American Idol

Ratings: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ has lowest-rated finale in history via Rickey.org Credit: ABC It was bad news all-around for network TV. Even cornerstones like Dancing With the Stars and The Voice delivered below expectations. However, these numbers aren’t final, so the adjusted ratings might skew a bit higher. Rickey should be by later with an official update. Onto the report: Once again, NBC was the number one network in adults 18-49 while ABC won the night in total viewers. The night was pretty solid overall for ABC, when taken in isolation. The Bachelor’s Funniest Moments delivered a 1.2 adults 18-49 rating, which was good for a 9 percent improvement over Wipeout’s 1.1 in the same time slot last week. Meanwhile, the two-hour season finale of Dancing with the Stars scored a 2.6, up 44 percent from last week’s 1.8 adults 18-49 rating. However, the number is down 21 percent from the 3.3 rating for last year’s finale on May 22, 2012. Ultimately, last night’s finale was the lowest-rated in the show’s history. On NBC, the news special Devastation in Oklahoma scored a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating, which tied last week’s rating for The Voice recap show in the same time slot. The Voice, meanwhile, delivered a 3.1 rating. This was an 11 percent decrease from last week’s 3.5 adults 18-49 rating, marking its lowest-rated Tuesday telecast this cycle. The Grimm season finale earned a 1.7 adults 18-49 rating, which remained even with last week, though it was up 6 percent from the season one finale, which scored a 1.6 on May 18, 2012. Over on FOX, the two-hour So You Think You Can Dance earned a 1.9 adults 18-49, matching last week’s one hour premiere. Via: TVByTheNumbers The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

Study unveils US Map of Hate Speech on Twitter – Photo via Rickey.org Credit: Humboldt State University Via: Humboldt State University A recent study has measured the “Geography of Hate” on Twitter, resulting in an interactive map of the US that displays the areas with the highest volume of intolerance about subjects including Homosexuality, Race and Disabilities. The study, begun in June 2012, is the work of Dr. Monica Stevens of California’s Humboldt State University. Dr. Stevens has been mapping more than 150,000 geotagged tweets to create the interactive US map, which you can access here. How tolerant is your region? (No snickering…) The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

Emma Roberts to join ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ via Rickey.org Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images The cast for American Horror Story: Coven has added another high-profile cast member. Emma Roberts is reportedly nearing a deal to join the series. The actress will play “a self-involved party girl by the name of Madison” in the witch-themed third chapter of FX’s popular horror drama. In an interesting twist, this casting would place Roberts on-screen alongside real-life boyfriend, Evan Peters. Roberts joins a cast that includes AHS vets Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy and Taissa Farmiga, in addition to new faces Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Patti LuPone and Gabourey Sidibe. Via: TVLine The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

Teen Choice Awards 2013 – Full Nominations List via Rickey.org Credit: FOX It’s that time of year again! That glorious time where we honor…well, everything. The nominees for the 2013 Teen Choice Awards have been announced, and the ceremony rivals the Grammys in its sheer ability to make certain everything under the sun gets nominated for something. Of course, it’s easy to spread the wealth when there’s nearly four dozen categories. But hey, it makes for a more interesting group of nominees, and come on, you know you’ve always wanted the opportunity to award someone a giant surfboard trophy simply for having a cute smile. Check out the full list of nominees below, and get your vote on over at the Teen Choice Awards official website: MOVIES Choice Movie: Action “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” “Iron Man 3″ “Skyfall” “The Bourne Legacy” “The Dark Knight Rises” Choice Movie Actor: Action Christian Bale, “The Dark Knight Rises” Daniel Craig, “Skyfall” Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3″ Chris Hemsworth, “Red Dawn” Dwayne Johnson, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” Choice Movie Actress: Action Jessica Biel, “Total Recall” Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises” Adrianne Palicki, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3″ Rachel Weisz, “The Bourne Legacy” Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy “Beautiful Creatures” “Iron Man 3″ “Oblivion” “Oz the Great and Powerful” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Tom Cruise, “Oblivion” Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3″ James Franco, “Oz the Great and Powerful” Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mila Kunis, “Oz the Great and Powerful” Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3″ Saoirse Ronan, “The Host” Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ Michelle Williams, “Oz the Great and Powerful” Choice Movie: Drama “Argo” “Les Misérables” “The Great Gatsby” “The Impossible” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” Choice Movie Actor: Drama Ben Affleck, “Argo” Bradley Cooper, “The Words” Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Great Gatsby” Hugh Jackman, “Les Misérables” Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” Choice Movie Actress: Drama Halle Berry, “The Call” Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables” Carey Mulligan, “The Great Gatsby” Emma Watson, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” Naomi Watts, “The Impossible” Choice Movie: Comedy “Identity Thief” “Peeples” “Pitch Perfect” “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” “Warm Bodies” Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Skylar Astin, “Pitch Perfect” Jason Bateman, “Identity Thief” Steve Carell, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies” Craig Robinson, “Peeples” Choice Movie Actress: Comedy Anna Kendrick, “Pitch Perfect” Melissa McCarthy, “Identity Thief” Kerry Washington, “Peeples” Olivia Wilde, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect” Choice Movie: Romance “Beautiful Creatures” “Les Miserables” “Safe Haven” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ “Warm Bodies” Choice Movie Actor: Romance Josh Duhamel, “Safe Haven” Alden Ehrenreich, “Beautiful Creatures

