AI in the Media

[TheGreenKnight]

I don't really blame Hicks for saying that. (I'm sure he wasn't selling himself considering.) Someone like Jordin, Fantasia, or David Cook would work if they couldn't get Carrie. I know Daughtry is one of the more famous people to come out of Idol, but somehow I think he'd be a boring judge. For non-winners, I'd take Kellie Pickler or Adam Lambert over him, tbh (since JHUD is off the table being on The Voice and Katharine McPhee's busy on Scorpion).

[Silver Raven]

ew, I hate Kellie PIckler.

[Wings]

On 5/17/2017 at 1:39 PM, Silver Raven said:

ew, I hate Kellie PIckler.

She would make a terrible judge.  She is far too interested in portraying a bimbo.  I don't hate her but her shtick is tiring.   

[holly4755]

I don't think it is schtick.  She was on the smarter than a 5th grader and some people there were amazed at how much they had to edit the show to not show her as dumber than a kindergartener. She may be able to do small talk but that fact that she doesn't trip and kill herself each day is quite the accomplishment. 

[MsTree]

16 hours ago, wings707 said:

She would make a terrible judge.  She is far too interested in portraying a bimbo.  I don't hate her but her shtick is tiring

So then was Paula dumb or just playing dumb??

[Wings]

8 hours ago, MsTree said:

So then was Paula dumb or just playing dumb??

Ha ha, no she just odd.  I really don't think she is stupid, she was playing the role of 'nice judge'  but I think that was genuine.  She may have pushed the nice card in opposition to Simon as thing got rolling, but it was in her.

Kelly is a horse of a different color.  It sure seems to me that she is working it.  Not good judge material at any rate.  

[MsTree]

wings707...I get what you're saying, but that shtick works for some women. We can go back as far as Lucille Ball who played dumb to the highest degree, but we all know she was a mastermind. Not at all equating Lucy with Kelly (no way!). But if whatever she's doing works for her (she did get her own reality show) and keeps her in the public eye, then good for her. 

That said, the jury's still out on the judge thing. My preference is Adam Lambert, but he's touring with Queen. I also think Clay Aiken would be a hoot because he has no filter and would give some constructive criticism.

[SunnyBeBe]

They were so fortunate to get Katy Perry.  Man,.......I had written them off with little hope for a comeback, but, she will serve them well, imo.  I've never seen her work as a judge before though.  I hope her ability matches her popularity.  Still.....I doubt, I'll watch it again. I think I'm just over it.  

Daughtry sounds like a great prospect too.  It looks like they are serious about rebooting the show....I just wonder if it'll be enough. I wish them well. 

[Kromm]

Unless they're trying to be The Voice 2.0 rather than Idol 2.0, then they really need a third judge who isn't a performer. Maybe "tough judge" is now too cliched a role, but they at least need "practical judge". Katy can address image issues. If they get a better singer than Katy for the other performer spot (Katy is not a bad singer, but only so-so), then that person can do the technical critique. But they need someone who's plugged into the business of the music industry to do the rest. Mind you, the music industry has changed enormously since Idol Season 1, and arguably even a lot since Voice Season 1. A music company exec these days is going to be a very different kind of person. Someone who knows new media (YouTube, music streaming, the impact of Twitter and live chat streaming, etc.) and how it steers a lot of music acts these days. And someone who can realistically look at why so many Idol and Voice winners languish in obscurity after winning rather than break through.

[TheGreenKnight]

I agree, they were very smart and lucky to get Katy Perry. She comes with a 25 million dollar paycheck, according to TMZ. The only judge on either Idol or The Voice that has made more is Simon at 40 million when he left in 2009. I just hope she won't be like HCJ, who I thought would be a great judge before he actually was one.

I like Kellie Pickler personally, and her post-show material is much stronger than I expected while she was on the show.. She was one of the only non-Carrie/Miranda/Taylor women that country radio allowed to have hit singles/albums in that nearly 10-year-span. Her shtick--clearly stealing from Dolly Parton--served her well and definitely would give more flavor to a judging seat than someone with an otherwise boring personality like Daughtry. *shrug* She is one of the most successful non-winners and I'd say she's reasonably well-liked considering she won Dancing With the Stars.

