American Idol Season 8: Top 13
Airdate: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 [8-10pm]

Theme: Michael Jackson

Ryan and the judges made a grand entrance into the studio tonight.  I'm not surprised that they did this since they have been doing this sort of thing more than once over the years.  And you know Simon loved the attention.

Right from the start, we found out from Simon that two contestants will be eliminated this week.  This goes back to what I was talking about last week with regards to how a Top 13 would work into the schedule.  And now we know.

Before I move onto my performance comments, I want to mention one more things.  Did anyone else notice the new lower stage between the main stage and the judge's table that has a screen on the floor of it?  If I remember correctly, that space was used for the annoying "mosh pit" last year.  I actually quite like that they added this to the stage.  It allows them to still be on stage while still being able to get closer to the audience and judges.

Now onto the focus of the show:

1. Lil Rounds ["The Way You Make Me Feel"]: What a way to start off the night. As always, her voice never disappoints, and I loved the final falsetto note.
2. Scott McIntyre ["Keep the Faith"]: I had a feeling he would be at the piano tonight after last week's comments. As I've said before, I will judge him the way I do the other contestants. Except for the last part (which picked up stronger than the first half), it was a boring performance.  He will stick around for probably two or three more episodes, but it will catch up to him eventually.
3. Danny Gokey ["P.Y.T."]: Now this is how a performance is done! His voice was brilliant and sung with passion. He was energetic which, combined with the voice, put him at the top of the list.
4. Michael Sarver ["You Are Not Alone"]: I have never been excited about his performances, and tonight was no exception. He proved tonight he has a powerful voice, but I'm looking for someone who would stand out in the music industry after the show ends, and so far he hasn't proven that.
5. Jasmine Murray ["I'll Be There"]: This is a song I would expect her to sing because, while she has a great voice, contestants her age tend to pick these well-known songs that don't show who they are as artists.
6. Kris Allen ["Do You Remember the Time"]: With guitar in hand, he gave a crowd pleasing performance because he had fun on stage. But I found nothing special about it. His voice cracked at times, which didn't help his already just okay voice.
7. Allison Iraheta ["Give Into Me"]: Like the judges said, she knows who she is as an artist. And so do we, which goes back to what I've been saying all night. She gave an exceptional rock performance. Fantastic voice and great song choice. Along with Danny, the best so far tonight.
8. Anoop Desai ["Beat It"]: I was extremely disappointed by him tonight. Paula was right on the money: This song will always sound karaoke from anybody other than Michael Jackson himself. There was nothing original about it. It was not good, to put it plainly.
9. Jorge Nunez ["Never Can Say Goodbye"]: The song suited his pure and beautiful voice very well. My only problem was that I wish it was a little more exciting, but I still thought it was an enjoyable performance.
10. Megan Joy Corkrey ["Rockin' Robin"]: The style of this song completely fit Megan's style and personality. I love how she is herself on stage without a care for what others think of her. I hope that in the coming weeks, we will be able to see her branch out more, as Kara said.
11. Adam Lambert ["Black or White"]: In the history of American Idol, we have not seen a contestant that would have been able to hit those notes in the way that he did tonight. Only Adam can do it and make it work. Even though he's already one of my favorites, I was just blown away by what we just witnessed.
12. Matt Giraud ["Human Nature"]: It's hard to follow Adam's performance. But even so, Matt gave a feel-good performance that you can just sit back and enjoy. Not one of the best, but not one of the worst either.
13. Alexis Grace ["Dirty Diana"]: This was a great way to end the night. Not on the level of Danny, Allison, or Adam tonight, but she still showed why she should be in this competition. And again, I still see a little Kelly Clarkson in her.

Favorite Performances: Lil Rounds / Danny Gokey / Allison Iraheta / Adam Lambert
My Vote: Adam Lambert [20 votes]
Elimination Prediction: Jasmine Murray / Jorge Nunez

My Season 8 Vote Tracker:
Alexis Grace: 10 votes
Danny Gokey: 10 votes
Allison Iraheta: 10 votes
Adam Lambert: 30 votes
Lil Rounds: 10 votes

Total: 70 votes cast so far this season
*Note: The above vote tracker of mine was originally on the American Idol page of TV Watch Online. From this point forward, it will be in my Idol-Talk segment of the blog.

I had an extremely hard time choosing the two to leave this week.  If I personally were making the decision, I would send forgettable contestants like Michael Sarver or Kris Allen home, but from what the judges said, the audience reaction, and the online reaction, it doesn't look like they will leave.  I chose Jasmine for a couple different reasons.  One, she chose the completely wrong song that showed how young she really is.  And two, I doubt she has the fan base that the others have, even the forgettable contestants I mentioned.  And I chose Jorge for reasons I don't agree with.  Nobody seemed to like his performance, but even though it wasn't near the best of the night, I don't think it was the worst either.  But unfortunately, that may reflect in the voting results.  The worst of the night was Anoop, but I believe his fan base is big enough to save him for at least this week.

We found out this past week that the Top 13 twist wasn't the surprise that was teased about a while ago. Rather, it will occur during Wednesday's Top 13 results show, as Simon and Ryan announced. They said that this would be a game changer and that the judges are involved in it. I don't remember if I mentioned this on Idol-Talk, but I have a theory on what this twist will be. I believe that when the bottom 3 are revealed, one person will be brought to safety, leaving the remaining bottom 2 in the hand of the judges where they will save one of them, regardless of who had the lowest votes of the two.

As has been publicized this past week, we will see performances by Kelly Clarkson and Kanye West during this week's results show.  I've already said this before, but I can't wait to see Kelly sing her new single, "My Life Would Suck Without You." That song has been stuck in my head a lot lately. Her new CD, All I Ever Wanted, was released today and I hope to buy the Deluxe Edition this week.

Before I leave, I want to talk briefly about the end times for these past couple Idol episodes. Usually, if a show will go over, it is scheduled in the listings to end at 1, 2, or however many minutes after the hour. But with the Wild Card episode last week, Anoop's Top 13 addition was after 10:00 (the show ended at 10:04), meaning that your DVR's weren't able to tape the entire show if you didn't set it up to record longer. And tonight, the show ended at 10:05. I don't really have a problem with Idol going a few minutes long, but they should at least have it in the listings to prepare viewers.

See ya after the first two Top 13 contestants are eliminated.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 11:00 PM PDT

Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 7:00 PM PDT

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Have you noticed that the contestants have been singing more current songs during the group numbers? Group 2 performed Ne Yo's "Closer" and Group 3 performed Katy Perry's "Hot N' Cold."  American Idol has been criticized heavily these past few years for choosing older songs for group numbers and for having older mentors that the young demographic can't relate to or isn't excited about.  It looks as though the producers are listening and willing to make those types of changes.  Now we'll just have to wait and see if this year's mentors are younger or older.