FOX reportedly considering an ‘American Idol’ All-Stars judging panel via Rickey.org Credit: FOX After a season mired in controversy and low-ratings, FOX is looking at a complete overhaul of what is still one of its most profitable series. In particular, American Idol is looking into a restructuring of its judging panel, following the confirmed departure of Randy Jackson, and the near-certain departures of Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban. The solution? A judging panel of former American Idols. FOX and the production companies behind the singing competition series are reportedly giving serious consideration to the idea of filling at least one, if not all four, spots on the show’s judging panel to a former Idol contestant. According to two inside sources, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson have already been approached, while Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken are also under consideration. Granted, these talks are still in very preliminary stages, and nothing is set in stone. The network is merely exploring its options at the moment. FOX and Fremantle Media have a considerable amount of time to make up their minds regarding the panel for season 13: the panel for season 12 wasn’t officially unveiled until mid-September of 2012. FOX publicity declined to comment, though the idea is certainly an inspired bit of stunt casting, a way to get the show back to its roots while saving on the insane amounts of money spent on stars like Minaj, Carey and Urban, who netted non-existent returns. In addition, utilizing successful former contestants will allow the show to illustrate just what’s possible through the Idol launching platform. Superstar alums are pretty much the only card Idol has to play against its more successful rival, The Voice, which is spanking Idol in nearly every other category. This All-Star judging panel could give the show the kick it needs to re-establish itself as one of TV’s most compelling reality competitions. I certainly love the idea. But what do you think? What other former Idols would you like to see on the panel? Sound off in the comments! Via: Vulture The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

Kate Middleton to make official birth announcement online via Rickey.org Credit: Getty Images In case you had any doubts about just what kind of hold social media has on all subjects, both high and low, Kate Middleton will now be announcing the birth of her child online. The Duchess of Cambridge, 31, will be bucking tradition, in many respects. When her husband, Prince William, was born in 1982, the note announcing the birth of the Prince was posted on the gates of Buckingham Palace. The news will post to the Clarence House website, which will be linked to Twitter, assuring that the news posts to the social media giant before Buckingham Palace even knows for sure. Of course, a notice will still be posted on the Palace Gates — just expect the news to already be trending by then. Via: Now Magazine UK The Voice • American Idol • The X Factor

Forbes releases 2013 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women via Rickey.org German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Credit: Getty Images) Forbes has released its 2013 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel took the top spot as one of only two European women to make the top 10. Brazilian President Rousseff and philanthropist Melinda Gates took second and third, respectively. Current First Lady Michelle Obama climbed three spots from last year to reach the fourth spot, while former First Lady Hillary Clinton remained in the top 5, despite no longer being the US Secretary of State. The list also featured a number of well-known celebrities/philanthropists/entrepreneurs, including Beyonce Knowles, Angelina Jolie, Ellen DeGeneres and Lady Gaga. Colombia was also well-represented, with actress Sophia Vergara and musician Shakira scoring a place on the elite list. Meanwhile, things were a little less sunny for the UK, as The Queen dropped from #26 last year to #40 on this year’s list. Meanwhile, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling dropped just as far, from 78 to 93. However, making this list is nothing to scoff at. Check out the full list below via Forbes: 1. Angela Merkel Chancellor, Germany 2. Dilma Rousseff President, Brazil 3. Melinda Gates Co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States 4. Michelle Obama First Lady, United States 5. Hillary Clinton Politician/Philanthropist, United States 6. Sheryl Sandberg COO, Facebook, United States 7. Christine Lagarde Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, France 8. Janet Napolitano Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, United States 9. Sonia Gandhi President, Indian National Congress, India 10. Indra Nooyi CEO, PepsiCo, United States 11. Geun-hye Park President, South Korea 12. Virginia Rometty CEO, IBM, United States 13. Oprah Winfrey Entrepreneur, Personality, United States 14. Ursula Burns Chairman and CEO, Xerox, United States 15. Meg Whitman CEO, Hewlett-Packard, United States 16. Georgina Rinehart Executive Chairman, Hancock Prospecting, Australia 17. Beyonce Knowles Actress, Entrepreneur, Musician, United States 18. Maria das Graças Silva Foster CEO, Petrobras, Brazil 19. Jill Abramson Executive Editor, New York Times Co., United States 20. Irene Rosenfeld CEO, Mondelez International, United States 21. Helen Clark Administrator, U.N. Development Programme, New Zealand 22. Nancy Pelosi Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, United States 23. Safra Catz CFO, Oracle, United States 24. Anne Sweeney Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks, and President, Disney/ABC Television Group, United States 25. Kathleen Sebelius Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, United States 26. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner President, Argentina 27. Sheri McCoy CEO, Avon Products, United States 28. Julia Gillard Prime Minister, Australia 29. Aung San Suu Kyi Chair and Parliamentarian, National League for Democracy, Burma 30. Susan Wojcicki Senior Vice President, Google, United States 31. Yingluck Shinawatra Prime Minister, Thailand 32. Marissa Mayer CEO, Yahoo, United States 33. Margaret Chan Director-General, World Health Organization, China 34. Marillyn Hewson CEO, Lockheed Martin, United States 35. Mary Barra SVP, Global Product Development, General Motors, United States 36. Amy Pascal Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony, United States 37. Angelina Jolie Actress, Philanthropist, United States 38. Sofia Vergara Actress, Entrepreneur, Colombia 39. Laurene Powell Jobs & family Founder and Chair, Emerson Collective, United States 40. Queen Elizabeth II Monarch, United Kingdom 41. Anna Wintour Editor-in-Chief, Vogue, Conde Nast Publications, Inc., United States 42. Ellen Kullman Chairman and CEO, EI du Pont de Nemours, United States 43. Drew Gilpin Faust President, Harvard University, United States 44. Rosalind Brewer President and CEO, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart Stores, United States 45. Lady G

