american idol (12 posts)

Frank Micelotta / FOX

The impending battle of the Davids put a little spring in American Idol's flagging step last night.

Fox's hit show—which, despite showing signs of deflation, still exhibits juggernaut behavior—attracted nearly 24.3 million viewers Wednesday, a 1.4 million-strong bump from last week and its largest audience since April 2, when Michael Johns and Carly Smithson were still singing for their supper and little Ramiele Malubay got the boot.

Idol also saw viewership jump by more than 4 million people in its second half-hour, ensuring that Fox would flay the competition in its time slot—although CBS' Criminal Minds put up quite a fight, averaging 12.7 million inquiring minds—and win the night in total viewers.

Although it's unlikely the expected showdown between David Archuleta and David Cook will bring the millions who have gone missing this season back in full force next week, Fox has to like the fact that its (yes, still dominant) numbers are creeping back up.

But why should you care?

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Paul Fenton/ZUMApress.com

Just when Taylor Hicks seemed to be in danger of being a public-eye dropout, along comes the favorite landing spot of many an American Idol refugee.

Broadway.

Starting June 6, the silvery haired season-five champ will jump into the role of Teen Angel, Frenchy's guardian angel and the singer of "Beauty School Dropout," in the current reality-show-fueled revival of Grease at the Brooks Atkinson Theater.

Hicks is slated to Soul Patrol the stage until Sept. 7.

The production, which hasn't gotten the greatest reviews but seems to be surviving based on sheer nostalgia, kicked off last August featuring Max Crumm and Laura Osnes—the winners of NBC's Grease: You're the One That I Want!—playing Danny and Sandy and, per the Internet Broadway Database, those two performers are still giving each other mixed signals and trying to act cool in front of their friends.

Hicks, who is no longer signed to Clive Davis' J-Records, joins Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, Tamyra Gray, Frenchie Davis, Diana DeGarmo and Constantine Maroulis on the list of Idol winners, shoulda-wons and also-rans who have appeared on Broadway in the past several years.

Kelsey McNeal / Fox

Fox speaks geek.

The network unveiled fall—and spring—schedules fit for Comic-Con, replete with new series by Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, a Family Guy spinoff, a returning Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and a 24 prequel.

The autograph lines are to the left.

Today's announcements were not all fanboy fun. There were sober assessments of American Idol. There were cancellations, most notably of the heavily promoted comedy Back to You.

And there was a ringing endorsement of Paula Abdul.

"We love Paula. She's coming back," Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said of the oft-judged Idol judge.

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Frank Micelotta / FOX

No, Syesha Mercado wasn't exactly ecstatic about Happy Feet.

"It's not like I could change it," Mercado said of being required, per American Idol producers, to perform the penguin movie ditty "Hit Me Up" on Tuesday's show. "So, I could try to make the best of it."

Mercado, who was dismissed from Idol last night, one week shy of the finale, didn't pin her exit on the so-called producer's choice song, one of three she belted on Tuesday.

But, while upbeat in a conference call with reporters this morning, she didn't disagree with a suggestion that "Hit Me Up" wasn't a singer's song.

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Michael Becker / FOX

We're going to have a real humdinger next week.

With 56 million votes giving Simon Cowell the pairing he hoped for, Syesha Mercado was eliminated Wednesday, meaning David Archuleta and David Cook are left to sing it out on the seventh-season finale of American Idol.

"There's too many words...I don't know what to say," Mercado said before launching into her final song, an encore of last night's Alicia Keys cover, "If I Ain't Got You." "I just want to say thank you."

So, with that out of the way...

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Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com

It may have taken him more than four decades and 40-plus albums to get there, but Neil Diamond is finally No. 1, to the dismay of Toby Keith, Clay Aiken and Josh Groban.

The easy-rocking relic's Home Before Dark has become the first chart-topper in his storied career, which dates back 42 years and 46 albums. Diamond's disc moved 146,000 copies for the week ended Mother's Day, per Nielsen SoundScan numbers.

The Jazz Singer, who previously peaked at No. 2 with 1973's Jonathan Livingston Seagull soundtrack, made a big comeback with 2005's 12 Songs, his first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin and the first Diamond album to feature the artist on guitar since his '70s Bang Records days. Home is the singer's second album with Rubin.

Diamond has sold over 125 million albums, written 36 Top 40 hits, chalked up 15 Top 10 albums and picked up both a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

His boffo sales benefited from an appearance as an American Idol mentor, which is ironic considering he beat the pants off Aiken this week.

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Monty Brinton / CBS

The curiosity of seeing the fully functioning Britney Spears has waned. But not nearly as much as the novelty of seeing the fully pumped stars of American Gladiators.

Last night's How I Met Your Mother, featuring a return appearance by the comeback-minded Spears, averaged 9 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research estimates showed today.

The number wasn't at all bad. It just wasn't the nearly 11 million viewers—a season high—who caught Spears' March debut on the CBS sitcom.

As for American Gladiators, it might want to consider joining a support group with Speed Racer, because both franchises have lost their mojo.

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Anthony Monterotti, PacificCoastNews.com

Judging by his personality, we suspected Simon Cowell was hatched in an alligator nest. But now that we see that his mom is obviously a sweetheart, it's clear Simon honed his reptilian chops in the music industry. Flee the dark side, Simon, and hug your mom more often!

For more snaps of the stars and moms, check out our Mother's Day gallery.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

Adding another notch on her I'm-way-
more-successful-than-Kelly-Clarkson belt, country music sweetheart Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry Saturday night.

The American Idol season four champion and three-time Grammy Award winner told the sold-out crowd, "This really seems like a great family to be part of. I promise I'll do everything I possibly can to not make you regret it."

Country music star and Opry member Garth Brooks presented the award to Underwood, who is the current Female Vocalist of the Year for the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. He told her, "Nothing will last as long or be more important than this award right here tonight. Congratulations."

Membership to the Opry is invitation-only and based on the artist's commitment to the show and overall contribution to country music. Underwood, 25, made her debut on the 83-year-old radio program in 2005, just two weeks after winning Idol. She's currently on the road headlining her Carnival Ride tour.

FOX

His son might have made it to the top three, but David Archuleta's meddlesome dad has been given the boot backstage at American Idol.

Producers have banned Jeff Archuleta from prepping the 17-year-old's performances after an unauthorized lyric change last week cost the show beaucoup bucks in licensing fees.

A source close to the show, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, said that the elder Archuleta ignored warnings and encouraged his son to alter the lyrics to "Stand By Me" by throwing in a verse from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls." TMZ broke the story Friday.

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