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ABC Cancels Both ALL MY CHILDREN & ONE LIFE TO LIVE |
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Written by USTownhall.com staff
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Thursday, 14 April 2011 20:06 |
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It's been rumored for quite some time that, in spite of persistent denials from ABC – even as late as last week – that their soap opera lineup was in jeopardy. ABC airs three soaps daily, General Hospital (which began in 1963), One Life to Live (debuted in 1968), and All My Children (1970). Ratings for all three soaps have been in the basement for years now with weekly ratings that barely reach 2.0.
Today, Thursday, April 14, 2011, ABC finally confirmed that they would be canceling both All My Children and One Life to Live within months. Late last year, it was announced that the cable channel, SoapNet, which is owned by Disney and was devoted to airing same-day episodes of the ABC daytime soap lineup along with classic episodes of daytime and nighttime serials, would be abandoning that format and be completely changed to the new Disney Jr. channel, which will be aimed at pre-schoolers. Soap fans tried not to fear the worst, but now it seems that this decision was simply a harbinger of things to come.
Soap opera ratings began a slow, but steady decline ever since the OJ Simpson trial pre-empted the serials on a regular basis back in the mid-1990s. By the time the trial was over, many viewers had already made alternative viewing choices and simply did not come back. Musical writing/production teams over the last fifteen years did not help matters as each team seemed to have been proven successively less popular with the remaining fans.
Soap operas are notoriously expensive to produce. There can be as many as ten writers on staff along with two dozen actors under contract. In early 2010, All My Children moved from its New York studio down the hall from the talk show The View to a larger studio in Los Angeles that would allow permanent sets to be built to save on crew costs. In the smaller New York studio, crew members would have to come in each night after shooting and take down sets and put up the sets that would be used the next day. However, even with this supposed cost savings, the LA production of All My Children was still reportedly running over budget. One Life to Live has always been reported to be running under budget, but had been in perpetual danger the last few years as it often ranked last among the ABC soaps in the key demo of Women 18-49, which is what the advertisers pay for in daytime. Although All My Children has ranked lower in that demo in recent weeks, it still wasn't enough to save One Life to Live.
According to the official ABC press release, reproduced below, All My Children will go off the air in September 2011 while One Life to Live will have until January 2012 to wrap up its storylines. All My Children's timeslot will reportedly go to The Chew, a new cooking show, while One Life to Live will give way to The Revolution, a new lifestyle series featuring American Idol alum Kimberley Locke as one of the hosts.
Both serials were created by television legend Agnes Nixon. We had the pleasure of conducting an in-person video interview with Ms. Nixon in October of 2009 where we spoke about her early career being mentored by the mother of the daytime serial Irna Phillips and how she came to create One Life to Live and All My Children for ABC. You can watch the interview by clicking this link or by clicking on the thumbnail photo of Agnes Nixon at the bottom of this page.
Here is ABC's official press release regarding the cancellation of One Life to Live and All My Children.
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ABC EVOLVES THE FACE OF DAYTIME TELEVISION WITH THE LAUNCH OF TWO NEW SHOWS, "THE CHEW" AND "THE REVOLUTION"
Iconic Shows "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" Will Broadcast Their Final Episodes in September 2011 and January 2012, Respectively; Series Will Sunset in a Manner That Honors Viewers and the Shows' Creative Legacies
Guided by extensive research into what today's daytime viewers want and the changing viewing patterns of the audience, ABC is evolving the face of daytime television with the launch of two new shows, "The Chew," which will premiere in September 2011, and "The Revolution" (working title), which will premiere in January 2012. These new shows expand ABC Daytime's focus to include more programming that is informative and authentic and centers on transformation, food and lifestyle -- cornerstones of programming that resonates with daytime viewers as evidenced by the success of "The View."
