Who Went Home on AMERICAN IDOL?

Guys, I’m starting to get really nervous.  We are at the Top 10 and this season is still a complete snoozefest. Even the best contestants are still giving us the status quo.  Their status quo might be pretty good, but it’s all a bit too predictable for my taste. It’s not good.

The most exciting part of the entire season to date (other than Andrew Garcia’s “Straight Up” during H-Week…did you know he sang that? Have the judges mentioned it?) was the shocking elimination of Lilly Scott, Alex Lambert and Kately Epperly.  That’s pretty sad.

Last night we said goodbye to one more contestant, but it’s all who we thought it would be so no news there. Oh, how I must get over my cynicism.

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AMERICAN IDOL Top 11 Performance Review

Since I’m traveling for work, I’ve been without internet access the past two days. Sadly that meant I wasn’t able to post Erik’s review of the Top 11 performances from Tuesday night. But I still wanted to share them with you so you had a chance to chime in and share your thoughts. PLEASE DO!!!

Idol is not a guilty pleasure for me. My iPod has a full share of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood albums to choose from, and I prefer Chris Daughtry’s YouTube version of “Poker Face” to Lady Gaga’s. So, as Kath takes a well-deserved break from the frenzy of live blogging the show, I wanted to offer my take on this year’s crop of future TMZ stories. Using my highly sophisticated scoring system, developed by the same group of scientists that brought us the Octomom, I will award each singer a number of stars, with 5 being the highest.

As luck would have it, Miley Cyrus’ role as the Idols’ celebrity mentor also gives me chances to poke fun at her fame and fortune. It’s a win/win situation, almost like having the best of both worlds…

Quick factoid #1: Ms. Cyrus was born November 23rd, 1992, so she is still 17 years old. Gentlemen, keep that fact in mind before utilizing your Google Image Search, ok?

Quick factoid #2: Unlike the songs featured tonight, the former Hannah Montana has never actually had a song reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Just saying…

Lee Dewyze: Kicking off the show with The Box Tops’ “The Letter” from 1967, Lee looked like a legitimate solo artist for the first time. Joined on the big stage by a horn section and backup singers, Lee delivered a solid performance that should not put him in danger of elimination. (3.5 stars)

Judges: Randy thought he knocked it out of the box. Ellen babbled about a pen for 45 seconds, leaving me puzzled as to how her writers are failing her in this Idol stint. Kara thought it was Lee’s best performance of the season. Simon thought it was non-commercial and “corny,” lacking a defining moment.

Paige Miles: I was puzzled that a young, vibrant contestant would choose Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” from 1984, and Paige emerged from this song as a huge underdog to move on to next week. After a rough start, I was hopeful that Paige’s bigger voice would shine in the second verse, but she never found a consistent tone. If the past few weeks are being evaluated fairly, Paige will go home tomorrow and miss out on being part of the Idols Live tour in 2010. (1.5 stars)

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24 – Day 8: 4:00am – 5:00am

My bad on the delay in getting up this week’s discussion of 24. First time on the internet in a few days. Sorry Philboy, I’ll now turn it over to you. – Kath

I tend to think that TV doesn’t hold many too many surprises anymore. Every week I talk about “24,” I review it with the implicit undertone that we’ve kind of been through this before. But, on a show that I love as much as “24,” that’s part of the charm. It’s variations on a theme. And, of course, a mole working inside CTU is standard. But, I really didn’t see Dana as the mole, even though I could earn a lot of credit online by saying otherwise. Let’s get started with the recap.

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Ben Folds Sings Ode to Chatroulette

Ben Folds, judge on NBC’s THE SING OFF (and there is my TV connection) makes fantastic use of ChatRoulette.com (and believe me, there aren’t many fantastic uses for this live webcam-to-webcam tool) during a recent concert in North Carolina. Can you imagine going on the site only to find Ben Folds and two thousands fans singing to you? I bet you wish you weren’t on the toilet.

