Sing Off launches Season 3 in it's own time slot!

New judge Sara Bareilles of "Love Song" fame.

There are few television shows I've watched where I can honestly say I have watched them from day one, and this is one. The Sing-Off is a brilliantly executed talent competition featuring all singing, perhaps a few fancy dance moves now and then, but absolutely NO instruments. Except for a few snaps here and there, all sounds created – such as drums, percussion, guitar, horns, and organ – must be generated by the singers using only their own vocal chords and mouths. You have to see it and hear it to believe it!

This is one of those shows where as a fan and viewer, I feel ownership "from the beginning." I watched and blogged about the fledgling debut episode in 2009 which aired in the off-season in mid December, watched the second season in it's entirety in 2010, and each year, the show has progressed into something bigger and better. Season 3 in 2011 brings a whole new dimension to the show as the series now has it's very own cherished time slot on Mondays at 8 pm to 10 pm on NBC (channel 4 or 1020 here in Central Florida on Brighthouse networks) and will run for 11 episodes. This year, NBC has pulled out all the stops with aggressive marketing and hopes to glean a large share of viewers with something that is uniquely new and fresh.

Other changes have been made. A whopping 16 groups are competing, double the number over the first season, and the talent is huge! The official website has been expanded to include more information, photos, and a handful of fun preview videos. Former judge Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussy Cat Dolls has changed shows and will now be one of the judges on the X-Factor, Simon Cowell's new venture, which will air on FOX at 8 pm this Wednesday. Replacing her is the beautiful and talented Sara Bareilles, a former member of UCLA's a cappella group "Awaken," and a three-time grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, most noted for her clever "Love Song."

The finer qualities of the show have remained the same. Judges Professor Ben Folds and Smoooth Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) are returning. The multi-talented Nick Lachey (of 98 degrees and One Tree Hill fame) will continue to host the show. The contestants still wear quirky color-coded costumes, most of which cause me to chuckle. And, the show is still on NBC, which I must confess is my favorite networks.

This year's groups sound spectacular and are listed in a second post, due to the large number of competitors… Stay tuned…

TV’s gone to the dogs, or to Wilfred, at least

One of my favorite brand new TV shows this year is Wilfred, a sweet little show about a boy and his dog. They play ball, snuggle, and spend nearly every waking moment together…

Really…

But don’t let this blah description fool you. Wilfred is no ordinary dog. While he looks ordinary to everyone else, to Ryan, an unemployed 30-year old lawyer played by Frodo (Elijah Wood), he looks exactly like a man – a man dressed in an odd curly gray dog suit.

Other than a penchant for smoking pot and cigarettes, Wilfred is amazingly dog-like. He digs holes; romps in his food; pees on trees and fire hydrants; sniffs butts; humps stuffed animals; stares; chases balls, Frisbees, and even the dot generated by a laser pointer. He can talk to other dogs, but is somewhat distrustful, manipulative, and even conniving. He loves any human who dotes on him, no matter how terribly the human functions in “human” society. And he feels anyone who treats him poorly or doesn’t love him to death is somehow sub par, despite how wonderful they may appear to other humans.

Oh yes, and he talks – in perfect English with a distinctive Australian accent, as brilliantly portrayed by "human" actor Jason Gann.

Wilfred is full of advice. Although Ryan, is actually not the “owner” of Wilfred, due to having lost his job, he has a remarkable amount of free time on his hands and has offered to watch Wilfred while his beautiful single neighbor, Jenna (played by Fiona Gubelmann) is at work. Not only does Ryan hang out with Wilfred all day getting high and watching TV, he takes Wilfred on errands with him, including to family functions, parties, the beach, a yard sale, and to visit his mother in the “institution,” where we discover that the apple does not fall far from the tree. In one episode, Ryan even tricks Wilfred into going to the vet.

The show is raw and raucous. It is not even slightly child appropriate and I must admit, I’m shocked it even made it to basic cable TV. Preceding each show is a red seal with the warning: MA (for mature audiences) and additional letters for L (language), V (violence), or S (sexual situations). It’s so adult in nature, you have to enter your birth date in order to view the episodes online.

