American Idol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| American Idol | |
|---|---|
 American Idol logo |
|
| Format | Interactive reality game show |
| Created by | Simon Fuller |
| Directed by | John Pritchett (live shows) Bruce Gowers (live shows, 2002-2008) Nigel Lythgoe (audition shows) Ken Warwick (audition shows) |
| Presented by | Ryan Seacrest Brian Dunkleman (season 1) |
| Judges | Simon Cowell Paula Abdul Randy Jackson |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 257 (As of April 2, 2008) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Nigel Lythgoe Ken Warwick will nelms Cecile Frot-Coutaz |
| Location(s) | Various locations (Auditions) Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (Hollywood) CBS Television City (Semi-finals and finals) Nokia Theatre (Finale) |
| Running time | Varies |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | FOX (repeats on Fox Reality) |
| Picture format | 480i (NTSC), 720p (HDTV) |
| Original run | June 11, 2002 – Present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
| Common rating | |
|---|---|
| Australia | G, PG or M |
| Canada | TV-PG |
| Malaysia | U |
| Singapore | R |
| United States | TV-PG (audition segments TV-PG-L), TV-G (some episodes) |
American Idol is a American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol created by Canadian entertainment executive Simon Fuller, which was first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom.
The program seeks to discover the greatest young singer in the country through a series of nationwide auditions. The outcomes of the later stages of this competition are determined by public voting by phone. The format features three judges who give critiques of the contestants' performances in order to facilitate the voting: record producer Randy Jackson; pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul; and record executive Simon Cowell. The show is hosted by former children's game show emcee and television personality Ryan Seacrest; comedian Brian Dunkleman cohosted with Seacrest in season one. The American Idol band is led by Rickey Minor. The show usually airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the US and Thursday and Friday nights in the UK (two days after the US airing). In its six seasons, its six winners have been, in order of their season, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks. The first five American Idols are from the Southern United States of America (U.S) and the sixth, Jordin Sparks, is from the Southwest. Hicks was the oldest winner at 29, Sparks the youngest at just 17.
American Idol is televised on Fox in the United States, ITV2 in the UK, FOX8 in Australia, CTV in Canada, on TV3 in Ireland and on Q11 for the 7th season, in the Philippines. The Idol series was first created by Simon Fuller (manager of the Spice Girls and S Club 7. The director is Bruce Gowers (director of Queen's original "Bohemian Rhapsody" video) and executive producers are Nigel Lythgoe (a judge on So You Think You Can Dance) and Ken Warwick (Gladiators and Grudge Match).
[edit] Rules
Contestants have to be singers and are not permitted to have any current record deals or talent management agreements (though they may have had one at some point in the past). They must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents eligible to work full-time and, for the first three seasons, had to be 16 to 24 years of age on October 19 of the year of audition. Since the fourth season, the upper age limit was raised to 28 with an earlier cutoff date, August 4, to attract more mature and diverse contestants.
Others who are ineligible to compete include those who have made it into the top 40 contestants in past seasons (or the top 50 of season 7), and people employed by affiliates of Fox, Fremantle or 19 Entertainment (including sponsors, subsidiaries and parent companies). Even if a person is eligible, he or she may not have a chance to audition or be seen because the show can see only a limited number of people in each city.
Auditioning contestants must bring with them to the audition a valid proof of age and work eligibility, such as a birth certificate and driver's license or a passport, and minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All auditioning contestants are required to print out a copy of the release form (available on the show's web site) to fill out and turn in at the audition in order to grant permission to be seen and heard by the producers' cameras. Contestants who were found out to have given false information are disqualified. It should be noted that after auditioning - regardless of the outcome (even if eliminated on the very first cut) - contestants are under contract with the show until three months after the final episode.[1]
In an interview with Anderson Cooper on the CBS TV current affairs show 60 Minutes on March 17, 2007 (repeated in extended format on CNN's AC 360 program on March 27, 2007), judge Simon Cowell openly declared that the underlying primary purpose of the Idol franchise (including American Idol) was for 19 Entertainment (the parent corporation that produces the Idol TV shows) to discover new singing talent that can be signed to recording agreements that the corporation maintains with a major record company (Sony/BMG), and benefit from the record sales of contestants and winners who are exposed to the worldwide marketplace through the TV shows. Cowell indicated that revenue from recordings by performers associated with the Idol franchise has already exceeded US $100 million. 19 Entertainment also retains exclusive right of refusal for management and merchandising of any contestant. Exercising management rights is at the sole discretion of 19 Entertainment; in the alternative the contestant performer is free to pursue his or her own career.
[edit] Early auditions
In the show, hopeful contestants are screened by preliminary panels to be selected for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest. The long process begins with tens of thousands of candidates strategically interviewed and eliminated before being individually auditioned by show producers Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe. Often slide shows of candidates whose performances are judged to be poor are shown from this interview.
Contestants then audition before the three main judges - Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson - in selected cities across the United States. In the first days of auditions in season two, a fourth judge, Angie Martinez was added to the panel. However, Martinez quickly exited the show citing her discomfort in destroying the hopes of the auditioners. On occasion, a celebrity fourth judge may be added.
The auditions are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in a cattle-call style line for auditions. Contestants are required to sing a short portion of a song for two preliminary rounds in front of show producers before they reach the final judging round. At least two of the three judges must approve the contestant to move onto the next stage of the competition, which takes place in Hollywood.
Much like the original Pop Idol, the initial episodes of each season showing the first-round auditions feature a mixture of the finer auditioning singers and many of the worst, such as the second season's performance of Madonna's Like a Virgin by Keith Beukelaer, and the third season's rendition of Ricky Martin's She Bangs by William Hung.
[edit] Idol audition cities
[edit] Hollywood
Once in Hollywood, the contestants perform on different days, with mass eliminations by the judges on each day. The first day typically has each hopeful sing a song that they had selected from a list. The next round, the contestants split themselves into small groups and perform a song together. In the final round, the contestants perform a song of their choice a cappella.
Starting in the 2008 season, the structure of the Hollywood round was revamped. There were no longer musical group rounds; rather, the contestants would sing on the first day and if the judges felt the performance was adequate, the contestant moved onto the final Hollywood round. If the performance was not up to par, the contestant would have one more chance to impress the judges before the third day. For the first time, contestants were able to perform with a musical instrument if they had the ability; however, with the exception of only a few contestants, the judges criticized the use of the instruments.
[edit] Semifinals
In the first three seasons, the semifinalists were randomly split into different groups. Each contestant would then sing in their respective group's night and the two who received the most votes from America in each group would advance to the finals. In season one, there were three separate groups and the top three contestants made it to the finals. In seasons two and three, there were four groups of eight and the top two contestants would move onto the finals.
The first three seasons each featured a Wildcard show in that contestants who failed to make it to the finals would be allowed to perform once more for a chance at a spot. In season one, only one Wilcard contestant would be chosen by the judges. However, in seasons two and three, each judge would champion one contestant and the public would advance the fourth Wildcard contestant into the finals. In the second season, a few hopefuls who had failed to make the semifinals were selected by the judges to compete in the Wildcard round. In the third season, the judges eliminated four contestants from the Wildcard round before they had the opportunity to sing.
From season four and on, the semifinals were cut down to twenty-four contestants who were divided by sex. The men and women would sing on sequential nights and the bottom two would be eliminated from each group on the results show until the top twelve finalists were left.
