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May 22, 2007
Phone home!
 Even "American Idol" has its season finale "goody bags." And guess what one of the treats is?
A limited-edition BlackJack (shown at left), which Samsung and AT&T have partnered on, has been redesigned with the silhouette of a singing "Idol" in blue and orange motif. The "Idol" logo has been festooned with rhinestones. Can you hear me say, "Gawdy!"
Only 50 phones have been made for the 2007 season. Here's who gets them: the Top 12 contestants, the three judges and host Ryan Seacrest. Actually, I kind of like the phone. But I'm sure I fit more in the price range for the "Idol" Happy Meal toys.
In other last-minute "Idol" news:
* The TV Guide Channel is gearing up for three nights of red-carpet hoopla in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Your hosts for "Idol Tonight"? Season 2 finalist Kimberly Caldwell, Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini and former "Popstars" star Rosanna Tavarez. The network is blanketing the finale with shows at 6 and 10 tonight (before and right after the competition), 2 and 4 p.m. Wednesday (before the finale), the "Live at the Finale" show at 6 p.m., right before the show airs at 8 on Channel 40, and a wrap-up show Thursday at 4 p.m. Whew! There's always good stuff on this show, including never-before-seen footage of this year's contestants, including auditions and post-performance confessionals and dishing. The hosts will catch up with finalists such as Sanjaya Malakar (in whatever coif he arrives with) and Alaina Alexander. Ashley Ferl, the little girl who cried for Sanjaya, is supposed to show up with a box of Kleenex. And, of course, there will be the bevy of past "Idol" contestants such as Mandisa, Lisa Tucker, Kimberly Locke, Scott Savol and Jasmine Trias. Over the phone, Kimberly Caldwell, who was just finishing getting hair extensions for the show, said viewers can anticipate "a lot more celebrities this year. Each year it keeps getting crazier."
* No Southern charm: Well, one thing's for sure this season. No one from the South will win "American Idol." Blake Lewis (from Bothell, Wash.) and Jordin Sparks (from Glendale, Ariz.) are about as far removed from grits and gravy as you can get. However, while Blake has snagged the preteen vote, Jordin has basically captured the nation. According to Yahoo! Buzz, more states search for her, thus making Jordin the "geographical" favorite. She's also the predicted favorite of the core audience that performs "Idol" searches. That would be women ages 30 to 54. Hawaii is still the state front-runner in terms of searches, and the Aloha State fans love their beat-boxer!
* Right after Phil Stacey was eliminated following "Idol Gives Back," he was asked if he would be able to make the Top 10 summer tour despite of his commitments to the Navy. Word just in: The Navy high command has given Phil the salute to ship out this summer with his nine "Idol" mates. Ahoy, he's headed to Sacramento on July 25!
* The next-to-last Nielsen ratings that feature "American Idol" are in and -- once again -- the show held the top two spots, but not by much because of the much-anticipated season finale of "Grey's Anatomy." "Idol" finished first with last Wednesday's results show (28.05 million viewers) and second with Tuesday's competition (24.23 million viewers). Look folks, we've only got two more nights. Don't stop watching now! And forget about that Tom Selleck made-for-TV movie at 8 tonight. Something about "Sea Change." You want to see change? Eat fish sticks!
Posted by Leigh Grogan at May 22, 2007 02:22 PM
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