However, it's also quite intelligent. Each episode begins with a literary quote. And not to promote smoking, a special website has been implemented to assist fellow dog owners with dogs who cannot kick the habit: mydogsmokes.com

Originally airing in Australia in 2007, the show was remade here in the United States and premiered on June 23 this summer, but after completing it’s season last week, only reruns are now being shown.

This is the perfect time to catch up on “Wilfred” since the first episodes will be shown in order beginning on Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) on FX channel 70 on Brighthouse Cable networks:

• 12:30 am Saturday night -- Episode 1, “Happiness”
• 1:00 am Saturday night -- Episode 2, “Trust”
• 3:30 am Sunday morning -- Episode 1, "Happiness"
• 4:00 am Saturday night -- Episode 2, “Trust”

The following weekend continues with episodes 3 and 4.

Due to my busy work schedule, I have been watching re-airings on my on-demand Brighthouse cable channel 304. Fortunately, this is one show where the viewer does not necessarily need to follow a soap-opera-like, “miss one episode and you’re screwed” story line. With the exception of the season ender, episode 13, “Identity,” If you pick it up in the middle of the season, you’ll enjoy almost as much as if you’ve seen every single episode.

A complete episode guide and character rundown is found online on the official Wilfred website here at the Episode Guide. Videos of the last three episodes are found online here: Videos.

Wilfred is so nutty and full of surprises, there's never a dull moment. Be prepared to be shocked. I was and it takes a lot to shock tvgrrrrl.

Project Runway online on demand

Contestant Anya Ayoung Chee designs a garment for a stilt walker.

During the summer, while we were all hanging out at the pool and hitting the clubs at night, several wonderful shows got underway. One of my very favorites among my friends is Project Runway.

The show regularly airs on Thursdays at 9 pm on My Lifetime, (channel 40 on Brighthouse digital cable networks here in Orlando), then reruns throughout the week at:

• 1 am Friday morning on LRW channel 157 and Lifetime channel 40;
• 11:30 am Saturday morning on Lifetime channel 40;
• 9 pm Monday night on LRW channel 157;
• Midnight Tuesday on LRW channel 157;
• and before the next "new" episode each Thursday at 8 pm on Lifetime channel 40.

Please check listings each week as these may change.

The show is set in NYC at Parsons School of Design and features the beautiful Heidi Klum as celebrity host and judge, introducing a group of designer contestants to a challenge at the beginning of each show, and touting her famous line, “When it comes to fashion, you’re either in, or you’re out.” Klum is also the executive producer of the show.

The designers then rush off to a large workroom to create their magic, taking adventurous trips outside the studio to gain inspiration from the world around them, buying glorious textiles from Mood, and meeting famous designers. They are aided by fashion expert Tim Gunn (currently the chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne) who gives wonderfully honest, yet kind criticisms of their work. Their list of clients over the years has ranged from the everyday housewife, to a poodle, to a famous celebrity. I’m never disappointed with a show, it’s always interesting, and I’m nearly always “wowed,” as Tim Gunn likes to say. When time is up, finished or not, models walk the designs up and down a runway in front of four judges: Nina Garcia, fashion director of Marie Claire magazine, Michael Kors, award winning designer, Heidi Klum, and a guest celebrity judge.

Although Project Runway is currently halfway through the season, through the magic of the internet, you can still see some of the episodes in full online here.

In fact, if I can’t find a show online or via “on demand” on cable, I usually won’t watch it. A lot of my friends have very erratic schedules between work, school, and busy social lives. We’re not likely to set aside an hour at night just to sit and watch a TV show when we could be out clubbing on Church St.

Online airings of shows do have commercials, but I must admit, they seem much hipper, more entertaining, and briefer (although super loud – be ready to pounce on the volume control). You must have a high speed internet connection. I also recommend investing in a great set of computer speakers or running the audio feed through a stereo.

Only the last five episodes are currently available in full, episodes 3 through 7, so if you want to see Episode 3, “Go Big or Go Home,” where the designers worked in pairs to create designs to be worn by models wearing stilts, watch it quick. My guess is it will be replaced each week (such a travesty) so that only the most recent five episodes are airing at any given time.

I am disappointed that I cannot see one of the funnier shows, Episode 2, the “My Pet Project” challenge where the designers were required to use materials from a pet supply store generally intended for Polly, Fluffy, or Fido. I saw the end, and it looked fabulous.

