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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Knight Rider is Back with KITT and Micheal , A real entertainment gift for 2008 new year



"Knight Rider" is back, and on February 17, 2008 the new series will kick-off with a 2-hour movie event.

On December 12, we got the first look at the three KITT cars they'll be using for the flick (and hopefully series one day if the writers strike doesn't continue – sorry, different topic.) In the original series, it was the T-Top Pontiac Trans Am. In 2007, it's an updated Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR. And not only that, there's three different cars playing the part.

Today, at the NBC Studios in Burbank -- between the studio for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Access Hollywood" -- the new cars were unveiled with a pseudo demonstration with one of the stunt cars. They even gave KITT his own parking spot next to Jay Leno – I guess he won't be using that for a while.

The first car shown was a remote car – no driver! Some really cool stuff! There are two people who control it by a remote control; the thing just moves on its own, opens the doors on its own, drives from side to side. See, as a kid, you always wonder about how the car drove by itself – now I know.

Anyway, the other two cars aren't by remote; they're real cars, including the stunt car. The last car had the cast of the movie there – Justin Bruening (Mike Traceur), Deanna Russo (Sarah Graiman), Bruce Davison (Charles Graiman), and Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Carrie Ruvai).

This "Knight Rider" is a sequel to the original series, which Justin says is definitely a plus for the storyline. "Being a fan of the show, I was very excited about; I didn't want them to mess with [it] – you don't mess with 'the original' anything, it's never really as good. I love the fact that it just continues the story, and there's a huge gap, so within this show, we can go backwards, forwards. We can do anything because there are huge gaps in there to fill in."

Cast

(Credited cast)
Justin Bruening ... Mike Traceur

Will Arnett ... K.I.T.T. (voice)

Sydney Tamiia Poitier ... Carrie Rivai

David Hasselhoff ... Michael Knight (in negotiations)

Bruce Davison ... Charles Graiman

Greg Ellis ... Welther

Deanna Russo ... Sarah

Jonathan Chase ... Kevin

Meggan Anderson ... Hot Girl

Chris Mulkey ... Sheriff Ramsey
Susan Gibney ... Jennifer

Jack Yang ... Cross

Kevin Dunigan ... Smoke
Kevin Christy ... Belle
more

Justin's character of Mike Traceur is the son of Michael Knight, but "I clearly don't know that right away," he says. "He's the reluctant hero, an ex-Army Ranger that obviously in the end becomes a hero even though he doesn't want to be. With the writers strike, I haven't gotten a new episode so I don't know if he likes being a hero, but whatever, we'll find out."

Deanna plays the daughter of Charles Graiman, the inventor of KITT. She told ComingSoon.net about the bonding time she had getting to know how the real KITT moves. "We were doing some pretty crazy stunts up in Newhall on this crazy, windy mountain road; it was pretty exciting. I was actually in the passenger seat, and nobody was behind the wheel. They have this amazing rig, a stunt driver locked down to the top of the car on the roof. He's a very talented because at no point did I feel that my life was in danger. Well, ok, I gotta say, I'll be honest with you, the very, very first time I rode in KITT as a passenger, even though I was in the driver's seat, I wasn't in control of the car, it was a little scary. It kind of felt like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but real. After that first exciting thing, now it just feels like a roller coaster; it's a really cool job. I'm so glad you guys got to check out some of these things because we've been really excited to share it and talk about it."

It was Sydney who just put it bluntly of how awesome this show is really going to be. "It's cool, I think it's a real true kind of staying true to the original idea of the show. There's just cooler stuff we can do, and it's even more kind of weirdly relevant today, because it's actually believable that you can have a car that talks and does all this stuff and that it actually happens. The car itself is super cool and you guys saw the attack mode version, when it came in and popped those crazy 360s or whatever. Just the car itself is really the coolest thing I've seen so far. Certainly there's going to be some interesting stuff that the car does in the movie. And now I think it's even more, for the kids that didn't grow up in the '80s and didn't see [the original] 'Knight Rider,' I think it's something they can totally identify with and it's not so foreign."

The Hoff makes a small cameo in this movie to pass the torch to Justin. It was a surreal experience for him getting on set and seeing the real Michael Knight. "It's definitely one of the highlights of my life, something I can tell my grandkids. It's a lot to process all at once I have to say. It still hasn't sunk that – I don't even tell people what I do because it sounds ridiculous. When I told my friends when I found out, I didn't tell them. They would call and say, 'What have you been up to? You been filming anything?' 'Yeah, I got a job. I'm Knight Rider!?' (in a questioning manner). I don't know any other way to say it than that. And obviously, they're all really excited 'cause we watched it growing up."

The question you're all wondering – who is voicing KITT? The answer: Will Arnett! Sorry all you William Daniels fans out there, he's not back.