2013 Critics’ Choice TV Awards nominations – Full list via Rickey.org Credit: Broadcast Television Journalists Association It’s a big day for television. Not only does the 2012-2013 TV season officially end at 11:00 PM ET tonight (except for the few shows that got delayed, like NBC’s Revolution), but the TV Awards season begins in earnest, as the precursor awards building to the announcement of the Primetime Emmy nominations this summer are already underway. In particular, the nominations for the 2013 Critics’ Choice TV Awards have been unveiled. The nominees represent an eclectic mix of TV’s best incumbent programming, along with some of the more noteworthy new shows of the season. It’s almost impossible not to find a handful of choices to love in this lineup (the fact that Bunheads has successfully been nominated for something is enough to send me over the moon). The full list of nominees is below, via Gold Derby: Best Comedy Series “The Big Bang Theory” “Louie” “The Middle” “New Girl” “Parks and Recreation” “Veep” Best Comedy Actor Don Cheadle, “House of Lies” Louis C.K., “Louie” Jake Johnson, “New Girl” Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” Adam Scott, “Parks and Recreation” Jeremy Sisto, “Suburgatory” Best Comedy Actress Laura Dern, “Enlightened” Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl” Lena Dunham, “Girls” Sutton Foster, “Bunheads” Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” Best Comedy Supporting Actor Max Greenfield, “New Girl” Simon Helberg, “The Big Bang Theory” Alex Karpovsky, “Girls” Adam Pally, “Happy Endings” Chris Pratt, “Parks and Recreation” Danny Pudi, “Community” Best Comedy Supporting Actress Carly Chaikin, “Suburgatory” Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory” Sarah Hyland, “Modern Family” Melissa Rauch, “The Big Bang Theory” Eden Sher, “The Middle” Casey Wilson, “Happy Endings” Best Comedy Guest Performer Melissa Leo, “Louie” David Lynch, “Louie” Bob Newhart, “The Big Bang Theory” Patton Oswalt, “Parks and Recreation” Molly Shannon, “Enlightened” Patrick Wilson, “Girls” Best Drama Series “The Americans” “Breaking Bad” “Downton Abbey” “Game of Thrones” “The Good Wife” “Homeland” Best Drama Actor Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” Damian Lewis, “Homeland” Andrew Lincoln, “The Walking Dead” Timothy Olyphant, “Justified” Matthew Rhys, “The Americans” Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards” Best Drama Actress Claire Danes, “Homeland” Vera Farmiga, “Bates Motel” Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife” Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black” Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” Keri Russell, “The Americans” Best Drama Supporting Actor Jonathan Banks, “Breaking Bad” Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones” Michael Cudlitz, “Southland” Noah Emmerich, “The Americans” Walton Goggins, “Justified” Corey Stoll, “House of Cards” Best Drama Supporting Actress Jennifer Carpenter, “Dexter” Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones” Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad” Regina King, “Southland” Monica Potter, “Parenthood” Abigail Spencer, “Rectify” Best Drama Guest Performer Jim Beaver, “Justified” Jane Fonda, “The Newsroom” Martha Plimpton, “The Good Wife” Carrie Preston, “The Good Wife” Diana Rigg, “Game of Th

