Fan Fare

Goodbye Ellen, Hello….who? to “American Idol”

Like it or not  “American Idol” will be getting a whole new talent line-up next season — and that’s just the judges.

But with Fox keeping their mouths firmly shut on who will replace Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres, it seems to be anyone’s guess as to what the new panel will look like, or even how many judges there will be.

Fox’s senior executives have refused to confirm or deny any of the rumors of recent weeks that have suggested that Jennifer Lopez, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Jessica Simpson or even Justin Timberlake might be joining the show.

And they also refused to speculate on whether Kara DioGuardi or even Randy Jackson will return.

Even more tantalizing, Fox entertainment chairman Peter Rice said that some of the recent reports were accurate while other were “wildly inaccurate” — and he wasn’t saying which was which.

Meanwhile Brett Michaels is still publicly lobbying for the job, and Sean “Diddy” Combs repeated that he would be happy to do it — as long as he got the same salary as Simon.

So with a couple of the biggest jobs in popular TV still apparently wide open, who would you like to see dealing out the criticism when “American Idol” returns in January?

Ryan Seacrest looks for “sexual tension” from new “American Idol” judge Ellen DeGeneres

 The stars of Fox’s “American Idol” expect great things from new judge Ellen DeGeneres , but they are all saying something different about her addition to the judging panel of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, and her replacement of songstress Paula Abdul.

Host Ryan Seacrest told Fox News at the Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday that DeGeneres, a comedian with her own daytime chat show, is a “superstar.”

“She will change the sexual tension,” Seacrest said of DeGeneres, who is lesbian and last year married longtime girlfriend and actress Portia de Rossi in California, before voters in the state banned same-sex weddings during the November 2008 election.

“Simon and Paula had a specific kind of tension, but this will be quite different…” Seacrest told Fox.

DioGuardi, who only joined the show this past season, told People magazine at an Emmy after-party that “Idol” producers’ recruitment of DeGeneres was a “genius decision,” and that she wishes she had thought of it herself.

One of the most pointed comments about DeGeneres’ addition came from director Bruce Gowers, who won an Emmy for his role with “American Idol.”

“I think there will be a lot more fun on the show than there was before,” Gowers told reporters backstage.

Can Ellen fill Paula’s shoes on “American Idol”?

“American Idol” producers moved swiftly to replace Paula Abdul with comedian and TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres  as the new judge on the show which starts again in January.

But is Ellen the right fit for the show?

Fans are split and even media watchers were stunned by the move, which serves the dual function of closing the door permanently on Paula, and making the show talked about all over again after a summer of shock announcements.

For a TV show that’s primarily about finding America’s next instant pop star — and one which is ultimately chosen by the public — there’s been a lot of hoo-hah this year about the judging panel, whether its Kara DioGuardi’s return, Simon Cowell’s future, Ryan Seacrest’s lucrative new contract or Abdul’s ultimately failed contract manoevres.

So what do you think is ultimately the most important and/or entertaining part of “Idol” — the contestants, or the chemistry on the judging panel?

And how will Ellen fit in, and will her presence on the “Idol” panel make you more or less likely to watch next year when the show has finished tossing out all the thousands of hopeless singers and gets down to the Top 20?

“Idol” turns to Kara for winner’s first single

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen will be getting all the attention on Tuesday when they sing for the “American Idol” title. But new judge Kara DioGuardi will also be sharing the limelight.

Songwriter DioGuardi, who has worked in the past with Kelly Clarkson and co-wrote Ashlee Simpson’s hit single “Pieces of Me”,  is credited as co-writer of “No Boundaries”  — the new song that will be released as a single by the winner of the TV talent show, music industry sources say.

“No Boundaries” will get its first airing on Tuesday’s show in (presumably very different)  versions by Adam and Kris.  Web site Popeater.com will premiere the winning “Idol”‘s recording of the song at 10 pm PT on Wednesday — moments after the 2009 “Idol” is crowned in the West Coast broadcast of the show on Fox.

Host Ryan Seacrest has revealed that Adam and Kris will also sing two other songs each on Tuesday — one must be a number they have done before on the show;  the other is a song chosen by “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller (Fuller is also the man behind British girl group “The Spice Girls”).

