The 'American Idol' Discussion Thread

Whether Howard Stern will or won't join American Idol as the judge replacing Simon Cowell, is one of the hot debates on the Internet right now. And, of course, Howard is fanning the flames of the controversy by insulting everyone connected to the "karaoke show", especially Simon, Ellen, and Ryan Seacrest. I've just learned Howard Stern is indeed "being considered" as a judge but my sources tell me that "Ellen is not in favor" of his joining the panel.

Ellen DeGeneres tonight makes her American Idol show debut. And when you watch, remember that I recently reported that, on her first day taping the Hollywood segment, Simon Cowell showed up an hour and a half late for the taping. And Ellen stewed while she waited for him. She had reason: to accommodate both her talk show hosting duties and her American Idol judging duties, she had moved up her schedule so that now she shot the talk show earlier in the day and then jumped in the car to go to Idol. She was on time, and Cowell was not. "Here it was the first day of taping of the Hollywood shows, and Ellen was there waiting for Simon to show up. Ellen's new to the gig and she's very organized and she made a commitment to take this on, and now she's asking herself, 'What did I get myself into?' She called Simon Cowell a prima donna. So right from the start, the chemistry isn't great," an insider tells us.

It'll be interesting to see tonight whether the tension between Ellen and Simon is visible. (Or even edited out...) But as I reported previously, Ellen after the taping contacted the pal who brought her to the primetime hit show, Fox alternative programming chief Mike Darnell, and made a request: she asked him to "hurry up and pick" Simon's successor. Now she doesn't want Howard Stern as a judge.

Ellen DeGeneres Leaves `American Idol' After One Season
By Andy Fixmer -
Jul 29, 2010 6:10 PM PST

Ellen DeGeneres will leave “American Idol,” the Fox talent show that has dominated U.S. ratings for seven years, after being a judge for one season.

“This didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” DeGeneres said today in a statement e-mailed by the News Corp. broadcast network. “While I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings.”

DeGeneres’s departure comes amid other changes at the show, which saw ratings drop about 9 percent last season and is losing sharp-tongued judge Simon Cowell to a new talent contest on Fox. The network has talked to Nigel Lythgoe about returning as executive producer of “Idol,” the New York Times reported on July 27.

“We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out,” Peter Rice, entertainment chairman at Fox Networks, said in the statement.

News Corp., the New York-based media company controlled by Rupert Murdoch, lost 2 cents to $12.96 today in Nasdaq Stock Market trading and has fallen 5.3 percent this year.

“American Idol” was the most-watched prime-time program in the broadcast TV season that ended in May. The twice-weekly talent contest averaged 24.9 million viewers on Tuesday nights and 23.7 million on Wednesday nights. The show was also the most popular program among the 18-to-49 year-old viewers that advertisers target.

Cowell said in January he would leave “Idol” to host a U.S. version of the music competition “X Factor,” which he created in the U.K. He will be an executive producer and a judge.

Fox hasn’t announced a replacement for Cowell. TV networks are previewing shows at the Television Critics Association in Beverly Hills, California. Fox’s presentation is Aug. 2.

Jason B. wrote:They may as well let this be AI's final season because I'm not feeling this new lineup at all. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, you got to be kidding me!

It should be easy for Jennifer Lopez to judge someone else's singing. She should know that if they sound just like her, they don't need to move on to the next round.

Plus does anyone even remember who won last season???

Nystyle709 wrote:

Jason B. wrote:They may as well let this be AI's final season because I'm not feeling this new lineup at all. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, you got to be kidding me!

It should be easy for Jennifer Lopez to judge someone else's singing. She should know that if they sound just like her, they don't need to move on to the next round.

Plus does anyone even remember who won last season???

Jordin Sparks?

Nystyle709 wrote:

Jason B. wrote:They may as well let this be AI's final season because I'm not feeling this new lineup at all. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, you got to be kidding me!

It should be easy for Jennifer Lopez to judge someone else's singing. She should know that if they sound just like her, they don't need to move on to the next round.

Plus does anyone even remember who won last season???

Jordin Sparks?