There isn't much to talk about with regards to the group 3 results show, except that we found out who would be performing in the Wild Card round (which I will discuss below).  I am really surprised that the judges didn't bring back Ju'Not Joyner.  They could have given Tatiana's spot to him.  And speaking of Tatiana, I just knew that she would be brought back.  I don't recall if I mentioned that on Idol-Talk, but I have a feeling that this would happen.  At least she didn't make it into the Top 12.  Whoops, I'm getting ahead of myself.

American Idol Season 8: Wild Card Round
Airdate: Thursday, March 5, 2009 [8-9pm]

Even though this round was purely the judge's decisions and not by America's votes, I still wrote down my comments on each of the eight wild card performances, which you can read below:

1. Jesse Langseth ["Tell Me Something Good"]: The song dragged her down. It didn't suit her at all. It didn't allow her to show off her voice. And what we heard of her voice - it wasn't perfect.
2. Matt Giraud [Jackson 5's "Who's Loving You"]: I'm glad the judges brought him back, because he deserved a second chance after a not so good run on "Viva la Vida." What he performed tonight is what suits him best. Great voice and style.
3. Megan Joy Corkrey ["Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"]: I predicted her to be in the Top 12 during Group 2. After that performance and this week's, she deserves to be in the Top 12. The vocals weren't perfect, as the judges said, but her voice is raw and original, which is what this show needs.
4. Von Smith ["Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"]: He has a good voice, but this did nothing to help his chances. It's a great song, but it didn't make him stand out. A completely forgettable performance.
5. Jasmine Murray ["Reflection"]: If you're given a second chance, don't sing a Christina Aguilera song unless you're going to make it not like the original. She has a great voice and showed off her beautiful voice, but I wasn't blown away, as the judges were.
6. Ricky Braddy ["Superstition"]: In Group 1, I thought he might have a chance, but needed to stand out more. Tonight, he gave a karaoke performance that didn't help him. Wrong song and okay vocals.
7. Tatiana Del Toro [Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You"]: She sang the same song in Group 1. If she wants a second chance, we need to hear what else she can sing. I think that automatically took her out of the running.
8. Anoop Desai ["My Prerogative"]: I'm surprised he chose a song like this, but he showed personality, and there were moments where he showed how great his voice is.

Favorite Performances: Matt Giraud / Megan Joy Corkrey
Top 12 Predictions*: Matt Giraud / Megan Joy Corkrey / Anoop Desai
*I made these predictions during the commercial break before the judge's announced their decisions.

Jasmine Murray was the first to advance to the Top 12. I knew the judges loved her performance, but this got me worried of who wouldn't make it.  After Ricky was cut, Megan and Tatiana were on stage together. Tatiana was her usual overdramatic self. But I'm glad that, ultimately, Megan was chosen. I always talk about being original and unique, and she is definitely that. After Jesse and Von were eliminated, Matt and Anoop were the only two left. At that point, I thought either one had a great chance, but really wanted Anoop to advance. Then it was decision time: Matt was in the Top 12, which meant Anoop was left on stage, with everyone shocked. Then Simon dropped the bombshell (we knew a shocker would be happening around the Top 12 week): Season 8 is going to have a Top 13, instead of a Top 12, which meant that Anoop filled out the final spot. If that hadn't happened, I would have only gotten two of three correct for my predictions. So, technically, since it did happen, I got all of my predictions correct. And don't you think that was annoying that Idol ran about four minutes over, even though it wasn't scheduled to do so. If a show will run over, many times it will be listed that way. But they didn't do that with this Idol episode. If they haven't gone to commercial right before the last decision, then they could have gotten over at 9pm.

Now we have our Top 12, er, 13: Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, Scott McIntyre, Jorge Nunez, Jasmine Murray, Megan Joy Corkrey, Matt Giraud, and Anoop Desai.

This year's finalists will be taking on the music of Michael Jackson this coming up Tuesday, which should be interesting. And Kelly Clarkson and Kanye West will be performing (separately) during the results show. I can't wait to see Kelly perform "My Life Would Suck Without You." It will be my first time seeing her performing it. I have only listened to it online and seen that music video preview that was shown on American Idol a while back. Since they are having two singers, you can tell that they did that because they need to fill up an hour. But no matter, it should be fun to watch.

Before I go, I wanted to mention the effect that a Top 13 will have on the rest of the season. If they were to eliminate one a week, I was thinking that it would mess up when the season ends. My thought was that that they would eliminate two this week to keep it in schedule.  But as I'm looking at my calendar right now, if they eliminated one per week (and not two during one of the weeks), the finale would still be able to occur in May (during the last week of that month).  I'm not sure how they timed that right, but it looks like it will work out, unless I was counting the weeks wrong (let me know if I did).

See ya on Tuesday when the Top 13 will be on the big stage for the first time.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 5:19 PM PST

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On last week's results show, it was obvious they were trying to fill up time, most notably with that retrospective video with footage from American Idol history, set to Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" (which by the way, is my favorite song of all time). But even so, it was great to look back and reminisce.

The week before, we saw Carly Smithson and Michael Johns perform a duet together. During this results show, we saw another AI alumnus, Brook White, take to the stage. She performed "Hold Up My Heart" at the piano, barefoot. If I understood correctly, this is a song from her upcoming June 2 album, High Hopes and Heart Break.

The first contestant from Group 2 to make the Top 12 was Allison Iraheta. A total no-brainer of a decision. I can't wait to see what else she has to offer. If her fantastic performance of "Alone" is anything to go by, then we have a lot to look forward to.

The second in the Top 12 was Kris Allen. I don't really understand this decision. I did say in my last post that he could take that spot, but it wouldn't be our first choice.  As I previously mentioned, "I don't know if he stands out next to the best on AI or in the music business." And I still stand by my comment.  When you put him up against others like Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, and Adam Lambert, he doesn't stand a chance. He may be like Ace Young, who had a nice pop voice, but didn't stand out enough next to anothers in his season, like Chris Daughtry or Katharine McPhee.

At the end of the episode, it came down to Nick Mitchell (aka Norman Gentle) and Adam Lambert. Do the products not know how to keep things fresh? This was the same setup as last week, except with Tatiana Del Toro and Danny Gokey. The wacko vs. the talent. But in the end, as expected, Adam Lambert landed the 6th spot in the Top 12. What I found interesting was that during the results show, Nick was himself, and not Norman as he was during the performance show. Oh well...

And once again, I got two out of three correct on my Top 12 Predictions.