As food has become the center of everyone's life, "The Chew" will focus on food from EVERY angle -- as a source of joy, health, family ritual, friendship, breaking news, dating, fitness, weight loss, travel adventures and life's moments. Produced by Gordon Elliot, the Emmy Award-winning executive producer of "Paula Deen's Home Cooking" and "Down Home with the Neelys," this new one-hour series combines entertaining takeaway with memorable personalities to create a live show where viewers get the dish on anything and everything related to the world of food and beyond. Whether it's new trends like food trucks and urban gardens or how pesticides in our food may affect our health, we can't stop talking about it. The hosts who will guide the hour include Mario Batali (Restaurateur, Food Network's "Iron Chef America" and author); entertaining expert Clinton Kelly (TLC's "What Not to Wear"); Carla Hall (Bravo's "Top Chef"); Michael Symon (Restaurateur and Food Network's "Iron Chef America"), and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, who simplifies often confusing information about food.
From Executive Producer JD Roth and 3 Ball Productions, producers of "The Biggest Loser," "Masterchef" and ABC's upcoming "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition," comes "The Revolution," a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations. The show is hosted by a team of experts and rotating guest contributors who help viewers transform all areas of their lives, from relationships to family, food, style, home design, finance and more. This dream team, led by fashion expert Tim Gunn, also includes celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and American Idol alum Kimberley Locke. The show features a unique concept: each week one woman's five-month weight loss journey will unfold in just five days, with daily results and a final transformational reveal on Friday. "The Revolution" is a one-stop shop for better living.
"While we are excited about our new shows and the shift in our business, I can't help but recognize how bittersweet the change is," said Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney ABC/Television Group. "We are taking this bold step to expand our business because viewers are looking for different types of programming these days. They are telling us there is room for informative, authentic and fun shows that are relatable, offer a wide variety of opinions and focus on 'real life' takeaways. A perfect example of this is 'The View,' and that factored into our decision. 'The Chew' and 'The Revolution' are in the same vein and will be great additions to the lineup, with 'The View' serving as an ideal foundation from which to launch these programs. They will also provide enormous opportunity for the creation of ancillary businesses and growth."
"General Hospital," the second-most popular show in daytime, is not impacted by this announcement and will remain on the air.
To honor the core, passionate audience and their rich history with our soaps, "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" will conclude each series in a manner that respects their legacies and the longstanding hopes of many of their viewers.
"'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' are iconic pieces of television that have made an indelible mark on our culture's history," reflected Frons. "Each of the shows has touched millions and millions of viewers and informed the social consciousness. It has been a privilege to work with the extraordinary teams who brought the residents of Pine Valley and Llanview to life each day, and we thank the cast, crew, producers and most especially the fans for their commitment to the shows through their history."
None of this could have been possible without the extraordinary Agnes Nixon. "More than 40 years ago, Agnes Nixon created both the worlds of 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live,' worlds that the rest of us have been privileged to live in," said Frons. "Her shows led the way forward, breaking a lot of rules along the way to defy expectations about what soaps can do and the issues they can cover.
I am honored to have worked with her."
"All My Children" has revolved around the lives of the residents of fictional Pine Valley, a town which closely resembles the Philadelphia Main Line. "All My Children" took home the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, the third time the show received this top honor, having also garnered the award in 1994 and 1992. "All My Children" has received more than 30 Emmy Awards and consistently distinguishes itself in the field of daytime drama. The show has historically been committed to and is often the first to tackle social issues, focusing on such topics as AIDS, abortion, cochlear implants, teenage alcoholism, racial bias, acquaintance rape, spousal abuse, homosexuality, Reyes syndrome, Vietnam MIAs, drug abuse, the risks of motherhood over 40, safe sex, pet therapy and organ donations, among others. The show made television history airing daytime television's first same-sex kiss between two lesbian characters, as well as daytime television's first same sex wedding between two women. It was the first to chronicle the coming-out story of a transgender woman and to cast a real life Iraq War veteran whose story reflected his real life experiences and injuries incurred in combat.
"All My Children" premiered on the ABC Television Network on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. Julie Hanan Carruthers is executive producer.
Also created by Agnes Nixon, Emmy Award-winning "One Live to Live" is set in the fictional town of Llanview, which is modeled on a Philadelphia suburb. "One Life to Live" debuted on The ABC Television Network July 15, 1968 as a half-hour show. Ten years later, it grew to a full hour in 1978.