What’s On TV Tonight? – 5/22/2013 via Rickey.org Credit: ABC 8:00 PM ET The Middle [SEASON FINALE] (“The Graduation”) – Tension builds as Frankie tries to plan a graduation party for uncooperative Axl; Sue tries to get her driver’s license for a sixth time; Brick must assemble a slide show highlighting the past four years of school. (ABC) Dateline NBC – A woman takes matters into her own hand after being sexually assaulted by her husband. (NBC) MasterChef [SEASON PREMIERE] (“Auditions No. 1; Auditions No. 2″) – Home cooks present dishes to the judges. (FOX) Outrageous Acts of Science (“Homemade Heroes”) – Amateur and professional scientists conduct experiments and post their findings online. (Discovery) Breaking Amish: Brave New World – Secrets Revealed (“Shunned & on the Run”) – Filled with bonus features and facts; the group packs up and piles into an RV to head down to Fla. (TLC) 9:00 PM ET Modern Family [SEASON FINALE] (“Goodnight, Gracie”) – After Phil’s mother dies, everyone flies down to Florida; Gloria is faced with an outstanding arrest warrant; Jay runs into someone from his past. (ABC) Criminal Minds [SEASON FINALE] (“Brothers Hotchner”; “The Replicator”) – The Replicator goes after a member of the BAU team; during an investigation into a series of drug-related deaths in Manhattan, Hotch learns that his estranged brother, Sean, is caught in the middle. (CBS) Law & Order: Special Victims Unit [SEASON FINALE] (“Her Negotiation”) – The detectives uncover a shocking theory as they work to learn the identity of a man Rollins arrested for exposing himself in the park; Detective Benson finds herself in mortal danger. (NBC) Mythbusters (“Indy Car Special”) – The Mythbusters go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to test racing myths. (Discovery) Only in America With Larry the Cable Guy (“Larry Gets Lost in Space”) – Larry travels across New Mexico to Roswell; an amateur rocket scientist launches a bobblehead into the edge of space; a freaky and funny set of close encounters with the alien experts of Roswell. (History) Bomb Girls (“Romeo Foxtrot”) – Lorna takes up dancing and surprises both herself and the instructor; Kate and Ivan explore the terms of engagement; Betty learns what it means to date a soldier. (REELZ) 900 Pound Man: The Race Against Time – Ricky is one of the world’s fattest men who struggles for years trying to find a surgeon willing to take on his case. (TLC) 9:30 PM ET How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) (“How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life”) – Stress causes Max to eat everything in sight; Polly helps Julian navigate his feelings for his new girlfriend. (ABC) 10:00 PM ET NICK’S PICK Nashville [SEASON FINALE] (“I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”) – Juliette finds a letter from her mother; Deacon confronts Rayna about a secret; Brad Paisley performs with Rayna and Deacon; Gunnar tries to win Scarlett’s heart back. (ABC) Chicago Fire [SEASON FINALE] (“A Hell of a Ride”) – The squad must help defuse a volatile situation at the jail; Shay continues to be hopeful about motherhood; Herrmann’s wife goes into labor; Mills and Dawson face important decisions. (NBC) Psych (“Nip and Suck It”) – Shawn and Gus suspect a plastic surgeon, who is a former flame of Henry’s, is guilty of murdering a patient. (USA) Million Dollar Listing: New York (“Bow Rooms and Broome Sticks”) – Luis gets the first townhouse of his young career, but is horrified to find that most of the décor is older than he is; Ryan deals with a picky senior citizen. (Bravo) Jodi Arias: Beyond the Headlines – The t

There has been a lot of talk about how to save American Idol after  a lackluster season of iffy talent, bickering judges and declining ratings. There has been the popular suggestion of new judges (which is going to happen). Some have said to ditch the results shows. Some have even suggesting letting the judges decide who goes home. But the best idea I’ve ever heard comes from Entertainment Weekly. Dalton Ross over there suggests a page from the Survivor handbook with a fans vs. favorites season and I LOVE that idea. Think about it, six of our favorite Idol “losers” competing against six newbies (just so we can continue the popular audition episodes? Wait, are those actually still popular? OK, another topic for another time. I mean think about it! Fan favorites back on the show competing for another shot! It could work, right!? So now that I’ve got this fun idea in my head, I want to pick some favorites to return. I’m not talking about people like Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert or Kellie Pickler who have done just fine without winning, but other fan favorites that might be able to use the publicity. My Idol Favorites Dream Team Tamyra Gray (1) Josh Gracin (2) Diana DeGarmo (3) Constantine Maroulis (4) Elliot Yamin (5) Mandisa (5) Melinda Doolitle (6) Sanjaya (just for dramatic purposes) (6) David Archuleta (7) Casey Abrams (10) I couldn’t just go with six. I had to throw in some more. Who would be on your dream team? Original content from American Idol 2013.