American Idol

Lopez close to Idol return

Jennifer Lopez is believed to be close to signing a new deal for American Idol next year. Fellow judges Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson have already confirmed their returns to the show as judges.

Bertram joins Neighbours

Actress Zoe Bertram will join the cast of Neighbours this week to begin a month-long stint as a Polish cleaner.

Heroes actor joins Vampire Diaries

Heroes actor Jack Coleman has joined the cast of The Vampire Diaries for its third season. Coleman, who played Noah Bennett on Heroes, will play a resident of Mystic Falls who is not keen on the town’s supernatural presence.

Franco returns to soap

James Franco will return to General Hospital, the soap that kick-started his acting career, for yet another guest appearance later this year.

Tyler and Jackson returning to Idol

Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson have confirmed they will return to American Idol as judges again next season. There is no word yet on Jennifer Lopez.

Rogan in for Fear Factor revival

Joe Rogan has been confirmed to return as the host of the rebooted Fear Factor reality series. The series will return for an eight-episode run and is said to embrace technology in a way that the original series couldn’t.

Patel joins new Sorkin series

Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel has landed a role on Aaron Sorkin’s new HBO series entitled More As the Story Develops that centres on a bunch of people working in a broadcast newsroom. Jeff Daniels, Olivia Munn and Emily Mortimer are also on board.

New Rob Dyrdek series coming to MTV

Rob Dyrdek of Rob & Big and Fantasy Factory is launching an all-new MTV series entitled Ridiculousness that will focus on amateur viral videos in a similar fashion as Comedy Central’s Tosh.0. Drydek will comment on clips in a range of segments such as ‘Redneck Good Times’ ‘Hot Mess’ and Worst Case Scenario’.

Lance Bass has created a new reality show. The former boy-bander-turned-reality-producer from N-Sync is creating six new shows, including one for VH1, in the USA, which will be a competition show like Idol, except with boy bands competing instead of solo artists.

He’s brought on his pal Joey Fatone to join Backstreet Boys’ A.J. Mclean, New Kids on the Block’s Joey McIntyre, and possibly even Bobby Brown who will use his New Edition expertise.

Each former boy band member will choose the most talented guys to form the ultimate boy band, then they’ll compete head-to-head to see who the best band is.

Every guy has signed on, except for Bobby, which Lance says he “thinks Bobby will do it. I think he’d love it.” How many singers are out there?

Lopez “on the fence” over Idol return

Jennifer Lopez says she is “on the fence” about returning to American Idol as a judge next season. “I don’t know.,” she said. “I haven’t been forced to make a decision and I’m glad about that because honestly I’m very on the fence about it.”

Actors speak over “low-paying” acting jobs

Rob Lowe and Ed O’Neill have spoken at the recent Emmy Comedy Actor Roundtable where they admitted their frustration at low-paying acting jobs. Modern Family’s O’Neill said he turned down $40,000 for six weeks work with Al Pacino because the pay was too low.

Rugby player to play the bachelor

Welsh rugby player Gavin Henson will feature in the new UK version of The Bachelor set to kick off later in the year. Henson is no stranger to reality TV after appearing in several shows last year.

Marin joins Schneider’s pilot

Cheech Marin has joined Rob Schneider’s comedy pilot for CBS where he will play the father-in-law to Schneider’s character.

Sons of Anarchy aquires McKinnon

Actor Ray McKinnon has joined the cast for the fourth season of Sons of Anarchy. McKinnon has featured in the likes of Deadwood as well as the 2009 film The Blind Side.

If American Idol, The Voice, X Factor and America’s Got Talent just aren’t enough, Snoop Dogg is pitching a new reality show venture. The Dogg is reportedly shopping around a new singing compition show that he is toting as “raps answer to American Idol.”

Snoop seems pretty confident that the show will have an instant audience and reach the success level of Idol, but so far, the networks he’s pitched to aren’t feeling the same. That might have to do with the fact that he’s got no one lined up for his judging panel yet. Snoop had mentioned the Jay-Z could be one of the panelists, but when reached for comment Jay’s rep denied it.

As of now, the only networks showing any interest in the show are E! and MTV. E! previously showed his reality show “Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood”.

Scotty McCreery has made American country chart-topping history with his American Idol single “I Love You This Big”. It has become the first highest-charting debut song for a new artist in over 20 years. The song was released on radio over there on May 24 and came in at number 32 on the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. It also shot up to the number one spot on iTunes and number three on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, with 171,404 units sold. When Scotty heard of the news, he said, “I am humble and shocked by the news. I can’t tell you what it means to me to be on the same charts as my musical heroes. I continue to be amazed by everything that has happened to me in such a short time.” Will he go on to have a lucrative career like Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson or end up a one hit wonder?

First three minutes of True Blood premiere released

HBO has released the first three minutes of the season four premiere of True Blood.   

Scotty McCreery sets country chart record

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery has set a country chart record with his debut single which came in at #32 – the highest ranking of an artist on his/her first try. Runner-up Lauren Alaina’s single debuted at #49.