"One Life to Live" has been lauded for its groundbreaking exploration of social issues, diverse canvas, award-winning performances and innovative storylines. Along with the history-making week of live shows in May 2002, "One Life to Live" is responsible for many "firsts" in Daytime television, including stories of interracial romance, illiteracy, medical misdiagnosis, racial prejudice, gang violence and teen pregnancy. The show received mass critical acclaim for its 1992 homophobia storyline, which captured national headlines when it introduced the character of a gay teen (played by then unknown Ryan Phillippe) and culminated with the emotional display of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. "One Life to Live" was honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) with the Outstanding Daytime Drama Award in 1993, and again in 2005 and 2010.
In 2002 the show won its first-ever Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and was nominated again in 2007 and 2008. Created by Agnes Nixon, "One Life to Live" debuted on July 15, 1968 and marked its 10,000th episode on August 17, 2007. Frank Valentini executive-produces.
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Click here to leave a comment and voice your thoughts regarding the cancellation of ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN...
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Adrianne Palicki as WONDER WOMAN in David E. Kelley pilot |
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Written by USTownhall.com staff
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Friday, 18 March 2011 20:04 |
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Here's the first look at Adrianne Palicki in costume as Wonder Woman courtesy of EW.com and a shot of Lynda Carter in the classic comic book look (more or less):
What's your verdict? We at USTownhall.com give Ms. Palicki's version a thumbs up.
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ADRIANNE PALICKI as Wonder Woman
[Photo Credit: EW.com]
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LYNDA CARTER as Wonder Woman
[Photo Credit: Warner Bros.]
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Click here to leave a comment about the new WONDER WOMAN...
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TV: BIG BROTHER 12 - Summer of Sabotage |
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Written by US Townhall staff
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Sunday, 11 July 2010 21:00 |
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 Click here to check out our interviews with the evicted houseguests!
We're back once again with our exclusive coverage of the summer guilty pleasure series, Big Brother, where 52 cameras and 95 microphones follow and listen in on every move of the contestants who have voluntarily allowed themselves to be locked away from the outside world in a specially-designed house for the summer. Each week one of the houseguests will be "evicted," and the last one remaining in the house will win the half-million dollar grand prize. This twelfth installment is subtitled "The Summer of Sabotage" because, in a Big Brother first, one of the 13 houseguests is not playing to win the grand prize. He or she is in the house for the sole purpose of wreaking as much havoc in the house and on the plans of his or her housemates as possible. If the secret saboteur makes it to week 5 without being evicted, this person will win $50,000. So far, we don't know two things: first, neither the home audience nor the Big Brother contestants have been told who the saboteur is or even been given any clues as to his or her identity. Second, it hasn't been revealed if the houseguest gets to stay in the game after week 5. The way it's been talked about so far, the houseguest will leave after week 5 on his or her own because host Julie Chen said that the saboteur isn't there to win the game. However, this is Big Brother, and they make up rules and twists on the fly, so we can't be 100% certain about anything at this moment.
After watching the first two episodes, we are leaning toward Kristen as being the saboteur. She's received very little screen time so far – to the point where we actually forgot she was in the house until everyone sat down at the round table for the first nomination ceremony on Sunday night's episode. Every other contestant has had a "moment" to be noticed by the other houseguests and the home audience thus far, and the producers are editing the footage in order to convince us that either Andrew or Brendon is the saboteur, which automatically makes us believe it's not them at all.
Who is the secret saboteur? It will be announced to the home audience on the Thursday, July 15 show, and the saboteur will essentially become this season's America's Player as he or she will perform tasks to disrupt the house that are voted on by the home audience.