Edited May 23, 2017 by TheGreenKnight

[SunnyBeBe]

I suppose that I'm biased in favor of Pickler, since, I'm from NC. (So is she.)  I didn't care for her act on AI, but, she really used it to her benefit and made a career out of her stint on that show. That's an accomplishment.  She made connections, used them to her advantage, moved to Nashville, had an amazing win on DWTS, and is still working.  She even recently had her own reality show.  Maybe, it's not to my taste, but, she has a lot of fans.  AND she makes a nice living.   She seems to be a very hard worker.  AI contestants with much stronger vocal skills have not fared as well as her.   I'm happy for her.  Still......I'm not sure if she's right for AI return.    

I don't know much about music producers.  I think that I mentioned David Foster upthread.  Perhaps a younger version would work better. 

[holly4755]

I am not a big Katy Perry fan and right now she looks like she is trying to imitate the Miley Cyrus self reinvention. Her recent appearance on Ellen made her look like she  was on something, 

[Kromm]

2 hours ago, holly4755 said:

I am not a big Katy Perry fan and right now she looks like she is trying to imitate the Miley Cyrus self reinvention. 

Well if the haircut is feeding that impression, I'd argue that Miley hardly originated that haircut. That said, if Katy was smart she's have waited a few years to try it, because people still identify it so closely with Miley (who doesn't even have it anymore).

[twilightzone]

Bad, bad decision on ABC to give her a payday of $25M.  They seem to be making the same mistake as FOX - by placing too much emphasis on the judges - and not the contestants - which was one of the biggest complaints fans had.   Instead of spending all this money on big name celebrity judges, I'd rather see more invested in producing a better show.  With that kind of paycheck I'm sure ABC expects from her good ratings and a lot of new viewers.  The pressure's on.

Edited May 24, 2017 by twilightzone

[Ohwell]

9 hours ago, holly4755 said:

I am not a big Katy Perry fan and right now she looks like she is trying to imitate the Miley Cyrus self reinvention. Her recent appearance on Ellen made her look like she  was on something, 

That was the first thing I thought, that she looked like Miley Cyrus.  I've seen her giving a couple of interviews and I do agree that something is "off" about her.  I'm not looking forward to seeing her as a judge.

1 hour ago, twilightzone said:

Bad, bad decision on ABC to give her a payday of $25M.  They seem to be making the same mistake as FOX - by placing too much emphasis on the judges - and not the contestants - which was one of the biggest complaints fans had.   Instead of spending all this money on big name celebrity judges, I'd rather see more invested in producing a better show.  With that kind of paycheck I'm sure ABC expects from her good ratings and a lot of new viewers.  The pressure's on.

I agree, much too much money to pay anyone to be a judge on a show.

[Silver Raven]

Katy changes her hairstyle and color frequently.  It's just the latest iteration.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

KP is a turrible pick.  No, not Kellie.  Katy.  She is soooo out there.  

The obvious choice, to me, is Mindy Doo (Melinda Doolittle).  She knows music.  Knows.  She also has a great sense of compassion for struggling artists, having once been one.  She also loves to laugh...at herself.  The very last thing the new AI needs is pretension (Helloooo Katy Perry).

Between Tyra Banks on AGT and Perry on AI, it's a race to the bottom by the networks.  Ameriker wants beloved, not bedazzled, entertainers.  

[Qoass]

Quote

The obvious choice, to me, is Mindy Doo (Melinda Doolittle).  She knows music.  Knows.  She also has a great sense of compassion for struggling artists, having once been one.  She also loves to laugh...at herself.  

Taking my response to the Anticipation, Speculation and Wishlists threads as MD hasn't been mentioned in the press.

[Wings]

Has there been any word on Seacrest hosting?  Pretty silent on that front.  There must be negotiations being made with Live and Idol which are likely to be long and complicated. 

[Silver Raven]

I don't see how Seacrest can do it unless they move the show to New York, since he's doing the morning show every day in New York.

[Wings]

38 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

I don't see how Seacrest can do it unless they move the show to New York, since he's doing the morning show every day in New York.

Fine with me if he says no.  He is the glue and it will surely be doomed without him.  

