American Idol

The X Factor UK brings back Sharon Osbourne, introduces new audition format via Rickey.org Credit: ITV The X Factor UK is introducing some interesting changes for its upcoming 10th season. Though the changes begin at the judging panel, they don’t end there. Former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne is officially returning to the show, alongside Take That singer Gary Barlow, US pop star Nicole Scherzinger and manager Louis Walsh. (I’m surprised they got Gary back. The cycle of news reports touting his desire to leave have been out there in the ether since midway into his first season) Award-winning host Dermot O’Leary is also confirmed to return for the 10th season. As for the competition itself, new changes are in store for the audition phase. For the first time ever, hopefuls will have to go through two sets of auditions. In the first audition, they will sing for the judges face-to-face in an audition room (a round not seen since the earliest seasons of The X Factor, when the audition phase was more reminiscent of the Idol franchise). If they receive three or more yeses, they will advance to the next audition round. In the classic X Factor audition phase, hopefuls will perform in an arena “to prove they can also impress an audience before securing a coveted place at the next stage in the competition.” Show creator Simon Cowell released a statement about Osbourne’s return to the long-running singing competition: “Three words I never thought I’d say…. Welcome back Sharon!” Meanwhile, Osbourne herself, who served as a consultant last season for Louis Walsh’s Groups category, spoke up about her return: “I couldn’t be happier about coming back for the 10th anniversary of X Factor. I can’t wait to give Gary Barlow a big hug, sit next to the gorgeous Nicole, and of course throw water on dear Louis. Yay!” Open calls for the auditions have already begun for the 10th season, and the judges will be joining the proceedings starting June 4th in Glasgow, before visiting Birmingham, Manchester, London and Cardiff. This will be followed by the second stage of judges’ arena auditions in July. Via: ITV Press Release The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

‘Idology’: Season Finale highs and lows, and suggestions for Season 13 via Rickey.org Credit: TVLine TVLine’s resident American Idol expert, is back for the season finale of Idology alongside season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle. This week, Michael and Melinda discuss the highs and lows of the finale, and fire back against commenters who claim that Candice and Kree were a boring final two. In addition, the hosts discuss potential changes for season 13. It’s the last episode of Idology this season! So check it out below (via TVLine): Thoughts: I agree on the “honesty” part of their suggestions for season 13. I’m of the mind that the only thing they really need to do to revive the brand is to simply let the process unfold organically. Part of what drove so many viewers away this season was the fact that the producer-crafted narrative was obvious right from the start. The decision was made that a girl would win this season, and every effort was taken to ensure that this would be the outcome. And while The Season of the Girls makes for a nice little story, it only works if that story is an organic one. The production really did a disservice to the wealth of female talent this season by stacking the deck so high against the guys, because some viewers will now place an asterisk next to Candice Glover’s name in the Idol record book, implying that she only triumphed thanks to the producers storyboarding a female winner from the beginning. Of course, I’m not one of those people. And regardless, I don’t think there was any male that made it to Hollywood this season that could have prevented a female win anyway, all things considered. This is why I’m so disappointed that this season is being depicted, in several places around the web, as the season that needed to cheat to get a female winner, since I’m largely convinced it would have happened anyway. Sure, competitions like this always have a certain amount of manipulation, but it was taken to an entirely different level this season: between the bussing of the guys to the forthright commitment to making Amber Holcomb happen, this was the most manipulative the show has gotten since Randy said that round one was a tie between Scotty, Lauren and James. And when viewers can see that the fix is in, it can hardly be a surprise that they change the channel. I also think another way to rejuvenate the franchise is to just let contestants be themselves. The best moments are when the fingerprints of the Idol production are nowhere to be seen, and contestants are simply allowed to do what they naturally would do as artists. Phillip Phillips had to fight to get the show to clear Damien Rice’s “Volcano” for Songs You Wish You Wrote last season, while Melinda Doolittle herself has detailed how the Idol band basically ignored her arrangement requests. As she explained in an episode of Idology a few weeks back, “Even though I would say ‘This is not exactly what I asked for,’ it was what they wanted to play, and so it’s what they played,” While it’s a different band with a different leader now, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the ideology is the same, particularly when you have guys like Lazaro talking about how the band introduced a key change in “Close to You” five minutes before he was to go onstage (whether you believe it or not is up to you, but I’m inclined to buy it, if only because it was such a jarring key change and Lazaro genuinely didn’t seem prepared for it in the least). Nothing is gained by forcing contestants into a very narrow mold, especially when you’re depending on these contestants to sell records and concert tickets when the competition is over (never mind counting on them to draw ratings). Two of Idol’s best seasons (7 and 8) largely featured contestants who were given the freedom to be themselves. There was