Now onto this week's performance show:

American Idol Season 8: Semifinals Group 3
Airdate: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 [8-10pm]

Theme: Billboard Hot 100

1. Von Smith ["You're All I Need to Get By"]: I don't know why the judges loved it so much. There were a few moments where he was good (some of the high notes), but overall I was not impressed.
2. Taylor Vaifanua [Alicia Keyes' "If I Ain't Got You"]: I thought it was a very pleasant and enjoyable performance. It's hard to do a good job on a song by someone like Alicia Keyes. But I do agree with the judges that she needs to stand out more. We need to know who she is.
3. Alex Wagner-Trugman ["I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"]: It was just okay. With his age and looks, he could be this year's Kevin Covais. Depending on how the rest of the show goes, I don't think he has a chance.
4. Arianna Afsar [ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All"]: There were two major problems with this performance: it was completely the wrong song; and she was off-key throughout the majority of it. But she has potential.
5. Ju'Not Joyner ["Hey There Delilah"]: I didn't think this song would fit him, but he made it work by stripping down the song and making it his own, which I loved. The only problem was his lower register at the beginning, but I really enjoyed his version.
6. Kristen McNamara ["Give Me One Reason"]: She has potential, but tonight it didn't completely work out. Wrong song, some off-key notes, and forgettable.
7. Nathaniel Marshall ["I Would Do Anything for Love"]: I think I've heard this song on a commercial, which didn't help, because this was a karaoke performance. Nathaniel was out of tune; horrible dance moves and this week's Tatiana/Norman.
8. Felicia Barton [Alicia Keyes' "No One"]: There were a couple of note problems at one point, but overall this was one of the best performances tonight. I agree with Simon that it was a little copycat, but she has one of the, if not the, best voices tonight.
9. Scott McIntyre ["Mandolin Rain"]: I give him a lot of credit, but I will have to judge him the same as the others. He is not the best singer. It was just an okay performance. But I won't be surprised if he moves forward into the Top 12.
10. Kendall Beard ["This One's for the Girls"]: There's no denying she has a good voice, even a powerful one. But nothing stood out to me with her tonight. It seems like she is a country singer, but she just needs to make us remember her.
11. Jorge Nunez ["Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"]: When I heard what song he was doing, I wasn't sure, but he really pulled it off. He has a beautiful voice, is really passionate about singing, and I hope he makes the Top 12.
12. Lil Rounds [Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You"]: She was one of my favorites from earlier rounds, and tonight she did not disappoint. She was current, without sacrificing her power house of a voice, which was great. I just loved this performance. Week 1 was Danny Gokey; Week 2 was Adam Lambert; and Week 3 is Lil Rounds.

Favorite Performances: Ju'Not Joyner, Felicia Barton, Jorge Nunez, & Lil Rounds
My Vote: Lil Rounds [10 votes]
Top 12 Predictions: Scott McIntyre / Jorge Nunez / Lil Rounds

Out of all the twelve who performed this week, Lil is the only one we can safely say is in the Top 12.  This week's predictions are harder to make, because there are more than three who deserve to move forward. I chose Jorge for one of those spots because he not only gave an amazing performance, but he is a fan favorite from earlier rounds. But that third spot is a tricky one.  I would have gone with either Ju'Not or Felicia, but I think that Scott will take it, not because of the quality of his performance (which wasn't great), but because of the inspiration that others feel from him. Plus, the judges raved about him, which helps for sure. But I believe that if Ju'Not or Felicia do not move forward, then they have a great chance at being selected for the Wild Card Round tomorrow night.

If you want to buy the audio performances from tonight, just head on over to americanidol.com/itunes.

On tonight's results show, three more will be moving forward, taking up spots 4, 5 and 6 in the Top 12. This leaves the rest hoping that the judges pick them for tomorrow's special Wild Card show. As I mentioned at the start of this post, we have been treated to special performances from Carly Smithson, Michael Johns and Brooke White during these past two results shows, so I expect that we will see another former AI finalist.

And speaking of the Wild Card show, I wonder when we will find out who will be performing during that show. It will probably be a surprise and we won't find out until the start of that actual show. I'm looking forward to that.

See ya later...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 5:51 PM PST

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Before I move on to tonight's group, I want to take a moment to talk about last week's results show, since I haven't done so yet.

That's amazing that 24 million votes were cast, 10 times more than last year at this point.

The group performance of "I'm Yours" was, as always, cheesy and corny. They need to teach them some better dance moves and facial expressions.

Twenty thousand votes separated Michael Sarver and Anoop Desai. That's a shame, because I really wanted Anoop to take one of those three spots. I hope the judges bring him back for the Wild Card show.

I mentioned in my last post that Michael Johns and Carly Smithson would be performing a duet together. They sang "The Letter." Carly was one of my favorites from season 7, and I just love her voice. Last week she proved once again that she has one of the best voices in American Idol history.

When it came down to Danny Gokey and Tatiana Del Toro at the end of the show, it was hilarious to see Tatiana being her usual overdramatic self with the crying and brushing her hair away from her face and the speech she made. As always, something like that makes for great television. I just worry that the judges will bring her back for the Wild Card. I have a feeling they will.

One final comment: I got two out of three correct on my Top 12 Predictions, which is great, but I just think Michael Sarver should not be in the Top 12. He will not make it against people like Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace. He's going to have to do a lot better if he wants to stick around.

And now onto tonight:

American Idol Season 8: Semifinals Group 2
Airdate: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 [8-10pm]

Theme: Billboard Hot 100

Last week's and this week's performances were similar in that there were many who were just okay or horrible and only a few who stood out.  So, without further ado, here are my comments on each of tonight's singers:

1. Jasmine Murray ["Love Song"]: She's a great singer, but the performance was, unfortunately, not. The opening notes were not good, and the rest, for the most part, was an amateurish version of a great song.
2. Matt Giraud [Coldplay's "Viva La Vida"]: I've been hearing this song a lot lately, so I'm very familiar with how it should be done. Matt's voice was all over the place tonight, and the song wasn't the overall problem. He was not in tune at all; not even one note. And it's a shame, because he reminded me of Elliott Yamin during Hollywood Week Round 3.
3. Jeanine Vailes [Maroon 5's "This Love"]: Once again tonight, a horrible performance. The wrong song choice (even though it's a great song) combined with her out-of-tune voice, did not make for a winning combination; not even close.
4. Nick Mitchell (aka Norman Gentle) ["And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"]: He performed once again as Norman Gentle, which proves that he doesn't want to be taken seriously in this competition. If he makes it through, I hope the judges regret their initial decision in the auditions. That's all I have to say.
5. *Allison Iraheta ["Alone"]: Finally, someone who can sing! On American Idol, this is Carrie Underwood's song, but this could turn into Allison's song, that's how exceptional it was.
6. Kris Allen ["Man in the Mirror"]: The first little bit was just okay, but the rest was really good. He has a pop voice, which may work on American Idol, but I don't know if he will stand out next to the best on AI or in the music business.
7. *Megan Joy Corkrey ["Put Your Records On"]: I always talk about unique voices, and she has one of the most unique voices so far this year. Except for a few pitchy notes here and there, this was a great performance. Perfect song to fit her voice.
8. Matt Breitzke ["If You Can Only See"]: I'm trying to figure out what his genre is, because his voice has some country to it, but the song was more on the rock side. So it didn't work. The voice didn't seem strong enough, and it was a little boring.
9. Jesse Langseth ["Bette David Eyes"]: It was just a nice performance, but nice may not cut it against people like Allison and Megan. Her voice is good, a little unique even, but it didn't stand out.
10. Kai Kalama ["What Becomes of a Broken Hearted"]: In a way, it was along the lines of Jesse's performance, but I liked Kai's a lot better. There were some pitch problems, but overall I enjoyed it.
11. Mishavonna Henson ["Drops of Jupiter"]: I agree with the judges that she is a really great singer, but she needs to stand out a little bit more. Great song choice, a few pitch problems, but a good voice.
12. *Adam Lambert ["Satisfaction"]: He was one of my favorites from earlier rounds, and he delivered tonight. Along with Allison, this was the best performance of the night. His range and powerful voice blew me away.