[edit] Finals
In the finals, which last eleven weeks, each finalist out of all of the contestants performed a song live in prime time from a weekly theme (two songs in later rounds) at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California in front of a live studio audience. Themes have included Motown, disco, big band music, and Billboard #1 hits. Some themes are based on music recorded by a particular artist, and the finalists have a chance to work with that artist in preparing their performances. Artists around whom themes have been based include The Beatles, Billy Joel, Neil Sedaka, The Bee Gees, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, Gloria Estefan, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Queen and Elvis Presley. Once in the top five and four, the contestants sing two songs each; once in the top three and finale, the contestants sing three songs each.
Following each performance episode, a results show airs that reveals the breakdown of the voting public's decision. The most popular contestants are not typically revealed, but the bottom three vote-getters are typically called to the center of the stage. From the bottom three, the bottom two are revealed, until finally the contestant who received the lowest amount of votes is eliminated from the competition. A montage of the contestant's experience is played and they give their final performance.
In the finale, one remaining contestant is declared the winner. Until the 2008 season, the stage was moved to the Kodak Theatre for the finale showdown, where the two remaining contestants perform for an audience of at least 3,400. In 2008, the venue was shifted to the Nokia Theatre. The winner is announced at the following results show. The winner receives a one million (US) dollar record deal with a major label, and is managed by American Idol-related 19 Management. In some cases, non-winners have also been signed by the show's management company (who has first option to sign contestants) and received record deals with its major label partner. So far, all of the the seasons' winners and runner-ups have had major record deals.
[edit] Season synopses
[edit] Season 1
The first season of American Idol debuted without hype as a summer replacement show (with the full title American Idol: The Search For A Superstar) in June 2002 on the Fox Broadcasting Company. Fox, along with other networks, initially rejected the show. However Rupert Murdoch, head of Fox's parent company, was persuaded to buy the show by his daughter Elisabeth who was a fan of the British version.[2] The show's co-hosts were Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Through word of mouth generated by the appeal of its contestants and the presence of acid-tongued British judge Simon Cowell, the show grew into a phenomenon. An estimated fifty million people watched the Season 1 finale in September 2002. Following such a success, the second season was moved to air the upcoming January. The number of episodes increased, as did the show's budget and the charge for commercial spots.
Winner Kelly Clarkson signed with RCA Records, the label in partnership with American Idol's 19 Management. Immediately post-finale, Clarkson released two singles, most notably the coronation song "A Moment Like This" which debuted at number 52, but marked the biggest jump in Billboard Hot 100 history when it shot to number one, breaking a record set by The Beatles. As part of the promotion planned for the show's first winner, the song had been pre-recorded ready to air on radio stations the day after the finale. Appearances on numerous entertainment/news shows followed, as did videos for the singles that began airing on MTV's TRL. Clarkson has subsequently had two successful albums: Thankful and Breakaway. She has several hit singles mostly from her more successful second album Breakaway. While her first album failed to sell outside of North America, her second was a global success and garnered two Grammy Awards in 2006 with 11 million albums sold worldwide. The less successful third album, My December as of December 2, 2007 has sold 720,000 domestically, approximately 1,500,000 copies worldwide, and was certified Platinum in Canada and the United States.
The show inspired a 2003 musical film, From Justin to Kelly, featuring Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini. The musical love story, produced by American Idol's Simon Fuller, was filmed in Miami, Florida over a period of six weeks shortly after the season ended. Released several months later in June 2003, the film failed to make back its budget [3] during its short run in theatres and is often ranked among the worst movies ever made. A DVD with additional footage was released and the movie airs periodically in the U.S. and other countries.
Besides Clarkson and Guarini, also signed were Nikki McKibbin (3rd), Tamyra Gray (4th), RJ Helton (5th), and Christina Christian (6th). It is the only year the runner-up did not release a single following the show's finale.
Runner-up Justin Guarini also signed with RCA Records. Contract restrictions required him to reject outside offers received and delay solo projects following the season finale, eventually debuting an album in 2003 after the conclusion of Season 2. RCA dropped him shortly after its debut. Guarini went on to form his own entertainment company, and independently produced a jazz album in 2005, with an album of soul/funk/jazz currently in production. He has also composed/performed music for various projects by other artists, continues to act in independent movies/short films/television, and is a host/commentator for the TV Guide Network. Nikki McKibbin signed with RCA, but quit because she refused to record a country album. She has since made appearances on various Reality TV shows and is working on her debut album. Tamyra Gray was signed to RCA, but was dropped before releasing an album. She then signed with Idol creator Simon Fuller's new label 19 Entertainment. Gray's self-written debut album was released in 2004. In 2005, she was also dropped by that label. She had a supporting role in the 2005 movie The Gospel, and limited guest runs in Broadway's "Bombay Dreams" and "Rent". RJ Helton released a Christian album, but sales were lackluster. Ryan Starr had trouble getting out of her contract with RCA Records but managed to independently release a single, My Religion, which sold 360,000 downloads via iTunes. She is expected to release her debut album in 2007. Jim Verraros, who came out of the closet after being voted off American Idol, starred in an indie film and released a dance-pop album, charting a dance hit on Billboard. Christina Christian, EJay Day (tenth), and AJ Gil (eighth) have had little success after the show.
Starting September 30, 2006, the first season of American Idol was repackaged as "American Idol Rewind" and syndicated on select T.V.D. stations in the US.
| Date | Bottom Three | ||
| July 17 | EJay Day | Jim Verraros | Nikki McKibbin |
| July 24 | A.J. Gil | Ryan Starr | Christina Christian |
| July 31 | Ryan Starr (2) | Justin Guarini | Nikki McKibbin (2) |
| August 7 | Christina Christian (2) | RJ Helton | Nikki McKibbin (3) |
| Bottom Two | |||
| August 14 | RJ Helton (2) | Nikki McKibbin (4) | |
| August 21 | Tamyra Gray | Nikki McKibbin (5) | |
| Final Three | |||
| August 28 | Nikki McKibbin (6) | ||
| September 4 | Justin Guarini (2) | Kelly Clarkson | |
[edit] Season 2
In Season 2, Seacrest surfaced as the lone host. Dunkleman reportedly hated working on the show and the studio was dissatisfied with his performance. Kristin Holt was origianlly announced to be added to the show as a co-host to Ryan Seacrest [4], but upon airing, she was introduced as a special correspondent with all of the takes with her acting as a host cut out of the first few shows. This time, Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner with Clay Aiken as runner-up. Out of 24 million votes recorded, Studdard finished 130,000 votes ahead of Aiken. There was discussion in the communication industry about the phone system being overloaded, and that more than 150 million votes were dropped, making the voting suspect.[5] Since then, the voting methods have been modified to avoid this problem.
In an interview prior to fifth season, a statement by executive producer Nigel Lythgoe suggested that Aiken had led the fan voting from the wild card week onward until the finale.[6] Clay Aiken became the first American Idol non-winning contestant to have a U.S. Hot 100 number-one with "This Is the Night", written by British songwriter Chris Braide with Gary Burr and Aldo Nova. Studdard and Aiken both released albums in the fall/winter of 2003, 2004 and 2006. Third place finalist Kimberley Locke's debut album, One Love was released in 2004. Her second album, Based on a True Story, was released in May 2007.
