hard to know how to mend, or at least acknowledge, the deeper contradictions that afflict not only “Idol,” but the mass-culture oriented industry it supports. “For me, this whole thing has been a progression,” Cook said the night before he won everything, during a moment when it seemed like he’d lost. It seemed like such a healthy attitude. If only the producers of “American Idol” could embrace it.
--Ann Powers
Can't get enough of 'American Idol'? Join us for a chat at 11:30 a.m. PST.
(Photo courtesy AP Images for Fox)
'American Idol' news conference: The Davids sing each other's praises
"I didn't really know that [judge Simon Cowell's] apology was warranted," mused David Cook, during a news conference at the Nokia Theatre on Wednesday, just hours after being handed the "American Idol" crown. Cook wasn't expecting Simon Cowell's apology, but that doesn't mean he wasn't happy to take it. "An apology from Simon is a rare gem!" He chuckled.
Cook was in his glory during the news conference, and rightfully so. He couldn't help but look back at how far he'd come over the course of his singing career, even recalling a grade school teacher who "made me sing at a Christmas pageant."
It was Cook's moment of glory, but he still made sure to shower praise on his humble competitor, David Archuleta. "He has more talent at his age than I know what to do with at 25," marveled Cook.
When asked which of his performances was his favorite, Cook didn't miss a beat. "The last one," he said, still glowing from the rush of that final performance. "Tonight was just about exhaling. "
'American Idol' diary: A behind-the-scenes look at finale week
Wednesday night’s “American Idol” finale, in which David Cook was crowned as the winner of Season 7, was a TV entertainment spectacle comparable in scale only to the Oscars. Yet unlike that event, the “American Idol” crew has just one week to pull it together. Richard Rushfield -- the first journalist ever allowed to observe rehearsal’s for the show’s finale -- recorded this diary of the week leading up to the show.
SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD, HOLLYWOOD. FRIDAY, 5 P.M.
If every "American Idol" show starts with the music, then this humble white bungalow on a lot off Santa Monica Boulevard is the top of the assembly line -- where the basic pieces are put in place that will become in four days’ time the biggest television spectacle of the season.
Inside, the bungalow’s current tenant, "American Idol" music director Rickey Minor, is conferring with his staff over rights clearances and arrangements, pouring over song lists and supervising his three backup vocalists, who are in the studio to lay down their tracks for the medleys of George Michael and Donna Summer songs that will be performed in Wednesday night’s results show.
“I’ve got three things to do now and 10 minutes have gone out of my life already,” Minor gently but firmly reprimands his crew after the conversation takes a detour into something not completely relevant to the task at hand.
Just 48 hours earlier, David Archuleta and David Cook became the two finalists in the last of its weekly extravaganzas set at the Idoldome, the show’s home studio in Burbank. But now the clock is ticking toward the finale, and Minor has to oversee the clearances, arrangements, productions and performances of, he estimates, 35 songs between the two nights (including 12 in medleys).
“It doesn’t make sense to start working on this show early. Everything just ends up getting changed,” says Matt Brodie, the show’s assistant music director, as the three backup singers clustered around his laptop in the bungalow’s central mixing room, listening to and quietly singing along with their parts in Summer’s anthem “She Works Hard for the Money.”
Each takes notes on sheets of paper, marking off their
parts and accents. And after a few listenings, 
they head back into the
adjoining room that has been turned into a recording booth.
Bill Smith, the engineer, cues them to begin, and the three launch into a beautifully harmonized rendition of the backing vocals. "She works hard for the money. So hard for it, honey. She works hard for the money, so you better treat her right."
As they record, Minor explains that these tracks will actually play under the live singing at Wednesday night’s show. “The problem is that in a huge place like that, the mikes pick up all kinds of room sound, it sounds like you are in a Tidybowl box. So you need this base there to give it that power. ... It's like you have 12 voices singing. Otherwise, when you want more vocals, they tell you to turn up the mikes on the girls, but all you are doing is picking up more room noise and making it muddier.”
When the singers finish their second shot at the song, Minor presses a button to address them on the intercom between the two rooms. “Remember guys, we’re actually live now so you need to do it with a little more attitude. You sound like you’re doing a record.”
“Its like a chihuahua trying to be a lion,” singer Sharlotte Gibson quips, quoting judge Simon Cowell's dismissal of Archuleta’s performance that week.
Rocker David Cook named new 'American Idol'
When David Cook was announced as the winner of "American Idol" Wednesday night at the Nokia theater, the most dramatic upset in the show's history was just another twist in a season that has tested the still-vibrant franchise.
The 25-year-old became the first performer in the rock music mold to win, amassing 56% of 96 million votes, to 44% for 17 year old prodigy David Archuleta, who sings in the pop balladeer style that had previously dominated "Idol."
Before the verdict was announced, Judge Simon Cowell thanked both for being perhaps the "nicest" contestants the show has seen, underscoring the fact that the Fox hit has achieved its success with a G-rated strategy that reaches across cultural divides of all types - ethnic, economic, generational, even musical.
With network television and the music industry both up against a fractured audience and new forms of media, Cook and runner-up Archuleta became standard bearers for today's broad-based popular culture. "Idol" remains the only show able to consistently deliver vast numbers of viewers, even eclipsing the Oscars.