Favorite Performances: Allison Iraheta, Megan Joy Corkrey & Adam Lambert
My Vote(s): Allison Iraheta [10 votes] / Adam Lambert [10 votes]
Top 12 Predictions: Allison Iraheta / Megan Joy Corkrey / Adam Lambert

I believe that Allison and Adam are shoo-ins for the Top 12, so it's a matter of who will take that third slot. Last week, I went over a few people who had a chance at the third spot, and so I will do the same tonight. My choice would be Megan. But Kris Allen or Kai Kalama could take it as well. And with regards to Nick Mitchell or Norman Gentle or whoever the heck he is, I feel that he won't make it, because if American didn't vote Tatiana through, then I can't see them voting him through. But you never know; this is American Idol after all. Always expect the unexpected.

If you want to buy the audio performances from tonight, just head on over to americanidol.com/itunes.

Tomorrow night, three will be moving forward, leaving nine to hope they get picked for the Wild Card show. And I wonder if there will be any special performances, like last week with Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. I haven't yet heard of anybody scheduled for tomorrow, but it may be a surprise. They have an hour to fill, and they gotta fill it with something.

See ya then...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 10:39 PM PST

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It's all over, and 75%, or 18/24, ain't bad.  That's how many predictions I got right out of 24 categories.  I know that in school, that would be a 'C,' but when it comes to award predictions and myself, this is great!  Here's just a few words from me about some of the winners: congrats to Slumdog Millionaire for being the big winner of the night; Heath Ledger capped off the award season with another deserved win; Wall-E, as the best animated feature in my book and to the Academy, is a stroke of genius and should have won at least Sound Mixing as well besides Best Animated Feature. And to Hugh Jackman - please come back next year! He made the ceremony a breath of fresh air. I loved the musical numbers, and it is something like that that has been sorely missed at the Oscars (or any other award show for that matter).  I say, if you're not going to bring back Billy Crystal, then Hugh Jackman should be the go-to person.  That's all I have to say, and I hope next year we're not back into the slumps that these shows normally get into.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: you can see who won at the Academy Awards page, as well as see which categories I got correct and which ones I bombed at.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 10:10 PM PST

Updated: Sunday, June 14, 2009 11:44 AM PDT

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Tomorrow is the 2009 Academy Awards. And to lead up to the ceremony, I have now posted my predictions at TV Watch Online's Academy Award page.  I used a similar strategy that I used at this year's Golden Globes.  And if I do say so myself, I believe I will do better than I usually do.  It seems that this year, I have a better sense of who will eventually win.  But then again, you never know, considering I only got 4 correct at one of the award shows one year.  Anyway...check out our Academy Awards page to check out the nominees and my predictions.  The 2009 Oscars will air tomorrow at 8et/5pt on ABC.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 7:12 PM PST

Updated: Sunday, June 14, 2009 11:44 AM PDT

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You may have noticed a few subtle changes to any mention of the Twilight page around the website.  With the recent announcement that all future movies will have 'The Twilight Saga' before its title, I decided to change our site to reflect that.  The Twilight page is now called 'The Twilight Saga,' instead of just 'Twilight.'  I have also changed the page logo with the full title as well.  Any mention of that page throughout the site has changed to reflect the new title, from the site map and archive page to the TV Watch Online STORE.  And whenever you visit the Site Updates page to see which pages I've updated, it will reflect the new title if I have updated that movie page.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 7:04 PM PST

Updated: Sunday, June 14, 2009 11:45 AM PDT

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American Idol Season 8: Semifinals Group 1
Airdate: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 [8-10pm] 

Theme: Billboard Hot 100

Finally, we are at the LIVE episodes on American Idol.  And even more exciting than that, we are finally able to vote for the first time this season.  During the semifinals, this is the time when we really and truly separate the good and great from the okay and bad.  And boy were there some bad performances tonight.

The semifinals this year are sort of reverting back to the mold they took in the first few seasons, where a different group would perform each week and only a few would advance out of each group, which means that, as the judges noted, the odds are stacked against you, because only a few are advancing instead of only a few being eliminated (as it has been since season 4).  And tonight, the first group of twelve took to the small stage in front of the small audience.  So, on that note, let's go down the list with my brief comments on each singer:

1. Jackie Tohn ["A Little Less Conversation"]: I applaud her attempt at making the song her own, but it was not good. She was going more towards the entertainment than the singing. The vocals were okay, and the dancing and facial expressions were completely overdone. It was just the wrong song.
2. Ricky Braddy ["A Song For You"]: Now that is how to sing a song. His tone is beautiful; what more can I say. My only concern is that his voice is not unique enough to stand out, but he still has an amazing voice.
3. *Alexis Grace ["Never Loved a Man"]: I definitely agree with Simon: By a mile, the best so far tonight. I said Ricky's voice is not unique enough, but that is not the case for Alexis, with her bluesy and soulful voice. Exceptional voice and performance, and, like Simon said, she may be the dark horse in this competition, as Kelly Clarkson was in season 1.
4. Brent Keith ["Hicktown"]: If country is his genre, then he's got to stand out more if he wants to make it in the world of country music. The song may have been part of the problem. It was a nice performance, but that won't get you far on American Idol, or in the music industry.
5. Stevie Wright ["You Belong With Me"]: I'm a Taylor Swift fan, so it was hard to see Stevie butcher one of her songs. It was bad right from the start with the low notes. She isn't a country artist, so it was totally the wrong song. The worst of the night so far.
6. Anoop Desai ["Angel of Mine"]: He was one of my favorites from the auditions and Hollywood Week, and tonight still projected that soulful voice of his. But, even so, it wasn't his best performance. I still really like him, so I hope we see him again.
7. Casey Carlson ["Every Little Thing She Does is Magic"]: This is a great song, but not for her. The whole performance was off. Her voice was terrible and the wrong song choice. She tried to add personality with her facial expressions, but then there were times her face was blank as if there was nobody in that body.
8. Michael Sarver ["I Don't Want to Be"]: I associate this song with Bo Bice, and it didn't fit Michael at all. His voice was off-key at times.  Though, if he's eliminated, I can see the judge's bringing him back for the wildcard since they seem to like him so much regardless of tonight's performance.
9. Anne Marie Boskovich ["Natural Woman"]: In the world of American Idol, this is Kelly Clarkson's song, and Anne Marie doesn't hold a candle to Kelly's version. There were a couple good moments, but it was a karaoke performance, through and through.
10. Stephen Fowler ["Rock with You"]: This was a completely forgettable performance. It got a tad better right at the end, but it was too late by then. He has a nice, soulful voice, so it was unfortunate he wasn't at his best.
11. Tatiana Del Toro ["I'm Saving All My Love for You"]: The first word I wrote down before she was even done singing was 'karaoke.' The majority of the song was just that, even though there were a few surprisingly good moments.  But even though she was more calm tonight so we were able to hear her voice better, I think it's too late to repair her image.
12. *Danny Gokey [Mariah Carey's "Hero"]: Danny was my favorite from the auditions and Hollywood Week, and he didn't disappoint tonight. Along with Alexis, this was the best performance of the night. When I heard he was singing Mariah Carey, I was unsure, but he blew me away (it reminded me of when David Cook sang Mariah's "Always Be My Baby" and we were blown away). An exceptional voice and performance.

