Explore the Concrete Beach

Tonight begins the 9^th season of American Idol and probably the first season with a drastic change. I know they added a 4^th judge last year, but to me that is not as drastic as the loss of an original judge, Paula Abdul, the addition of comedian/talk show host Ellen Degeneres and the announcement this will be Simon Cowell leaving the Idol judging panel after this season to bring his British hi ‘The X Factor’ to America in 2011.

Good move for Simon, but I don’t think it’s the end of Idol.

Not yet at least.

Being a fan of the show since the beginning I can point to the bad, Wild Card Rounds, Katharine McPhee V.S. Taylor Hicks, Ryan Seascrest’s frosted tipped hair in season 2 and the good, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert (yes, his CD is really good), Melinda Doolittle, and if you can’t tell there has been a lot more good than bad in the past 8 seasons.

So, why won’t idol just go away after Simon leaves? The show pulls in 20+ million viewers an episode, and is a cash cow for Fox. It’s not going anywhere until something beats it in the rating and beats them badly. Secondly, the show is not about the judges for me. I tend to disagree with them a lot, they have been known to push certain people that are considered marketable, and they are not what the shows about. The show is about singing and I think many Americans forget that quite often, look at the Sanjaya fiasco in season 6, it was funny for a moment then it got old fast and yes better singers went before the screech fest that was Sanjaya was sent packing.

I hope Ellen actually judges. I know she was brought in to be the “nice” judge, but based on her appearance this summer on ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ I don’t have high hopes, but I will give her credit she can be entertaining, I hope her Idol judging seat doesn’t turn into an HBO Comedy Special like on ‘Dance.’

If there was one judge I would like to see go it would be Randy, who hasn’t had an original quote or though since season 2. I’m sick of hearing “you can sing the telephone book dog, but…” It’s old and over like his career. Randy in season 9 could you please be original and to Kara, please don’t ever write or co-write the winners song ever again.

Tonight starts with the Boston Audition round with guest judge Victoria Beckham. Should be interesting, but these audition rounds have lost their luster; let’s see if the producers can make them interesting again. They tend to follow people who make it past this round and tell their whole story during Hollywood week and then they don’t make top 24 and the audience is like ‘Why did you spend 6 weeks telling us their story?” Let’s find out about the contestants who actually make the show than ones that came close.

So another season begins tonight. I’ll be watching, but will you?

One week from today!

I. Am. Excited!!!

Oh, what am I talking about?

Well the return of “Lost” of course.

Many of you know I love television and I TiVo way too many shows and watch even more on sites such as Joost, Hulu and network sites like ABC.com.

Latest addiction is a show on the Fox Reality Channel, which I just discovered I receive the other day, called “Solitary.” It’s all sorts of guilty pleasure goodness.

Basically, 9 people are put into isolation with no contact with the outside world or each other and their actions are controlled by a computer generated voice named VAL, obviously a nod to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Val puts the contestants through “tests” and “treatments” and analyzes their reactions. The show is billed as a “social experiment” and the test and treatments are meant to break down the contestants.

I did not see season one but I watched the whole “Solitary 2.0” on Hulu and I’m hooked and can’t wait for season 3 that starts on Saturday.

For more information on “Solitary,” head over to the Fox Reality website HERE and catch up on the guilty pleasure-ness of it all.

OK back to “Lost!”

There have been so many teasers lately and to top it all off, while I was working at the mall over the weekend the screens in front of me played a lost promote every 3 ½ minutes. I worked an 8 hour day in a dead mall and watched that promo 137.14 times…approximately.

So, needless to say, I am excited.

Tonight ABC airs last seasons finally, but I will be watching American Idol as I am a fan. No matter what all the naysayers like to say. Most just pop up on websites and just say “This Show SUCKS!!!!!!!! OMGWTFBBQ!!!! This is the liberals/conservatives fault blah blah blah blah blah”

I usually just laugh and roll my eyes, but I roll my eyes a lot so that wouldn’t surprise people. Then I get annoyed as I read because there is a lack of people who can carry on a good conversation about Pop Culture.

So enjoy these TV shows and get ready for next Wednesday for an all new season of “Lost.”

Tomorrow I will do another Remember that show. If you missed last weeks you can click HERE and enjoy the memories.