Paula Abdul is again responding to allegations that she’s under the influence of something, although this time, she details exactly what she’s on. The American Idol judge tells OK! Magazine that she takes four prescription medications as a result of a 1993 emergency plane landing and 1987 car crash. After the plane crash, she says,… continue reading
Archives for May 2007
Ozzy Osbourne wouldn’t perform with “idiot” Sanjaya
Of all rock stars past and present, the one who wouldn’t perform with Sanjaya Malakar was the one who once bit off the head of a dove. Ozzy Osbourne was going to perform on the American Idol 6 finale, but “but canceled at the last minute,” according to Page Six. An “insider” says that he… continue reading
Pirate Master debuts on CBS tonight
Seven years ago tonight, CBS debuted Survivor and changed network television forever. To mark that occasion tonight, CBS debuts a series that seems virtually identical, except it takes place on a pirate ship and its contestants wear pirate costumes. While Pirate Master has perhaps the best name for a reality show ever, its debut at… continue reading
Jordin’s vocal coach feels “hurt” that Jordin says she received no training
For her official American Idol 6 biography, Jordin Sparks was asked, “Do you have any formal singing training?” She answered “No.” However, a woman tells Star magazine that she was Jordin’s vocal coach, and that she’s “hurt” by Jordin’s omission. Melissa Black says, “Jordin was just 14 years old when she studied with me in… continue reading
Trump says “NBC wants to do another season” of The Apprentice
Appearing on Larry King Live last night, Donald Trump said that “NBC wants to do another season, a seventh season of ‘The Apprentice.’” NBC has until Friday to decide whether or not to pick up The Apprentice 7. Although Trump quit the show just a few weeks ago, he’s now praising it, and again talking… continue reading
On the Lot host calls Carrie Fisher “Carrie Fishy,” rips off Ryan Seacrest
I didn’t think it was possible for On the Lot to deteriorate even more, but that’s exactly what happened last night for its fourth episode. Samantha Harris wannabe Adrianna Costa, who actually used to be a Headline News correspondent, started On the Lot‘s first elimination episode by introducing Carrie Fisher as “Carrie Fishy,” and it… continue reading
Reunited: The Real World Las Vegas debuts tonight
The Real World Las Vegas cast was reunited for about two weeks in April, and the results are a six-episode series that debuts tonight at 10 p.m. ET. This marks the first time in the franchise’s history that a cast moved back into its original house and lived together for a new series. Five years… continue reading
ABC’s celebrity impersonator series The Next Best Thing debuts tonight
ABC again rolls out its summer reality TV strategy of creating derivatives of other reality series, debuting The Next Best Thing tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The network originally planned a two-hour debut for tonight, but now the show is just one hour. The series is a talent competition that will search for a celebrity… continue reading
Reality show producer Ben Silverman becomes NBC’s entertainment co-chair
Ben Silverman is the new co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal Television Studio, NBC announced today. While he’s also responsible for the NBC version of The Office, Ugly Betty, and many scripted shows, and is sharing responsibilities with someone else, a reality show producer is now in basically now charge at NBC. Silverman, who’s… continue reading
On the Lot drew only 2.9 million viewers Monday
The third episode of FOX’s On the Lot, which introduced its awful new format and host, was so unpopular, FOX was left in fifth place last night, ahead of The CW but behind Univision. Only 2.9 million viewers watched the two-hour show; by comparison, from 8 to 9, 6.3 million people watched Wife Swap on… continue reading
Top Chef “goes bilingual” with Telemundo to “leverage the Latin influence” of Top Chef 3
Bravo is partnering with its sibling station Telemundo (both are owned by NBC Universal) to promote Top Chef 3 to Latino viewers. Why are they doing this? Apparently because the third season is set in Miami, and as any overgeneralizing person knows, Miami equals Latinos. If NBC Universal owned Logo, would Bravo have done this… continue reading
Big Donor Show follows a terminally ill woman selecting a recipient for her kidney
On a Dutch reality show produced by the creators of Big Brother, “a terminally ill woman will choose a contestant to receive one of her kidneys,” the AP reports. The “37-year-old woman with an inoperable brain tumor … will hear interviews with the three candidates, their families and friends before choosing who will get her… continue reading
Idol round-up: Jordin’s weight, virginity; Blake’s future; Paula’s nose; bush baby
One week after the American Idol 6 finale began, I barely have the energy to care about the show any more. But here are some lingering stories: Because America’s cable news networks have 6,240 minutes to fill every day, FOX News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto had MeMe Roth of the National Action Against Obesity… continue reading
On the Lot collapses as it turns into a bad clone of an American Idol clone
I’ve been watching reality shows for 14 years, and I’ve never one take a 180 degree turn so rapidly as On the Lot did last night. I was impressed by last week’s premiere, which merged Project Greenlight with The Apprentice, and was packaged in Mark Burnett’s signature narrative style. It wasn’t entirely original, but it… continue reading
E’s Simple Life 5 debuts, follows Paris and Nicole at a pretend camp staffed by actors
The Simple Life 5 debuts tonight at 10 p.m. ET on E!, before moving to its regular Sunday night at 9 timeslot. This season, which was delayed due to Nicole Richie’s hospitalization, follows Nicole and Paris as they “work” at “Camp Shawnee” as “camp counselors” for five different groups of “campers.” The producers have apparently… continue reading
Two reality TV shows take six of the top 10 spots for 2006-2007
The ratings are in for the 2006-2007 television year, and two reality series take up six of the top 10 spots among the 142 shows broadcast on network television, according to numbers compiled by The Hollywood Reporter. Those shows are, of course, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. With an average of 30.6 million… continue reading
Survivor Palau winner Tom Westman now sells insurance
Tom Westman, who won Survivor Palau two years ago, is now an insurance salesperson. He was a New York City firefighter, and left that shortly after the show aired to become a motivational speaker. Now, he sells “group life and disability insurance to brokers, who mostly don’t know — or care — that he skewered… continue reading
Apolo says his relationship with Julianne is “strictly professional”
Dancing with the Stars 4 winner Apolo Anton Ohno and his dancing partner Julianne Hough are not dating or romantically involved, he says. “Our relationship was strictly professional. It was sometimes goofy, but was strictly professional,” he told The New York Post. He says rumors started because “We had great chemistry on the dance floor,… continue reading
Mark Cuban challenges Donald Trump to face off against him on The Apprentice 7
Benefactor star Mark Cuban and Apprentice star Donald Trump have clashed before, and after Donald Trump quit his NBC series, the other billionaire has issued a challenge. Cuban, while noting his own cancelled reality series, writes on his blog, “I actually feel sorry for the guy. Seriously, what could his future hold ? We live… continue reading
Making the Band 4 choreographer fired during conflict with P Diddy, files complaint with NYPD
Laurie Ann Gibson, the choreographer who has worked on the last two seasons of Making the Band with P Diddy, was fired during an argument with him, and later “filed a complaint with the NYPD” about that conflict, the New York Daily News reported. In her complaint, the paper reports, “Gibson said she got into… continue reading