Favorite Performances: Alexis Grace & Danny Gokey
My Vote(s): Alexis Grace [10 votes] / Danny Gokey [10 votes]
Top 12 Predictions: Alexis Grace / Anoop Desai / Danny Gokey

When it came time to vote, I couldn't decide between Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey.  I decided to vote for both of them, because since there are only three slots, I want both of them to advance. If I only voted for one, and the other did not make it, then I can't be mad about the outcome, since there was something I could've done.

With three slots open this week for the Top 12, one spot goes to the girl with the highest votes, one to the guy with the highest votes, and the third spot goes to the person with the second highest votes, regardless of gender.  I think the female spot will go to Alexis and the male spot to go to Danny.  The third one is tricky, because it could be a few people: Ricky, because he does have a great voice, but nobody knows who he is; Anoop, because even though it wasn't his best performance, we all loved him from the earlier rounds; or Tatiana, who even though she's crazy and annoying, sometimes does show that she has a good voice.  I personally think the third spot will go to Anoop, because people loved him from before.  If Ricky is eliminated, I think the judge's will bring him back to the Wildcard.  And with regards to Tatiana, she just needs to go away.  I don't care if she was calmer tonight; the majority of us will always associate her with the crazy lady with the annoying laugh from Hollywood Week.

Well, there you go. Those are my comments on tonight's performances.  If you want to buy the audio performances from tonight, you can check out americanidol.com/itunes.  I don't usually buy songs until near the end of the season, but there's a good chance I will be buying Alexis Grace's "Never Loved a Man" and Danny Gokey's "Hero."

Tomorrow night is the first results show of the season, where three contestants will move forward into the Top 12.  And it looks like season 7 alumni Michael Johns and Carly Smithson will be performing a duet during the results show as well (read the article about this on the Idol New page).  I can't wait for that!  See ya then...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 10:48 PM PST

Updated: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 6:00 PM PST

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This is my second Idol-Talk of season 8.  In my previous post, I focused on the auditions.  This time, I will focus on Hollywood Week.  What I said last time still applies: I will list the names of singers from Hollywood Week (who moved on to the next H'Wood round) who I thought had good/great voices and who I thought were good enough to move on to the next round.  The stars by some names show my favorites from my own list.  So, here is Hollywood Week:

American Idol: Hollywood Round 1
Airdate: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 [8-9pm]

Before I list names, I want to mention that the contestants went through a Boot Camp with stylists, a vocal coach, and Barry Manilow talking to them and inspiring them to follow this dream of theirs.  I think that was great that they went through a Boot Camp.

• *Lil Rounds [sang a Whitney song]
• Anoop Desai
• Jasmine Murray
• Stephen Fowler
• *Jorge Munez
• Jamar Rogers
• *Danny Gokey [Kiss from a Rose]
• Jeremy Michael Sarver
• David Osmond

From this first Hollywood Week episode, 104 contestants moved on to Round 2.

American Idol: Hollywood Round 2
Airdate: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 [8-9pm]

This is the group performance round, which always makes for great TV, since this is when the claws come out and we see the drama unfold.

• Matt Giraud
• Kris Allen
• *Danny Gokey
• Jamar Rogers
• Jeremy Michael Sarver
• *Adam Lambert
• Matt Breitzke
• Jasmine Murray
• Kristin McNamara

Unfortunately, Rose Flak was cut.  She had a great audition, but stumbled in Hollywood.  She was one of my favorites from the auditions.  I hope she auditions again next year.  And about 75 moved on to Round 3.

American Idol: Hollywood Round 3
Airdate: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 [8-9pm]

During this round, contestants were able to play with the band and could also use their own instruments

• *Adam Lambert
• Matt Giraud [he sounded like Elliott Yamin; played the piano]
• *Danny Gokey
• Anoop Desai
• *Lil Rounds
• Ju'Not Joyner

About 50 contestants moved on to the final Hollywood Round.

American Idol: Hollywood Round 4
Airdate: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 [8-10pm]

This final round took place in the "Judge's Mansion."  I don't know why they needed a Judge's Mansion to do this, but oh well.  Another new aspect to this round was the singoff.  If the judge's weren't sure of a contestant, they could ask them to sing again against another contestant.  I hope they keep this aspect, but it brought something fresh to the show.  Since this is the round where the Top 36 Semifinalist are revealed, I will list the semifinalists in the order that they were chosen during the episode, no matter if I like them or not.  But I will put stars by those who are my favorites in this group.

• *Anoop Desai
• Von Smith
• Alex Wagner-Trugman [singoff with Cody Sheldon]
• *Adam Lambert
• Taylor Vaifanua
• Jasmine Murray
• Arianna Afsa
• Casey Carlson
• Megan Corkrey
• Mishavonna Henson
• Stevie Wright
• Joanna Pacitti [disqualified]
• Kendall Beard
• Kristen McNamara [singoff with Jen Korbee]
• Alexis Grace
• Scott MacIntyre
• *Lil Rounds
• Jesse Langseth [singoff with Frankie Jordan]
• Allison Iraheta
• *Danny Gokey
• Rick Braddy
• Matt Giraud
• Ju'Not Joyner
• Jorge Nunez
• Brent Keith
• Stephen Fowler
• Nick Mitchell [aka Norman Gentle; he should have been cut a long time ago]
• Jackie Tohn
• Tatiana Del Toro [so annoying; like Norman, she should have been cut a long time ago as well]
• Nathaniel Marshall [singoff with Jackie Midkiff]
• Jeanine Vailes
• Kai Kalama
• Anne Marie Boskovich
• Kris Allen
• Matt Breitke [singoff with Michael Sarver]
• Michael Sarver [singoff with Matt Breitke]
  
• Felicia Barton [replacing Joanna Pacitti]

Well, there's our semifinalists for Season 8.  Tonight is the first week of voting for the season (yay!).  The semifinals are reverting back to the format that the show had during the first few years, where each week a different group would perform and only a few would advance each time.  Group 1, performing tonight, is Anne Marie Boskovich, Ricky Braddy, Casey Carlson, Tatiana Del Toro, Anoop Desai, Stephen Fowler, Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Brent Keith, Michael Sarver, Jackie Tohn, and Stevie Wright.