Among confirmed stars performing on Wednesday night as America waits to find out who they chose as their 2009 “Idol” are David Cook, Carrie Underwood, Queen Latifah, Black  Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie, Keith Urban  and actor Steve Martin — on his banjo?.

Rumors are flying fast about a host of other possible perfomers. Take your pick from Michael Jackson, David Bowie and Kiss — and maybe even ”Bikini Girl??”.

“Idol” judges throw stones on Rock Week

In contrast to last week on “American Idol” when it seemed the contestants could do no wrong, the judges found plenty of stones to throw at the Top 4 on Rock Week. Except for Adam Lambert, who as usual thrilled the panelists.

Lambert, coming off his shocking first trip to the Bottom Three last week, sang British supergroup Led Zeppelin’s hit “Whole Lotta Love” and struck all the high notes, jerking his head to the side in rhythm with the band and glowering with an expression Elvis Presley might have worn if he was fused with John Travolta. The judges loved it. 

“You are a rock god,” said judge Kara DioGuardi, who was wearing a studded leather jacket that looked a lot like Lambert’s own outfit.

Even alpha judge Simon Cowell was impressed. “No one can top that now,” Cowell told the contestant nicknamed “Glambert,” who on Tuesday night sported his usual eyeliner.

But after Lambert wowed everyone, the rest of the contestants all ran into some criticism. Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash was the night’s guest mentor, and told the camera that 17-year-old contestant Allison Iraheta had a natural rock style, but had to get past her “fear.” 

Iraheta went on to earn mixed reviews from all the judges, except the easily swayed Paula Abdul, with her version of “Cry Baby” from the late Janis Joplin. Cowell and a couple other panelists faulted her for poor song choice, which prompted an interesting exchange when Iraheta explained why she picked the song and was interrupted by Cowell. “Allison, at this point just beg,” he said. “Beg.”

“I’m not,” Iraheta said. “And you always say that I don’t talk enough, so maybe I should just talk a lot.”

On “Idol,” it’s a man’s world this season

On “American Idol,” it appears to be a man’s world after all.

It’s no secret that male contestants like Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey have trounced their female counterparts in the singing competition since early this season. And, with just one woman in the show’s Top 5, viewers on Tuesday night were left wondering if the final four contestants would all be men for the first time in “Idol” history.

It’s been a long time since two women — Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo — competed for the “Idol” title in the finale of the show’s third season in 2004. 

Not that the show’s surviving female contestant performed badly on Tuesday night. Allison Iraheta, who turned 17 this week, won major praise from judges Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul for her performance of “Someone to Watch Over Me.” DioGuardi even said she could see the Los Angeles teen in the finals.

“Bad cop” judge Simon Cowell, however, said he thought Iraheta still lacked the belief that she could win the competition, and was at risk of being voted off this week.

“I have a horrible feeling you could be in trouble tonight,” Cowell said, as his fellow judges vehemently disagreed.

Having been among the show’s Bottom Three vote-getters on three occasions so far this season, it’s questionable whether Allison has the fan base to catapult her to the top two.

Adam Lambert keeps “Idol” judges entranced

Before he went on stage, the camera swooped down on “American Idol” contestant Adam Lambert as he stood beaming in the crowd. But as usual, Lambert was more than just a face in the crowd on Tuesday night, as he again wowed the judges and solidified his frontrunner status.

It was Disco Week on “Idol,” and true to the theme Lambert sang the Bee Gees hit “If I Can’t Have You,” effortlessly hitting the high notes and inspiring judge Paula Abdul to gush that his performance made her feel his “pain.” Abdul was not alone. All the judges said they loved the performance, with alpha judge Simon Cowell commending Lambert for surprising him by picking a Bee Gees song.

“I would have put $10,000 you were going to do Donna Summer, but that’s what’s so good about you, you did something we weren’t expecting,” Cowell said.

Speaking of betting, it seems the smart money is on Lambert. Online betting firm BookMaker.com, which usually confines itself to sports gambling, said on Tuesday that the “Idol” title appears to be Lambert’s to lose, if he does not slip up.