Fourth-place finisher and former Marine Josh Gracin became a country artist. His first album spawned three charted singles, including the number-one U.S. country song, "Nothing to Lose". He is signed with Lyric Street Records.
Sixth-place finisher Carmen Rasmusen signed with independent country record label Lofton Creek Records, and released her debut album and a single in 2007.
After a strong showing during the early stages of auditions, contestant Frenchie Davis was disqualified from the competition when topless photos of her surfaced on the internet. Shortly afterwards she landed a role in the Broadway musical Rent, and continues to work on Broadway.
During the course of the contest, Studdard became known for wearing 205 Flava jerseys representing his area code. Shortly after the end of the contest, Studdard sued 205 Flava, Inc. for $2 million for using his image for promotional purposes. Flava responded by alleging that Studdard had accepted over $10,000 in return for wearing 205 shirts, and produced eight cashed checks to validate their claim. The allegations, if true, indicate a clear violation of the American Idol rules.[7] The lawsuit was settled out of court.[8]
Rumor mills concerning Season Two contestants buzzed again when, in 2006, contestant Corey Clark (who producers kicked off the show because of him not disclosing a police record) alleged he had an affair with judge Paula Abdul during his time on the competition influencing his removal from the competition. Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show because of their alleged romance. A subsequent investigation by an independent counsel hired by Fox "could not corroborate the evidence or allegations provided by Mr. Clark or any witnesses".[9]
American Idol Rewind started re-airing this season in the fall of 2007.
| Date | Bottom Three | ||
| March 11 | Vanessa Olivarez | Julia DeMato | Kimberley Locke |
| March 18 | Charles Grigsby | Corey Clark | Julia DeMato (2) |
| March 25 | Julia DeMato (3) | Kimberly Caldwell | Rickey Smith |
| Corey Clark (disqualified) | |||
| April 1 | Carmen Rasmusen | Trenyce | Kimberley Locke (2) |
| April 8 | Rickey Smith (2) | Kimberly Caldwell (2) | Kimberley Locke (3) |
| April 15 | Kimberly Caldwell (3) | Carmen Rasmusen (2) | Trenyce (2) |
| April 22 | Carmen Rasmusen (3) | Joshua Gracin | Trenyce (3) |
| Bottom Two | |||
| April 29 | Trenyce (4) | Ruben Studdard | |
| May 6 | Joshua Gracin (2) | Kimberley Locke (4) | |
| Final Three | |||
| May 13 | Kimberley Locke (5) | ||
| May 20 | Clay Aiken | Ruben Studdard (2) | |
[edit] Season 3
The third season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2004. The winner of this season of American Idol was Fantasia Barrino, later known professionally as simply "Fantasia," and the runner-up was Diana Degarmo. This was also the season that Golden Globe Award- and Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson was discovered.
During the audition process Alonzo Munyeneh of Absecon, NJ was the first prospective contestant to ever be arrested for their actions during their audition. Munyeneh finished his performance of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and was told he did not make it to Hollywood. He then became belligerent and started tearing the set apart. He shouted obscenities at the judges while ripping down lighting rigs and knocking over the judges' table. He was finally restrained by security and the authorities were called to take him away. No one was injured but the judges were visibly rattled and had to take a break from the process for a few hours.
The early part of the season introduced William Hung, a UC Berkeley student, who received widespread attention following his off-key rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." His performance, as well as his positive attitude facing Simon's criticisms (a stark contrast to other contestants' confrontational, angry reactions), landed him a record deal with Koch Entertainment and made him over $500,000 in record sales. He also starred in a Cingular Wireless commercial with host Ryan Seacrest.
During the season, controversy over the legitimacy of the contest increased as rocker Jon Peter Lewis and young crooner John Stevens stayed afloat while others were unexpectedly eliminated. Jasmine Trias, despite negative comments from Simon Cowell over her later performances, survived elimination and took the third spot over Latoya London. Trias later released a CD and attracted fans in her home state of Hawaii, the Philippines, Singapore, Guam and other South East Asian countries. The third season was also shown in Australia on Network Ten about half a week after episodes were shown in the U.S.
After a nationwide vote of more than 65 million votes in total - more than the first two seasons combined - Fantasia Barrino won the American Idol title over runner-up Diana DeGarmo. She released her first single in June 2004 on the RCA record label. The single included "I Believe" – cowritten by former Idol contestant Tamyra Gray (who also sang backup) – which Fantasia performed on the finale of Idol, the Aretha Franklin hit "Chain of Fools" (released before on an American Idol compilation), and her signature version of "Summertime". The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, making Fantasia the first artist in the history of Billboard to debut at number one with their first single.[10][11] The song remained at the number one for one week (it topped the sales chart for 11 weeks in the US and 10 weeks in Canada). Fantasia's CD, I Believe, went on to become the top selling single of 2004 in the U.S and has since been certified double platinum by the CRIA and received 3 Billboard Music Awards. In 2006, she received 4 Grammy nominations for her double platinum debut album Free Yourself.
Sales of Diana DeGarmo's first CD, Blue Skies, suffered partly from a lack of promotion by RCA. DeGarmo eventually asked to be released from her RCA record contract. She received a role in the Broadway production of Hairspray, where she played the part of Penny Pingleton from February 7-May 21 to positive reviews. DeGarmo then starred with Melba Moore in the national tour of Brooklyn the Musical through mid-August. On September 8, she returned to the Broadway production of Hairspray to once again assume the role of Penny Pingleton for a six month period. DeGarmo is also working independently on a second album while performing in the musicals.
Second Runner-up Jasmine Trias signed with an independent label. Although she has failed to achieve commercial success in the mainland USA, she has become a major celebrity in other countries, such as the Philippines and Japan, where she is signed with Universal Records.
Latoya London signed with Peak Records and released an R&B/soul album, "Love & Life," selling 55,000 copies. Her single, "Appreciate/Every Part of Me/All by Myself," charted at number 8 on the Billboard Singles Sales Chart, and her songs, "Appreciate," "Every Part of Me," and "State of My Heart," all received moderate success on urban and adult contemporary radio. She starred in the Los Angeles revival of the retro-musical, "Beehive," and also starred with Angie Stone and Kim Fields in the tour of the play, "Issues: We All Got 'Em." Latoya will begin playing the role of Nettie in the touring edition of the Broadway musical, The Color Purple, which will begin with an extended run in Chicago, Illinois in April, 2007. The musical also stars Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child.
George Huff signed with Word Records to release a gospel album and has since had mild success in that genre. John Stevens landed a deal with Maverick Records but was dropped due to low album sales.
Jennifer Hudson starred alongside Beyoncé Knowles and Jamie Foxx in the 2006 feature film Dreamgirls and won several honors and awards, including a Golden Globe for her performance and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film, which also won the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), was released to preview audiences on December 15, 2006, in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, drawing sellout crowds. On its first day in wide release (Christmas Day 2006), Dreamgirls sold 8.8 million dollars worth of tickets to claim the top spot at the box office. It was the single highest daily gross for a musical in motion picture history. The soundtrack to Dreamgirls, featuring Hudson's acclaimed version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," reached Number One on the Billboard Top 200 album chart on January 10, 2007, after five weeks in release. Hudson, who signed a recording contract with Clive Davis' Arista label in late 2006, is expected to release her debut album sometime in 2008.
Camile Velasco returned to the Philippines in December 2004 after 17 years for a whirlwind tour of television appearances and a concert with Martin Nievera. In 2005, she signed to Motown Records, but left the label after a lack of promotion for her first single. Camile performed at several concerts in Hawaii, California and Illinois, maintaining her ambition to become an artist. In 2006, she appeared in a Black Eyed Peas video and performed in Hawaii, California, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and the Philippines. Camile is now writing and producing her own songs on UHype Records.
In May 2005, Telescope announced that the third season had a total of approximately 360 million votes.
| Date | Bottom Three | ||
| March 17 | Leah LaBelle | Jennifer Hudson | Amy Adams |
| March 24 | Matthew Rogers | Camile Velasco | Diana DeGarmo |
| March 31 | Amy Adams (2) | Jennifer Hudson (2) | LaToya London |
| April 7 | Camile Velasco (2) | Jasmine Trias | Diana DeGarmo (2) |
| April 15 | Jon Peter Lewis | John Stevens | Diana DeGarmo (3) |
| April 21 | Jennifer Hudson (3) | Fantasia Barrino | LaToya London (2) |
| April 28 | John Stevens (2) | George Huff | Jasmine Trias (2) |
| Bottom Two | |||
| May 5 | George Huff (2) | Jasmine Trias (3) | |
| May 12 | LaToya London (3) | Fantasia Barrino (2) | |
| Final Three | |||
| May 19 | Jasmine Trias (4) | ||
| May 26 | Diana DeGarmo (4) | Fantasia Barrino (3) | |
[edit] Season 4
The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005. It was the first season in which the age limit was raised to 28, in order to increase variety. All Season 4 contestants had to be between the ages of 16 and 28 on August 4, 2004, born on or between August 5, 1975 and August 4, 1988.[12][13] Among those who benefited from this new rule were Constantine Maroulis (born September 17, 1975) and Bo Bice (born November 1, 1975), considered to be the eldest and somewhat most experienced of the season's Idol contestants. They were also constantly mentioned by Seacrest and in the media as "the two rockers", since their long hair and choice of rock songs made them stand out from conventional Idol standards. The presence of more rock-oriented contestants continued with Chris Daughtry in Season 5, who was inspired to audition for the show by Bice.
This season also implemented new rules for the final portion of the contest. Instead of competing in semi-final heats in which the top vote-getters are promoted to the final round, 24 semi-finalists were named; 12 men and 12 women, who competed separately, with 2 of each gender being voted off each week until 12 finalists were left.
Mario Vazquez, who was originally one of the top 12, dropped out of the competition on March 11, just days before the top 12's first performance, citing "personal issues", opening a spot in the final 12 for Nikko Smith (son of Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith), who had been voted off in the semi-finals the previous week.
The winner was Carrie Underwood, a country singer, the first winner since Kelly Clarkson to not only win but avoid being in the bottom three for the entire competition. Carrie Underwood's first single, "Inside Your Heaven", was released on June 14, 2005. The single debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with first-week sales of 170,000 copies, and briefly stopped Mariah Carey's run at #1 with "We Belong Together". One week later, runner-up Bo Bice released his version of the song, which debuted at #2. The B-side of Underwood's CD was "Independence Day", a cover of the Martina McBride hit. On November 15, 2005, Carrie released her debut album, Some Hearts, which both debuted and peaked at #2 on Billboard. However, the album finished as the #1 selling album on the Billboard 200 for the entire 2006 chart year. It has currently sold over 7 million copies, and has gone 7x platinum. Underwood's first single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" was made available for radio airplay on October 18, 2005. It received so much airplay that it debuted at #39 on the Billboard Country Chart in its first week, setting a record. As it climbed, it finally reached #1 for 6 consecutive weeks, just two weeks shy of Connie Smith's record of an 8 week run back in 1964-1965. The single also debuted at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 where it peaked at #20. Underwood's second single, "Don't Forget to Remember Me", peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Charts, as well as, #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. Underwood's third single "Before He Cheats" not only hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Country charts, but also has peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming a crossover pop hit. Currently, Underwood has the most successful debut album sales out of the American Idol finalists. Some Hearts has sold over 6 million copies as of December 2007, becoming the best selling album by any American Idol alumni. Underwood's fourth single "Wasted" has become her 3rd #1 single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and also peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her second album, Carnival Ride (which is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA) was released on October 23, 2007. It has so far sold over 2 million copies and has produced two #1 country hits, "So Small." and "All-American Girl." "All-American Girl" currently sitting at #1 on the Billboard Country chart.
Bo Bice's first single "The Real Thing" has appeared on American Top 40 radio. Although Bice's sales did not match that of Underwood, he stands as the third-most successful recording artist to not win the American Idol title with RIAA platinum status. Third-place contestant Vonzell Solomon landed a role in a film, Still Green and a single on a Christmas album. Fourth-place contestant Anthony Fedorov has appeared in television shows such as Fear Factor, where he competed with Season 2 contestant Carmen Rasmusen, winning second place, and has finished taping several episodes for a new MTV show to air in the fall. Federov will be performing in The Fantasticks on off-Broadway May through July of 2007. Sixth-place contestant Constantine Maroulis has redone his rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" for a Queen tribute album, and released his first full-length solo album in 2007. Since August 2006, Maroulis has appeared in the Broadway musical The Wedding Singer and the now closed off-broadway play Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Seventh-place contestant Anwar Robinson has released his self-titled EP on an independent label. Twelfth-place contestant Lindsey Cardinale's first single, "Nothing Like A Dream", was released in March 2006.
In May 2005, Telescope announced that the fourth season had a total of approximately 500 million votes.
On February 11, 2007, Carrie Underwood became the first winner of American Idol to sweep all three major music awards (American Music, Billboard, and Grammy Awards) in a single season (for 2006-07).
| Date | Bottom Three | ||
| March 16 | Lindsey Cardinale | Mikalah Gordon | Jessica Sierra |
| March 23 | Mikalah Gordon (2) | Nadia Turner | Anthony Federov |
| March 30 | Jessica Sierra (2) | Anwar Robinson | Nadia Turner (2) |
| April 6 | Nikko Smith | Scott Savol | Vonzell Solomon |
| April 13 | Nadia Turner (3) | Bo Bice | Scott Savol (2) |
| April 20 | Anwar Robinson (2) | Anthony Federov (2) | Scott Savol (3) |
| April 27 | Constantine Maroulis | Anthony Federov (3) | Vonzell Solomon (2) |
| Bottom Two | |||
| May 4 | Scott Savol (4) | Anthony Federov (4) | |
| May 11 | Anthony Federov (5) | Vonzell Solomon (3) | |
| Final Three | |||
| May 18 | Vonzell Solomon (4) | ||
| May 25 | Bo Bice (2) | Carrie Underwood | |
[edit] Season 5
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006; this was the first season of the series to be aired in high definition. Auditions were in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco, with Greensboro, North Carolina and Las Vegas, Nevada included after the cancellation of the Memphis auditions due to Hurricane Katrina. The season used the same rules as Season 4. [14] [15]
Taylor Hicks was named American Idol on May 24, 2006; he was the fourth contestant to never fall into any week's "bottom three". His first post-Idol single, "Do I Make You Proud", would debut at #1 and be certified gold. [16] Hicks' album, Taylor Hicks, has sold 700,000 copies to date.