My Idol-Talk post for Group 1 will be up either tonight or tomorrow before the results.  See ya then...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 7:05 PM PST

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Idol-Talk is back! I haven't done this segment since season 6.  Starting this year, Idol-Talk will be featured in a different form: on the TV Watch Online BLOG. In previous years, I posted my comments on a specific page on the main site.  But after I posted my performance comments for last summer's America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing in the BLOG, I decided that this would be the best outlet for Idol-Talk as well.

Since the Semifinals for Season 8 begin tonight, I thought I would take a look back at the auditions and Hollywood rounds from the past month.  As I have done in the past, I will list the names of auditioners (who received the golden ticket) who I thought had good/great voices and who I thought were good enough to move on.  And that doesn't necessarily mean that just because the judges put someone through that I agreed with the decision.  As I'm listing the names that I wrote down, you will see a star by some of the names.  Those are my favorites from my own list. I will also include any comments that I wrote down for any of the singers to remind me of who they are.  So, without further ado, below are the Season 8 Auditions (sorry for any misspelled names):

American Idol: Phoenix Auditions
Airdate: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 [8-10pm]

• *Emily Wynne-Hughes [rocker, Barracuda]
• J.B. Ahfua
• *Ariana Afsar [Put Your Records On]
• Stevie Wright [Kelly Clarkson-like voice; At Last]
• Michael Sarver
• *Deanna Brown [Sitting on the Dock of the Bay]
• Cody Sheldon [makes horror movies]
• Scott MacIntyre [blind]

Highlight from this episode: New judge Kara DioGuardi shows Bikini Girl how to sing the song.  I loved this moment!  Bikini Girl (I don't remember her name) had a voice, but it was a voice that didn't stand out or was unique at all.  And coming into the audition room wearing a bikini did not help the audition.  We see people wearing costumes and the like all the time, and it doesn't help (usually).  Kara has a great voice and showed BG what a great singer sounds like.  I think Kara will be a great addition to the panel.  As a singer/songwriter, she will be able to connect with the contestants on a level that Randy and Simon won't be able to.  It will be interesting to see if she writes any songs for any of this years singers.  She has written for Idols in the past, but with her a part of the show now, she will have a connection with them that she wouldn't have had if she wasn't a judge on the show.

American Idol: Kansas City Auditions (David Cook's hometown)
Airdate: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 [8-10pm]

• *Casey Carlson
• Von Smith
• Michael Castro
• Matt Breitzke [welder; Ain't No Sunshine]
• *Jessica Furney [93-year-old grandma]
• India Morrison
• Jamar Rogers
• *Danny Gokey [wife died; unique; I Heard It Through the Grapevine]
• *Anoop Desai
• *Asa Barnes
• *Lil Rounds [tornado; reminds me of Fantasia; sang Stevie Wonder]

American Idol: San Francisco Auditions
Airdate: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 [8-9pm]

• John Twiford
• Raquel Houghton
• *Adam Lambert [musical theatre; Bohemian Rhapsody]
• Kai Kalama [has mom with illness]

Twelve moved on to Hollywood

American Idol: Louisville Auditions
Airdate: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 [8-9pm]

• *Joanna Pacitti
• *Brett Keith Smith
• *Alexis Grace [blonde; single mom]
• Kris Allen [went by too fast]
• Felicia Barton [went by too fast]
• Ryan Johnson [went by too fast]
• Shera Lawrence [went by too fast]
• *Leneshe Young [single mom; rough life; unique voice; sang original song]

American Idol: Jacksonville Auditions
Airdate: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 [8-9pm]

• Jasmine Murray [Big Girls Don't Cry]
• T.K. Hash [Imagine]
• *Anne Marie Boskovich [Bubbly]

American Idol: Salt Lake City Auditions
Airdate: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 [8-9pm]

• David Osmond
• Frankie Jordan [unique voice]
• Megan Corkrey [unique voice; single mom; divorced]
• Austin Sisneros
• Jarrett Burns [Put Your Records On]
• *Taylor Vaifanua [tall; Joyful Joyful]
• *Rose Flack [parents died; blonde; great personality]

Thirteen advanced to Hollywood

American Idol: New York City/San Juan, Puerto Rico Auditions
Airdate: Thursday, January 29, 2009 [8-9pm]

• Jorge Nunez [Puerto Rico; sang Il Divo song & What a Wonderful World]
• Melinda Camille [NYC]
• Ashley Camille [went by too fast]
• Kenny Hoffpauer [went by too fast]
• Kendall Beard [went by too fast]
• Monique Garcia Torres [Puerto Rico; You Can't Hurry Love & Christina Aguilera song]
• Patricia Lewis Roman [Puerto Rico; big family; I Wanna Dance with Someone & Spanish song]

Twenty-Six from New York City and nine from Puerto Rico advanced to Hollywood.

And in total, 147 contestants from all the auditions received golden tickets to Hollywood.

Well, that's it for the season 8 auditions.  The next Idol-Talk post will focus on the Hollywood Rounds.  See ya next time...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 5:49 PM PST

Updated: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 7:49 PM PST

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My Golden Globes Predictions: Tonight starting at 8pm on NBC, we will find out who will win Golden Globes this year.  And I have now posted my predictions at TV Watch Online's Golden Globe Awards page.  For those of you who remember how I usually do with these predictions, you're probably thinking, "get ready to strike out again."  I was thinking the same thing, especially when you think that I only got 4 correct at one of the award shows one year.  But after the 2008 Emmys, I decided that I would base my decisions less on who I wanted to win, and more on who would most likely win.  Now, that doesn't mean it will be exclusively that way, or that they won't overlap.  I went searching around the Internet (MSN, EW, TV Guide and other websites) and got a sense of how everyone was stacking up and then compared that to my picks and I had to give and take a little when it came down to finalizing my choices.

Again, you can view my predictions at the Golden Globe Awards page.

The award show starts in about 15 minutes for those on the East Coast and in about 3hrs, 15 min for those like me on the West Coast.

See ya later to see if my strategy worked or if, once again, I struck out.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 4:46 PM PST

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My View 1/4 - Topics: Barack Obama, 2008, Gina Glocksen Gets Married, Regis & Kelly in HD, 2009, My Book List

After a long hiatus, I am back with My View! There were many newsworthy events throughout 2008, and not just with the historic presidential election, where we elected Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States of America, and our first African American President. He's picked his cabinet (now with the exception of Commerce Secretary Nominee, Gov. Bill Richardson, who has withdrawn citing an investigation in his home state of New Mexico) and he and his family are in the middle of moving to D.C. as I type this. It's an exciting time as he prepares to lead the country, but obviously a tough time as well, as he and his team finalizes their agenda to improve the economy.

