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TV Review: AMERICAN IDOL – Season 12 – “1st 10 Semifinalists Perform”

By PETER BROWN 03/05/2013

Breanna Steer performs on AMERICAN IDOL Season 12 | (c) 2013 Michael Becker/FOX

Stars: Randy Jackson, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Ryan Seacrest Network: Airs on Fox, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 pm Original Telecast: Feb. 27, 2013 Finally, America gets involved on the world’ greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL, as we are down to the Top 10 chicks and Top 10 dudes that make up the finals. Does anyone care is a good question to ask given the bottoming out of the ratings but we’ll just put that on the back burner for the duration. First up is the ladies of the competition, the next night will be the dudes and […]Read On »

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TV Review: AMERICAN IDOL – Season 12 – “Audition No. 1” – Season Premiere

By PETER BROWN 01/17/2013

Gurprett Singh Sarin auditions on AMERICAN IDOL "Audition #1" | (c) 2013 Michael Becker / FOX

Stars: Randy Jackson, Keith Urban, Maria Carey, Nicki Minaj, Ryan Seacrest Airs: Wednesday and Thursdays on Fox @ 8 pm Original Telecast: Jan. 16, 2013 This is the worst time of the year for me. Football is slowly coming to an end. We have at least another two months of winter. All the major holidays are far away. And, yes, the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL, is back on the air. Yes, time for the most popular of the talent shows to once again give us a healthy dose of overexposure, bad auditions and not enough actual good singing. […]Read On »

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News: New AMERICAN IDOL judge Nicki Minaj says she’s not looking for a rap IDOL – TCA 2012

By CARL CORTEZ 01/08/2013

AMERICAN IDOL Season 12 judge Nicki Minaj | ©2012 Fox/Michael Becker

With AMERICAN IDOL adding new judges for Season 12 with diva Mariah Carey, country crooner Keith Urban and rap-pop princess Nicki Minaj, the show is going to be more eclectic than ever. At today’s Fox’s Winter TCA 2013 session, Minaj even discussed what being a judge on IDOL means to her and how serious she takes it. “Even up until the last day, before I had to sign the contract, I was still not a 100 percent sold,” says Minaj. “AMERICAN IDOL is so big, you can’t do this unless you commit fully. I realized I made a lot of […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE X FACTOR – Season 2 premiere – “Auditions No. 1” (Austin and San Francisco)

By CARL CORTEZ 09/13/2012

Britney Spears, Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid are the judges of THE X FACTOR - Season 2 | ©2012 Fox/Nino Munoz

Stars: Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays Original Telecast: September 12, 2012 Well, here’s a big surprise – THE X FACTOR Season 2 is actually pretty damn good. In fact, it’s the show THE X FACTOR should have been in Season 1. Yes, there are many tropes of the genre still hanging around that prove to be annoying (like purposely bad singers allowed on stage), but with a refreshed judging panel and a different approach in showcasing talent, THE X FACTOR is starting to feel more like an original show called THE […]Read On »

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TCA 2012: Britney Spears is “feisty” on THE X FACTOR says Fox Entertainment President

By A.C. FERRANTE 07/23/2012

While speaking to the press at the Fox Summer TCA Press Tour, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly says new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato have added a unique mix to the table of THE X FACTOR Season 2 which also includes returning judges Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid. “I’m surprised at how feisty [Britney] is – she’s not afraid to lay it on the line,” says Reilly. “She’s been around and she’s rough. Plus we have a real spitfire with Demi. Literally on Day 1 she took on Simon.” THE X FACTOR Season 2 debuts this fall. Related: Jennifer […]Read On »

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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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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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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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