British soldier knifed to death in suspected London terror attack via Rickey.org Credit: ITV A man reported to be a British soldier was killed in London on Wednesday in an attack that is being treated as an act of terrorism, NBC News reports. Eyewitnesses said two knife-wielding assailants confronted the British serviceman and began attacking him, with observers claiming that the soldier was being chopped like a “piece of meat.” The two suspects were later shot by officers after a heated standoff. The two men were taken for medical attention, and were later placed officially under arrest. The police have confirmed the two suspects are currently being treated at separate London hospitals. Video of the crime shows one of two alleged attackers, with blood-stained hands and holding a machete, explaining the motivation behind the barbaric act, “We swear by Almighty Allah, we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. The only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. We apologize that woman had to see this today, but in our lands our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government. They don’t care about you.” In the video, obtained exclusively by NBC’s UK news partner, ITV News, the man goes on to say, “Leave our lands and we can all live in peace, that’s all I have to say.” Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a trip to Paris in order to chair an emergency national security meeting back in London. Cameron declared, “It is the most appalling crime. Tonight our thoughts should be with the victim and their families and friends. “People across Britain, people in every community, I believe, will utterly condemn this attack. We have had these sorts of attacks before in our country and we never buckle in the face of them.” The Prime Minister would go on to say, “In a free country, the best way to defeat terrorism is to live your life, to show that terrorists can never win.” Further details via NBC News: A senior British security source said it appeared to be an “ideologically motivated” killing. “From the look of it, it is indeed a low-tech terror attack,” the source said. “I am afraid it is overwhelmingly likely now to be a terrorist attack, the kind the city has seen before,” London mayor Boris Johnson said in televised remarks. The Muslim Council of Great Britain condemned the killing, which it said “will no doubt heighten tensions on the streets of the United Kingdom.” “This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly,” it said. “Our thoughts are with the victim and his family.” A witness identified as James told local radio station LBC that he saw two suspects attack the young victim with knives, including a meat cleaver. “They were hacking at this poor guy, literally,” he told the station. “They were hacking at him, chopping him, cutting him.” Multiple witnesses said the victim was wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of the veterans charity Help for Heroes. The attack took place less than a mile from a military barracks, in Woolwich, southeast London. Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May told ITV News she had been briefed by the Director General of the Security Service MI5 on what she called a “sickening and barbaric” attack. In New York, the NYPD has increased its coverage of the British consulate, military recruiting stations and other locations, presumably in the event that the act is part of a larger network of terrorist activity against British installations. Department spokesman Paul Browne said the heightened security moves were not made based on information those facilities had been targe

Nick Carter and fiancee to star in new reality series via Rickey.org Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Nick Carter is getting back into the reality show spotlight. The Backstreet Boy, and former star of 2006 reality show House of Carters, is set to star in and executive produce a new reality series chronicling his life as he attempts to make up for his past while preparing for his future wedding. The series has yet to be picked up by a network just yet, but unscripted production company Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment (Hardcore Pawn: Chicago) is reportedly shopping the half-hour series starring Carter and his fiancée, Lauren Kitt, to several interested cable networks. The show coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Backstreet Boys, who will release their latest album, In A World Like This, on July 30 with an accompanying world tour to follow. Via: Deadline The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

CBS orders ‘Bad Teacher’ to series via Rickey.org Credit: CBS In a rare post-Upfront series order, CBS has given the greenlight to Bad Teacher, a new single-camera sitcom based on the hit 2011 feature film starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake. Ari Graynor (For a Good Time, Call….) plays the title role of the sexy, foul-mouthed divorceé who uses the teaching profession to find a new husband. The series co-stars David Alan Grier, Ryan Hansen, Sara Gilbert and Kristin Davis, and is expected to premiere at midseason in the 2013-2014 TV cycle. Via: TVLine The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

NBC announces two-hour special: “The Women’s Concert for Change: Live from London” via Rickey.org Credit: Getty Images NBC has decided that high-profile musical guests and performances on their network aren’t simply the domain of their late night lineup, SNL or The Voice results shows anymore. The network announced that it will air “The Women’s Concert for Change: Live from London,” a live concert event from Twickenham Stadium in London. The two-hour musical special will air Sunday, June 2 at 9:00 PM ET and feature performances by Beyoncé, Ellie Goulding, Florence + the Machine, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Timbaland and many others. The concert is the cornerstone of Chime for Change, a campaign to raise funds and awareness for female empowerment around the world. Funds are distributed to non-profit organizations focused on the key areas of education, health care and justice. More information via NBC Press Release: Beyoncé, the international superstar and co-founder of Chime for Change, will headline the concert event, with additional performances by Ellie Goulding, Florence + the Machine, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Timbaland and more. Presenters will include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Blake Lively, Gloria Steinem, Jada Pinkett-Smith, James Franco, Madonna, Salma Hayek Pinault, Zoe Saldana and many others. PSAs featuring Franco, Ben Affleck, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow and other influential A-list celebrities will also be a part of the special. The global concert event will be broadcast live from London to over 175 countries, and will serve to celebrate inspirational stories from around the world, generate awareness about the issues that affect girls and women, and raise funds for non-profit organizations pursuing change. “The Women’s Concert for Change: Live from London” is produced by Control Room, in association with Harvey Goldsmith. The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

