The Dramatic Demise of 'American Idol'
Today in show business news: Not many people watched the American Idol finale, The Voice is still going strong, and Pete Campbell takes to the stage.
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Today in celebrity news: Duchess Kate is learning how to cook, Justin Theroux maybe had a bachelor party, and Faye Dunaway made a very important phone call.
Today in show business news: Not many people watched the American Idol finale, The Voice is still going strong, and Pete Campbell takes to the stage.
While attention is, understandably, mostly on J.J. Abrams's newest film Star Trek Into Darkness, I'm suddenly more interested in his next film, 2015's Star Wars: Episode VI, which could actually be quite good.
It's over. After all of that pain and struggle, all that we have endured, it's done. Randy Jackson has left the show. Ha, mean. I'm just kidding, Randy. But yes, the twelfth American Idol competition came to a close last night, a surprisingly rousing and spirited finale to a season that's been anything but.
Today in celebrity news: Rihanna doesn't want Topshop selling T-shirts of her, Gywneth does some doublespeak, and Kimye is taking their baby on tour.
Today in show business news: Here's our first look at the old Oscar winners in Vegas comedy Last Vegas, HBO is heading to Silicon Valley, and The CW is trying to figure out Wonder Woman.
NBC's long-running, quietly groundbreaking sitcom The Office ends its gentle roller coaster of a run tonight, capping off nine season. Will we miss The Office? Sure. But I think what we really should celebrate, or mourn, is what The Office represented, an era in television it helped usher in that seems, much to our dismay, nearly over.
Candice beat Kree last night on the penultimate episode of this, our 109th season of American Idol. But can she win?
Today in celebrity news: Becks has quit footy, Prince Harry leaves one last sexy impression on America, and Gwyneth Paltrow has sold herself on Groupon.
CBS may be strutting around at upfronts, all proud and cocky because their shows are wildly popular. But their shows, both old and new, are also wildly awful.
Today in show business: Zach Braff's Kickstarter movie just got some real funding, two non-singers are joining the Into the Woods cast, and Bradley Cooper is headed to the kitchen.
When Angelina Jolie — actress, humanitarian, one half of the most scrutinized couple since Sam and Diane — announced earlier this week that she had undergone a preventative double-mastectomy, a strange thing happened. The Internet, the great and terrible sea of bile, was nice. Of course the period of civility won't last long.
Today in celebrity news: Leo DiCaprio had a huge art auction this week, J.Lo has purchased a huge house, and Prince Harry is huge.
While ABC's upfront presentation on Thursday evening didn't seem like NBC's bloodbath, well, copying a successful formula isn't going to produce the best results. And all of ABC's new shows — yes, even Rebel Wilson's — feel derivative of something else.
Palin turned down a national syndicated talk show by reality TV mega-producer Mark Burnett, reportedly because of location. So stop being so culturally elite, New York and Los Angeles. You're scaring her off.
Today in celebrity news: Sean Parker's fantasy Game of Thrones wedding plans progress, Prince Harry is in the East making everyone tingly, and Jaden Smith wants out.
Though the network execs admitted to having a bad year at Monday afternoon's upfront presentation, the point was clear: You might hear a lot about The Walking Dead or Mad Men, but far more people are tuning into the Big Four. For now.
I just sat through NBC's upfront presentation, which teases the new season lineup for advertisers and other assorted looky-loos, and boy, does the future not look bright for the struggling Peacock network.
Today in show business news: NBC is cleaning house while CBS is adding more clutter, including a Robin Williams/Sarah Michelle Gellar show. Yes, you read that right.
It's been seven long years since we last entered the world of Christopher Guest, the brilliant satirist/mockumentarian behind the comedy masterpieces Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. While his new HBO show Family Tree mostly registers at a low-key murmur, it's nonetheless a warm and funny little oddity worth spending some time with.
Everyone was pretty certain that Thursday night's Final 3 results would play out a certain way. But no! A real humdinger of a shocker came bouncing through the Idoldome, briefly reinvigorating a tiresome season. Well played, American Idol.
Yesterday the filmmakers behind a new documentary called Kickstarted, all about Kickstarter and the so-called crowdfunding movement, released a clip of actor/writer/director Zach Braff explaining the motivations behind his successful but somewhat troublesome Kickstarter campaign.
Today in celebrity news: Prince Harry's American tour continues, Amy Poehler is dating, and Justin Bieber drank a beer.