Below you can meet our 13 incarcerated game show contestants, and keep checking back with us as we begin to post episode-by-episode summaries of this season's shennanigans. If you want to relive the hijinks of last year's game, click on the "Television blog" menu link where our recaps from Season 11 are posted. Want the scoop on all the stuff from the live feeds and past seasons? Check out www.hamsterwatch.com or http://attwx.com/
These are the 13 houseguests for Big Brother season 12:
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Photo
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HouseGuest
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HouseGuest
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Andrew Gordon
Age: 39
Occupation: Doctor (Podiatrist)
Residence: Miami Beach, FL
Evicted 3rd: Day 27, July 29
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Annie Whittington
Age: 27
Occupation: Bartender
Residence: Tampa, FL
Evicted 1st: Day 13, July 15
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Brendon Villegas
Age: 30
Occupation: High School swim coach
Residence: Riverside, CA
Evicted 8th: Day 55, August 26
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Britney Hayes
Age: 22
Occupation: Hotel sales manager
Residence: Huntington, AZ
Evicted 10th: Day 67, September 7
(aired September 8)
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Enzo Palumbo
Age: 32
Occupation: Insurance adjuster
Residence: Bayonne, NJ
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Hayden Moss
Age: 24
Occupation: College student
Residence: Tempe, AZ
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Kathy Hillis
Age: 40
Occupation: Deputy Sheriff-Sergeant
Residence: Texarkana, Arkansas
Evicted 6th: Day 48, August 19
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Kristen Bitting
Age: 24
Occupation: Boutique Manager
Residence: Philadelphia, PA
Evicted 4th: Day 34, August 5
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Lane Elenburg
Age: 24
Occupation: Oil rig salesman
Residence: Decatur, TX
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Matt Hoffman
Age: 32
Occupation: Web designer
Residence: Elgin, IL
Evicted 7th: Day 55, August 26
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Monet Stunson
Age: 24
Occupation: Model
Residence: Glen Carbon, IL
Evicted 2nd: Day 20, July 22
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Rachel Reilly
Age: 26
Occupation: Chemistry graduate student
Residence: Las Vegas, NV
Evicted 5th: Day 41, August 12
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Ragan Fox
Age: 34
Occupation: College professor
Residence: West Hollywood, CA
Evicted 9th: Day 62, September 2
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Click to read the episode-by-episode recaps...
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AMERICAN IDOL Season 10: Episode-by-Episode |
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Written by Scott Katz & USTownhall staff
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Thursday, 10 March 2011 13:01 |
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Another season of American Idol has now begun in earnest, and now that the top 13 have been selected, we will be following all of the action right here. This year, we are changing the format of our American Idol blogging to a more condensed chart format that will make it easy to keep up with all the action at a single glance. Do you agree with our grades for each performance and our picks for the bottom 3? Feel free to click the link below the following chart to leave your comments.
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Week 11, Top 3 W 5/18/11 - Th 5/19/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 5/19/11 |
| USTH picks for FINAL 2 |
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Lauren
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Scotty
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| America's FINAL 2 |
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Lauren
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Scotty
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ELIMINATED
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| Haley |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 5/18/11 |
| Theme |
"Idol Choice / Jimmy Iovine's Choice / Judges' Choice" |
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Casey Abrams
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eliminated 8th
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"Wild One" by Faith Hill
GRADE: B+
"If I Die Young" by The Band Perry
GRADE: B+
"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack
GRADE: B+
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James Durbin
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eliminated 10th
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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eliminated 7th
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Jacob Lusk
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eliminated 9th
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"Amazed" by Lone Star
GRADE: B+
"Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" by Thompson Square
GRADE: B+
"She Believes in Me" by Kenny Rogers
GRADE: B+
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Paul McDonald
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eliminated 6th
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Haley Reinhart
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"What Is and What Should Never Be" by Led Zepplin
GRADE: B+
"Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
GRADE: B+
"You Oughtta Know: by Alanis Morrissette
GRADE: B-
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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eliminated 5th
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Week 10, Top 4 W 5/11/11 - Th 5/12/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 5/12/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 2 |
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Haley
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Lauren
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| America's bottom 2 |
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James
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Scotty
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ELIMINATED