What’s On TV Tonight? – 5/23/2013 via Rickey.org Credit: ABC 8:00 PM ET Wipeout (“Wipeout Family Values”) – Teams of two family members tackle obstacles that include It’s No Picnic, Aunt Patty Cake and Octopushy. (ABC) Save Me [SERIES PREMIERE] (“The Book of Beth”) – After a near-death experience, Beth starts receiving messages from God; Beth is confronted by her husband’s mistress. (NBC) Hell’s Kitchen (“8 Chefs Compete”) – The chefs create ethnic dishes with select ingredients; a team falls behind before dinner service begins. (FOX) Big Time Rush (“Big Time Bonus”) – Gustavo gives the boys a bonus for all of their hard work; Carlos hires a personal assistant; James buys a snake; Kendall buys a truck full of oranges; Logan is unable to resist tipping. (Nick) 8:30 PM ET Save Me (“Take It Back”) – Beth tries to make amends with friends she offended in the past; Tom must adjust to his wife’s new ability to communicate with God. (NBC) Wendell & Vinnie (“The Dutch & Us”) – Wendell befriends a lonely exchange student; Vinnie tries to help when Wendell’s new friend abandons him for a more popular crowd. (Nick) 9:00 PM ET NICK’S PICK: Motive (“Crimes of Passion”) – Detectives question the ex-boyfriend of a teenager killed in a hit-and-run. (ABC) Does Someone Have To Go? [SERIES PREMIERE] (“VMS, Part 1″) – When control of a family-owned business, Velocity Merchant Services, is turned over to employees, staff members realize that solving personnel problems is more complicated than they expected. (FOX) Showville [SERIES PREMIERE] (“Holland, Michigan”) – Hollywood coaches audition Michigan locals for a talent show. (AMC) Buying Alaska (“Off the Grid”) – Ryan and Skippy want to be able to get everything they need to live right on their own land but after buying a series of homes with major problems, they want this home to be their own piece of Alaska. (Discovery) Four Weddings (“…and the Harlem Shake”) – Cheerleader Chancy gets a welcome to her reception with the Harlem Shake; Marcela has a Peruvian party; Amanda’s historic venue; Chantall’s dogs are formally dressed. (TLC) Braxton Family Values (“Go Hard or Go Home”) – Traci is singing at a basketball game. But her sisters are no where to be found. (WE TV) 9:30 PM ET Buying Alaska (“Flying Home”) – Jackson Meyer, a licensed pilot, and his wife Kandi, look for a remote cabin in Seldovia. (Discovery) 10:00 PM ET Rookie Blue [SEASON PREMIERE] (“Surprises”) – Nick and Andy go missing while working under cover to infiltrate a meth pipeline; Swarek and the other officers find themselves in the middle of a rescue operation; Andy works to deal with all the change going on around her. (ABC) Hannibal (“Trou Normand”) – The team hunts a killer who makes a totem pole out of his victims’ corpses; Jack and Alana question Abigail about Nick Boyle’s death; when Abigail agrees to write a book with Freddy Lounds, she reveals a secret to Hannibal. (NBC) Small Town Security (“JJK for Sale”) – Captain plans to sell Chief’s mustang; Brian takes Christa on a stakeout; Lieutenant helps Chief manage her anger. (AMC) The Graham Norton Show – Actor Daniel Radcliffe; actress Isla Fisher; director Baz Luhrmann; comic Ed Byrne; Wretch 32 performs. (BBC America) Men at Work (“The Gibbs-Orcism”) – Milo and Gibbs hide the fact that they know Tyler’s new girlfriend very well; Neal and Amy try to avoid the “anniversary curse.” (TBS) Tabatha Takes Over (“House of Synergy”) – Reg Mangone, owner of House of Synergy Salon and Spa, has lost control over his business. (B