On May 30, 2006, Telescope announced that a total of 63.5 million votes were cast in the finale round. A total of 580 million votes were cast in the entire season.[17] Taylor Hicks is the second American Idol winner from the city of Birmingham, Alabama (the first being Ruben Studdard), and the fourth finalist with close ties to the city.
The fifth-season contestant with the most commercial success is fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry, now lead singer of the band Daughtry. Their eponymous debut album has sold over 3.2 million copies to date - surpassing former winners Studdard and Fantasia's respective two-album totals - and produced two top-ten singles. The album, which spent two weeks at #1 in the US, is also the fastest-selling debut rock album in Soundscan history.[18]
Runner-up Katharine McPhee's debut album has sold 367,000 copies to date; she has two Top 40 Billboard hits to date. Also notable: sixth-place finisher Kellie Pickler, whose Small Town Girl reached #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and has sold over 700,000 copies to date. Strong early sales have also been achieved by mid-2007 eponymous album releases by third-place Elliott Yamin and eighth-place Bucky Covington.
| Date | Bottom Three | ||
| March 15 | Melissa McGhee | Lisa Tucker | Ace Young |
| March 22 | Kevin Covais | Bucky Covington | Lisa Tucker (2) |
| March 29 | Lisa Tucker (3) | Katharine McPhee | Ace Young (2) |
| April 5 | Mandisa | Elliott Yamin | Paris Bennett |
| April 12 | Bucky Covington (2) | Ace Young (3) | Elliott Yamin (2) |
| April 19 | Ace Young (4) | Chris Daughtry | Paris Bennett (2) |
| Bottom Two | |||
| April 26 | Kellie Pickler | Paris Bennett (3) | |
| May 3 | Paris Bennett (4) | Elliott Yamin (3) | |
| May 10 | Chris Daughtry (2) | Katharine McPhee (2) | |
| Final Three | |||
| May 17 | Elliott Yamin (4) | ||
| May 24 | Katharine McPhee (3) | Taylor Hicks | |
[edit] Season 6
The sixth season began on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. The premiere episode of the season drew a massive audience of 37.7 million viewers, peaking in the last half hour with more than 41 million viewers.[19] Jordin Sparks was declared the winner on May 23, 2007, at 10:05 EST, with a new record of 74 million votes in the finale against runner-up Blake Lewis.
Teenager Sanjaya Malakar was the season's most polarizing and talked about American Idol contestant,[20][21] as he continued to survive elimination for several weeks. The weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality Howard Stern both encouraged fans to vote for Sanjaya. However, on April 18, after over 38 million votes, Sanjaya was voted off.
The Top 6 singers performed inspirational music as a part of the first ever "Idol Gives Back" telethon-inspired event which raised more than $60 million in corporate and viewer donations.[22] None of the singers were eliminated, and the votes from that week were added to the votes from the following week to eliminate two singers. Both weeks saw a two-hour extension of the regular two-hour voting window, and in the end, with a two-week total of over 135 million votes, Chris Richardson and Phil Stacey were eliminated. The next week, Lakisha Jones was sent packing after 45 million votes were cast, a result Simon had successfully predicted. Then, in the top 3, Melinda Doolittle, a frontrunner of the show, was ousted after nearly 60 million votes, despite predictions from Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell that she should be in the finale.
A little over a month earlier, the show had launched the American Idol Songwriter contest which enabled fans to select the "coronation song" to be performed by whichever two contestants made it to the finale. In the songwriting contest, amateur songwriters were able to submit original songs they had written and recorded. A selection committee headed by Idol creator Simon Fuller then narrowed thousands of submissions down to twenty finalists. With "one online vote per fan," fans were able to listen to snippets from each song and rate them. When the ratings were tallied, the winning song was the ballad "This is My Now" co-written by Scott Krippayne and Jeff Peabody.
In the finale, both Jordin and Blake started the night off strong. However, the final song of the night was "This is My Now," the winner of the American Idol Songwriter contest. Since the song had been specifically written for the American Idol finale, neither contestant was allowed much flexibility to make it their own. Some fans complained that this song was written in Jordin's style of singing which would give her an advantange over Blake. In fact, the next night, Simon predicted that Jordin would win purely on this final song. At the end of the episode, Ryan confirmed both Randy's and Simon's predictions announcing Jordin Sparks the Season 6 winner of American Idol, after approximately 74 million votes. Jordin Sparks first non American Idol single is Tattoo, while Blake Lewis' single is Break Anotha. Phil Stacey, tied for fifth place with Chris Richardson, is now signed to Lyric Street and has released his first single If You Didn't Love Me.
This season of American Idol produced two Top 3 contestants that were never in bottom 2 or 3, Jordin Sparks (the Season 6 winner) and Melinda Doolittle (third place). They will join Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks as Top 3 contestants never to have been in the bottom 2 or 3.
| Date | Bottom Three | ||
| March 14 | Brandon Rogers | Sanjaya Malakar | Phil Stacey |
| March 21 | Stephanie Edwards | Chris Richardson | unannounced |
| March 28 | Chris Sligh | Haley Scarnato | Phil Stacey (2) |
| April 4 | Gina Glocksen | Haley Scarnato (2) | Phil Stacey (3) |
| April 11 | Haley Scarnato (3) | Phil Stacey (4) | Chris Richardson (2) |
| April 18 | Sanjaya Malakar (2) | LaKisha Jones | Blake Lewis |
| Bottom Two | |||
| May 2 | Phil Stacey (5) | Chris Richardson (3) | |
| Final Four | |||
| May 9 | LaKisha Jones (2) | ||
| May 16 | Melinda Doolittle | ||
| May 23 | Blake Lewis (2) | Jordin Sparks | |
[edit] Season 7
American Idol returned for its seventh season when it aired on January 15, 2008[23] for a two day, four hour premiere. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed small changes will be made in the show upon its return in 2008. It was reported that more attention will be paid to who the contestants are, where they come from, and why fans should care to vote for them. Nothing as dramatic as the songwriting competition or an age-limit change was planned for the season. Still, the executive producer owns up to the fact that season 6 took the focus away from the contestants, their backgrounds and their talent, and it needs to get back on track.
In Season 6, relatively little was known about the contestants, which was evident by the fact that Sanjaya's hair was the biggest "personal" story of each week. While there are a couple of big changes planned, "fans shouldn't fret" states Lythgoe. Despite cries that every season in the initial audition process the judges were cruel and mean, there was little to no adjustment made to that part of the show. One significant change is allowing contestants to play their own instruments (Contestants on Canadian Idol and Australian Idol are also allowed to play instruments.)
As the return of American Idol drew close a former contestant spoke out about the show's credibility. Season 5 sensation Chris Daughtry was quoted saying "I feel like it's definitely lacking some credibility at this point. I'm sure that it will be used against me, but that's the truth."
Idol Gives Back raised more than $75 million last year for underprivileged children, and will return this year on April 9, 2008. Brad Pitt is scheduled to appear for this event. [24].
On March 11, 2008 American Idol debuted a new state-of-the-art set and stage, along with a new on-air look. The two-night season finale will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on May 20 and 21.
Auditions for the seventh season of American Idol began July 30, 2007. The Auditions were held in the following cities:[25]
- San Diego, California: Qualcomm Stadium - July 30
- Dallas, Texas: Texas Stadium - August 6
- Omaha, Nebraska: Qwest Center - August 10
- Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia Dome - August 14
- Charleston, South Carolina: North Charleston Coliseum - August 18
- Miami, Florida: American Airlines Arena - August 22
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Wachovia Center - August 27
The top 12 were decided on March 6, 2008 and the two-night finale is on May 20 and May 21, 2008.
There was some controversy early in season 7 because several of the semi-finalists have previously had record deals, including Robbie Carrico, Kristy Lee Cook, and Carly Smithson. However, Idol rules state that contestants may have had a record deal in the past, but are still eligible as long as they are no longer under contract when Idol begins.
| Date | Bottom Three | |||
| March 12 | David Hernandez | Kristy Lee Cook | Syesha Mercado | |
| March 19 | Amanda Overmyer | Kristy Lee Cook (2) | Carly Smithson | |
| March 26 | Chikezie Eze | Syesha Mercado (2) | Jason Castro | |
| April 2 | Ramiele Malubay | Kristy Lee Cook (3) | Brooke White | |
| April 10 | ||||
| April 16 | ||||
| April 23 | ||||
| Bottom Two | ||||
| April 30 | ||||
| May 7 | ||||
| Final Three | ||||
| May 14 | ||||
| May 21 | ||||
[edit] Media sponsorship
American Idol is often noted for advertising its sponsors during the show's runtime. Being the number-one-rated show in the United States, it costs around $700,000 for a 30-second commercial.[26]
Apple iTunes has joined as a Season 7 major sponsor in the U.S., and Ryan Seacrest notes during the program that all performances are available via iTunes. Video is regularly shown of contestants learning their songs by rehearsing with iPods.
Coca-Cola is a major sponsor in the U.S., and all the judges, hosts, and contestants are seen consuming beverages out of cups bearing the Coca-Cola logo -- although video evidence suggests Abdul pretends to drink from one cup in which there is no liquid. [27] The sponsorship also depicts contestants and host Seacrest gathering for a "Keeping it Real" segment between songs in the "Coca-Cola Red Room," the show's equivalent to the traditional green room. (During rebroadcast on ITV in the UK, the Coca-Cola logo is obscured in the shots.) In seasons 1 through 4, after every Wednesday results show, the host and remaining contestants meet in the Coca-Cola Red Room to discuss next week's theme; the footage of this meeting is shown at the start of the following Tuesday's performance show.
Text voting is made possible by AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless. It was provided by Cingular Wireless before AT&T acquired that company.
Kellogg and Pop-Tarts are also two major sponsors, especially of the cast tour that follows the end of every season[28].
Products from the Ford Motor Company also receive prominent product placement; contestants appear in Ford commercials on the results shows, and the final two of Seasons 4, 5 and 6 each won free Mustangs. Previous contestants Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks have also been tapped to do commercials for Ford. Also, in the top 24's studio, in the red room there is a glass table with a Ford tire inside of it. The camera routinely captures the logo.
Contestants will occasionally don Old Navy clothing during performances,[28] and celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru appeared in two previous seasons to assist contestants with picking out wardrobe pieces from Old Navy. Clairol hair care products also sponsors the show, with contestants usually getting Clairol-guided hair makeovers after the first two or three episodes during the round of 12.[28]
[edit] Controversy
- American Idol has come under fire for maintaining what some claim to be total control of the careers of the winners of the contest. Former co-host Brian Dunkleman referred to the show as "owning" the winning contestants, noting that winners sign contracts to only record with companies owned by the show's producers and to allow related agencies to manage their careers.
- Former contestant Corey Clark told reporters in April 2005 that he and Idol judge Paula Abdul had a "secret affair" prompting an investigation by external counsel hired by Fox, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment. The 600-hour investigation spanning three months cleared Abdul of all charges levied by Clark.[29]
- During season three, controversy arose at the poor showing during the semi-finals of three highly praised African American contestants, Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London and Fantasia Barrino - collectively known during that season as the 'Three Divas'. After the surprise elimination of Hudson, Sir Elton John, who was a guest judge for that season criticized the vote as 'incredibly racist' in a press conference.[30] The elimination of both Hudson and London relatively early in the competition has been pointed out as a classic demonstration of vote splitting in the American idol vote.[31]
- Since the 2004 season, American Idol producers have battled online community services such as the websites DialIdol.com, Worldsentiment.com, and VotefortheWorst.com. DialIdol predicts which contestants may be voted off or are in danger of being voted off based on the percentage of times an automatic dialer encounters a busy signal for each contestant; Worldsentiment uses very large samplings and algorithms to predict the outcome of the vote-off; and VotefortheWorst exhorts viewers to vote for what the site deems to be the worst contestant, rather than the best. Some in the media have implied that Las Vegas odds makers exert behind-the-scenes influence in protecting the services.[32][33]
- A series of provocative photos surfaced on the Internet of Season 6 Top 24 Contestant Antonella Barba.[34]
- According to the Howard 100 News LaKisha Jones's departure (Season 6) was not because of America's vote, but rather a predetermined outcome. Their source claims that travel arrangements for LaKisha to return home were made prior to the start of the May 8, 2007 performance show, well before the phone lines were opened. The source also claims that a significant sized crew was sent to Flint, Michigan for reaction shots, however crews were not sent to the remaining contestants' home towns.[35]
- Fans and critics alike were stunned at Melinda Doolittle's departure. Simon Cowell admitted that the sixth season's crown should have rightfully gone to Melinda.[36] Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe responded, noting that "[Idol producers] were so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show". Lythgoe also produces So You Think You Can Dance, and has noted that the dance program gives background information about its contestants, while American Idol focused more on its big name celebrity mentors, such as Tony Bennett, Gwen Stefani, and Jennifer Lopez.[37]
- Season 7 contestant Carly Smithson has stirred up controversy due to a prior major label record deal she had with MCA Records. It has been reported that MCA spent over 2 million dollars promoting Smithson's previous album "Ultimate High", which she made under the name Carly Hennessy. The album sold 378 copies, but is now available on iTunes. To further complicate things, Randy Jackson worked for MCA during the same period of time that Smithson was signed, and was part of the team that signed her to MCA. The show made no mention of this deal. In addition, contestants Michael Johns, David Cook, and Kristy Lee Cook were also represented by a major record label at one time and have made albums. [38], Cook to Arista Nashville. Contestant Robbie Carrico was formerly a member of the group Boyz N Girlz United, who had a minor hit in 2000 with the single "Messed Around", as well as opening for Britney Spears in 1999.[39] This new information raises questions as to whether this year's contestants can be considered "amateur", noting their prior work within the entertainment industry.
- David Hernandez, one of the top 12 in season 7, was revealed by VotefortheWorst.com to have worked as a male stripper in Phoenix, AZ. According to the owner of Dick's Cabaret, David's job included a routine featuring full nudity and performing lap dances for male clientèle.[40] Nude pictures of David at work have since been released. No disclosure of his career as a stripper was made by Fox prior to the release.[41]
- Racy pictures of season 7 finalist Ramiele Malubay spread throughout the web. The pictures we're grabbed into Ramiele's facebook titled as "Ramiele's Lesbian Photos". Celebtv.com reveal another batch of sexy pictures where Ramiele seems to be fond of handling breast. [42]Ramiele keeps mum about the photos and post a message to her myspace that the photo's we're not racy but if it's people's opinion then she respects it.
[edit] Television ratings
[edit] U.S.
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of American Idol on FOX.
- Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
| Season[43] | Premiered | Ended | TV Season | Timeslot | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (in millions) |
Date | Viewers (in millions) |
||||
| 1st[44] | June 11-June 12, 2002 | 1.90[citation needed] | Final Performances: September 3, 2002 | 18.69 | 2002 | Tuesday 9:00PM (performance show) |
#30 |
| Season Finale: September 4, 2002 | 22.77 | Wednesday 9:30PM (results show) |
#25 | ||||
| 2nd[45] | January 21-January 22, 2003 | 26.50 | Final Performances: May 20, 2003 | 25.67 | 2003 | Tuesday 8:00PM (performance show) |
#5 |
| Season Finale: May 21, 2003 | 34.24 | Wednesday 8:30PM (results show) |
#3 | ||||
| 3rd[46] | January 19-January 20, 2004 | 28.56 | Final Performances: May 25, 2004 | 25.13 | 2004 | Tuesday 8:00PM (performance show) |
#2 |
| Season Finale: May 26, 2004 | 28.84 | Wednesday 8:30PM (results show) |
#3 | ||||
| 4th[47] | January 18-January 19, 2005 | 33.58 | Final Performances: May 24, 2005 | 28.05 | 2005 | Tuesday 8:00PM (performance show) |
#1 |
| Season Finale: May 25, 2005 | 30.27 | Wednesday 8:00PM (results show) |
#3 | ||||
| 5th[48] | January 17-January 18, 2006 | 35.53 | Final Performances: May 23, 2006 | 31.78 | 2006 | Tuesday 8:00PM (performance show) |
#1 |
| Season Finale: May 24, 2006 | 36.38 | Wednesday 8:00PM (results show) |
#1 | ||||
| 6th[49][50][51] | January 16-January 17, 2007 | 37.7 | Final Performances: May 22, 2007 | 25.33 | 2007 | Tuesday 8:00PM (performance show) |
#2 |
| Season Finale: May 23, 2007 | 30.74 | Wednesday 8:00PM (results show) |
#1 | ||||
| 7th[52] | January 15-January 16, 2008 | 33.4 | Final Performances: May 20, 2008 | TBD | 2008 | Tuesday 8:00PM (performance show) |
TBD |
| Season Finale: May 21, 2008 | TBD | Wednesday 8:00PM (results show) |
TBD | ||||
Unlike most successful television programs, past and present, American Idol has maintained and even grown its audience numbers beyond its first few seasons.
A growing number of television executives have begun to regard American Idol as a programming force unlike any seen before. Jeff Zucker, the new chief executive of NBC Universal, said, “I think Idol is the most impactful show in the history of television.”[53]
American Idol's consistent dominance of an hour two or three nights a week exceeds the 30- or 60-minute reach of previous hits such as The Cosby Show. As a result, competing networks—whose personnel call the show "the Death Star"[54]—have often rearranged their schedules in order to minimize losses. Conversely, FOX has used American Idol to help promote other programs on its schedule.[53]
Season Six: On the season finale of the sixth season, the ratings of American Idol saw a drop of 19 percent[55] from last year, when Taylor Hicks was crowned as the 2006 Idol. However, the results are preliminary as the ratings were measured between 8pm-10pm. Ratings of the season finale peaked at 34.9 million viewers at 10pm, just five minutes before Jordin Sparks was declared the winner of Idol.[56]
[edit] International
American Idol is broadcast to over 100 nations outside of the United States; however, these aren't live broadcasts and may be tape delayed by several days or weeks (excluding Canada, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, where episodes are also aired live). In those instances, the shows are combined into one episode to summarise the results. Australia airs episodes just 5 hours after their US showing and the UK airs episodes 2 days after their US showing on digital channel ITV2. It is also aired in Ireland 2 days after the showing.
The seventh season of American Idol is exclusively being broadcast direct to Australia via satellite on FOX8.
It also airs in Mexico in two markets in English -- Tijuana, Baja California and Matamoros, Tamaulipas -- because those markets have Fox affiliates that serve US markets. The Tijuana broadcast is a same-day broadcast, as it is located on the West Coast with its Fox affiliate XETV. The Matamoros broadcast is live, as it is in the Central time zone on XHRIO.
[edit] Top-selling American Idol alumni
[edit] Major award–winning American Idol alumni
- Further information: List of Awards/Nominations for American Idol Finalist
| Idol Contestant & Season | American Music Awards | Billboard Music Awards | Grammy Awards | Academy Awards | Country Music Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Clarkson (Season 1, Winner) |
4 | 12 | 2 2006 Best Female Pop Vocal 2006 Best Pop Vocal Album |
0 | 0 |
| Clay Aiken (Season 2, Runner-Up) |
1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fantasia Barrino (Season 3, Winner) |
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jennifer Hudson (Season 3, 7th Place) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 2006 Best Supporting Actress |
0 |
| Carrie Underwood (Season 4, Winner) |
4 | 13 | 3 2008 Best Female Country Vocal 2007 Best New Artist 2007 Best Female Country Vocal |
0 | 4 |
| Chris Daughtry (Season 5, 4th Place) |
3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On a detailed note, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are the only two Idols to win at all three of these major music awards shows. Carrie Underwood is the only Idol to sweep up honors at all these awards ceremonies in the same season (2006-2007) (2007-2008), and the only Idol to win Best New Artist at the Grammys. Kelly Clarkson is the only Idol who has received a Grammy Award for an album, as opposed to a vocal performance or new artist of the year. Jennifer Hudson is the first and only Idol to be nominated and to win an Academy Award. She won the Best Supporting Actress category in February 2007 for her performance as 'Effie' in the hit film Dreamgirls, based on the musical of the same name.
