Funny. I’m currently selling my home and moving into another one.

Effectively, that’s what we’re doing here, too. My new Radio & TV Talk home is now at

http://www.accessatlanta.com/weblogs/radio-tv-talk/

Please move to that URL. All my old entries going back to March, 2009 on this current platform (Wordpress) shall remain for now.

The biggest difference (besides the look) is the fact you now have to register to comment. The good news there is hopefully the trolls will go away.

To begin, click the registration link at the top of the COMMENTS section. Once you are registered, you can comment as many times as you like on any of our stories or blogs, as long as you follow our guidelines for commenting.

It’s a relatively new piece of software so there are many issues that hopefully will be dealt with. Please email me at rho@ajc.com if you have any suggestions on how we can make it more user friendly.  The hope is that this new software will be more compatible with mobile devices, …

Continue reading We have moved! Move with us! »

Johnny Keyser is back! He should have made it further last year.

Thank you Deirdre for corralling everybody over to my “moving!” blog entry to comment on the show Thursday night while I was out. I’ll tell you all when the commenting issue on the new software is fixed.

Without all the set up from day one in New York, they chose to highlight more talent in Chicago. Far more talent.

And that made for a more entertaining two hours. We saw 16 people make it to Hollywood, twice as many as in New York.  We saw only five bad ones. There wasn’t a situation liks Wednesdahy where the singer was closer but not quite there.  Among my favorites; MacKenzie (country), Curtis (the gospel guy), Kez (fire performer) and Lazaro (stutterer).

If spoilers are to be believed, a mere three of them, though, make it to the final 40.

First up:

Mackenzie Wasner, 17, Leiper’s Fork, TN (“Whenever You Come Around” Vince Gill) – This blond country singer has a dad …

Continue reading ‘American Idol’ Chicago auditions recap »

AMERICAN IDOL: Pictured L-R: Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Mariah Carey at the Chicago auditions of AMERICAN IDOL airing on the two-night premiere Wednesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Jan. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). CR: Michael Becker / FOX.

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Based on opening night in New York, Nicki Minaj brought color, pizzazz and the occasional British accent to the “American Idol” stage season 12. Whether that will help enliven the ratings is a big question mark.

Overall, this panel is a bit tougher than past years. They turned away some passable singers, even one that’s missing a leg.  Nicki, especially, set the tone and would often say singers weren’t quite ready for primetime if they fell just short of the mark.

I can’t say I necessarily saw the next “American Idol” tonight though, based on spoilers, three of the eight singers we …

Continue reading “American Idol” season 12 debut recap »

Three months ago, I questioned whether Lifetime was going to renew “Drop Dead Diva,” a dramedy shot out of Peachtree City since 2009.

Why? In the past, they had given the show a green light for a new season no later than September. By mid-October, I had heard nothing. So it was fair for me to think Lifetime was truly on the fence about the show.

Indeed, the silence continued until a Deadline.com story yesterday confirmed what creator Josh Berman had feared: Lifetime is sending the show to heaven after four seasons. Unless Sony, the production company, can find another network to pick it up, metro Atlanta is losing another show. (MTV’s “Teen Wolf” decided to move to Los Angeles after two seasons.)

Deadline.com is almost always accurate in situations like this. I have not heard back from folks at Lifetime or Berman himself just yet but will update this when I do get independent confirmation. [UPDATE at 12:38 p.m. EST: A Lifetime spokeswoman confirmed that Deadline is 100% …

Continue reading Confirmed: Lifetime drops Peachtree City’s ‘Drop Dead Diva’ after four seasons »

Ryan Seacrest is the glue that holds "Idol" together. CREDIT: AP

Nigel Lythgoe told TMZ what I believe is true; Ryan Seacrest is truly indispensable on the show.

“Ryan Seacrest drives the entire program,” he said. “He’s not on an earpiece or anything. He’s not beholden to anybody. He controls the show. He’s really important.”

I agree. I believe the moment he leaves would be the most blatant sign the show is on its last legs. It’s not there yet. But the show does return tonight at 8 p.m. Interestingly, the AJC print edition for the first time since season one did not request a story about “Idol.”

But the Los Angeles Times did the obligatory piece here.

“Yes, there are too many of these shows on the air, and they are taking each other down a little bit, but this is still the king of the shows,” said Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment at Fox. “This is the one, and only one, that makes stars. Period.”