Rove returning to host awards

Rove McManus will return to Australia to host the ASTRA Awards, which celebrate the best of the best on pay TV.

Cole unemployed

Cheryl Cole, who was dumped from The X Factor USA last week, has missed out on a spot in the UK version as well this year. The singer was a judge on the UK version last year before announcing her exit to head to the US.

The season finale of American Idol‘s tenth season drew the best finale ratings and indeed, the best ratings the show has seen since the finale of the seventh season in 2008.

The reality juggernaut whose Australian version was cancelled in 2009 has beaten all odds by securing 29.29 million viewers across its marathon run on Wednesday night (Thursday morning Australian time). Accordng to TV By The Numbers, this is an increase in viewership of 21% verse last seasons 24.22 million viewer finale and the first time in five years Idol has managed to increase its finale rating on the previous year.

In America however, total viewership is not the top priority when analysing ratings data. The share of the advertiser friendly 18-49 demographic is usually the more important factor. In this regard, the finale was able to score a share of 9.2 in adjusted ratings which in itself is up 12% verse last years 8.2.

The good news follows an increase of ratings seen for many episodes of the show this year while the overall downwards trend for the reality contest has also seemed to slow down this season. This is despite the opinion that the departure of iconic judge Simon Cowell along with a revamp of the enitre judging panel would severely affect this years ratings.

Scotty McCreery, 17 beat out Lauren Alaina, 16, to become the youngest male to win the show. This series featured the youngest finalists overall.

An eleventh season will be screened in January 2012.

No Entourage appearance for Sheen

Entourage creator Doug Ellin has confirmed that Charlie Sheen will not be making a guest appearance on the series despite their interest in having him. Ellin says they have run out of time to organise a role for the actor.

Lopez unsure over Idol future

American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez has refused to confirm whether or not she will be back for another season next year. The singer signed only a one-year deal for the show.

Two added to Sons cast

Sons of Anarchy has added two more cast members to its fourth season line-up with Niko Nicotera and LaMonica Garrett joining the cast. Between them, the pair have appeared in the likes of Rome, One Tree Hill, CSI: Miami and Parenthood.

Van Der Beek guest stars on Law & Order: CI

Former Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek has signed up for a role on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Van Der Beek will play an arrogant playboy who is the co-owner of a social networking site.

UK’s Georidie Shore proves popular

The British version of Jersey Shore, entitled Geordie Shore, has proved a massive hit for MTV in the UK despite backlash from locals that it portrays the Newcastle area in an unfavourable light.

Scotty McCreery is the new American Idol McCreery’s win followed an evening of amazing performances, by Lady Gaga, Judas Priest, Bono and Beyonce singing alongside “Idol” contestants. It was the first-ever, all-country final in “American Idol” history, with Lauren Alaina taking on McCreery for the crown. This season, country fans were a “force.” “It didn’t really surprise me that both Scotty and Lauren made the Top 5, but it did surprise me that they went into the finals together,” a USA music writer said. “I didn’t realize there was that much country to split.” Both contestants had been fan favorites all season, but McCreery’s popularity never seemed to wane. “From what I’ve heard throughout the season, it’s been Scotty and everybody else, he dominated the vote from very early on.”

While McCreery never landed in the bottom three, Alaina had to fight her way back to the top. She had an ally in judge Steven Tyler, who singled her out from her initial audition.

When I first heard Lauren, seven months ago, it was the second city,” Tyler said at a post-finale-show news conference. “You have to go through so many kids and she sang. She doesn’t try to hit the notes, the words just go to that place. Everybody else is trying to hit the notes, and she’s never had that problem with pitch. Maybe bad songs, but she’s been perfect and right and great. I circled her months ago and said, ‘American Idol.’ Her and about six or seven others, but I heard her first. I mean, how does a 15-year-old sing like that? How does that happen? That’s magic, that’s the gift, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Alaina, now 16, struggled all season with nerves and confidence, but she picked the right moment to peak. After Ryan Seacrest’s announcement at the top of Tuesday’s show that Alaina had blown out a vocal cord, the 16-year-old Southern belle declared, “I’m here, I’m ready to sing and I’m fine — don’t worry about it.” The judges praised both but seemed to give the edge to Alaina. “This is a very tight race tonight, but Lauren, with that song, you may have just won,” Lopez said, after Alaina performed her Jimmy Iovine-chosen song “Like My Mother Does,” bringing her mother to tears. Ultimately, Lopez declared the race too close to call, but Tyler wasn’t shy. “Sorry, Scotty, Lauren gets it hands down,” he said.

Still, McCreery was favored to win going into tonight’s results show. The Garner, N.C., native with the “aw shucks” attitude seems ready to step right into a music career. Alaina, he said, might have an easier time breaking into country radio because there’s a track record of other young female success stories, such as Taylor Swift and LeAnn Rimes. Country’s most successful women are in their 20s, while country’s biggest men are in their 30s.