Welcome to World’s End – Miley Cyrus Mentoring on IDOL

And the Mayan prophecy predicted it would all be over in 2012. I’m pretty sure there’s a chance the world could come crashing down around us on Tuesday night between 8-10pm EST.

This just in from Fox…

Miley Cyrus will appear as a guest mentor on AMERICAN IDOL and help the Top 11 finalists – Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban – prepare for their performances on a Billboard No.1 Hits-themed show airing Tuesday, March 23

Why? Why? Why? Has this season of IDOL not sucked enough? What’s next…Justin Bieber? (Oh the horror!)

Taking a Bit of a Spring Break

Can we talk?

(Uh oh. Never a good sign when I start a blog post that way.)

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Meet My Little Digby

In two short weeks I’ve become one of those people that shares pics of their dogs online thinking that people really care.  Who am I?

But since a few of you asked for an update on my new pup, Digby, I thought I would share a few pics from her very first photo shoot.

My friend Jess, the talented photographer behind Boston Baby Photos, took these adorable shots of Digby yesterday. As you’ll see when you visit her site, Jess is a baby photographer first and foremost but I think after seeing these pics you’ll agree that she has a real eye for shooting pups.

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Digby.  Click here to see more pics of Diggs. While you’re there, do me a favor and leave Jess a comment and encourage her to add doggy pictures to her portfolio.

(If there is anyone in the Boston area (or within 45 minutes or so of Beantown) that is interested in having Jess take pics of their kids or precious animals, be sure to email her. Just tell her GMMR sent you!)

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, March 22, 2010

Happy Monday! Is it just me or does Monday night TV seem to get bigger and bigger each week?  The already jam-packed Monday night schedule welcomes DANCING WITH THE STARS tonight.  I’m not a fan of the show and won’t be watching, although I will admit that I’m more intrigued by this particular group of “stars” than I’ve ever been before.  What I’d really like to watch is Kate Gosselin and Shannen Doherty diva each other out back stage. Now that I would tune into.

Showtime is back in a big way tonight with UNITED STATES OF TARA, and one of my new favorite shows of last season, NURSE JACKIE. If you haven’t seen either then you should definitely check them out tonight. Toni Colette and Edie Falco are powerhouses actresses who demand your attention.

As for two more powerhouse women, check out Kelly Cutrone from KELL ON EARTH on CHELSEA LATELY tonight. That’s going to be good!

Thanks to all of you who sent along birthday wishes via email and Twitter yesterday. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to each of you individually yet, but it was so nice of you to reach out.  I had a great birthday weekend – a party with friends on Saturday, my whole family was together for a bit on Sunday, and then I spent a lazy afternoon with just me and Digby yesterday.  Can’t ask for much more (that doesn’t involve John Krasinski, Neil Patrick Harris or Zac Levi). Thanks again!

Check out the highlights from tonight’s TV lineup.

How I Met Your Mother | 8pm on CBS
“Say Cheese”
Ted wrecks Lily’s birthday by bringing a date to her celebration dinner, and Lily does her best to keep the woman out of the annual group photo. Karen: Laura Prepon. Natalie: Anne Dudek. [GMMR: Nice to see Laura Prepon is back as the snobby, Karen, but you had me at Anne Dudek. Love her!]

Chuck | 8pm on NBC
“Chuck vs. the Final Exam”
Chuck’s future in the espionage business rests squarely on a final test mission that will determine his worth as a spy. With Sarah and Shaw (Brandon Routh) appraising his every maneuver, Chuck must tap into all he has learned in order to make the operation a success. [GMMR: Brace yourself fandom. This is a BIG episode.  I’m not going to say it ends on a cliff-hangar, but I will say that I was devastated that I didn’t have the next episode to watch immediately after.]

Dancing with the Stars | 8pm on ABC | Season Premiere
“Performance Show”
In the tenth-season opener, 11 couples perform either the Viennese waltz or the cha-cha. Competitors this season are Pamela Anderson, Buzz Aldrin, Erin Andrews, Shannen Doherty, Kate Gosselin, Aiden Turner, Evan Lysacek,, Jake Pavelka, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicey Nash, and Chad Ochocinco.

