Candice Glover Wins Season 12 Of American Idol

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“I can’t even … Oh, my God … Three years.”

For three years, Candice Glover traveled from her South Carolina home to try out for American Idol. Thursday night, her efforts paid off. She became the 12th winner of the Fox singing competition, beating out Kree Harrison to become the show’s first female winner in six years.

Glover, 23, not only had the night’s final big moment, she was involved in some of the other highlights of the two-hour-plus finale, singingInseparable with Jennifer Hudson, then getting a shout-out from Aretha Franklin, who told her, “Candice, you’re a winner — win or lose, you’re a winner.”

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/idolchatter/2013/05/16/american-idol-winner-third-times-the-charm-candice-glover/2192781/

Amish Experience Halts ‘Amish Mafia Tour’ After Legal Threat

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Hold on chust a minute: “Amish Mafia” fans won’t get to see Lebanon Levi’s “office” or his crew of enforcers’ stomping grounds after all.

Producers of the hit “reality” show have threatened legal action against Bird-in-Hand-based The Amish Experience, which had plans for an extensive tour of the show’s local sites, beginning this month.

Many scenes for the Discovery Channel series — which just wrapped a second season of filming — were shot in Lancaster County.  The tour, its organizer said, would have included a behind-the-scenes glimpse of filming locations while debunking the show’s portrayal of a group of violent Amish protectors.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/847682_Amish-Experience-halts–Amish-Mafia-Tour–after-legal-threat.html#ixzz2Sv2jfUcK

Randy Jackson Leaving ‘American Idol’

LOS ANGELES — Jackson out.  Randy Jackson, the lone original “American Idol” judge, says he won’t be returning to the Fox talent competition.

“To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on ‘American Idol,’ I have decided to leave after this season,” Jackson said in a statement Thursday.  “I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry.”

The 56-year-old record producer and bassist called the experience a “life-changing opportunity.” He said he’s leaving “Idol” to focus on his record label and other business opportunities.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130509/ENTERTAINMENT01/130509227/later-dawg-randy-jackson-leaving-american-idol-#full_story

Hysterical Interview Of Ryan Lochte On Good Day Philadelphia

The interview is funny but after Ryan is done watch Sheinelle Jones laugh so hard she cries, snorts and they go to break.  Ryan has a new reality show on E! which he is promoting, hence the interview.

Click here:  http://www.myfoxphilly.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8787217

‘American Idol’ Ratings Plummet In Season 12 Premiere

The Mariah Carey-Nicki Minaj feud might not be enough to rescue “American Idol”s” ratings.

Fox‘s singing competition entered its 12th season Wednesday with three new judges and sharply lower viewership.  An average of 17.8 million total viewers tuned in to the two-hour premiere, slumping 19% compared with last season, according to Nielsen.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/la-et-st-american-idol-ratings-plummet-20130117,0,4166712.story

Judges Steal Most Of Screen Time In New ‘American Idol’ Season

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FORT WASHINGTON — If the first two episodes of the new Season 12 of “American Idol“ are any indication, the show is looking to make big stars of two talented female singers who are great performers and have big personalities.

That would be new judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.

That’s because the episodes, shown Wednesday night in special sneak peek theater presentations for an invited Philadelphia-area crowd and at eight other cities nationwide, focused far more on the show’s new judges than on any – or all – of the contestants.

The new season of “Idol” starts with the two-night premiere on Fox at 7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/tv/mc-american-idol-preview-20130110,0,3751780.story

Will Jersey Shore Ever Be The Same After Sandy?

English: A view of the beach in Seaside Heights, New Jersey north of Funtown Pier (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. — It is one of the icons of America, the backdrop to a thousand stories — the place where Tony Soprano”s nightmares unfolded, where Nucky Thompson built his “Boardwalk Empire,” where Snooki and The Situation brought reality TV to the ocean’s edge and where Springsteen conjured a world of love and loss and cars and carnival lights and a girl named, incongruously, Sandy.

But after the storm of the same name passed through last week, the seaside towns of the Jersey Shore, a place that popular culture has picked to exude Americanness, have been upended, and some of the boardwalks have been pushed into the sea.

And those who live there, those who spent their childhood weekends there and those who experience its stories from afar are asking different versions of the same question: What happens now?

“This is just a heartbreaking experience seeing all these places we love that are just decimated,” said Jen Miller, a blogger about the Jersey Shore who lives in the Philadelphia area. “It’s just what you do every summer: You go ‘down the shore.’

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-us–superstorm-jersey-shore-20121104,0,519822.story

“Snooki Law” Would Let NJ Towns Regulate Reality TV

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – A New Jersey lawmaker wants towns to have a say in the filming of reality TV shows within their boundaries before a Situation develops.

Ocean County Republican Assemblyman Ronald Dancer on Monday introduced legislation for a Snookiville Law. The law would let towns impose conditions including requiring TV crews to pay for additional police officers to assure public safety during filming.

