Sorry, Carly. You're No 'Superstar' This Week

By Lisa de Moraes
Thursday, April 24, 2008

Andrew Lloyd Webber week came to a shocking conclusion last night on "American Idol." Carly Smithson, this season's most talented singer vocally, got the hook despite having delivered one of the week's two strongest performances.

The other was by Syesha Mercado, who received the second fewest votes from viewers.

Meanwhile, Nanny Brooke, who once again forgot the lyrics to her song, sailed through to mess up another week. Ditto Jason Castro, who the night before had mauled the tune "Memory" from the musical "Cats" because he did not realize it was about, um, cats.

And speaking of you get what you vote for, look -- here's President Bush, who gets to announce this year's "Idol Gives Back" charity fundraiser total, which was about 11 million bucks less than last year's. Yes, show host Ryan Seacrest is so powerful that when he doesn't want to be the one to break the bad news to America, they get the president of the United States to step in and do the dirty work for him.

Seacrest does agree to be the one to break it to America that 38 million votes were cast this week for the Idolettes. We try unsuccessfully to resist the urge to consider that if every vote cast had been accompanied by $2, they would have raised $76 million and matched last year's "Idol Gives Back" haul. And while we're on the subject, what's the good of having that gas bandit ExxonMobil be one of this year's "Idol Gives Back" mondo-sponsors if it's not going to make up the $11 million difference? What's a measly $11 million to a company that in 2007 posted a $40.6 billion annual profit -- the largest ever by a U.S. company.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Week Results Night was shocking from beginning to end. For starters, Seacrest kisses judge Simon Cowell.

"Relax -- it didn't mean anything!" Seacrest tells Simon, who reacts by immediately sidling over and putting his arm around judge Paula Abdul. Paula is observing Andrew Lloyd Webber week by dressing up as the Merry Widow under the mistaken belief Lloyd Webber wrote that one, too.

It was pretty much downhill from there. Everyone but Carly and Syesha make it through to the Sofa of Safety. But they'll have to sing Neil Diamond tunes next week -- that'll show them.

Leona Lewis, Simon's "discovery" on the British version of "Idol," sings her pop tune in some hideous sundress. We get an exclusive sneak peek at Will Smith's new flick, in which he plays a superhero.

In honor of Lloyd Webber week, we see how successful people who did not win "American Idol" have been on Broadway. Like Tamyra Gray and Clay Aiken, in "Rent" and "Spamalot," respectively.

Carly is announced as this week's bootee. The audience has the good sense to boo. Simon, who has been trying to get Carly booted since she made it through to the finals, apologizes to her for having complimented her on this week's performance, calling his comment "the kiss of death."

We, however, believe he did it on purpose.

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Just in time for the debut of Tina Fey's NBC Universal flick, "Baby Mama," NBC Universal is moving Tina Fey's comedy series, "30 Rock," into the better 9:30 p.m. Thursday time slot starting tonight, where it will follow "The Office."

Johnny-come-lately cynics suggested this week in news reports that NBC is moving "30 Rock" so as to avoid embarrassment over the fact that, as mentioned first here in The TV Column, NBC programming chief Ben Silverman had crowned the 8 o'clock slot "family hour" the same week that "30 Rock" returned from a strike-induced hiatus with a hilarious episode involving a reality series called "MIL[:-o] Island."

Of course, where their argument breaks down is that when Silverman spoke of 8 o'clock being NBC's family hour, he was talking about NBC next season. This is not next season; this is, of course, this season, and no doubt once those reporters figure this out, they'll feel perfect fools.

It's true that on the day he made his announcement, Silverman argued that "30 Rock" is family programming because its star, creator, writer and executive producer is thisclose to becoming a "cultural icon," what with her getting the covers of Parade, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair and Marie Claire, not to mention her new NBC Universal flick, "Baby Mama."

Plus, Silverman noted "30 Rock" actually makes him laugh, whereas when he watches other networks' comedies, "I never laugh."

And if you think reporters are not going to stay on top of that incipient situation in case next season (when NBC's "Scrubs" moves to ABC) they catch Silverman still laughing at it, then, my friend, you underestimate the tenacity of today's Reporters Who Cover Television. What a public relations nightmare that will be for NBC.

An NBC insider insists the "30 Rock" move has nothing to do with "Family Hour-gate" and more to do with taking advantage of all the promotion for Fey's movie debuting the next day to move the show to the later time period, when the number of homes using television is noticeably higher, particularly during daylight saving time.

Also, this season, "The Office" has established itself as NBC's strongest comedy lead-in. And, if you're NBC, you don't want to squander that kind of a lead-in on "Scrubs" when it's moving to ABC, now do you?

But back to Tina Fey, who is even closer to becoming a cultural icon with news that today she will make cultural-iconizing appearances on not only NBC Universal's "Today" show and ABC's cackling harpies show "The View" and on her own "30 Rock," now in its improved time slot, but also on David Letterman's late-night CBS series -- all with a view toward informing the masses that her movie debuts the next day and her sitcom is moving to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays.

* * *

It's official: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences finally announced it will indeed give out its very first Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding host for a reality show or reality competition when it hands out the trophies on ABC on Sept. 21. The academy did not announce it would be given to "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, but that seems a foregone conclusion, given the arm-stroking pathos he exhibited when Nanny Brooke forgot the lyrics to her Andrew Lloyd Webber tune this week -- to name just one instance.

"Reality television has become such an integral part of television and our culture, so it only made sense for us to create this new highly competitive category," TV academy Chairman and CEO John Shaffner said in the announcement, continuing the academy's longstanding tradition of jumping on a new programming trend once it's thoroughly aged.