But with Will Arnett as the voice, you know there's going to be some of that good humor thrown in. "We all joke around on set with funny things that KITT might say," noted Deanna. "Will Arnett is a brand-new addition to the show, and we're so excited to have him on board. When I first heard talks of him being on it, I was just clamoring with joy. I'm a huge fan of 'Arrested Development'! His voice alone is very memorable, so I think he's a perfect fit for KITT. I'm just really excited to hear what he does with it; there are so many choice one could make."

One thing's for sure, "Knight Rider" is back and better than ever! Stay tuned for more from the cast of the NBC movie when it premieres February 17th.





Extract From, http://www.comingsoon.net

See Trailer http://www.knightrideronline.com/news/2007/12/new_knight_rider_teaser.php

KNIGHT RIDER *********************************** 2008 **********************

Overview

Director:
Steve Shill
Writers:
David Andron (writer)
Glen A. Larson (characters)
Release Date:
17 February 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Action more
Plot Summary:
Mike Tracer a bitter former Army Ranger and failed race car driver, just got a new lease on life, neither... more
Production Notes/Status:
Status:
Pre-production
Comments:

Status Updated:
2 November 2007
Note:
Because this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change; some data could be removed completely.

The KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) car in the new Knight Rider
The KITT car in the new Knight Rider
Justin Bruening (pictured here) plays Mike Tracer (Michael Knight’s son) in the new Knight Rider
Justin Bruening (pictured here) plays Mike Tracer
(Michael Knight’s son) in the new “Knight Rider”.

From left to right: Deanna Russo, Justin Bruening, Bruce Davison and Sydney Tamiia Poitier
From left to right: Deanna Russo, Justin Bruening
Bruce Davison and Sydney Tamiia Poitier.

Resources -www.hollywoodchicago.com/
******************************************************

NBC officially announces new Knight Rider


'KNIGHT RIDER' REVS UP TO RETURN TO NBC FOR SPECIAL TWO-HOUR MOVIE EVENT ON FEBRUARY 17 AS NEW KITT CAR IS REVEALED

"Knight Rider" Cast Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison Participate at the Unveiling Event Showcasing the Customized KITT Ford Mustang to Be Featured in Movie

Dave Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") to Serve as Executive Producers; David Hasselhoff, the Star of the Original "Knight Rider" Series, Appears as a Special Guest Star in His Original Role as Michael Knight

NBC Also Forms Partnership with Ford Motor Company That Provides for Unique Content Opportunity

BURBANK - December 12, 2007 - As "Knight Rider" -- NBC's iconic 1980s television classic that became a runaway success, comes roaring back to life on the network with an updated sequel that will air as a two-hour movie event on Sunday, February 17 (9-11 p.m. ET) -- NBC unveiled the new customized KITT Ford Mustang to be featured in the series in a press event held at NBC's Burbank Studios today.

The movie stars Justin Bruening ("Cold Case," "All My Children"), Deanna Russo ("NCIS," "The Young and the Restless"), Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars," "Grindhouse") and Bruce Davison ("Breach," "Close to Home"). In addition, David Hasselhoff (NBC's "America's Got Talent") -- who starred in the popular lead role as Michael Knight for four seasons during the original series -- returns as the same character in a special guest-star appearance. Will Arnett (NBC's "30 Rock," "Blades of Glory") will provide the voice of KITT.

Dave Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") serve as executive producers. NBC also has an arrangement with Ford Motor Company that provides for a unique content opportunity that makes the Ford Mustang one of the stars of the movie.

The three cars to be employed in the series include the KITT Hero -- a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR that is playing the part of the everyday Hero car with 540 horsepower; the KITT Attack -- a super high-speed version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR Hero car that transforms into Attack mode with the help of air-ride technology and specialized body parts -- and a KITT Remote, which is a driverless Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR version of the Hero vehicle.

As the original story resumes, the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) is absolutely the coolest car ever created: its supercomputer capable of hacking almost any system; its weapons systems efficient; and its body -- thanks to its creator's work and nanotechnology -- is capable of actually shifting shape and color. Plus, its artificial intelligence makes it the ideal crime-fighting partner: logical, precise and possessing infinite knowledge. It is the ultimate car -- and someone will be willing to do anything to obtain it.

Sarah Graiman is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' (Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from KITT warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first KITT 25 years ago -- and that her father is in serious danger.

Sarah and KITT track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure KITT and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search.

David Andron is supervising producer and writer. Steve Shill ("Dexter," "The Tudors"), also a co-executive producer, directs the two-hour movie from Universal Media Studios and Dutch Oven Productions.

