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AMERICAN IDOL recap: Phillip Phillips Wins Season 11 – Season Finale

By PETER BROWN 05/24/2012

Phillip Phillips wins AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 | (c) 2012 Michael Becker / FOX

Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays @ 8 p.m. Original Telecast: May 23, 2012 So we are mercifully at the finale of the 11th season of the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL. I missed last week because I had a serious case of IDOLitis, meaning I simply could not watch the show last week it was something in my blood. This is roughly the 40th review I have done this year and so yes it grates on you after many, many weeks. Anyway, just to get this out of the […]Read On »

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 Recap: Phillip Phillips slays Jessica Sanchez to become the frontrunner for the Season 11 victory

By CARL CORTEZ 05/23/2012

Phillip Phillips in the AMERICAN IDOL - Season 11 finale | ©2012 Fox/Michael Becker

AMERICAN IDOL has become more predictable as it ages. And if anyone thinks Jessica Sanchez is going to win over Phillip Phillips is seriously mistaken. The Tween girls rule IDOL, which is why cute guys tend to win the show over cute girls. This year however, if you compare the two finalists and the songs they sang, it was obvious, one was the clear winner. And your winner, though not yet crowned, is Phillip Phillips. Yes, there could be some producer trickery and Sanchez could pull an upset, but it would be insincere to say the least. The rundown of […]Read On »

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 Recap: Joshua Ledet kicked off with Phillips and Sanchez the Final 2

By CARL CORTEZ 05/18/2012

Joshua Ledet is eliminated on AMERICAN IDOL - Season 11 | ©2012 Fox/Frank Micelotta

In what has become one of the most boring AMERICAN IDOL competitions since Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox battled it out on Season 9, the reality show competition whittled down the contestants from three to two with Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez. That meant the powerhouse singer with the golden Gospel voice Joshua Ledet was eliminated. Jennifer Lopez was in tears as Ledet sang his swan song, “It’s A Man’s, Man’s World” and brought his mom up on stage. Meanwhile, Phillips and Sanchez breathed a sigh of relief going into next week which, not surprising, will see Phillips take the […]Read On »

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TV Review: SMASH – Season 1 – “Bombshell” – Season Finale

By CARL CORTEZ 05/15/2012

Katharine McPhee in SMASH - Season 1 - "Bombshell" | ©2012 NBC/Eric Liebowitz

Stars: Debra Messing, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Angelica Houston Writers: Theresa Rebeck Director: Michael Morris Network: NBC, airs Mondays Original Telecast: May 15, 2012 My biggest regret of the entire 2011-2012 TV season – sticking with NBC’s Broadway musical series SMASH to the bitter end. And it’s been a hard pill to swallow. It’s a show that started off strong, and then, through a series of bad decisions and one awful storyline after another, destroyed the show’s entire existence. The story was all about finding the right Marilyn Monroe for a new Broadway production – and […]Read On »

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Interview: Katharine McPhee makes a SMASH with the Season 1 finale

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 05/14/2012

Katharine McPhee in SMASH - Season 1 | ©2012 NBC/Patrick Randak

NBC’s SMASH, set in the world of Broadway musicals, has its first season finale tonight at 10 PM. Never fear – the show has been renewed for a second season. This year, one of the main plotlines has been the rivalry between veteran musical chorus member Ivy Bell, played by musical theatre veteran Megan Hilty, and New York newcomer Karen Cartwright, played by Katharine McPhee in her first scripted TV series lead. McPhee, a Los Angeles native, shot to pop fame as the runner-up in the 2006 fifth season of AMERICAN IDOL. Since then, she’s appeared in feature films, including […]Read On »

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 Recap: Hollie Cavanaugh Kicked Off, 3 left

By PETER BROWN 05/10/2012

Hollie Cavanaugh hugs Ryan Seacrest as she is kicked off AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 | (c) 2012 Michael Becker / FOX

Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays @ 8 p.m. Original Telecast: May 10, 2012 After Hillbilly Hoedown was voted off last week on the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL, it was down to four left on the show. But who went home? By now, you know that Hollie Cavanaugh was the one kicked off the show leaving Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet as the Top-3 on the show. Rightly so, Hollie was in the bottom pretty much the entire show it seems (maybe escaping once or twice) and […]Read On »

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TV Review: SMASH – Season 1 – “Previews”

By CARL CORTEZ 05/08/2012

Katharine McPhee in SMASH - Season 1 - "Previews" | ©2012 NBC/Will Hart

Stars: Debra Messing, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Angelica Houston Writer: David Marshall Grant Director: Robert Duncan McNeill Network: NBC, airs Mondays Original Telecast: May 8, 2012 As SMASH nears next week’s Season 1 finale, one can’t help but scratch their head at how a once promising show sunk so low, so fast. While I still admit to being fascinated by a handful of characters and the backstage antics pertaining to the Broadway music itself, it’s the misguided decisions where the writers have forced their generally well-written characters to partake in that just strips the show of […]Read On »

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 recap: Skylar Laine Kicked Off, Four Left

By PETER BROWN 05/04/2012

Skylar Laine and Hollie Cavanaugh wait for the final results on AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 | (c) 2012 Fox

Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays @ 8 p.m. Original Telecast: May 3, 2012 After tonight there were only four contestants left on the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL. But who got the boot? By now, you know that Skylar Laine was kicked off the show with Hollie Cavanaugh also in the bottom. I’ll get to how the results were broken down and as usual I will spare you all the fluff including two performances from Coldplay (which is actually pretty cool), a performance from former IDOL winner Carrie Underwood, […]Read On »

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AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 recap: Elise Testone Kicked Off, Five Left

By PETER BROWN 04/26/2012

Elise Testone is kicked off of AMERICAN IDOL | (c) 2012 Fox/Michael Becker

Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays @ 8 p.m. Original Telecast: April 26, 2012 It was once again time to lose another contestant on the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL, leaving just the Top 5. By now, you know that Elise Testone was eliminated from the show. Hollie Cavanaugh and Skylar Laine were also in the bottom three this week. Once again, Jimmy Iovine’s comments continue to be the best freaking part of IDOL and probably the most honest that anyone is on the show since Simon Cowell left. They […]Read On »

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TV Review: SMASH – Season 1 – “Publicity”

By ANNE LOUISE BANNON 04/24/2012

Katherine McPhee stars in SMASH Publicity on NBC | © 2012/Will Hart

Stars: Debra Messing, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Angelica Houston Writers: Theresa Rebeck Director: Michael Mayer Network: NBC, airs Mondays Original Telecast: April 23, 2012 You can’t help wondering, sometimes, if SMASH creator Theresa Rebeck, who is also a playwright, has had more than one run-in with a movie actor. In “Publicity,” an episode she wrote, she’s got more fun and games going with Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman), the movie actress brought in to play Marilyn in order to attract investors and an audience. But once again, the story line moves away from the show and more into the […]Read On »