Casey Anthony trial hottest thing on TV right now

R.I.P. Caylee Marie Anthony.

For those of us living in central Florida, Casey Anthony has been a hot topic of many a conversation over the past three years since her daughter, cute little 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony, disappeared. From the first word she was reported missing on July 17, 2008, we in Central Florida posted flyers around the neighborhood looking for a purported babysitter abductor and volunteered to search in the woods for the missing child. Our area churches held candlelight vigils. On December 12, 2008, a utility worker found the body of a child close to the Anthony home not far from the street, which sadly proved to be Caylee’s remains.

Her mother, Casey Anthony, has been accused by the Florida State prosecutors of killing her daughter and disposing of her body in the woods near the Anthony family home. She is now being tried for the crime and the trial is being broadcast live on TV. After three years of unending news coverage, speculation, and opinions, most of us living in the Orlando area feel as if we are a part of the drama ourselves. Real life is indeed more bizarre than fiction.

Now, due to the magic of cable TV, the rest of the world gets a chance to peer into the fish bowl of our lives, as the trial of Casey Anthony is suddenly broadcast live across the airwaves. People who were a part of the Anthony family’s lives during the ordeal: friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and others in the community – some of whom we Florida residents ourselves know personally, are now becoming a part of the historical worldwide TV broadcast as they are put on the witness stand and questioned by both sides of the legal system.

I imagine that the makers of headache medicine as well as the local bars are doing a steady business around the courthouse. I’ve been on a witness stand myself and feeling shaky and distraught is an understatement. You want to tell the truth, but you’re afraid of accidentally leaving out crucial information, being led down a path of deception by clever legal strategists, and leaving not feeling you had the chance to fully represent the facts. I feel badly for those who are forced to live through this ordeal under the microscope of live TV.

A complete rundown of what’s happening is being well documented online via our wonderful local newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel. Here is the link to their trial coverage on their website: www.orlandosentinel.com . There is so much information here and elsewhere, if you haven’t been following it from day one as most of us in Orlando have been, it will take you a few days to wade through all the articles and posts.

After preempting regularly scheduled programming on all of the major local networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, AND NBC) during the first day of opening arguments, the trial is currently now being broadcast locally live on our Brighthouse TV cable news channel 13 here in Orlando. With few commercial breaks, and regular news reports during breaks, this local news channel is offering the best, uninterrupted broadcast in our area.

You can also see the case aired live on truTV, “In Session,” channel 60 on Brighthouse cable here in Central Florida. Friends of mine residing in other parts of the country are picking up the broadcast on this channel as well as on other court TV stations.

The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks and is already the talk of the town in the local coffee shops. Word yesterday was that no one was watching Oprah Winfrey’s 25-year show finalee. Instead, they were glued to the Casey Anthony trial. We haven’t had such an exciting court case air since the O.J.Simpson trial.

The X Factor comes to Miami

Get in your cars, boys and girls, and hightail it to Miami, FL for tomorrow’s registration of The X Factor, Simon Cowell’s singing performing talent competition which will debut in the USA this Fall on FOX television. The grand prize awarded to the winner(s) is a $5 million recording contract.

I, for one, am guardedly enthusiastic about the show’s debut. Cowell’s first US project, American Idol, which aired in 2002, has lost it’s luster over the years due to multiple changes in the show’s format (most for the worst, in my opinion), so seeing another Cowell project in its original form, before network executives get their grubby little greedy hands on it, should be a refreshing treat. The show has been a hit in the UK for seven years since 2004 under the names, "The Xtra Factor" and "The X Factor." (Just to be fun and truly original for America, I would love it if it were renamed simply "X-factor.")

The X Factor format will be a bit like Star Search or America’s Got Talent, except that only singing is judged. Both individuals and a capella or vocal groups may enter. Participants are encouraged to pull out all the stops on glitz and glamour, wearing their most sparkly and outrageously original stage costumes, and dancing like there’s no tomorrow, if that’s your thang. You may also dress down – think Susan Bowle, who managed to start her international singing career on Britain’s Got Talent, another of Cowell’s brainchild competition talent shows.