[edit] Voting Information (per American Idol TV show)
Per the actual TV show on March 18,2008, a general overview of what the phone numbers would be for each contestant, depends on how many contestants there are that week. Although the general format for these voting phone lines are 1-866-IDOLS(43657)-(contestant number), or by text-messaging at your standard text-messaging rate to 57(contestant number) with the word "VOTE". For exact voting information on ages and restrictions, please refer to the main American Idol Page at [3]
[edit] American Idol Hot 100 singles
[edit] American Idol video games
- American Idol - PlayStation 2, personal computer, Game Boy Advance, mobile phone
- Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol - PlayStation 2
- Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore - PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
[edit] Spin-offs
- The Next Great American Band[57]
- American Juniors
- American Idol Rewind
- American Idol Extra
- An American Idol Christmas
- From Justin to Kelly
[edit] Theme park attraction
On February 7, 2008, The Walt Disney Company announced the development of a live attraction based on American Idol to be built at its Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The show will be co-produced by 19 Entertainment. Set to open at the end of 2008, park guests will be able to audition and possibly perform in the live show. Winners will be selected by a combination of audience vote and input from a panel of judges, although the exact format has yet to be decided. Winners each day will have the chance to audition for the real TV series.[58]
[edit] See also
|
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Top 24 finalists named; rejects may be restricted by Idol’s contract
- ^ (2007-03-18). 60 Minutes [TV]. New York: CBS. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
- ^ From Justin to Kelly (2003) - Box office / business
- ^ "Kristin Holt, who was a semifinalist on Fox TV's hit show "American Idol" last summer, will be back for the talent-search show's second edition -- as a host. Fox has announced that the toothy former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader has been selected to join Ryan Seacrest as "Idol" co-host. She replaces Brian Dunkleman. Holt, a Texas native, returned home after not making the final 10. After hearing that the show was still without a co-host for Seacrest, she says she decided to give the producers a call. "I said, 'I know you're looking for a new co-host, so since I can't be the American Idol, can I have a job?'" She says she sees her role on the show as more than "just saying 'Welcome back to American Idol,'" "I can be there to give advice, or be a shoulder to cry on," she says.: Reality TV World quoted from FOX press announcement
- ^ American Idol Outrage: Your Vote Doesn't Count
- ^ "It's Going to be a Very Strong Season, I Think": An Interview with American Idol Producer Nigel Lythgoe
- ^ 205 Flava claims secret payoffs to 'American Idol' winner Ruben Studdard
- ^ Ruben Studdard settles lawsuit against Birmingham jersey-maker 205 Flava
- ^ After probe, Paula Abdul to remain on 'Idol' MSNBC.com
- ^ [1], Retrieved on 2007-05-28
- ^ [2], Retrieved on 2007-05-28
- ^ http://www.americanidol.com/archive/season3/showinfo/rules.htm
- ^ http://www.americanidol.com/archive/season3/showinfo/audition71404.pdf
- ^ http://www.americanidol.com/archive/season4/showinfo/rules_721.htm
- ^ http://www.americanidol.com/archive/season4/showinfo/ai5_release.pdf
- ^ Deep in the bowels of J Records. Gray Charles: The Official Taylor Hicks Weblog (2006-09-29). Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
- ^ Telescope Inc
- ^ Daughtry News + Blog | The Official Daughtry Site
- ^ == 'Idol' Death Star Returns - Premiere ratings build on last year's ginormous numbers. tv.zap2it.com (2007-01-17). Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
- ^ Usmagazine.com | Buh-Bye-Ya, Sanjaya!
- ^ Yahoo! Buzz
- ^ Netscape Celebrity
- ^ Moldova.org - Music - News - “American Idol” season 7 Auditions begin July 30 in San Diego
- ^ Pitt Stop in Hollywood for Idol Gives Back?, E! Online, 2008-03-31, Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
- ^ Season 7 Auditions Begin July 30 in San Diego - American Idol News
- ^ Fox Breaks Prime-Time Pricing Record
- ^ Paula Abdul Fakes Drinking her Coke on American Idol
- ^ a b c [www.americanidol.com]
- ^ Fox investigation clears Paula Abdul of Corey Clark's 'Idol' charges, UPI via realitytvworld.com, 2005-08-12, Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
- ^ Elton John Says 'American Idol' Vote Is 'Racist', Reuters via Yahoo.com, 2004-04-28, Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
- ^ American Idol voting, Votefair.org, Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
- ^ Vote for the Worst
- ^ Dial Idol
- ^ Racy Web Photos Linked To 'Idol' Singer CBSNews.com
- ^ Transcript, 'The Howard Stern Show' for May 10, Howardstern.com, 2007-05-10, Aired on 2007-05-10.
- ^ ABC News
- ^ ''Idol'' producer: ''We made mistakes'' | American Idol | TCA Press Tour | TV | Entertainment Weekly
- ^ Michael Johns American Idol
- ^ Former Britney Flame Headed to Hollywood on American Idol - Fall TV Watch
- ^ ''American Idol'' finalist - former stripper? | American Idol | Television News | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly
- ^ 'American Idol' Stripper to Stay on Show - AOL Television
- ^ http://www.livevideo.com/video/CelebTV/F576DB4D55AA459A8F960AEA750C5A8E/new-ramiele-photos.aspx
- ^ American Idol does not have a ranking for the 2001-2002 season because it aired in the summer of 2002. If it had aired within the official 2001-2002 U.S. television season, the Wednesday results show would have ranked #25 and the Tuesday performance show would have ranked #30, assuming it would have had the same rating as it did in the summer.
- ^ "Reality TV World: Ratings: ABC's 'Dancing With The Stars' finale hits summer highs not seen since 'Idol'", July 10, 2005.
- ^ "Cincinnati Enquirer: Television networks face reality check", May 25, 2003.
- ^ Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2004 television season
- ^ Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2005 television season
- ^ Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2006 television season
- ^ Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2007 television season
- ^ 'Idol' Finale Audience Tops 30 Million
- ^ Ratings Wrapup: CBS and FOX Win, Again
- ^ 'Idol' return draws 33.2 million
- ^ a b Carter, Bill. "For Fox’s Rivals, ?American Idol’ Remains a ?Schoolyard Bully’", The New York Times, 2007-02-20. Retrieved on 2008-03-13. "If any of Fox’s rivals had hopes that this year might signal some hint that the monster — NBC favors the term Death Star — would finally betray some sign of weakness, those hopes were dispelled in just a week."
- ^ Bauder, David. "'Idol' Attracts More Than 32M Viewers", The Associated Press, 2007-01-30. Retrieved on 2008-03-13. "Rival television executives not-so-fondly refer to Fox's American Idol as the 'death star.'"
- ^ 'Idol' finale ratings down 19 percent
- ^ 'Idol,' 'Lost' finish strong, but down from 2006
- ^ http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/pid=835
- ^ http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-bk-idol020708,0,5093676.story
[edit] External links
- American Idol Official Website (owned by Fox Interactive Media)
- American Idol SMS Voting Statistics
- TVWeek.com Producer Shop Talk With Exec Producer Nigel Lythoe
- American Idol TV Listings on TVGuide.com
- Contestant Interviews on Fox News Radio
- American Idol gallery at cnn.com
- American Idol (Photos, Airing, Rankings, Videos) at Yahoo TV
- Complete American Idol song/performance/contestant database
- American Idol on iTunes (Song Downloads, Videos, Podcasts) at iTunes.com
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| Seasons | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 |
| Hosts | Ryan Seacrest · Brian Dunkleman |
| Judges | Randy Jackson · Paula Abdul · Simon Cowell |
| Winners | Kelly Clarkson · Ruben Studdard · Fantasia Barrino · Carrie Underwood · Taylor Hicks · Jordin Sparks |
| Winner's Singles | "A Moment like This" · "Flying Without Wings" · "I Believe" · "Inside Your Heaven" · "Do I Make You Proud" · "This Is My Now" |
| Runners-up | Justin Guarini · Clay Aiken · Diana DeGarmo · Bo Bice · Katharine McPhee · Blake Lewis |
| Other alumni | Tamyra Gray · Kimberley Locke · William Hung · Jennifer Hudson · Kellie Pickler · Chris Daughtry · Elliott Yamin · Melinda Doolittle |
| Spin-offs | From Justin to Kelly · Juniors · Christmas · Extra · Rewind |
| Other | Underground · Compilation Series · Controversy · Discography · Episodes · Idol series · Magazine · Video game |
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| National franchises | United Kingdom (original) • Armenia • Australia • Belgium • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Kazakhstan • Malaysia • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Russia • Singapore • Slovakia • South Africa • Sweden • Turkey • United States • Vietnam |
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| International franchises | Africa • Arab world • Asia • Latin America • Serbia, Montenegro & Macedonia • West Africa • World Idol | |