***

I was quoted in the USA Today story about “American …

Continue reading ‘Idol’ returns today for 12th season »

ATLANTA – JUNE 19: Recording Artist Shawty Lo backstage at Magnum Live Large Project at Phillips Arena on June 19, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Trojan)

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Oxygen backed down on airing a special featuring Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo called “All my Babies’ Mamas” after a torrent of protests about the content and title of the show.

The network just released this statement:

“As part of our development process, we have reviewed casting and decided not to move forward with the special.  We will continue to develop compelling content that resonates with our young female viewers and drives the cultural conversation.”

Shawty Lo was placed in a house with 10 women he had babies with, along with 11 of the kids. Many bloggers began petitions, protesting the …

Continue reading No “All My Babies’ Mamas’ after all on Oxygen »

Some shows don’t try to pretend they have any redeeming value beyond entertainment.

Based on its title, Oxygen’s “Bad Girls Club” is one of them. The concept is “Real World” simple: gather seven smack-talking women in their early 20s who typically have anger/respect issues, plant them in a mansion with copious amounts of free liquor  and watch the inevitable dust fly. There’s no $1 million prize.There are no rose ceremonies or tribal councils. There are no judges or quick-fire challenges.

And Atlanta is home to the 10th season debuting tonight at 8 p.m. They spend a few weeks in a tricked out Buckhead mansion with a stripper pole and party hard. The first episode features Sweet Auburn BBQ food truck and  Opera Nightclub and Mansion.

There’s some hope perhaps that the women learn better behavior ( or viewers learn to avoid such behavior) but that seems like a stretch to make something meaningful out of something that isn’t.

The women get nicknames – like they’re rollergirls or …

Continue reading Interview with Jonathan Murray, creator of “Bad Girls Club Atlanta’ on Oxygen Jan. 15 »

Damien Dante Wayans, George Gore and Craig Wayans star in BET's "Seocnd Generation Wayans," debuting Jan. 15 after "Real Husbands of Hollywood." CREDIT: BET

“I feel like the Khloe Kardashian of the family.”

Damien Dante Wayans is lamenting his fate on his new BET dramedy “Second Generation Wayans,” where he plays a somewhat similar version of his acctual self, along with Craig Wayans and George Gore, who played Damon Wayans’ son on “My Wife and Kids” from 2001 to 2005.

The show debuts Tuesday, January 15 after 10:30 p.m. after “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” a spoof featuring Nick Cannon, Kevin Hart and J. B. Smoove, among others.

Their five most famous uncles and aunts – Kenan, Damon, Shawn, Marlon and Kim - have been comedy royalty for more than two decades. But their younger brethren are only now trying to make their mark on the scene.

Craig and Damien created and starred in the 2009 spoof film “Dance Flick.” On the fictional show, they are feeling like nothing had come out …

Continue reading A talk with the ‘Second Generation Wayans,’ debuting on BET Jan. 15 »

CineStars’ Brittany Umar and I discuss the feud between new “American Idol” judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, Oxygen’s “Bad Girls Club Atlanta” and BET’s “Second Generation Wayans.”

Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter. Oh, and Google +, too!

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Continue reading Video: talking ‘Idol,’ ‘Bad Girls Club: Atlanta,’ ‘Second Generation Wayans’ »

Sanjaya Malakar helped bring "Vote for the Worst" into the spotlight in 2006. CREDIT: Vote For the Worst

“Vote for the Worst” began in 2004 as a bit of lark to make fun of “American Idol.”He would encourage people to vote for the most ridiculous or entertaining (or both) contestant that given week.

But nine  years later, the founder Dave Della Terza has decided to end the site after season 12. (My “Idol” blog, which began in 2005, closed its doors in October, 2011 but I have continued to report about “Idol” here.)

Vote For The Worst’s spotlight peaked season 6 with the big push for Sanjaya Malakar, who lasted much longer than anybody expected. Howard Stern and numerous press sites tracked him. He also supported Scott Savol season four and Taylor Hicks (winner) season five.  Later on, he pushed Kristy Lee Cook (season seven), Megan (coo!!!) Joy (season eight), Tim Urban (season nine) and winners Scotty McCreery (season 10) and Phillip Phillips (season 11.).

I emailed him …

Continue reading ‘Idol’ bits: ‘Vote for the Worst’ closing after season 12 »