24 | 8pm on Fox
“Day 8: 4am-5am”
The NSA intervenes in CTU’s operation; Chloe and Dana make dramatic contributions; and Jack leads field agents on a dangerous mission.[GMMR: 4am? Has he taken a nap yet? Jack must be exhausted.]
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United States of Tara | 10:30pm on Showtime

As Season 2 opens, Tara has been dissociation-free for several months and has her alters in check, so she decides it’s time to make some new friends with help from Max. Tragedy mars things when a neighbor commits suicide and, surprisingly, the Gregsons are given responsibility for the deceased’s house and estate.

The Ricky Gervais Show | 9pm on HBO

Karl answers questions from fans; Karl deciphers the true meaning of sayings; Karl’s New Year’s resolution; “Monkey News.”

Flash Forward | 8pm on ABC

Actress Lisa Kudrow travels from Los Angeles to Belarus to uncover her family history.

Technical Difficulties

Mean, grinchy hackers found their way into GMMR last week and we’re still feeling the residual effects. Please be patient as we try to get things back to working order.

Who Went Home on AMERICAN IDOL?

I don’t know about you but I’m nervous. After last week’s bamboozle, I don’t what’s going to happen tonight. Will the voting public send home Crystal or Siobhan…nah, but then again I would never have thought Lilly and Alex were going home last week.

The great thing about reading this post is that you don’t have to sit through the musical guests, Ryan’s dramatic pauses, or the horrific Ford commercials. You’re welcome.

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HOUSE: Black Hole

I do not know Greg Yaitanes personally. However, I would guess that he was an indoor child with a vivid imagination. Yaitanes, the director of this week’s House, previously showed a penchant for irreverent visuals in this season’s “Epic Fail,” which featured a series of virtual reality gaming segments. In “Black Hole,” older viewers were reminded of trips to the planetarium in adolescence, which in my experience were often accompanied by the soundtracks of Pink Floyd or The Grateful Dead.

Putting aside my fascination with Mr. Yaitanes’ history in his high school A.V. Club, he succeeded in crafting a story that utilized the full resources of Princeton Plainsboro. By returning Dr. Taub to relevance, opening a window to Wilson’s fear of ending up alone, and injecting genuine surprise into the patient’s story, the director and writer Lawrence Kaplow rewarded viewers with an above-average episode.

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AMERICAN IDOL Top 12 Performances

I’m going to need a little AMERICAN IDOL uplifting from you all today. Maybe I’m still feeling the effects of last Thursday’s elimination of Alex Lambert and Katelyn Epperly (who yes, I miss more than Lilly Scott), but I just wasn’t in the IDOL groove last night.  It took two hours and 12 performances to get to Crystal Bowersox, the only contestant last night that really captured my full attention.

Based on my overly chatty Twitter friends, I was expecting big things from Siobhan Magnus last night, and while I can say that she took the biggest risk with her arrangement of ‘Paint it Black’, it really wasn’t all that good.  Please don’t  go the way of the judges and encourage her to go for those big notes every week, because she proved last night that she can’t always reach them.  She had some pitch problems throughout the entire performance that the judges either didn’t hear or chose to ignore.  I will, however,  give her a golf clap for really turning on the drama and at going out of her way to try to entertain us.  Siobhan has really grown on me and I definitely think she’s a front runner, but the performance didn’t fully work for me. I have a feeling you all are going to tell me differently and that’s ok, I can take it.

While Crystal was the only true standout performance for me last night, there were a few IDOL wannabes who kept me interested.  I saw a new confidence in Didi Benami this week.  Looks like she finally realized that she’s in a competition.  You guys know how much I love her voice, but she was giving me heart palpitations with her shaky performance.  If you’re forgetting the words you either don’t know the song well enough and shouldn’t have picked it, or you’re heads not in the game.  Either way, it’s really not ok.  But she pulled through, and while I can’t say this was my favorite performance of hers (still ‘Terrified’ from Hollywood Week) I think she did enough to live to sing another week.

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