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20120924_ap_snookilawwouldletnjtownsregulaterealitytv.html

Television’s Fall Season Endures

For years, Alan Wurtzel, the head of research for NBC, has questioned the enduring validity of a television season — the ritual competition of network series, which begins again Monday night.

“I’ve been saying the idea of a television season is an anachronistic artifact,” Mr. Wurtzel said. “It’s a 52-week-a-year business. We never take a night off.”

The tradition of the fall season, originally tied to the start of the model year for new cars, is now more than 60 years old. It is defined arbitrarily and rather arcanely by the Nielsen Company as 34.5 weeks between mid-September and mid-May. The season doesn’t account for the increasing number of viewers who watch shows on their own schedules and it hasn’t stopped cable networks from introducing hit shows all through the year.

And yet, the idea persists, in large part because it still works. In defiance of diminishing ratings, attention on the new network shows seems only to have increased, as more blogs and social media sites offer breakdowns of the lineups and predictions of successes and failures.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/business/media/television-changes-but-the-fall-season-endures.html?_r=0

Christina Aguilera And Cee Lo Green Taking ‘Voice’ Hiatus; Shakira And Usher To Fill Their Chairs

You have to hand it to “The Voice. ” Last week, the show added a third Wednesday episode to ruin “The X Factor‘s” big premiere night.  And now, with the new “American Idol” and “X Factor” judges having had hardly any time to bask in their publicity, already “The Voice” is stealing both shows’ thunder once again–with breaking news that two new singularly named superstar judges, Shakira and Usher, will replace Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green for Season 4.  Both Christina and Cee Lo will be back for Season 5 in fall 2013, according to NBC.

Rumors have swirled for months that NBC’s overkill decision to air “The Voice” twice yearly would at least temporarily drive away some or all of the show’s regular judges, causing the lineup to be revamped for the spring 2013 season.  Apparently such is the downside of hiring judges who, you know, are still relevant hitmakers and have other important things to do with their time, like touring and recording, besides sitting on an NBC soundstage six months out of the year. (And this is why talent shows should consider hiring non-celebrity judges, but I digress.)  In fact, just last week when talking to Ryan Seacrest, Christina admitted that she’d first assumed her “Voice” gig would be “kind of like a side project…then it kind of took off, and there goes my free time!”

With Christina getting ready to release her comeback album, Lotus, in November (her new single, “Your Body,” debuted last week to positive reviews), and the ubiquitous Cee Lo working on a Christmas album and a new sitcom, it’s no surprise that they are the first “Voice” judges to take official leaves of absence.

Read more:  http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/christina-aguilera-cee-lo-green-voice-hiatus-shaira-231943068.html

Katie Couric: ‘American Idol’ Judges Include Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, Randy Jackson

We don’t know how she knows, but Katie Couric, during the taping of Friday’s “Katie,” told former “American Idol” judge Jennifer Lopez who will be filling the panel in the singing competition’s upcoming season: Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson.

Bing: Katie’s new talk show draws big numbers

So far, only Carey has been confirmed by FOX, which has not responded to TheWrap’s request for comment or made any public announcement.

“What do you think about the new group of judges?” Couric asked Lopez, according to a Thursday morning press release from “Katie.”

Read more: http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=757303

Phillipsburg, New Jersey Chef Wins Top Prize In ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

After a nail-biter of a dinner service that went down to the wire, Phillipsburg native Christina Wilson was named the winner of the 10th season of Fox‘s “Hell’s Kitchen” on Monday night.

As winner, Wilson, 32, will take the $250,000-a-year position as head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.

“I’ve never met a more passionate chef,” celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay said.  ”Her passion and talent are undeniable. She is the real deal.”

As Wilson hugged her mother and friend amid cheers and confetti, she said the moment was overwhelming.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/tv/mc-hells-kitchen-christina-wilson-20120910,0,3541297.story

Randy Jackson Returning To “American Idol” — Simon Cowell Says

Randy Jackson is returning to “American Idol,” according to former judge Simon Cowell.

“Just heard randy is back on idol,” the “X Factor” executive producer, who judged “Idol” for nine seasons alongside Jackson, tweeted today (Sept. 10).  ”Right decision,” he added.

Just heard randy is back on idol.  Right decision.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/zap-randy-jackson-returning-to-american-idol—-si-20120911,0,5635482.story

‘Jersey Shore’ Ending After This Season

August 30, 2012 (TheWrap.com) – MTV is ending the fist-pumping cultural phenomenon “Jersey Shore,” the network says.

The decision comes amid skyrocketing salaries for the cast of former unknowns that have made MTV’s most successful series increasingly expensive to produce. MTV said “Jersey Shore” will end after its sixth season, which premieres Oct. 4.

MTV will commemorate the end of the show with farewell programming beginning next Thursday, with a one-hour retrospective called “Gym, Tan, Look Back” that will air before MTV’s Video Music Awards.