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| James |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 5/11/11 |
| Theme |
"Songs That Inspire / Leiber & Stoller songbook" |
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Casey Abrams
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eliminated 8th
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"Anyway" by Martina McBride
GRADE: B+
"Trouble" by Elvis Presley
GRADE: B+
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James Durbin
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"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
GRADE: B+
"Love Potion #9" by The Searchers
GRADE: A-
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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eliminated 7th
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Jacob Lusk
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eliminated 9th
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson
GRADE: A-
"Young Blood" by The Coasters
GRADE: B+
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Paul McDonald
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eliminated 6th
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Haley Reinhart
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"Earth Song" by Michael Jackson
GRADE: B+
"I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E. King
GRADE: A-
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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eliminated 5th
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Week 9, Top 5 W 5/4/11 - Th 5/5/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 5/5/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 2 |
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Jacob
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Lauren
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| America's bottom 2 |
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Jacob
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Lauren
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ELIMINATED
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| Jacob |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 5/4/11 |
| Theme |
"Songs from Now and Then" |
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Casey Abrams
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eliminated 8th
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"Flat on the Floor" by Carrie Underwood
GRADE: B+
"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
GRADE: B+
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James Durbin
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"Closer to the Edge" by 30 Seconds to Mars
GRADE: B
"Without You" by Badfinger
GRADE: A-
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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eliminated 7th
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Jacob Lusk
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"No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown
GRADE: B
"Love Hurts" by The Everly Brothers/Roy Orbison
GRADE: A-
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"Gone" by Montgomery Gentry
GRADE: B+
"Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson
GRADE: B+
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Paul McDonald
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eliminated 6th
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Haley Reinhart
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"You and I" by Lady Gaga
GRADE: B+
"House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals
GRADE: A-
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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eliminated 5th
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Week 8, Top 6 W 4/27/11 - Th 4/28/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 4/21/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 2 |
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Casey
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Lauren
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| America's bottom 2 |
n/a |
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ELIMINATED
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| Casey |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 4/20/11 |
| Theme |
"Carole King" |
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Casey Abrams
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"Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)" by The City
GRADE: B
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"Where You Lead"
GRADE: B+
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James Durbin
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"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles
GRADE: A-
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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eliminated 7th
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Jacob Lusk
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"Oh No Not My Baby" by Maxine Brown
GRADE: A-
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"You've Got A Friend"
GRADE: B+
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Paul McDonald
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eliminated 6th
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Haley Reinhart
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"Beautiful"
GRADE: B+
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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eliminated 5th
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Week 7, Top 7 W 4/20/11 - Th 4/21/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 4/21/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
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| America's bottom 3 |
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ELIMINATED
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| Stefano |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 4/20/11 |
| Theme |
"Songs from the 21st Century" |
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Casey Abrams
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"Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5
GRADE: B+
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"Born to Fly" Sara Evans
GRADE: B+
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James Durbin
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"Uprising" by Muse
