Dancing With the Stars or American Idol? ABC said Sunday that its scheduling means you won't have to choose.
The dance contest will air at 8 p.m. Mondays and 9 p.m. Tuesdays, starting in March. The regular Tuesday slot for Fox's American Idol will be 8 p.m. Tuesdays.
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"I think our fans would have been upset, Idol fans would have been upset if we had put them head to head," Steve McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment, told TV critics on their winter tour.
ABC will announce the celebrity competitors on Good Morning America. But McPherson gave no date for the announcement and said the network is just halfway through the selection process.
In a release, ABC said the show's start date would be March 19. But ABC is likely to offer a March 18 preview, McPherson said. The show proved a major fall hit for ABC, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co.
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In other news: McPherson dismissed the Donald Trump-Rosie O'Donnell feud, which started on ABC's The View.
"To me, the entire thing is stupid," McPherson said. "It's a publicity stunt for Trump."
Desperate Housewives has planned for Marcia Cross, who is pregnant with twins, to be away. She will be seen through the 14th or 15th episode, then probably come back before the season's end, McPherson said. Because she had to go on bed rest, the series has gone to her home to film.
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"She has been such a sport to do it," McPherson said. "In the storyline, she will be in bed from falling off a ladder in a previous episode."
In other news: McPherson defended The Path to 9-11, a docudrama that Democrats and Clinton administration officials blasted for factual inaccuracies. ABC aired the miniseries at the disaster's fifth anniversary. Sandy Berger, Clinton's national-security adviser called the scenes of him "complete fabrications."
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"It's a little odd to have Sandy Berger telling you about what's truthful or not when he was indicted for stuffing documents into his pants," McPherson said. (Berger pleaded guilty to removing classified documents from the National Archives.)
"We love the movie, we stand by it," McPherson said. "I think politics is why people were upset by it. Everything in that movie is backed up tenfold."
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'American Idol' returns for season six with big plans
LOS ANGELES -- Last year, Prince. This year, Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey?
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As "American Idol" starts singing again Tuesday, those connected with the Fox blockbuster acknowledge few limits when it comes to guest stars or ratings or product spinoffs. Or even rampant enthusiasm.
"This is the greatest music talent show ever," judge Randy Jackson asserted in a telephone news conference last week.
Fellow jurist Paula Abdul calls the show a "cultural phenomenon": "I get a kick out of the fact that there's not a day, not an hour, that goes by without someone talking about it, asking about it," she told The Associated Press.
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Cecile Frot-Coutaz, who oversees "American Idol" as chief executive officer of producer FremantleMedia North America Inc., is more measured but no less upbeat about the upcoming season six, and beyond.
"I don't see anything that tells me that it's about to fall off the air," she said. "We won't be there for quite some time."
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It's a defensible position regarding the No. 1 TV series.
Against expectations for an established series, "American Idol" has gained in the ratings, up 14 percent from 2005 (26.8 million average viewers) to 2006 (30.6 million). The finale with winner Taylor Hicks drew more than 36 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
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That topped the 2005 season-ender, in which Carrie Underwood claimed the title, and made it the third most-watched event of '06 after the Super Bowl and Academy Awards.
The most impressive number has a dollar sign in front of it -- "American Idol" reportedly brings in $500 million a year in TV ad dollars. (Fox, a unit of News Corp., declined comment on the figure.)
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Even impartial observers see blue skies directly ahead.
"There seems to be the same degree of fascination going into this season as there was last season," said analyst Bill Carroll of ad-buyer Katz Television. "It's sort of become the event of the year for viewers."
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The series begins with a pair of two-hour episodes airing 8-10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and featuring auditions in Minneapolis and Seattle. Details of a previously announced song-writing contest for the eventual winner's first single are pending, Frot-Coutaz said.
"American Idol," produced by FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, returns with a richer gloss than ever. Last year's finale included a surprise appearance by Prince, among the highest-profile guest stars and far removed from such golden oldie visitors as Rod Stewart.
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"Prince blew the doors off. He is one of the quintessential ones of our time," Jackson said. Frot-Coutaz's take: "The fact we can get Prince is a real tribute to the show. ... (now) who knows who we can get?"