The series, which has followed a group of self-proclaimed “guidos” and “guidettes” from the Jersey Shore to Italy, has popularized such phrases as “grenade” (an unattractive person), “smush” (have sex with) and “GTL” (gym, tan, laundry).

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/tv/sns-rt-ending-jersey-shoremt1thewrap54106-20120830,0,4120365.story

Strasburg Chef Out On ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

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Barbie has left the kitchen.

Strasburg resident Barbie Marshall made it all the way to the final four on FOX‘s “Hell’s Kitchen,” but the chef was eliminated at the conclusion of Monday night’s broadcast.

In its 10th season, “Hell’s Kitchen” is hosted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.  Marshall was one of 18 contestants competing for the head chef’s position at the Gordon Ramsay Steak restaurant in Las Vegas’ Paris Hotel.

At the end of Monday’s episode, Ramsay told Marshall, 34, that he considered her improvement to be significant.  He called her a smart woman who should take her experience on the show “and run with it.”

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/722446_Strasburg-chef-out-on–Hell-s-Kitchen-.html#ixzz24sHpOd2Y

To ‘Hell’ And Back: Milford, Pennsylvania’s River Rock Inn Featured In Sept. 3 Episode Of New Gordon Ramsay TV Series

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With show titles like “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares” already under his belt, it’s no surprise that Gordon Ramsay has garnered a reputation for being a no-nonsense chef and businessman.

The renowned culinary artist and hospitality expert recently launched his newest reality TV series, “Hotel Hell,” on the Fox network, in which he visits and effectively takes over failing hotels, inns and bed-and-breakfasts across the country.

One of the stops Mr. Ramsay made for the show was River Rock Inn in Milford.  The episode featuring the Pike County business is scheduled to air Monday, Sept. 3, at 8 p.m. on FOX, locally WOLF-TV, Channel 56.

During a recent conference call with reporters, Mr. Ramsay, who owns several restaurants and a hotel of his own, explained his desire to branch out from the kitchen to the hospitality sector was based on his own misgivings and bad experiences as a guest at various places.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/lifestyles-people/to-hell-and-back-milford-s-river-rock-inn-featured-in-sept-3-episode-of-new-gordon-ramsay-tv-series-1.1363248

‘American Idol’: Nicki Minaj Nailing Down Judging Deal

According to two sources that have confirmed it to US Weekly, Nicki Minaj has signed on to be the newest judge for American Idol.

One source says, “I’m not sure the deal is completely done yet, but yes, she is definitely doing it. A few more slight things to sign off on but it is happening.”

A second source adds the R&B star is “100% confirmed to judge American Idol.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/zap-american-idol-nicki-minaj-nailing-down-judging-20120820,0,560597.story

Mariah Carey Joins ‘American Idol’

Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez and now … Mariah Carey.

Fox just made it official: Carey is the latest successful pop diva to join American Idol.  The 42-year-old will join the judges table for season 12.

As reported in this week’s issue of EW, Carey has been the leading contender to join the panel this summer, which has seen a flurry of celebrity names floated in the press as possible candidates.  Her salary is expected to be somewhere north of $12 million — the sum paid Jennifer Lopez during her first year on the show — and possibly as high as $17 million.

Previously, Simon Cowell was courting Carey as a mentor for X Factor’s second season, though it’s not clear if her Idol announcement precludes an appearance on Fox’s other show.

Read more: http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/07/23/mariah-carey-american-idol/

Mariah Carey In The Mix For ‘Idol’ Judge

NEW YORK, NY (AP) — “American Idol” may be getting a worldwide idol as a judge — Mariah Carey.

A person familiar with the show’s negotiations say Carey is being pursued to join the judging panel of the Fox talent competition. The source requested anonymity because of the private nature of negotiations, which were termed as serious. Carey has also been courted by other talent competitions, and her name has been thrown out in the past for “Idol” and other shows.

There are two openings: Both Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tylerannounced last week that they were leaving as judges after two seasons. Randy Jackson, who is a manager, producer and friend of Carey’s, is the only judge left. There are reports that Jackson’s role may shift as well.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/source-mariah-carey-mix-idol-173637393.html

Hell’s Kitchen Finalist Takes Top Job At Reading’s The Peanut Bar Restaurant

Chef Andrea Heinly, best known as Chef Andrea, one of 16 contestants from season five of “Hell’s Kitchen,” a popular reality TV show, is the new executive chef at Jimmie Kramer’s The Peanut Bar Restaurant.

Heinly, 35, of Reading came in third on the Fox network show.

Michael J. Leifer, president and CEO of Jimmie Kramer’s, said it’s a big deal for the Peanut Bar because Heinly has attained a bit of celebrity status.

Although taped in Los Angeles in November 2007, season five aired from Jan. 29, 2009, until May 14, 2009.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=398972