Cowell gives a few words of advice on The X Factor home page, most notably what not to sing: Jason Miraz’s I’m Yours, Lionel Richie’s Hello, Fly Me to the Moon, Mac the Knife, and Unchained Melody. Whatever you do decide to sing, avoid mimicking – be original.

Contestants must be at least 12 years of age and born no later than March 1, 1999. Unlike American Idol, there is no age limit. Even 92-year olds are welcome.

HOW TO TRY OUT IN MIAMI

On Wednesday, April 6, individuals interested in competing are invited to register to compete at the Bank United Center on 1245 Dauer Dr., in Coral Gables, Florida.

No time is given to appear on April 6, although a strict “no camping” rule will be in place. You are encouraged to either take the Metrorail public transportation to the venue, or park in the Village of Merrick Park or Shops of Sunset Place and ride the free shuttle to the competition. Shuttles begin operating at 6 AM.

Please bring two forms of legal ID, one with a photo: a birth certificate and driver’s license or school ID, for instance, to show proof of identity and birthday. If you would like family members and friends to accompany you to try out, they too must register on April 6 in order to receive a wristband.

The auditions themselves will be held on April 7 beginning at 8 AM.

Please look over the following online pages for more information:

Home page
Miami information
Rules
Facts

PREVIEW ARTICLE

Not one to reinvent the wheel, I recognize a quality article when I read one. Here’s Bill Keveney’s preview which was published on March 24, 2011 online at USA Today News: click here for article. It’s a well written account and will catch you off guard about half way through with a few fun quotes from Cowell which Keveney was able to capture for his article:
“If you're not in a band, put a band together.”
Also,
“It’s warts and all. Never censor it.”

JUST WANT TO WATCH?

Have no desire to compete, but still want to be a part of the show? Apply for free tickets to appear in the audience. The Miami dates will be on June 14th and 15th at the convention center.

Click here for link.

American Idol – Ba-Ba-Ba-Boring!

I had a night off from work last night and decided to catch the debut of Season 10 of American Idol on Fox TV. I had boycotted Season 9 after one of my favorite judges, Paula Abdul, left at the end of Season 8 after she was not given a fittingly respectfully and equitable pay raise to her counterpart, Simon Cowell. Edging Paula out in Season 8 was Kara DioGuardi, who awkwardly dominated as a fourth judge and left poor Simon no time to talk. Now that Kara had also left the show, I was willing to give American Idol another shot.

Sadly, judges Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres have also left this year, so the judges bench has been restocked with two fresh new faces, amazing performer Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and entertainer/entrepreneur Jennifer Lopez. Returning consistently each season has been judge Randy Jackson, former bassist for Journey and Grammy Award winning producer, manager, singer, and music industry executive.

Sadly, the new lineup of judges is appearing a bit lackluster and kind of um… boring.

American Idol Season 10 judges: Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and host Ryan Seacrest.

I can’t say I don’t like the judges. Actually, they are all quite likable, extremely knowledgeable, and with time, perhaps they will become just as entertaining as The Original 3: Randy, Paula, and Simon. What they lack is dynamics.

The problem lies in that Steven, J.Lo., and Randy are pretty much the same critic. They don’t seem to differ on opinions and always agree with each other. This can’t be possible – someone up there is afraid to say what they feel. They need to let go, say what they want, and accept that this will mean that some American Idol fans will love them, while some will beg for their firing. Excitement equals higher ratings. Higher ratings equals job security. It's ironic how that works.

What the new lineup lacks is a “Simon,” someone with that over-the-top, opinionated, gloves-off, naked criticism which makes you curse and swear when you don’t agree with him, then promptly grab your cell phone at the end of the show and call the number for that poor, abused contestant, pressing buttons until your fingers bleed.

Loopy, but smart, Paula was truly my favorite judge. I sometimes watched the show just to see what ridiculous thing she might say next, then spent the next day chatting with friends about it over coffee. Her on camera playful romantic chemistry with Simon was a fun soap-opera-esque side story to the show.

Randy was overshadowed by the two stronger personalities, but did not fail to add interest, introducing new vernacular to my vocabulary, such as “pitchy” to describe “singing off-key,” and sweetly telling contestants, “Yo, dawg! It was a’right,” implying that their performance was not so spectacular. Being the first in line to offer criticism, his colorful evaluations helped soften the blows of what was to come at the end of the judges row: Simon.