[MsTree]

Unless AI wants to cough up another 25 million (whatever Katy's making), I don't see her making more than Ryan...because from what I heard they only offered him 10 million (before the Katy announcement).

[Qoass]

I don't have a problem with them moving the show to New York.

[MarkHB]

Supposedly, Fremantle (the production company that actually owns the show) insists on Los Angeles.  I've seen stories that suggested that Ryan could do it if if they went to a Sunday-night (or Sunday-Monday depending on the results show) timeslot; Live pretapes their Friday shows, so he could leave NY on Thursday afternoon, be in LA for the weekend, do the show Sunday (which would presumably go live at 5 Pm LA time), get a NetJet back to NY by 10 PM or so and sleep on the plane.  It might kill him, but it wouldn't surprise me if he tried.

[Ohwell]

That schedule sounds ridiculous, but yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if he tried.

[twilightzone]

Seacrest may not exactly be in the best bargaining position with ABC - considering ratings for Live - are at a level prior to him signing on as co-host.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, twilightzone said:

Seacrest may not exactly be in the best bargaining position with ABC - considering ratings for Live - are at a level prior to him signing on as co-host.

Not surprising.  He is the right choice but Kelly is wearing thin on many or do I dare say most?  As long as she is there the ratings will stay the same, my guess.  

[mtlchick]

A long profile on Ryan and how he was brought into the Live fold along with the American Idol redux.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/ryan-seacrest-rebooted-live-a-new-york-move-bumpy-road-back-idol-1013173?utm_source=twitter&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

 

I'll give this to him: I'm exhausted reading about all the stuff he does.

[MarkHB]

I was going to say that i didn't know if this meant anything, but I guess it does: I saw a quick ad for Idol during "Boy Band" and they used Ryan's voice spliced together: "American Idol... ABC".  The first part was obviously from him saying "This! Is American Idol!"

[perfectstorm]

Ryan Seacrest is now official as host (but with no EP credit as he had wanted).  Lionel Richie has confirmed he is in talks.  And rumor has it they are interested in Nikki Sixx as well.

There was a lot of fan speculation regarding having an alum judge.  But it appears that idea was pretty much dropped after Kelly Clarkson decided to sign with The Voice.

Daughtry and Adam Lambert said they wanted the job, but said they have never been contacted by TPTB.

[Angeleyes]

Luke Bryan is chosen as the second judge. 

http://people.com/country/luke-bryan-american-idol-judge-katy-perry/

[TheGreenKnight]

I'm not a fan of him as an artist (and, no, it's not because he's country), but he seems like a nice guy similar to Keith and he'll probably do well.

[atomic]

All three judges finally set:

[slasherboy]

Is there a premiere date?

I would loved to have seen Adam Lambert, Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood/Melinda Dolittle/Kellie Pickler as the distaff member of the jury.  I know that's not possible for a couple of them (Adam & Carrie) but I wouldn't miss a single episode.  With the 3 judges named above, I'm out.

BTW, I'm asking for the premiere date because my sister wants to know.

Thanks!

[Silver Raven]

I read a report that Katy Perry is making $25 million for her AI gig, while the guys are getting $7 million.

[Ohwell]

On 10/8/2017 at 5:12 PM, Silver Raven said:

I read a report that Katy Perry is making $25 million for her AI gig, while the guys are getting $7 million.

I read that, too, and I swear I don't understand the pay disparity.  I mean, is she worth that much?  I don't think so.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Ohwell
wrong word

[Silver Raven]

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I read that, too, and I swear I don't understand the pay discrepancy.  I mean, is she worth that much?  I don't think so.

The article said they're relying on her social media followers to help make the show a hit.

[rereader2]

9 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

The article said they're relying on her social media followers to help make the show a hit.

...Wrong audience.

Edited October 9, 2017 by rereader2

[Ohwell]

9 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

The article said they're relying on her social media followers to help make the show a hit.

Yeah well good luck with that.