However, after a season in which the series came under fire for various offstage controversies and suffered a mid-season sag in its ratings, television's titan stands at a crossroads. It remains to be seen whether this year's ratings dip is a one year phenomenon or the first step on the inevitable downward spiral all successful TV shows must eventually face.
For the moment, Fox network brass are sufficiently concerned that they have made public statements promising major, though as yet unspecified, changes when the show returns in January. With broad-based musical hits becoming harder and harder to generate, the Idol machine's ability to fulfill its original mission of creating "the next pop star" has also been called into question. Some, such as Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, have gone on to stardom, but several others have not mustered major careers.
The show has always been subjected to the sharp news lens normally reserved for Presidential candidates or jail-bound starlets, and season seven saw Idol seemingly struggle at times to control its own storyline. In past years, the show has been remarkably successful at framing the terms of the debate, bringing its hiccups onto the screen and showing a willingness to poke fun at itself.
This year, with the internet-driven media ever more unleashed, the show has had to grapple with several sensitive storylines. There were reports that Archuleta's father was banned from backstage for interfering with the production, and eyebrows were raised when a seemingly off-kilter judge Paula Abdul rendered a verdict on a performance that had not occurred yet.
Still, the bigger audiences returned for what was billed as the strongest finals match-up in years. Archuleta, who himself was practically weaned on the show, having watched since he was 10 years old, had often seemed invincible, with technically flawless renditions of pop favorites.
But Cook, who at one point was told by Cowell that he was without charisma, surged with a string of rock reimaginations of such hits as "Billie Jean" that drew massive ovations from audiences.
The show seems in the finale to have rebounded from its mid-season ratings dip. "American Idol" premiered to an audience of 33.5 million total viewers, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research -- putting it ahead of the Oscars telecast to become the season's number two rated program, trailing only the Superbowl. But the ratings subsequently tumbled, falling as low as 21.8 million for one show - the lowest figure in three years.
Still, even that is a number most TV shows would kill for.
Season Seven's young contestants also reflected the new, multi-ethnic face of America: Three of the four finalists - Jason Castro, Syesha Mercado and Archuleta -- had at least partly Latino origins, yet the huge differences in their styles (laidback hippie crooning for Castro, cerebral jazz for Mercado and soulful ballads for Archuleta) also revealed the great diversity within this demographic.
In a time when ever edgier reality television shows dominate the network airwaves, "American Idol" almost seems like a pristine throwback to a gentler time. While other competition shows are routinely driven by the spectacle of contestants who are at each others' throats -- often quite literally -- with hair pulling and name calling being the norm, the two "Idol" finalists took the stage this week gushing with good will for each other. Cook even declared Tuesday that "the competition is over. It's all about having fun now."
The atmosphere of camaraderie amidst the weekly deathblows is certainly an intentional part of the "Idol" universe, with a crew that seems much more like a happily family relishing their work than the typical TV production staff. It may be this spirit of fun yet gentle competition that has helped "Idol" retain its status as the one show on television that still attracts entire families, across the generational divide.
However, as producers look ahead and consider the ratings sag of this year, part of their calculation must be: How much do viewers want fights and freak-shows instead of a face-off based on pure talent?
While this year's group was considered by many commentators to be the most talented overall in the show's history, the uniformity of talent deprived the show of the train-wreck interest summoned, for example, by last year's contestant Sanjaya Malakar. Viewers enjoyed the spectacle of his weekly public belly flops.
Nonetheless, with an end of the year ratings rebound and a handful of talents -- including the two finalists -- with seemingly very strong commercial potential, Idol obituaries may soon look extremely premature.
-Richard Rushfield
--Scott Collins contributed reporting for this story
Can't get enough of 'American Idol'? Join us for a chat at 11:30 a.m. PST.
'American Idol' finale live: Notes from the Nokia
Click here to see red carpet arrival photos.
5:00 P.M.: And so it begins. The judges makes their grand entrance to Paula’s and Randy’s tune, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" playing in the background. Some 7,000 people bark for Randy, and scream for Paula, who stunned in a red gown. Of course, Simon drew the largest cheer.
Then, the two Davids, dressed in white in white and in a boxing stance, came on stage. They shake hands - and here we go!
5:07 P.M.: With Ryan Seacrest's announcement at the top of the show that one David received 56 percent of the vote while the other got 44 percent, Dialidol.com watchers wondered whether they now knew who won.
Is it possible that he would do such a thing?
And is this percentage-giving unprecedented in "Idol" history? We in the Idoldome cannot recall.
5:24 P.M. Mr Heidi Klum got a standing ovation when he entered.
5:30 P.M.: The Nokia is approximately 100,000 times better of a venue to watch a live performance than "Idol's" former finale home, the Kodak. During breaks at the Kodak, the room would die. Die, I say.
One suggestion for future Nokia finales: to keep the crowd awake yet not in a murderous rage, Rickey Minor and the band could play instead of a comedian riffing.
5:40 P.M.: Jason Castro hung around on stage after he finished his song waving to his fans. The show had moved on to a video montage but Jason took his time heading backstage. Hallelujah!
5:51 P.M.: Sanjaya Malakar is in t