At the other end of the spectrum, embattled singer Lil Rounds continued to leave the judges unimpressed. She sang the Chaka Khan hit “I’m Every Woman,” and although her performance was energetic and confident, judge Randy Jackson faulted her for a lack of vocal control. Lil said that she had a good time with the song, which only gave Cowell an opening to tear her down.

“I’m glad you had fun, because I think this is going to be the last week we’re ever going to see you,” Cowell said.

Cowell had a similarly biting critique for Anoop Desai‘s version of the Donna Summer song “Dim All the Lights.”

Paula Abdul views her “Idol” role as irreplaceable

“American Idol” judge Paula Abdul is on the bubble at the show. Her contract ends after this season, and it remains unclear if she will come back next year.

Abdul, who is widely considered “Idol’s” least harsh judge, was asked by ABC News show “Nightline” whether Kara DioGuardi, who joined the show this season as the new fourth judge, could replace her on the show.

“I don’t think anyone (can),” Abdul told “Nightline,” in an interview airing on Thursday night. ”First of all, Kara says, ‘I could never replace you.’ And I said whenever there is change, it’s not about replacing anybody, it’s about possibly moving on.”

A video clip of the interview can be found at  http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7392520

So will Abdul move on? She did not say exactly, telling “Nightline” only that she is having more fun on the show this season than ever before. And Abdul said that she and DioGuardi are friends.

Despite that, the two exchanged dueling statements in the media a couple months ago, when Abdul told a celebrity magazine that having four judges instead of three is not the best fit for the show, and DioGuardi responded that she was “disappointed” in the comment.

The four-judge format does not appear to be working perfectly this season. Last Tuesday, a time crunch forced the show’s producers to decree that only two judges would evaluate each performance that night, because the show ran long the week before. So if the show sometimes cannot squeeze in all the judges’ comments – especially the acerbic jibes from alpha judge Simon Cowell that tickle so many viewers – will it continue with four judges next season? And if not, who will go?

Time crunch muzzles “Idol” judges

“American Idol” fans were robbed of one of the show’s biggest draws on Tuesday night, after the producers decreed that only two judges would evaluate each performance.

Calling the change “unfortunate,” judge Simon Cowell said just two judges would speak at a time because the show ran several minutes long last week. Many viewers with digital video recorders had complained because they missed the show’s final performance by Adam Lambert.

Cowell blamed the switch on “the girls” — meaning female judges Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul — whom he said spoke too much last week.

Cowell may or may not have been joking, but whatever the reason for the shift, it was the viewers who were punished. Cowell’s brutally honest comments are among the most anticipated moments of each week’s show, so when only Randy Jackson and DioGuardi gave their opinions viewers might have felt something was missing. Not to belittle DioGuardi and Jackson, but there’s a reason there are four judges, right?

Whether the show keeps the new format next week is unclear, but it does beg the question: why did producers add a fourth judge (DioGuardi) this season if there wasn’t enough time for all four opinions?

At the beginning of this season of “Idol,” the two female judges clashed publicly after Abdul complained in a magazine interview that listening to four opinions slowed the pace of the show. At the time, DioGuardi said she was disappointed by Abdul’s comment.

But was Paula right? Has four become a crowd at the judges’ table? And are you outraged or relieved by the two-judges-per-performance shift?

Is four a crowd on “American Idol”?

“American Idol” judges Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi appear to have a difference of opinion. Abdul, an original member of the reality talent show’s judging panel, was quoted by OK! magazine as saying that having four judges instead of three is not the best fit for the show.

“It takes up so much time for each of us to give our opinion that it slows down the pace of the show,” Abdul told the magazine.

That appears to have hit a wrong note with DioGuardi, who was added as the show’s fourth judge just this season.

So, with perfect timing, DioGuardi on Wednesday struck her own note of discord.

“Paula has a right to her opinions, but I was disappointed by her comments, and hurt that she did not address them to me in person,” DioGuardi told the celebrity news show “Access Hollywood.”

All this comes as “American Idol” enters its second round of elimination with 12 performers taking the stage on Wednesday night on Fox.

So far on camera, DioGuardi and Abdul have appeared to be getting along swimmingly, often coming off as allies, especially when a tryout contestant in a bikini (nicknamed Bikini Girl) got the panel’s two male judges humming along, but failed to impress the two ladies.