[Sndbox] Yahoo! News Story - 'American Idol' Returning for Third Year

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Title: Yahoo! News - 'American Idol' Returning for Third Year

Yahoo!   My Yahoo!   Mail Sign In New User? Sign Up News Home - Help Welcome, Guest Personalize News Home Page   -   Sign In Yahoo! News   Mon, Jan 19, 2004 Search  News StoriesNews PhotosAudio/VideoThe Web  for     Advanced News Home Top Stories U.S. National Business World Entertainment    Movies    Music TV    Industry    Reviews    Books    Arts and Stage    Celebrity    Fashion    Dear Abby Most Popular Sports Technology Politics Science Health Oddly Enough Op/Ed Local Comics News Photos Most Popular Weather Audio/Video Full Coverage Full Coverage More about American Idol Related News Stories • Cowell eyes new victims - er, singers Philadelphia Inquirer (Jan 18, 2004) • Even Rupert has his beady eye on American Idol III Sydney Morning Herald (Jan 18, 2004) • 'Idol' Isn't Idle Reuters (Jan 18, 2004) Opinion & Editorials • As usual, 'American Idol' starts with the losers Knox News (Jan 18, 2004) • The Good, the Bad, the Terrible NY Times (registration req'd) (Jan 18, 2004) Feature Articles • Three pros weigh in on what an Idol needs Philadelphia Inquirer (Jan 18, 2004) • Simon Viewed As Svengali Behind 'Idol' AP (Jan 15, 2004) Related Web Sites • American Idol • Reality News Online: American Idol • Television Without Pity: American Idol News Resources Providers · AP · Reuters · E! Online · Variety News Alerts · Kelly Clarkson · Paula Abdul · Mariah Carey · Academy Awards Services · Daily Emails · Free News Alerts   News via RSS   Television - AP 'American Idol' Returning for Third Year Sun Jan 18, 1:02 PM ET By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES - In two years, Fox's "American Idol" has minted three new music stars in Kelly Clarkson (news), Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. Now the televised talent hunt is trying for more. AP Photo Reuters Slideshow: American Idol   "American Idol" returns for its third season Monday — and not a moment too soon for the struggling Fox network. More than 38 million people watched Studdard beat Aiken in last May's finale, a bigger audience than the Academy Awards (news - web sites). "It's as important to our network as `Survivor' is to CBS," said Gail Berman, Fox's entertainment president. "It's as important to our network as `Friends' is to NBC. We need an engine." Fox isn't messing with the elements that made the show a success. Ryan Seacrest is back as host. Paula Abdul (news), Randy Jackson and the caustic Simon Cowell return as the judges. An estimated 80,000 wanna-be stars applied to test their talents. That's a lot of excruciating music to sit through. "There's only two people every year, or in some cases only one person, who makes a difference, and that's the terrible thing about the show," Cowell said. "Of course, every one of the 80,000 think they're fantastic." Word to the wise: If you want to impress the judges, leave the Mariah Carey (news)-like vocal histrionics at home. Abdul said it's like "a breath of fresh air" when a singer simply sticks to the melody. "It's about the sound of the voice," Jackson said. "The kids just don't know that. They're more impressed and trying to impress people with the vocal gymnastics." "A Whole New World" from the Disney movie "Aladdin" wins the judges' cringe award for the most-butchered song in auditions. Talent shows on TV have become commonplace in the wake of "American Idol." CBS has revived "Star Search," for instance, and NBC's "Today" show launched its own search for a star. None have approached the ratings impact of "Idol." "While others may try to copy us, they will never have the caliber of talent on or off the stage that `American Idol' has," Berman said. In this season's "American Idol" tryouts, the judges said girls held an advantage over guys. The show's producers say they're tinkering with the series to make its middle period better. Fans love the train-wreck auditions and the excitement of the finals, but interest lags in the stretch when 32 contestants are whittled down to 12. They also hope to make better use of guest stars, many of whom don't find it as easy as Cowell to crush singers' dreams and are boring as a result. "The good thing about `American Idol' — watching it and being involved in it — is that it has a sense of humor," Cowell said. "One of the things that's missing in the music industry at the moment is that people are taking themselves so seriously, it's not fun anymore." The judges believe Aiken changed the competition forever because of the way he played to the audience's emotions. Beneath his innocent looks was a fierce competitor, evident perhaps in how Aiken has overshadowed Studdard since the show ended. "He played to win, but you didn't think that," Jackson said. Even the ultra-confident Cowell thinks the show is better because it's the public, and not the judges, who make the final choice of American idol. "There's never a shortage of talent," Abdul said. "You find some of the best talent in the most remote parts of the country and, you know, there's always someone who drives to make it. And we'd love to see that happen."  Email Story   Post/Read Msgs (328)   Print Story Ratings: Would you recommend this story? Not at all 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Highly Next Story: Josh Duhamel Is a Real Student of Acting  (AP) More Television Stories · "CSI" Takes Manhattan  (E! Online) · CBS Television Chief Wants Raymond Back  (Reuters) · Foxx Pleads Innocent  (E! Online) · CBS to Launch Third Incarnation of 'CSI'  (Reuters) · "Friends" Countdown to Farewell  (E! Online) Peanuts, Dilbert and more Copyright � 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2004 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Questions or Comments Privacy Policy -Terms of Service - Copyright Policy - Ad Feedback

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