2008: The election of President-Elect Obama was the top story of 2008 to most of us, including myself, but I also wanted to take a moment to list some big stories in the entertainment industry this last year: Heath Ledger tragically dies of an overdose (which creates an even bigger buzz surrounding his role as the Joker in the biggest movie of 2008: The Dark Knight), Stephenie Meyer releases her first non-Twilight Saga book The Host and finishes the Twilight Saga with Breaking Dawn as well as suspending Midnight Sun, America whittled down the field to the two Davids on American Idol, and David Cook triumphed over Archie in a landslide, Iliza wins Last Comic Standing and becomes the first female winner, Ellen DeGeneres marries Portia DeRossi, Tina Fey returns to SNL to hilariously and accurately portray VP-Nominee Sarah Palin ("I can see Russia from my house"), Amy Poehler has her baby and gives a final farewell to SNL, Clay Aiken and producer-friend Jaymes Foster have a baby and Aiken announces he's gay (congratulations, Clay!), Warner Bros. decides to split Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two movies (initial reaction: hmm...; now: excited!), Warner Bros. delays Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 2009 (initial reaction: boo!; but now I'm fine with it), Desperate Housewives jumps forward five years and changes the show for the better, Jennifer Hudson's mother, brothers and nephew die in a tragic situation, J.K. Rowling wins in court against RDR Books over copyright protection, Brooke Smith is fired from Grey's Anatomy by ABC in a controversy that makes me say "First the passing of Prop 8 and now this? We're supposed to be advancing gay rights, not turning back time," Britney Spears' comeback, the movie release of Twilight sees an enormous box office return, J.K. Rowling releases The Tales of Beedle the Bard for charity (which becomes the fastest selling book of 2008), Jay Leno lands his own primetime talk show, Catherine Hardwicke (director of Twilight) and Summit part ways leaving Summit to hire a new director for New Moon (Chris Weitz), controversy surrounds Summit when rumors indicate that Taylor Lautner will not return as Jacob Black in New Moon (we still don't know what will happen), ABC announces that Desperate Housewives will continue to be on the air for at least four more years (two years longer than creator Marc Cherry had initially proposed), and Disney decides to stop co-producing and co-financing The Chronicles of Narnia leaving Walden Media to search around for another movie company to pair up with (reaction: boo!)

Whew! And that was just a handful of what happened in 2008.

Disney Bails Out: Before I move on, I want to discuss Disney's Christmas Eve announcement that they will not be working with Walden Media on The Chronicles of Narnia. First off: why Christmas Eve?! What a great holiday announcement, wasn't it? Not. I can understand that their reason is the lower-than-expected sales of Prince Caspian at the box office, but to bail entirely? Come on. It's their own fault, really. First off, they released it in May. Wrong move. Narnia 1 was released in December, which is what they should have done with #2. Second, they marketed the movie entirely wrong. Yes, it was darker than LWW, but they should have marketed it as a family movie and shown more of those aspects of the film in the promos. Actually, they did do that for the DVD/Blu-ray release, but by that point it was obviously too late. Word has it that Fox may be interested in teaming with Walden for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. From what I have heard, they would probably do a great job of protecting the material, so I hope an announcement will arrive this month. But to make one final thought: I think Disney did this prematurely, because outside of LWW, Dawn Treader is the fans' favorite book in the series. If DT does do well, I hope Disney will regret the decision.

Since we are still coming out of the usual slow news period from the holidays, I only have a few recent news items to discuss.

Gina Glocksen Gets Married: American Idol alum Gina Glocksen got married on New Year's Eve. Congratulations Gina! Fellow season 6 alum Jordin Sparks and Haley Scarnato were in attendance. If I remember this correctly, her husband proposed to her during one of the Idol Tour stops.

Regis & Kelly in HD: Starting tomorrow, Monday, January 5, Live with Regis and Kelly will be broadcast in high definition, along with a new opening and new theme song. I usually watch Live when I am not in school (winter break, summer, etc.). I am so used to their theme song and opening that I am unsure of what to think about have it be all new. I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see and hear for myself. But no matter, I am excited to see that they will be in HD. They're finally catching up to everyone else.

And now a look at what's to come in 2009: we will see the return of The Celebrity Apprentice (March 1), Kyle XY (next week, January 12), American Idol (next week, January 13, with a new judge and many changes), and Lost (January 21). Heroes will air Volume III: Fugitives, beginning February 2. Kelly Clarkson will release her fourth CD; we will hear a preview of it when the first single, "My Life Would Suck Without You," is released to radio on January 19. Melinda Doolittle will release her debut album, Coming Back to You, on February 3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will finally be released July 17. And New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, will be released November 20.

Before I sign off, it's time for...

My Book List: On New Year's Day, I began reading Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. If you haven't heard about it, it is about the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, where she came from, and how did she become evil. You can see the musical of Wicked on Broadway right now. I am 116 pages into the book now, and so far, I am loving it. Maguire is one of those authors who know how to capture your attention with his writing style and sense of humor. After I am done, I plan on reading the two sequels, Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men. To buy your own copy of Wicked, click here.

Time to sign out...

Visit TV Watch Online every day for the latest entertainment news, then read My View weekends right here on the BLOG.

See ya next time, and this has been My View.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 4:35 PM PST

Updated: Sunday, January 4, 2009 4:37 PM PST

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Twilight Coming to TV Watch Online: On Saturday, November 22, I went to the movie theater to see the newly released Twilight, based on the first book in the hugely popular Twilight Saga book series by Stephenie Meyer. I have been a fan of the books ever since I first read Twilight almost a year ago.  When it got closer to the movie release, I had contemplated adding a Twilight page to the site.  But I decided to wait to see how good the movie was, just like I did to The Chronicles of Narnia after seeing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Now that I have seen it, I can say that I loved the movie and can't wait to see New Moon and the rest of the series be turned into movies.  Today, I made my decision: I will be adding a Twilight page to TV Watch Online. I am not sure yet when it will make its debut, but I will include related news posts that I have previously posted to the TV/Entertainment News section. Keep checking back here for any and all updates regarding the upcoming Twilight page.

UPDATE [11/26]: For the time being, I am posting regular Twilight news to the TV/Entertainment News section until the official Twilight page is up, at which point those news items will be transferred to that page. I plan to have the Twilight page online sometime during this Thanksgiving weekend.

UPDATE [11/27]: The recent regular Twilight news that I have been posting these past couple of days on the TV/Entertainment News section has now been transferred to the new Twilight page.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 1:05 PM PST

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Election: It is now Election Day 2008, the day to decide who will be our next President. If you haven't voted already, I stress that this is one of the (if not the) most important elections you will vote in. The outcome of this presidential election will impact not just the next 4 or 8 years, but the future of our country. I'm not here to tell you who to vote for; but I feel that I must tell you go VOTE and let your voice be heard. Your vote; your voice; your future.

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 3:45 PM PST

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America’s Got Talent: Winner Revealed!

Airdate: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 [9-11pm]

This is it! After spending the summer watching the good, the bad and the weird, it is time to crown a new winner.

The show began with the Top 10 performing Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This.”  I wonder if Simon Cowell had anything to do with the selection of that song (if you know what I mean).

X Factor winner (and Simon’s pride and joy) Leona Lewis performed her current single, “Better In Time.”  She is easily becoming one of my favorite singers.  I first heard her on the radio with “Bleeding Love” and saw her perform on American Idol.  She has an amazing voice and I hope to buy her CD sometime soon.