The American Idol 2014 judges rumor mill has begun but here’s one that might have some legs: Season One champion Kelly Clarkson and Season 3 contestant Jennifer Hudson could be two of the next three American Idol judges! E! News is reporting that a source close to the show has confirmed that Kelly and Jennifer are really close to being added to the panel and that they’re also courting Idol runners-up Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken. That would make the entire panel American Idol alum (they’re likely cutting it to three, so that means Keith Urban won’t be getting his wish). It’s “95 percent there,” the source told E! about the alumni judge’s panel. ”It’s Idol stars guiding the next generation.” I think this idea is brilliant. In fact it would be the best idea American Idol EVER had. Ever. Did I say ever? It’s even better than my idea of a Fans vs. Favorites season. In fact forget I ever said it. THIS idea is where it’s at. If American Idol pulls this off, I think they’ll get most of their ratings back and even some fans back. Think about it. It would be some of Idol’s favorite familiar faces doing the coaching and judging. They’ve all competed on the show and have experienced it first-hand. And they’ve also parleyed their time on the show to successful careers. So this would be Idol’s way of mixing vets with newbies, which has been a popular reality TV format for other shows. I’m so set on this idea now that I’ll be incredibly disappointed if this doesn’t happen. What do you think of this idea? Would you like to see Kelly, Jennifer and Clay or Adam? This content is copyrighted by AmericanIdolnet.com.

Nashville – Season 1 Finale – Recap: Whiskey Lullaby via Rickey.org Credit: ABC Recap and review of Nashville – Season 1 Finale – I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive: Nashville has gone through a lot of ups and downs in its first season. For every fascinating foray into the background of the country music business, there were at least two other stories that didn’t seem to matter. Now that we’ve seen a full season, and even with tonight’s prosecution/pregnancy cliffhanger, I’m still not sure what the whole political side of the show contributed to anything. Teddy’s (Eric Close) bid for Mayor could have been interesting stuff, ditto his affair with ex-partner-in-embezzlement Peggy (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and his power struggle against father-in-law Lamar Wyatt (Powers Boothe). Yet neither of those things really came to pass. Between all the talk of baseball stadiums and Federal Investigations, it’s like the entire plotline forgot to actually be interesting. This means that a significant chunk of the episode is spent on something about which we were never given sufficient cause to care. And, as a result, time is taken away from stuff that is vastly more interesting, such as the tragic downward spiral of Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten). With all that having been said, “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive” is ultimately a pretty solid season finale, filled with moments that bring some characters full circle, while placing others back at square one. The episode has some compelling themes beneath the surface, such as the inconsequential nature of fame within the context of personal crises. Season one of Nashville has, in many ways, been obsessed with the concept of fame. Yet none of that matters once the proverbial s*** hits the fan. In a world where fame often comes first, it was fascinating to see it treated as a such an afterthought here. While this season finale didn’t dig nearly as deep as it could have, it still proved to be a compelling way to close out the first season, while providing intrigue going into the second. Credit: ABC So the secret is out: Maddie (Lennon Stella) confronts Deacon and reveals to him that he’s her father. After largely ignoring Rayna during their performance at the CMAs (alongside Brad Paisley, because why not?), Deacon confronts Rayna. She breaks down and reveals the truth, confirming that he’s Maddie’s biological father. This leads to an argument where Rayna basically reiterates her point from midseason, that she couldn’t bring herself to wait for Deacon because she had no way of knowing that the fifth trip to rehab would be the charm. She loved Deacon, but she also loved Teddy, and so she married him and allowed him to claim Maddie as his daughter in order to give the young girl stability. But Deacon still wants to know why he was lied to for 13 years, and Rayna doesn’t really have an answer. Thus begins the darkest part of the episode, as Deacon completely falls off the wagon, going on a bender in which he gets stupefyingly drunk while ignoring the phone calls of worried family and friends. He then confronts Teddy the next morning, jumping him outside the courthouse and accusing him of stealing Maddie away from him. Guards break up the fight, and Teddy rightly claims that Deacon was in no shape to be a father to anyone. He then declares that Maddie deserves better than Deacon, adding that Rayna deserves better too. Deacon is allowed back up, and he storms off to go buy more liquor to keep the buzz going. Strangely enough, it’s Gunnar (Sam Palladio), looking to ask Deacon about advice on Scarlett (Clare Bowen), who discovers that Deacon has fallen off the wagon. He calls Scarlett, who gets a hold of Coleman (Robert Wisdom), and the trio burst into Deacon’s house to stop him from tearing the entire place apart. But things only get darker. Credit: ABC It’s a

Fifth Harmony – Red – The Idolator Sessions – Video via Rickey.org They’ve covered the track one time before, now here’s Fifth Harmony performing Taylor Swift’s “Red” for the Idolator Sessions. As I always say..when is this new music coming out. We’ve got Tate’s debut and the Emblem3 single, now it’s time for the real stars to shine! The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor