Oh, yay!

gossi | January 27, 12:49 CET

I've never watched it, is it any good?

Simon | January 27, 12:50 CET

May we hope that they might actually run Epitaph Two promos during the American Idol breaks, or will they just spent more time hyping Human Target.

Not I'm not enjoying Human Target (this week's episode with Sean Maher was the best of the bunch so far), just bitter for how Fox seems to know how to market Human Target, but seemed like complete amateurs trying to promote Dollhouse.

Anyway, wonder what the AI producers will use to introduce NPH segment. They'll probably just use his hosting duties at the Tony's or Emmy's, I bet it be a bit too much to hope for some Horribleness.

Numfar PTB | January 27, 12:54 CET

Heee. I hope the guy in the Barney suit (and by that I mean Barney the dinosaur, not like a Barney-Barney suit) auditioned while NPH was the guest judge.

What? Yes, I watch it. lol. There was a preview thing yesterday. XD It would make me laugh, okay. This is the episode I've been waiting for. Heh.

druzilla | January 27, 13:23 CET

Woo Hoo!!!

Harmalicious | January 27, 14:12 CET

Simon, no. I think this is the Devil's spawn, a show based on humiliating the people who participate.

Dana5140 | January 27, 14:25 CET

Simon, it's like the Britain's Got Talent or The X Factor or Pop Idol, same old same old, just limited to solo singers between 16 and 28. And compared to previous seasons, they've seriously dialed back the humiliation factor. Many of the bad singers only appear in video montages now. I personally fast forward past the bad ones, I'm only interested in the good singers, because even the ones who are bad on purpose make me cringe.

cabri | January 27, 20:37 CET

Whenever I don't watch this show, my soul feels so clean. I guess now that NPH is on, I'm going to the special hell.

wackybroadwaynightmare | January 27, 22:50 CET

I caught the last 15 minutes maybe, but I didn't see NPH. There was someone else in the guest judge role who I didn't recognize. Was NPH on earlier ?

I haven't watched much reality-TV since my sister went off to do her Master's degree and so there's no reality-TV always on in the house (she has good taste too, but she consumed a crapload more TV than me because of her reality-TV hunger). I haven't watched an American Idol since...I can't remember. The year David Cook won ? (definitely one of the better/genuinely talented contestants/winners I've witnessed) And only one or maybe one and a half seasons before that.

I like Canadian Idol better, wish they would bring it back (it's on at least a 2-year hiatus, if not canceled, no one knows for sure) it's generally rockier than the U.S. Idol. I like some of the pop covers of American Idol, but there's way too much R&B/soul-ish soft stuff, too big and brassy at times (if the attempting singer can even pull off the big and brassy they're going for) for my ears. Been kinda hoping Glee would stay further away from that, but then again I suppose I should applaud that series for its diversity of song choices and it has surprised me in making a few songs I previously didn't like pretty bearable or even likeable (and I'm not even a music snob, I like cheese and generally-considered-quality and iffy musicals alike), despite the pre-recordedness and miming (as Saje calls it) being way too obvious/visually jarring in many of the numbers.

[ edited by Kris on 2010-01-28 10:48 ]

Kris | January 28, 01:40 CET

OK, I'll fess up: I watch Idol. And I mostly enjoy it. It's one of a handful of shows I can watch with both my wife (not at all into "genre" shows) and my teenaged daughter (likes 'em almost as much as me).

NPH was cool and relaxed (no surprise there), and looked like he was enjoying himself. He wasn't as nice as you would expect, which was a relief. Often, guest judges will be cloying and ineffectual.

In defense of the general snarkiness and fun-poking of the early rounds: Frankly, these people ask for it. They've seen the show, they possess little to no singing talent, they should know what's going to happen. For me, that level of self-delusion is fascinating. I mean, I can't sing. I know I can't sing. (Check out my handle.) To provide proof of that shortcoming in front of millions? Inconceivable to me. Yet, thousands do it, season after season.

And when someone steps up who actually has "It" - well, it can be dramatic.

(Please excuse me while I slink away to surrender my Guy Card.)

Tin Ear Tom | January 28, 10:13 CET

If there was ever any doubt that NPH was just a pretty face, he squashed that last night. The way he handled Simon was outstanding. He's also the master of the deadpan: "Well Kara, I plan to crush the dreams of several dozen contestants, make them cry, and if I do that, I will achieve my goal." Excellent. I so wish he'd brought the Freeze-Ray with him though. Many of those singers needed to be stopped mid-note.

Tonya J | January 28, 12:29 CET

I hate my TV. Or maybe I just hate the antenna. But actually I hate the government for insisting that everyone HAD to convert to digital, even though they knew very well that many people are in locations where they CANNOT get a decent digital signal w/out shelling out hundreds of bucks for a high-end antenna. And my landlady for refusing to allow me to mount a rooftop antenna. (Even though the tenant before me mounted a dish - she wouldn't even let me mount the antenna on the post the dish is on.)

So, in short, I missed Idol last night, because the only channels my TV will pick up now (I have a digital adapter antenna inside) is NBC & Universal Sports. And, frankly, skeleton is far less interesting than NPH having to deal with Kara.

Sigh.

Oh, and the other judge? One of those Jonas Brothers, whatever they are. (Or so TV Guide online said.)

ShadowQuest | January 28, 16:24 CET