Next, each of the five finalists received a special video message from their Idols. For Neal E. Boyd, it was Il Divo (another of Simon’s discoveries), Brian McNight for Queen Emily, Marc Cohn for Eli Mattson, Andrew Lloyd Webber for Donald Braswell, and Wyclef Jean for Nuttin But Stringz.  These were great messages and hopefully gave inspiration to these contestants that they can continue to pursue their dreams and goals regardless of the final results.

After the videos, we were treated to (or maybe not depending on who you are) the Audition All-Stars performing “Don’t Stop Me Now.”  I thought this was hilarious!  Even though we all criticized them when they were first on the show (and you know you did, so don’t deny it), it was just fun to watch them have fun (and make a fool of themselves).  After this performance, we watched clips from the season.

And finally on to the results.  Queen Emily was informed that she would be the first eliminated, putting her in fifth place.  I knew that she probably wouldn’t be in the final 2, but I was surprised that she was the first to go out of the five.  Then fourth place went to Donald.  It was obvious he wouldn’t go farther than that.  Then what many thought was the surprise of the night: Nuttin But Stringz didn’t even make the Top 2!  As you are aware, I have never been a fan of them, but with how much the judges favored them, I was surprised that they were in third.  Oh well…that meant that Neal and Eli made up the final 2.  They both have been favorites of mine.  It was no surprise to me that Neal got there, but again, with the love that Stringz had received, it was surprising to see Eli there as well.

Before the final results, we watched Neal and Eli’s journeys on the show.

And the winner, with less than ½ of 1% separating the two, of America’s Got Talent Season 3, winning the million dollars, the act in Vegas, and title of “Best New Act in America” is…NEAL E. BOYD!

If you go back through my commentary this season, it has been apparent that Neal has been my favorite to win from the moment of his first audition with “Nessun Dorma.”  Here are just some of the comments I gave him after his breathtaking performances:

He blew the competition away tonight.-Top 40

His voice is unbelievable…He has the voice to go along with his personal story-Top 20

Tonight, with an encore, this was, again, probably his best performance of the season…He is the Paul Potts of America.-Top 5

After winning, Neal received another video message, this time from opera singer Placido Domingo.

I am just so proud of Neal, and so excited that he won.  He totally deserved it, and I look forward to seeing his career take off.  I hope he records and releases a CD because I will definitely buy it.  Opera has never been a genre I listened to, but Neal (and Paul Potts before him) opened me up to the beautiful music.

I have enjoyed giving my comments on the season 3 performances for America’s Got Talent, and I hope to continue next year, as well as re-launching my Idol-Talk segment on the blog.

So to close out my commentary for the season, here is my closing message:

Congratulations to opera singer Neal E. Boyd for winning season 3 of America's Got Talent, taking home the title of "Best New Act in America," $1 million grand prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas! Neal has overcome struggles in his life to get to where he is now, and I applaud him for pushing through it all, and having the determination and the "I want this" attitude with regards to winning the show.

See ya next season...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 12:14 PM PDT

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America’s Got Talent: Top 5 Revealed / Top 5 Perform

Airdate: Thursday, September 18, 2008 [8-8:30pm] /

  Wednesday, September 24, 2008 [9-10pm]

I am combining two episodes into one for this blog post: the top 5 revealed and the top 5 perform.

Last week, we found out that Donald Braswell, Neal E. Boyd, Queen Emily, Nuttin But Stringz, and Eli Mattson filled up the Top 5. Before I move on, I do have to say that in terms of talent level (which is what this show should be based on), I believe this is the best finals group that America’s Got Talent has seen in the show’s history. And I know that this is only the third season, but it shows that this show can get better and better.

Besides finding out who made the Top 5, singer Natasha Bedingfield performed her current single, “Angel.” I’m not sure how familiar you are with her, but she is one of my favorite singers. She has such a unique voice, with an exceptional array of songs on her two CD’s. Check out her music; you will love it!

Now on to the performances of the Top 5:

1. Nuttin But Stringz [Violin Players]-I won’t deny the fact that they have an amazing talent and deserve to be in the finals this week. My only problem with them is that each time it sounds like they are playing the same song. The only thing different tonight was the umbrella people in the air, which detracted from the performance.
2. Donald Braswell [Opera Singer]-In a way, it was a risk to sing something that he had already sang on the show before, but I think that tonight he sang better than when he first sang “You Raise Me Up.” I think there’s a slim chance he will win, but he still has an exceptional voice and I hope he pursues a path where he will be able to use that talent.
3. Neal E. Boyd [Opera Singer]-I’m not surprised he sang “Nessun Dorma” again; it was probably his best performance when he sang it at the start of the season. Tonight, with an encore, this was, again, probably his best performance of the season. He is still my favorite this year, and I would love to see him win and live out his dream. He is the Paul Potts of America.
4. Eli Mattson [Singer]-I’m kind of surprised he sang a song that seems to be performed a lot on talent shows: “Against All Odds.” But he still knows how to make people listen to his unique and amazing voice. I agree with David that he is the dark horse in the competition. Who knows what his odds are of winning, but I would buy his CD if he came out with one.
5. Queen Emily [Singer]-This has been a truly amazing night to watch five great acts perform, and Queen Emily closed out the show with star quality, control, and a powerhouse voice on “One Moment In Time.” She does have a chance of winning, but it will be hard to beat Nuttin But Stringz and Neal E. Boyd.

I find it kind of interesting that the talent with all five acts have to do with music, and that four of them are singers. After season 1 winner, Bianca Ryan, did not do well with her debut CD, you could tell the judges did not want a singer to win season 2 (somewhat evident by eventual winner Terry Fator, even though he uses singing in his act). And so I find it really ironic that this year, the majority of the contestants from all or most of the rounds were singers. But it goes to show that even though many of them are too old for American Idol, they still have another show to go to that they can showcase their talent on.

Below, you can see who I voted for, plus who I am predicting to win season 3 of America’s Got Talent.

My Votes: Neal E. Boyd [10 by phone / 10 online]

Winner Prediction: Neal E. Boyd

As evident by what I just typed above, I predict that Neal E. Boyd will win season 3. I have been saying ever since his audition at the start of the season that he is the frontrunner to win, and I never faltered from that, no matter how much the judges were not-so-subtly hinting that they wanted Nuttin But Stringz to win.

I am eclectic when it comes to music; I will listen to just about every type of music. But opera has never been a genre I was interested in listening to. But Neal E. Boyd (and Paul Potts, winner of Britain’s Got Talent) opened my ears and mind up to it. He has such a beautiful voice, and that is what matters. If he were to release a CD, I would buy it. This goes to show that as a 20-year-old college student, I can listen to and appreciate music other than pop/rock (breaking the stereotype of my demographic).

Next Wednesday (9-10pm) is the finale, when we will find out who does triumph as the actual winner. See ya then...

Posted by Webmaster Dodgeroo54 at 5:00 PM PDT

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