McCartney, an iconic figure who's an impressive "get" for any venture, is being courted and is rumored to be part of the new season. Carey may also end up on the guest list.
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"Nothing's locked," Frot-Coutaz said of the ex-Beatle. "We've had discussions with him over the years. It's always a matter of making it work."
In Carey's case, record producer-cum-judge Jackson may be the key: He and the singer are friends and have a long professional association. Jackson said they have "tossed it around a bit" but have yet to set her appearance.
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More evidence of the power of "American Idol" is the stunning "Dreamgirls" film debut of Jennifer Hudson, a 2004 also-ran (to winner Fantasia Barrino) who's up for a Golden Globe and considered a potential Oscar nominee.
That's alongside the best-selling CDs and singles churned out by past winners including Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, and the awards they've collected that include Grammy and Country Music Association trophies.
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All this from a show that the American division of FremantleMedia (the production arm of media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG's RTL Group) went into "quietly and cautiously optimistic" despite the format's success in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, Frot-Coutaz said.
"Music hadn't worked on American TV for a while, so I think we filled a gap," she said.
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And connected with the future. In an interactive, consumer-driven age that prompted Time magazine to declare "You" its person of the year 2006, "American Idol" can claim it had the zeitgeist down cold when it debuted in 2002.
"America's choosing the idol," said analyst Shari Anne Brill of ad-buying firm Carat USA. Viewers "have a real way of participating, as opposed to being armchair athletes."
Frot-Coutaz cites a number of other factors in the show's popularity, including the chemistry of judges Jackson, Abdul and the acerbic Simon Cowell and the once-yearly run that keeps the program eagerly awaited.
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Then there's the mission.
"You're really impacting somebody's life," said the executive. "The show's genuinely looking for superstar contestants who really want to be pop stars. It's not a fake-ish competition just for TV. The show delivers entertainment, but there is a very serious aim to it."
The "Idol" franchise, which originated with Britain's "Pop Idol," represents more than a hit TV series seen worldwide and reproduced in more than 30 international versions. It's also part of a merchandising empire that may be poised for a leap.
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According to Advertising Age magazine, FremantleMedia has deals set or is in negotiations for new products including a theme-park attraction and cell-phone downloads of show performances. Items already sold include clothing, books and toys, with an "Idol"-themed Barbie doll and Monopoly game coming this season.
The magazine report is a "bit premature" in what it outlined, "but there's a lot of things in the works," said Frot-Coutaz. "Some happen, some don't; it just depends."
As the sixth season begins, she said, "we're feeling more confident about our ability to go out and really turn this into a bigger brand than just a TV show. It takes a few years before you can get to" that point.
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Abdul -- strongly identified with the show, along with the other judges who whittle down the initial field of contestants, and host Ryan Seacrest -- gives the reported plans a qualified endorsement.
"As long as the taste level and structure is classy, edgy and exemplifies what we do, I'm all for it. You can't deny the magnitude of this show. But just for them to make money and not care about integrity is ridiculous," she said.
As for the bulwark of it all, "American Idol" itself, the horizon is limitless if the program does its job right, according to Jackson.
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"I think there's an abundance of talent in America. ... I think the show can continue to be successful as long as we go out and find great talent," he said.
`American Idol' singing new tune
LOS ANGELES - "American Idol" knows that bad can be good, but not always.
Untalented singers who fail spectacularly in the early auditions are so bad they make for good television. Forcing talented finalists to perform such forgettable tunes as "Do I Make You Proud"? That's just plain awful.
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To remedy this flaw in Fox's hit TV show, which begins its sixth season Tuesday and Wednesday, a song-writing competition to be decided by viewers is in the works.
"At the end of it, the country will not only have the singer they want, they'll have the song they want," said Ken Warwick, a series executive producer.
Details of the song contest are in flux but the intent is to make it happen, said Warwick and others connected with the show. The newest "American Idol" will be crowned in May.
Given the well-oiled machine that TV's No. 1 series has become, is it odd that the contest and its mechanics haven't been locked in place by now? No, said Warwick.
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Attention has gone to completing the early episodes, he said, while "what we're talking about here is something that won't happen until slightly later on."
It may also be a matter of discretion.
"We are very close to putting it (the song contest) in place," Martha Brass, executive vice president for series producer 19 Entertainment, said from London.
"It's just a question of not wanting to get it out there too soon so that we lose enthusiasm and momentum," Brass said. "Given there are five months left, we want to make sure that we introduce it at the right time."
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But it needs to happen, said
Paula Abdul, part of the three-judge panel that narrows the initial field of singing contestants. The trio doesn't weigh in on the tune that serves as the winner's first single, and until now the audience that picks the new idol hasn't either.
"I just want the poor contestant who wins to be happy to sing a song that radio's going to play," Abdul said. "It automatically goes to No. 1 because of sales ... but radio has decided `ixnay' on the finale song."
Warwick agrees that the tunes written for the finalists have been wanting. They've been chosen by 19 Entertainment, which produces "American Idol" with FremantleMedia North America, and Sony BMG. The winner's record contract, signed with 19 Entertainment's 19 Recordings, is licensed to Sony BMG.
"
Kelly Clarkson's `A Moment Like This' (in season one) knocked us out, but since then it's been a bit blank," Warwick said.
The planned contest gives those who believe they can put music and lyrics together the chance at an instant hit.
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As Brass tentatively sketched it, submissions could be uploaded on a site reached through americanidol.com and reviewed by series executive producer (and original "Pop Idol" creator) Simon Fuller and music industry experts.
A "manageable" number of songs could be posted on the site for the public to hear and vote on, she said. The finalists — Warwick said they might number a dozen songs — may be performed on "American Idol" or on a Fox special by contestants from past seasons, Brass said.
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Other elements of the new season will be familiar to viewers, including returning host Ryan Seacrest and the sparring among judges Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. It got an early start: After Cowell was quoted questioning the need for guest judges (Jewel is among this season's), Abdul told the AP that the acerbic Brit "doesn't like sharing the spotlight."
Warwick described the panel as a "dysfunctional family," one that sometimes distresses him with its behavior but which others seem to find consistently entertaining.
Abdul will "say something so damn ridiculous it affects our credibility and I go, `Oh, my God, I'm embarrassed to hell.' But the next day I'll be talking to someone in the industry and they'll say, `I loved it!'"
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Part of the mix again this year will be guest performers.
Stevie Wonder,
Barry Manilow, Prince and others have visited in the past and the bar will remain high, Warwick promised.
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"We have a huge (episode) when we get down to the six finalists," he said. "I can't divulge too much ... but we're talking big names, big occasion, a big event."
For some viewers, the show's charm lies in the thrillingly untalented singers, such as William ("She Bangs") Hung, who test the judges' patience in the early rounds.
Brace yourself for some classics on Wednesday's show (8-10 p.m. EST) from Washington state, Warwick said.
"If you don't watch any other episode this year, watch Seattle. Seattle is just the funniest place we have ever been to in our lives: We are shocked and appalled and amazed and hysterical over it."
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Don't expect an obvious winner like Carrie Underwood, who handily took the 2005 contest, to emerge this year. Even the judges agree on that.
"Simon and I have been saying it's more like season one," Jackson told reporters recently. "I think it's going to be someone who grows during competition."
Said Abdul: "There's no clear front-runner as far as I'm concerned."
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'American Idol' a cash cow for media giants
"American Idol" has developed into a formidable cash machine during the last five years, but sorting out who gets what when it comes to cash and control remains a tangled thicket of deals between 19 Entertainment and its various business partners.
As much as two-thirds of the "Idol" brand is owned by 19, started by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, but bought in 2005 by CKX Inc., the public company owned by billionaire media investor Robert F.X. Sillerman. Another third belongs to FremantleMedia, a TV production company owned by German media giant Bertelsmann's European broadcasting unit RTL Group. The two companies control "Idol" merchandizing rights around the world.
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ARTISTS
The top 24 contestants sign a deal that gives 19 the option on recording, management and merchandising rights. Finalists are also contractually obligated to participate in the American Idols tour that follows the show. The contestants jointly retain a single attorney, selected by the show, to represent all of them and negotiate their deal with 19. Artists who are ultimately optioned by 19 sign a three-album deal (terms not known). FremantleMedia also participates in a minority share of the winner's recorded music revenue. As for the management option, Fuller says that, when it's exercised, it's a three-year deal. "Idol" vets Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and Fantasia are currently managed by Fuller. Other acts have opted to go elsewhere for representation after the option expired.
RECORDING RIGHTS
19 finds a home for the winner and any signed finalists within the Sony BMG system in the United States, and licenses marketing, manufacturing and distribution rights to a Cowell production company called Simco.
WILD TIMES OFF SET OF AMERICAN IDOL
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As Season Six of "American Idol" debuts Tuesday, it turns out that the drama onstage is nothing compared to the soap-opera antics offstage - in the luxury bunkhouses where finalists share bedrooms, bathrooms, meals and a general disdain for the onerous rules and curfews.
Based on interviews with 10 past contestants from different seasons, The Post can reveal what life is like in the "American Idol" dorm.
Katharine McPhee repeatedly sneaked out to visit her boyfriend. Ryan Starr spied on neighbor Jennifer Lopez's house. Scott Savol and pals made frequent trips to Hooters. And Bucky Covington says the boys' rooms were stinking pigsties.
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On the other hand, Josh Gracin often cooked breakfast.
Each season, contestants who make it past the national auditions are flown to Los Angeles, where they live two to a room in a hotel. Once Simon, Paula and Randy winnow the group to 12 finalists, they're moved into private accommodations.
During the first three seasons, home was a four-story mansion on Mulholland Drive in Bel-Air. Since then, contestants have lived in a luxury apartment complex just three miles from the studio.
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They are thrown together 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each is given a cellphone, but there's very little other contact with the outside world.
No visitors are allowed at work or at home, there is little freedom to come and go, they aren't allowed to drive and there's a strict curfew: 11 p.m. during the week, and midnight on the weekends.
They are surrounded by chaperones - from producers to contestant coordinators making sure the Idols are where they need to be - and they are attended to by chefs, chauffeurs, stylists and security guards.
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They have to get permission from the production and security staff to go anywhere alone - and they must have a security guard accompany them.
Fame Junkies
'American Idol' is back, and so are the groupies who audition for it over and over (and over) again. Will they ever make it to Hollywood?
Troy Sawyer first auditioned for "American Idol" in 2002. He drove from his home in Kansas City, Mo., to Detroit, where he performed the country ballad "Tonight I Want to Be Your Man." A producer rejected him, but Sawyer wasn't about to give up. "I saw a lot of gimmicks people used to make it," he says. In 2003, he trekked to Houston to perform "Rockin' Robin." Rejected again. In 2004, he dressed in Pillsbury Doughboy pajamas—"I figured I needed to stick out"—and crooned "Soul Man" in St. Louis. "I was told I had a really good voice, but I should take it more seriously and not dress up," he says. That same year, with money he raised washing cars and selling bubble gum and taffy, he hit Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and San Francisco. No luck. The next two seasons are a bit of a blur, but they included stops in Austin, Denver, Chicago, Las Vegas and, finally last summer, Memphis. In case you've lost count, that's a total of 11 auditions. "I don't have the Justin Timberlake or Christina Aguilera voice," says Sawyer, 22, "but I do have the personality that will charm America." Either he's right, or he really can't take a hint.
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Thanks, ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood tells Billboard maggie that if she had lost “American Idol” she probably would have stopped pursuing music. “I would have a job somewhere, maybe in the journalism field,” she says, explaining that her chances of success as an aspiring country singer in Nashville were “slim to none.” In fact, she wasn’t convinced she’d make it as a country singer even after winning the reality show! “You never know how people are going to take a newcomer, especially somebody who came into the scene unconventionally.” But the 23-year-old singer says “everyone has been great.”
‘American Idol’ plots song contest after too many bland finale numbers
“American Idol” knows that bad can be good, but not always.
Untalented singers who fail spectacularly in the early auditions are so bad they make for good television. Forcing talented finalists to perform such forgettable tunes as “Do I Make You Proud”? That’s just plain awful.
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To remedy this flaw in Fox’s hit TV show, which begins its sixth season Tuesday and Wednesday, a song-writing competition to be decided by viewers is in the works.
“At the end of it, the country will not only have the singer they want, they’ll have the song they want,” said Ken Warwick, a series executive producer.
Details of the song contest are in flux but the intent is to make it happen, said Warwick and others connected with the show. The newest “American Idol” will be crowned in May.
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Given the well-oiled machine that TV’s No. 1 series has become, is it odd that the contest and its mechanics haven’t been locked in place by now? No, said Warwick.
Attention has gone to completing the early episodes, he said, while “what we’re talking about here is something that won’t happen until slightly later on.”
It may also be a matter of discretion.
“We are very close to putting it (the song contest) in place,” Martha Brass, executive vice president for series producer 19 Entertainment, said from London.
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“It’s just a question of not wanting to get it out there too soon so that we lose enthusiasm and momentum,” Brass said. “Given there are five months left, we want to make sure that we introduce it at the right time.”
But it needs to happen, said Paula Abdul, part of the three-judge panel that narrows the initial field of singing contestants. The trio doesn’t weigh in on the tune that serves as the winner’s first single, and until now the audience that picks the new idol hasn’t either.
“I just want the poor contestant who wins to be happy to sing a song that radio’s going to play,” Abdul said. “It automatically goes to No. 1 because of sales ... but radio has decided ‘ixnay’ on the finale song.”
Warwick agrees that the tunes written for the finalists have been wanting. They’ve been chosen by 19 Entertainment, which produces “American Idol” with FremantleMedia North America, and Sony BMG. The winner’s record contract, signed with 19 Entertainment’s 19 Recordings, is licensed to Sony BMG.
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“Kelly Clarkson’s ‘A Moment Like This’ (in season one) knocked us out, but since then it’s been a bit blank,” Warwick said.
The planned contest gives those who believe they can put music and lyrics together the chance at an instant hit.
As Brass tentatively sketched it, submissions could be uploaded on a site reached through americanidol.com and reviewed by series executive producer (and original “Pop Idol” creator) Simon Fuller and music industry experts.
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A “manageable” number of songs could be posted on the site for the public to hear and vote on, she said. The finalists — Warwick said they might number a dozen songs — may be performed on “American Idol” or on a Fox special by contestants from past seasons, Brass said.
Other elements of the new season will be familiar to viewers, including returning host Ryan Seacrest and the sparring among judges Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. It got an early start: After Cowell was quoted questioning the need for guest judges (Jewel is among this season’s), Abdul told the AP that the acerbic Brit “doesn’t like sharing the spotlight.”
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Warwick described the panel as a “dysfunctional family,” one that sometimes distresses him with its behavior but which others seem to find consistently entertaining.
Abdul will “say something so damn ridiculous it affects our credibility and I go, ‘Oh, my God, I’m embarrassed to hell.’ But the next day I’ll be talking to someone in the industry and they’ll say, ‘I loved it!”’
Part of the mix again this year will be guest performers. Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Prince and others have visited in the past and the bar will remain high, Warwick promised.
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“We have a huge (episode) when we get down to the six finalists,” he said. “I can’t divulge too much ... but we’re talking big names, big occasion, a big event.”
For some viewers, the show’s charm lies in the thrillingly untalented singers, such as William (“She Bangs”) Hung, who test the judges’ patience in the early rounds.
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Brace yourself for some classics on Wednesday’s show (8-10 p.m. EST) from Washington state, Warwick said.
“If you don’t watch any other episode this year, watch Seattle. Seattle is just the funniest place we have ever been to in our lives: We are shocked and appalled and amazed and hysterical over it.”
Don’t expect an obvious winner like Carrie Underwood, who handily took the 2005 contest, to emerge this year. Even the judges agree on that.
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“Simon and I have been saying it’s more like season one,” Jackson told reporters recently. “I think it’s going to be someone who grows during competition.”
Said Abdul: “There’s no clear front-runner as far as I’m concerned.”
'American Idol' plots song contest after too many bland finale numbers
"American Idol" knows that bad can be good, but not always.
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Untalented singers who fail spectacularly in the early auditions are so bad they make for good television. Forcing talented finalists to perform such forgettable tunes as "Do I Make You Proud"? That's just plain awful.
To remedy this flaw in Fox's hit TV show, which begins its sixth season Tuesday and Wednesday, a song-writing competition to be decided by viewers is in the works.
"At the end of it, the country will not only have the singer they want, they'll have the song they want," said Ken Warwick, a series executive producer.
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Details of the song contest are in flux but the intent is to make it happen, said Warwick and others connected with the show. The newest "American Idol" will be crowned in May.
Given the well-oiled machine that TV's No. 1 series has become, is it odd that the contest and its mechanics haven't been locked in place by now? No, said Warwick.
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Attention has gone to completing the early episodes, he said, while "what we're talking about here is something that won't happen until slightly later on."
It may also be a matter of discretion.
"We are very close to putting it (the song contest) in place," Martha Brass, executive vice president for series producer 19 Entertainment, said from London.
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"It's just a question of not wanting to get it out there too soon so that we lose enthusiasm and momentum," Brass said. "Given there are five months left, we want to make sure that we introduce it at the right time."
But it needs to happen, said Paula Abdul, part of the three-judge panel that narrows the initial field of singing contestants. The trio doesn't weigh in on the tune that serves as the winner's first single, and until now the audience that picks the new idol hasn't either.
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"I just want the poor contestant who wins to be happy to sing a song that radio's going to play," Abdul said. "It automatically goes to No. 1 because of sales ... but radio has decided `ixnay' on the finale song."
Warwick agrees that the tunes written for the finalists have been wanting. They've been chosen by 19 Entertainment, which produces "American Idol" with FremantleMedia North America, and Sony BMG. The winner's record contract, signed with 19 Entertainment's 19 Recordings, is licensed to Sony BMG.
"Kelly Clarkson's `A Moment Like This' (in season one) knocked us out, but since then it's been a bit blank," Warwick said.
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The planned contest gives those who believe they can put music and lyrics together the chance at an instant hit.
As Brass tentatively sketched it, submissions could be uploaded on a site reached through americanidol.com and reviewed by series executive producer (and original "Pop Idol" creator) Simon Fuller and music industry experts.
A "manageable" number of songs could be posted on the site for the public to hear and vote on, she said. The finalists -- Warwick said they might number a dozen songs -- may be performed on "American Idol" or on a Fox special by contestants from past seasons, Brass said.
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Other elements of the new season will be familiar to viewers, including returning host Ryan Seacrest and the sparring among judges Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. It got an early start: After Cowell was quoted questioning the need for guest judges (Jewel is among this season's), Abdul told the AP that the acerbic Brit "doesn't like sharing the spotlight."
Warwick described the panel as a "dysfunctional family," one that sometimes distresses him with its behavior but which others seem to find consistently entertaining.
Abdul will "say something so damn ridiculous it affects our credibility and I go, `Oh, my God, I'm embarrassed to hell.' But the next day I'll be talking to someone in the industry and they'll say, `I loved it!'"
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Part of the mix again this year will be guest performers. Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Prince and others have visited in the past and the bar will remain high, Warwick promised.
"We have a huge (episode) when we get down to the six finalists," he said. "I can't divulge too much ... but we're talking big names, big occasion, a big event."
For some viewers, the show's charm lies in the thrillingly untalented singers, such as William ("She Bangs") Hung, who test the judges' patience in the early rounds.
Brace yourself for some classics on Wednesday's show (8-10 p.m. EST) from Washington state, Warwick said.
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"If you don't watch any other episode this year, watch Seattle. Seattle is just the funniest place we have ever been to in our lives: We are shocked and appalled and amazed and hysterical over it."
Don't expect an obvious winner like Carrie Underwood, who handily took the 2005 contest, to emerge this year. Even the judges agree on that.
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"Simon and I have been saying it's more like season one," Jackson told reporters recently. "I think it's going to be someone who grows during competition."
Said Abdul: "There's no clear front-runner as far as I'm concerned."
Are you an American Idol junkie?
You live and breathe “American Idol."
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You can't wait to talk to your friends about the winners and losers.
What keeps you coming back, year after year, for the good, the bad, and the truly awful that is “American Idol?” Share your thoughts by clicking on the StoryChat link below.
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Sunday, January 14, 2007
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