GRADE: A
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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"Closer" by Ne-Yo
GRADE: B
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Jacob Lusk
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"Dance with My Father" by Luther Vandross
GRADE: A
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"Swingin'" by LeeAnn Rimes (cover of John Anderson)
GRADE: B+
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Paul McDonald
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eliminated 6th
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Haley Reinhart
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"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele
GRADE: B+
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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eliminated 5th
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Week 6, Top 8 W 4/13/11 - Th 4/14/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 4/14/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
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| America's bottom 3 |
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ELIMINATED
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| Paul |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 4/13/11 |
| Theme |
"Songs from the Movies" |
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Casey Abrams
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"Nature Boy" by Nat King Cole from The Boy with Green Hair
GRADE: B
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus from Hanna Montana: The Movie
GRADE: B+
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James Durbin
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"Heavy Metal" by Sammy Hagar from Heavy Metal
GRADE: B+
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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"End of the Road" by Boys II Men from Boomerang
GRADE: B+
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Jacob Lusk
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"Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel from The Pursuit of Happyness
GRADE: B+
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"I Cross My Heart" by George Strait from Pure Country
GRADE: B+
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Paul McDonald
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"Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger from Risky Business
GRADE: B
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Haley Reinhart
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"Call Me" by Blondie from American Gigilo
GRADE: B
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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eliminated 5th
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Week 5, Top 9 W 4/6/11 - Th 4/7/11
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| THE RESULTS, Th 4/7/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
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| America's bottom 3 |
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ELIMINATED
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| Pia |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 4/6/11 |
| Theme |
"Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" |
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Casey Abrams
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"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
GRADE: B
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Naima Adedapo
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eliminated 4th
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Lauren Alaina
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"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin
GRADE: B
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James Durbin
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"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles
GRADE: A
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Ashthon Jones
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eliminated 1st
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Stefano Langone
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"When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge
GRADE: B
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Jacob Lusk
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"Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson
GRADE: A-
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Thia Megia
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eliminated 3rd
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Scotty McCreery
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"That's All Right" by Elvis Presley
GRADE: B
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Paul McDonald
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"Folsom Prison Blues " by Johnny Cash
GRADE: B
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Haley Reinhart
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"Take Another Little Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin
GRADE: B+
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Karen Rodriguez
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eliminated 2nd
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Pia Toscano
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"River Deep – Mountain High" by Tina Turner
GRADE: A-
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Week 4, Top 11 W 3/23/11 - Th 3/24/11
|
| THE RESULTS, Th 3/31/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
|
| America's bottom 3 |
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ELIMINATED
|
|
|
| Naima |
Thia |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 3/30/11 |
| Theme |
"Elton John" |
|
Casey Abrams
|
"Your Song"
GRADE: B+
|
|
Naima Adedapo
|
"I'm Still Standing"
GRADE: B
|
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Lauren Alaina
|
"Candle in the Wind"
GRADE: B+
|
|
James Durbin
|
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
GRADE: B+
|
|
Ashthon Jones
|
eliminated 1st
|
|
Stefano Langone
|
"Tiny Dancer"
GRADE: B
|
|
Jacob Lusk
|
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
GRADE: A-
|
|
Thia Megia
|
"Daniel"
GRADE: B
|
|
Scotty McCreery
|
"Country Comfort"
GRADE: B+
|
|
Paul McDonald
|
"Rocket Man"
GRADE: C