[SnarkyTart]

During Mariah Carey's reign, she was paid $18 million while Nicki Minaj's salary was reported to be $12 million and Keith Urban's was at $8 million for that season.  If I recall correctly there was a similarly large salary disparity between JLo vs Harry and Keith, with JLo getting about $17.5M while Keith got $5M.  The producers justified it the same way, that JLo's popularity was going to bring in this huge mythical audience.  Then they pissed us off trying to get their money's worth by showing JLo mugging during the contestant performances as much as they showed the contestants themselves.  Yes, that all ended so well. 

If they filled the judges' panel with previous seasons' popular winners and runners-up, most of whom would probably be happy to do it for +/- $5M, I bet the ratings would have been better than they're going to be with this overpaid panel of "stars".  And it would have cost the show 75% less in salaries.

It looks as though the producers have learned nothing about why the show got cancelled and the ratings tanked.  Good luck with that!

[thefog]

19 minutes ago, SnarkyTart said:

If they filled the judges' panel with previous seasons' popular winners and runners-up, most of whom would probably be happy to do it for +/- $5M, I bet the ratings would have been better than they're going to be with this overpaid panel of "stars".  And it would have cost the show 75% less in salaries.

It looks as though the producers have learned nothing about why the show got cancelled and the ratings tanked.  Good luck with that!

The granny, old lady, cougar demo - who are notorious for voting for the same type of bland contestants - aren't enough to improve the ratings.   The show should never have been brought back to begin with. Big mistake.  It had long run it's course. 

[Silver Raven]

4 hours ago, escape said:

The granny, old lady, cougar demo - who are notorious for voting for the same type of bland contestants - aren't enough to improve the ratings.   The show should never have been brought back to begin with. Big mistake.  It had long run it's course. 

They're going to have to pick a winner other than  a WGWG or this show will wither again.

4 hours ago, escape said:

The granny, old lady, cougar demo - who are notorious for voting for the same type of bland contestants - aren't enough to improve the ratings.   The show should never have been brought back to begin with. Big mistake.  It had long run it's course. 

They're going to have to pick a winner other than  a WGWG or this show will wither again.

[BW Manilowe]

From Variety: EXCLUSIVE... American Idol: Disney's Hollywood Records Will Release Music by Finalists

[RandomWatcher]

On TMZ, it's being reported that apparently a lot of the contestants are hooking up with each other.

[MarkHB]

Over at TV By The Numbers, the Masked Scheduler did a 4-part series last month on his days working with Idol at Fox; he was there from the beginning to nearly the end.

Part 1: The Origin Story

Part 2: Managing a Megahit

Part 3: How research and scheduling shaped the show

Part 4: The decline and end of the Fox run

[SnarkyTart]

7 hours ago, MarkHB said:

Over at TV By The Numbers, the Masked Scheduler did a 4-part series last month on his days working with Idol at Fox; he was there from the beginning to nearly the end.

Thank you for bringing this over.  From Part 4 (The decline and end), this made me sad...

Quote

Before Mike left, we were on the brink of agreeing to a judging panel made up of former Idols. If listening to hours of focus groups told me anything, it was the love the fans of the show had for several of the early winners and runners-up. Had we gone through with that strategy and gone back to what made “Idol” a cultural phenomenon for over a decade … ifs and buts.

I so would have loved to see at least one season of Idol with former Idols as the judges. We'll never know for sure, but it could have been the show's salvation.  I have to wonder why they bothered wasting all that money on hours of focus groups only to ignore what they learned from them.

Edited April 3, 2018 by SnarkyTart
It's a grammatical nightmare, y'all!

[MarkHB]

4 hours ago, SnarkyTart said:

I have to wonder why they bothered wasting all that money on hours of focus groups only to ignore what they were learned from them.

I think the prevailing opinion in some quarters out there is that the value of focus groups is to provide "data" to back up what you wanted to do anyway.

[Nysha]

20 hours ago, MarkHB said:

I think the prevailing opinion in some quarters out there is that the value of focus groups is to provide "data" to back up what you wanted to do anyway.

Yeah, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

[RandomWatcher]

http://www.tmz.com/2018/06/29/taylor-hicks-american-idol-eliminations-not-secret/

[RandomWatcher]

Maddie Poppe been nominated for a People's Choice Award

https://deadline.com/2018/09/peoples-choice-awards-new-categories-nomination-voting-e-channel-1202457202/