By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Nigel Lythgoe will produce the series finale for "American Idol" next May, according to Variety magazine.
This is an honorable way to give the man who was a crucial cog in the "Idol" machine for 10 seasons (season 1 -7, 10-12), that 12th season notwithstanding. (I can only hope the Mariah Carey gambit was made over his head!) And I can expect he will do a great job wishing the show farewell.
Per Blankens was showrunner seasons 13 and 14 and did a good job managing a fading show. Trish Kinana, Fremantle's president of entertainment, will take over the final season as showrunner.
"I doubt we will ever see another television show with the same cultural and social impact as 'American Idol.' It has also given such incredible opportunities to so many young, talented performers and changed so many lives, including my own," Nigel said in a statement to Variety. "Consequently, I am delighted and proud to rejoin the Idol team in order to create what is sure to be one of the most memorable and spectacular finales in all of television history."
The show returns January 6. Just 37 days!
In a separate interview with Yahoo, Lythgoe laments having to split between focusing on the here and now (who the winner is going to be) while giving the past its due. He thinks Fox should just set aside an hour or two for pure nostalgia.
"The finale has the possibility to pull between two angles, which is crowning the winner and giving enough credibility to this television program that made such an impact on America. I find it rather sad that [both angles are] hooked together. It would be nice to have a [separate] 'Farewell American Idol' show, where all of the stars who have been on in the past have a moment to say what was good about it."
And he has mixed feelings about its departure:
"But losing that legacy and watching it sort of depleting in value, I'm happy that they're resting it. At the same time, I look at it and think, nowadays, in comparisons to what else is on the box, the figures still stand up pretty damn well."
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by mjsbigblog
Above is the latest promo for "American Idol" and includes William Hung, a Simon Cowell putdown and Sanjaya! Ahh... more nostalgia! Now where's "Pants on the Ground" guy?
And a tease for a 15 year old named Tristan:
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
I will be visiting my sister next week in Los Angeles and by coincidence, I will be around to see some of the Idol showcase live! I won't be able to give away anything from the event but will provide whatever inside info when the episode airs, presumably some time in February, 2016.
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Fantasia was part of a medley at the Soul Train Awards, which aired Sunday night on BET and Centric, crooning Whitney Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" and Karyn White's "Superwoman" in honor of Babyface.
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Carrie Underwood's video for her newest single "Heartbreak" debuted on the "Today" show this morning:
And Carrie will take part in Ryan Seacrest-hosted "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" celebration at Times Square along with Luke Bryan, Demi Lovato and Wiz Khalifa with Charlie Puth.
Her last single "Smoke Break" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard country airplay chart and No. 4 overall.
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