Today in show business news: NBC remains in the Amy Poehler business, Randy Jackson is getting out of the Idol business, and Adam Brody is a gay best friend.
The most eligible bachelor in the solar system, has arrived in the United States — fully clothed this time, unfortunately. Yes, the ginger Windsor started a week-long American tour in DC on Thursday afternoon. To level the playing field for everyone, here are some universal tips on how to get to Harry while he's on his grand Yankee bride hunt.
The annual Top 3 of American Idol is always such a big episode, crowded as it is with the home visits and the producers' choice song and, of course, that ever-present feeling of the season being almost over. It's a good episode, and a lot of the singing last night was quite good, too, if you can believe. Let's discuss.
Today in celebrity gossip: A One Direction star gets frisky in Norway, the Vampire Diaries love affair is over, and Kim Kardashian really might move to Paris.
Today in show business news: A Game of Thrones hunk gets a hunky role, Jurassic Park 4 might be in trouble, TNT has another new show, and more Coen Brothers.
Today in celebrity gossip: Gwyneth has private gate issues in Los Angeles, Wills and Kate get a new housekeeper, and Justin Bieber may be in some legal trouble.
Today in show business news: TNT is now in the Michael Bay business, Andrew Garfield books a prestigious role, and another movie musical is in the works.
Affleck's next film will be an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's Prohibition-era crime epic Live By Night. Production is now set to start at the end of the summer. That's a pretty quick turnaround time since Argo's golden glow, but it's a pretty smart move, too.
Today in celebrity gossip: Rihanna started a concert way too late, that Teen Mom sex tape is quite popular, Joe Francis might be going to jail, and scenes from Anna Wintour's house before the Met gala.
Today in show business news: Alec Baldwin's latest Broadway play is closing early, Steve Carell returns to The Office, Winona Ryder is making a comeback, and The Newsroom goes back in time again.
One scene last night represented maybe the biggest change from page to screen that we've had so far, in this third season full of misdirection from the most exciting stretch of the books to the unpredictable adaptation by HBO. Or at least the oddest.
Today in celebrity gossip: Lauryn Hill faces sentencing on nearly $1 million in unpaid taxes, Patrick Schwarzenegger flips out, and Lindsay Lohan says she doesn't need rehab.
Today in show business news: Universal is making a "fourquel," Michael Caine is in the new Christopher Nolan movie, and a not-so-encouraging look at White House Down.
Iron Man 3 comes out today, making it the fourth movie featuring Iron Man in the past five years. And as a character, Iron Man seems to be winding down. Meaning, we ought to be in for a lull in the superhero onslaught, right? No. For good or bad, the superhero movie era shows no signs of ending.
Well that's more like it. After last week's lamesville no-elimination cop out, Ryan Seacrest finally got to satisfy his insatiable bloodlust last night as a competitor was eliminated and the field was winnowed down to just three surviving souls.
Today in celebrity news: Lindsay Lohan is at the Betty Ford Center, the fascinating Reese Witherspoon arrest footage has been unearthed, and Lance Bass thinks that someone in One Direction is gay.
Today in show business news: the story of the late sniper Chris Kyle could be Bradley Cooper's key to Oscar gold, Reese Witherspoon heads to space, and Justin Timberlake continues to attempt acting.
Well, here we are again in the Final Four. It feels like we were just here. Oh, that's right, because we were. Because last week's dumdum elimination episode wasn't an elimination episode at all.
Today in celebrity news: Reese Witherspoon makes a chipper apology for her recent drunk driving arrest, Keira Knightley is getting hitched, and Lindsay Lohan might have broken her rehab rules already.
Today in show business news: HBO has made a wise decision, so has the Sundance channel, and Natalie Portman is going Shakespearean.
Today in celebrity gossip: Jennifer Aniston delays her wedding because of Angelina, J.Law and N.Hoult might be back together, and Naomi Campbell doesn't have a Russian billionaire anymore.
Today in show business news: Allison Williams is on her way to the big screen, Cinderella has its lead, and Chris Hardwick maes it to late night.
Today in celebrity gossip: Lindsay Lohan might soon be writing for the Internet, Taylor Swift may have paid too much for her house, and Michael Jordan certainly paid a lot for his wedding.
Today in show business news: Johnny Depp might be appearing in Into the Woods, The CW spins off more vampires, and Kristen Wiig returns to SNL.
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