|
|
Haley Reinhart
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"Bennie and the Jets"
GRADE: B+
|
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Karen Rodriguez
|
eliminated 2nd
|
|
Pia Toscano
|
"Down Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
GRADE: B+
|
|
Week 3, Top 11 W 3/23/11 - Th 3/24/11
|
| THE RESULTS, Th 3/24/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
|
| America's bottom 3 |
|
|
Lowest-ranking contestant,
but received Judges' Save -
No one eliminated & Top 11
will go out on tour.
|
|
| Casey received Judges' Save |
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| THE PERFORMANCES, W 3/23/11 |
| Theme |
"Motown" |
|
Casey Abrams
|
"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
GRADE: B-
|
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Naima Adedapo
|
"Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas
GRADE: B
|
|
Lauren Alaina
|
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes
GRADE: B
|
|
James Durbin
|
"Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder
GRADE: A-
|
|
Ashthon Jones
|
eliminated 1st
|
|
Stefano Langone
|
"Hello" by Lionel Richie
GRADE: B
|
|
Jacob Lusk
|
"You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
GRADE: A
|
|
Thia Megia
|
"Heatwave" by Martha and the Vandellas
GRADE: B
|
|
Scotty McCreery
|
"For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder
GRADE: B
|
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Paul McDonald
|
"The Tracks of My Tears" by The Miracles
GRADE: B-
|
|
Haley Reinhart
|
"You Really Got a Hold on Me" by The Miracles
GRADE: B
|
|
Karen Rodriguez
|
eliminated 2nd
|
|
Pia Toscano
|
"All in Love is Fair" by Stevie Wonder
GRADE: A-
|
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Week 2, Top 12 W 3/16/11 - Th 3/17/11
|
| THE RESULTS, Th 3/17/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
|
| America's bottom 3 |
|
| ELIMINATED |
|
| Karen |
|
| THE PERFORMANCES, W 3/16/11 |
| Theme |
"Songs from the Year They Were Born" |
|
Casey Abrams
|
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
GRADE: B-
|
|
Naima Adedapo
|
"What's Love Got to Do with It" by Tina Turner
GRADE: B
|
|
Lauren Alaina
|
"I'm the Only One" by Melissa Ethridge
GRADE: B
|
|
James Durbin
|
"I'll Be There for You" by Bon Jovi
GRADE: B
|
|
Ashthon Jones
|
eliminated 1st
|
|
Stefano Langone
|
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" by Simply Red
(cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes)
GRADE: B
|
|
Jacob Lusk
|
"Alone" by Heart
GRADE: B+
|
|
Thia Megia
|
"Colors of the Wind" by Vanessa WIlliams
GRADE: B+
|
|
Scotty McCreery
|
"Can I Trust You with My Heart" by Travis Tritt
GRADE: B+
|
|
Paul McDonald
|
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John
GRADE: B-
|
|
Haley Reinhart
|
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston
GRADE: B-
|
|
Karen Rodriguez
|
"Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne
GRADE: B
|
|
Pia Toscano
|
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" by Whitney Houston
GRADE: B+
|
|
Week 1, Top 13 W 3/9/11 - Th 3/10/11
|
| THE RESULTS, Th 3/10/11 |
| USTH picks for bottom 3 |
|
| America's bottom 3 |
|
| ELIMINATED |
|
| Asthon |
|
| THE PERFORMANCES, W 3/9/11 |
| Theme |
"Their Personal Idol" |
|
Casey Abrams
|
"With a Little Help from My Friends" by Joe Cocker (cover of The Beatles)
GRADE: B
|
|
Naima Adedapo
|
"Umbrella" by Rihanna
GRADE: B
|
|
Lauren Alaina
|
"Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain
GRADE: B+
|
|
James Durbin
|
"Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney
GRADE: A
|
|
Ashthon Jones
|
"When You Tell Me That You Love Me" by Diana Ross
GRADE: B
|
|
Stefano Langone
|
"Lately" by Stevie Wonder
GRADE: B
|
|
Jacob Lusk
|
"I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly
GRADE: B+
|
|
Thia Megia
|
"Smile" by Michael Jackson (cover of Charlie Chaplin)
GRADE: B
|
|
Scotty McCreery
|
"The River" by Garth Brooks
GRADE: B+
|
|
Paul McDonald
|
"Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams
GRADE: B-
|
|
Haley Reinhart
|
"Blue" by LeAnn Rhimes
GRADE: B+
|
|
Karen Rodriguez
|
"I Could Fall in Love" by Selena
GRADE: B
|
|
Pia Toscano
|
"All by Myself" by Celine Dion (cover of Eric Carmen)
GRADE: A-
|
|
|
Click here to leave your comments about AMERICAN IDOL 10...
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AMERICAN IDOL Season 9: Episode-by-Episode |
| Print | |
E-mail |
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Written by US Townhall staff
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 17:46 |
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CLICK HERE TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO MOST RECENT WEEK
American Idol begn in earnest this week, as the top 24 contestants took to the live Idol stage to perform for America's votes. Last season's format for the semi-final rounds has been scuttled, and it has returned to the format more familiar to viewers of seasons 4 through 7. Each week, the women and men perform on differnet nights with the bottom two going home each week for the next three rounds. When the semi-finals are done, we'll have our top 12 that will go on to the big stage at the Kodak Theater.
Looking at the way the competition has shaped up so far, we don't think it's going too far out on a limb to predict that the winner of this season will be female. Let's take a look at the performances from this week.
American Idol 9: Semi-Finals Round 1 Ladies' Performances, Tuesday 2/23/10
(1) Paige Miles sang "All Right Now" by Free (1970). Good, but not great, performance. Verses were fine, but Paige was swallowed up by the background singers and the band during the chorus (refrain). We'd rate it a B+ and feel that Paige should be safe when the results are revealed.
(2) Ashley Rodriguez sang "Happy" by Leona Lewis (2009). Subpar rendition that compares noticeably quite unfavorably to the original by Simon Cowell discovery Leona Lewis. Simon felt that Ashley could be "in trouble" when the results are revealed, and we agree. Grade: C
(3) Janell Wheeler sang "What About Love" by Heart (1985). We liked Janell during Hollywood Week with her great, stripped down performance of Estelle's "American Boy" on acoustic guitar, but a Heart power ballad was way beyond the scope of her talent and her voice simply lacks the power necessary to sell that song. Going off key several times did not help matters. Grade: C
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