Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2007, Fox Broadcasting

ManyAmerican Idol fans were waiting for last night's results, as Sanjaya Malakar was finally sent home. But there were a few surprises along the way.

Host Ryan Seacrest divided the finalists into two groups, with Phil, Jordin, and Chris on one side of the stage and Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake on the other.

Then, after telling Melinda Doolittle that she was safe, he asked her to join the group of people who were also safe. She refused to do so, instead sitting down in the middle of the stage. That's when Ryan told her to join Phil, Jordin and Chris.

After a seemingly interminable wait, Blake was sent back to the couch, leaving only LaKisha and Sanjaya on stage. At first, it looked like this might be the shocker that happens every season, where a more talented contestant leaves in favor of a less talented but more popular contestant. But LaKisha breathed a sigh of relief — and the audience cheered! — and Sanjaya was sent home.

While the video tribute to him rolled, he actually cried, which took a little of the triumph out of the moment. He redeemed himself, however, when he sang one more time, ad-libbing the words, "Let's give them something to talk about other than hair," since many pundits attributed his successful run to his looks, in particular his hair.

I have to admit, Sanjaya had a certain charm and was at least entertaining. But he certainly didn't deserve to keep going in the competition, not when much more talented competitors remain.

Truly, I think America got it right this week. LaKisha didn't deserve to go home, and I'm glad she was saved, but I'm not surprised she landed in the bottom two. After showing initial promise, she has failed to deliver on that promise, while her fellow contestants, even Phil this week, are stepping up their game.

Blake needs to recapture the excitement from his early weeks in the competition, that spirit of inventiveness and fun. He's proven that he's got a nice tenor. Now he's got to show he knows what to do with it.

Chris is now the weakest candidate remaining, but his popularity, especially among some female viewers, may make for some contentious weeks ahead.

A few additional thoughts about the Philadelphia Film Festival. Overall, our experience at the festival was much better than it had been the year before. Some of the organizational problems they'd been having seem to have been resolved, especially at the International House, where the staff were organized and friendly, in sharp contrast to last year.

I remember, in particular, one of the evening showings, where we were lining up to watch a program while another showing was still taking Q&A for the filmmakers. A festival volunteer came up to me and asked me, very nicely, to step back and leave a wide gap for the exiting attendees to leave. I did so, and he not only thanked me several times that evening but also saw me the next day and cheerfully thanked me again!

As someone who helps run Otakon, a volunteer-driven organization, I know how valuable good volunteers are. I only regret I didn't get his name so that I could give positive feedback about him to the festival.

We were also impressed with the films we saw that were part of the Festival of Independents track, run by Scott Johnston. He has a great eye for independent film, and I really enjoy seeing the films he programs every year, primarily by local filmmakers. He also, hands down, gives the most entertaining intros to films.

In other entertainment news, I am loving the new NBC series, Thank God You're Here, where comedians and actors enter scenes and then have to improv their way through the scenario. The show's cast, of course, steers them down a rough outline for the scene, but I've noticed that when a guest actor makes a strong offer, they run with it, while still getting in their cues.

In some ways, the show takes the guesswork out of improv. The celebrity guests are dressed in elaborate costumes and walk into a set full of scenery and props, with fellow actors playing preset roles. So the "who" and the "where" are handed to them, and they get a lot of nudging as they discover the "what", as the show's cast guides them along.

Some of the scenarios are a lot like the improve game Expert Panel, where the guests answer questions in character. Others are more like a stage version of Mad Libs, where they simply have to fill in the blanks.

You can tell when actors have a background in improv. Kevin Nealon was astounding in his quick responses and confidence. He also chose a character and committed to it. Jennifer Coolidge, who has made many improv-based films with Christopher Guest was, of course, a natural. Her stand-out moment was as a deliciously airheaded foreign contestant in a beauty pageant.

Chelsea Handler, whose background is primarily standup and sketch comedy, did an amazing job of thinking on her feet, with an uproarious impromptu speech given by a bride and groom at their wedding reception.

Other standout performances to date include Harland Williams as a British explorer, Jane Lynch as an irresponsible 47-year-old still living with her parents, and Edie McClurg as one half of a troubled married couple undergoing counseling.

But the best moment to date was on last night's show where, in a group challenge, George Takei, Chelsea Handler, Shannon Elizabeth and Tom Green, as Vikings meeting with their leader, totally stole the scene from the cast and turned it into a bacchanalian free-for-all.

Hopefully, this show will have a long run, as has the improv show, Whose Line is It Anyway? So far, I've been very impressed with the celebrity guests, and I can't wait to see who they bring on next.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 6 (2007)

Musings on American Idol Season 5 (2006)

Musings on American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Musings on American Idol Season 3 (2004)

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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