What was truly refreshing about The Original 3, was that they seldom agreed. When Paula didn’t like someone, they were really, really bad. When all three loved a contestant, you knew that singer was on their way to stardom. With the current 3 judges awarding praises like gold medals at grade school sports competitions, and offering only candy-coated criticisms, I must instead turn to my gut and my passel of friends for insights into what was right and what was wrong with each singer’s performance.

Hosting the show again for a 10th year is disc jockey Ryan Seacrest.

A welcome addition to this year’s Idol is longtime recording engineer, producer, and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M, Jimmy Iovine, who works as sideline mentor and coach to the contestants. His thoughtful advice to the singers helps to set the stage and inform the audience about what characteristics they should look for in the performances.

MY PICKS

Who does TVgrrrrl pick to win Idol this Season? After seeing only one show (due to my hectic work schedule), my favorite is:

Casey Abrams – age 20 from Wilmette, IL – who rocked out on the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” with intense energy and emotion. The boy has “star” written all over him.

However, I was also impressed with (in ABC order):

Naima Adedapo – age 26, from Milwaukee, WI – who is the complete package and thoroughly entertained us dancing and singing “Umbrella” alone with no backup vocalists (unlike many of the other singers)

James Durbin – age 22, from Santa Cruz, CA – who’s young voice was quite sweet on “Maybe I’m Amazed” and will no doubt become a force to be reckoned with as his voice ages;

Jacob Lusk – age 23, from Compton, CA – who moved me on “I Believe I Can Fly” with heartfelt emotion;

Thia Megia – age 16, from Hayward, CA – who’s silky sweet voice killed the ballad portion of “Smile,” then surprised us with a uniquely interesting dance jazz arrangement on the latter half of the song; and

Haley Reinhart – age 20, from Wheeling, IL – who exhibited wonderful vocal control on “Blue.”

Of course, that’s just one show and over the many years of watching Idol, I’ve learned that while some performers seem to become invigorated by all the constant work and attention, excelling to unimaginable levels (such as Clay Aiken), others fall apart. One thing is for certain: This year’s Idol contestants do not disappoint. America seems to have a bottomless resource of quality vocal talent and I’m sure some hit makers will come out of this year’s bunch.

Ben Folds should have his own TV music show

Judge Ben Folds has posted his final Sing-Off Season II blog on the finale. The show aired on NBC after Thanksgiving as an off-season filler on five weekday nights (Mondays and Wednesdays), and featured ten a capella groups competing to win a grand prize of cash and a SONY recording contract.

When I read Ben's Sing-Off blog, my first thought was, this fits perfectly sandwiched into the middle of my last blog, right under my second paragraph where I commend the other nine groups who did not win the grand prize. Not only does it explain a bit about what goes on behind the scenes, it also contains links to each group's website, facebook page, and/or twitter account. I was especially glad to read the explanation of why the judges were so in love with the Backbeats, and why pitch was simply not that important in every instance.

Please take the time to read this: On Key with Ben Folds

A lot of fans have suggested that Ben Folds become one of the new replacement judges on American Idol. He does makes a wonderful Sing-Off judge, but I hope he does not end up on American Idol, not because he wouldn't be great at it, but because the show is a sinking ship.

Instead, I would like to hear more from Ben on his thoughts on music in general. He appears to have endless knowledge on just about every music genre, both obscure and popular, and understands what's happening below the auditory surface. He also has excellent taste, is quite articulate on camera and has a huge following: over 330,000 fans on facebook alone. So, why not give Ben his own TV show?

Off camera, Ben Folds mentions that he has actually never seen American Idol due to his very busy schedule and would like to watch some reruns. For anyone who wants to do this, I recommend you go all the way back to Seasons 2 through 4 when the show was in my opinion, at it's peak. Changes in later years have been it's downfall and include everything from tryout footage being cut (the group tryouts were my favorite part of the show); stacking the deck with better singers of one race or sex in an effort to get a winner who's white, female, black, blonde or whatever (yes, we at home were on to you); splitting up competitors into unfair groups; showing favoritism in order to sway the voting public towards a certain winner; and perhaps the worst change of all: adding a fourth judge which cut down the time each judge had to speak.