Resources - http://www.knightrideronline.com/

2008 Telepic/backdoor pilot

Michael Knight behind the wheel of KITT
Michael Knight behind the wheel of KITT

On September 26, 2007, NBC announced that it is creating a two-hour backdoor pilot to air later this season.[8] In the new version, Justin Bruening will star as the estranged son of Michael Knight, Mike Tracer.[9] Deanna Russo will play Tracer's one-time girlfriend and love interest, Sarah Kamen.[9] Bruce Davison will co-star as her father, physicist Charles Kamen.[9] Wayne Kasserman co-stars as Mike's roommate and friend.[10] David Hasselhoff is also being approached to appear as Michael Knight.[9]

KITT will be portrayed as a black 550 HP Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang.[11]

Supervising producer Dave Andron ("Raines") is writing the pilot script, Doug Liman and Dave Bartis ("The O.C.", "Heist") to executive produce.[9]

Variety reports that Transformers inspired Ben Silverman's decision to revive Knight Rider because smallscreen effects are sophisticated enough to have a weekly series with shape shifting cars (though the 1990s series Viper, heavily influenced by Knight Rider, shared the same concept)

NBC announced on December 13, 2007 that the new 2-hour pilot will air on February 17, 2008. Two new cast members were also announced; Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame will be the voice for the new K.I.T.T Mustang, and Sydney Tamiia Poitier, daughter of Sidney Poitier, will play FBI agent Carrie Ruvai.[12]

Resources - http://en.wikipedia.org

THE GOOD NEWS ***************************

1. David Hasselhoff (NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”) – who starred in the popular lead role as Michael Knight for four seasons during the original series – returns as the same character in a special guest-star appearance.


2. The new KITT car will have some “Transformers”-like shape-shifting abilities. The story’s scientific explanation is “nanotechnology”.

Resources - hollywoodchicago.com/






To see trailer , visit,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn4K7eM1tj4&feature=related


*************************************************************************************
Knight Rider Makes Comeback 20 Years Later

*************************************************************************************

The ‘80s series about a man and his futuristic, talking car is returning on NBC – that’s right, “Knight Rider,” with its talking car and leather jacket-clad driver is back.

http://www.cagylogic.com/WindowsLiveWriter/KnightRider2008_DE6/kr2008big_2.jpg

NBC is bringing back the action series in the form of a telepic: a 2-hour TV movie/pilot that is to test the waters and, if all goes well, transform into a bona fide series, according to Variety.

“Knight Rider” aired on NBC from 1982 to 1986 and starred David Hasselhoff as a curly-haired, blue-eyed, adventurous crime-fighter whose ally is a car infused with artificial intelligence – Kitt. The show enjoyed great success and turned Hasselhoff into a teen heartthrob.

Entertainment Weekly reports Doug Liman, director of movies like “The Bourne Identity” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” will produce the series. The premise of the original show will reportedly remain much the same however, the special effects are bound to be significantly advanced.

The series will go into production for a 2008-09 debut. While this has not been settled yet, Liman could also act as director for the “backdoor pilot,” according to Variety.

The trade paper reports that NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman found inspiration in seeing the successful revival of “Transformers,” whose main stars are transforming vehicles of good or evil intentions.
Knight Rider Makes Comeback 20 Years Later

Hasselhoff, now 55, last embodied crime-fighter Michel Knight in 1991, says E! Online, for the TV movie “Knight Rider 2000.” Hasselhoff moved from one successful show to another as he became heroic lifeguard Mitch Buchannon, in the “Baywatch” series.

He is currently a judge on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

Variety also notes that the new “Knight Rider” could be a goldmine for NBC in more ways than one: the show will need an automaker to serve as exclusive auto brand. Preliminary talks seem to have already begun, according to the trade paper.

Subscribers weary that TP4 may be used for luring them to higher packages

Subscribers weary that TP4 may be used for luring them to higher packages

Even though there is a general feeling of excitement about the introduction of TP4 and the channels it is rumored to contain such as some Asian Fox Channels, DW TV, TV5, etc there is a certain sense of weariness accompanied with this. This is specially common among the older Rs 1400/= (exclusive of VAT) premium package subscribers who are rightfully of the opinion that they will be asked to pay the revised rate of Rs 1949/= (exclusive of VAT) in order to receive the new channels. This is because Dialog did not provide most of the new channels to the older subscribers during the introduction of TP3 and forced them to upgrade to the revised package rates which was actually a Rs 50/= difference. If Dialog did that for Rs 50/= then they may do it again for a difference which far exceeds Rs 50/=.

Subscribers who were in the revised premium packages were told that they will obtain all future channels but Dialog are to charge Rs 100/= or Rs 50/= for CiTi HiTz and it is quite possible that Dialog may come up with a SET Plan for the new channels or give new channels free for the Rs 1949/= premium package and force Rs 1400/= subscribers to move to the revised package. If this is done then it will be a bad move by Dialog since they cannot expect people to pay such a large sum of money for pay television. If Dialog TV wants to cover operational costs and break even then they should do so by increasing their subscriber base instead of increasing package costs which drives more people away from purchasing connections.

We hope that the Dialog TV management provides the new channels at no cost for the premium Rs 1400/= and Rs 1949/= subscribers and some new channels for the lower packages too. Subscriber sentiment should be taken very seriously and hopefully subscribers will not be disappointed this time round.

At the moment Dialog have activated around 16 channels on TP4 but only 10 are functional but they are scrambled for all subscribers until they are tested and launched officially. They should not cram up TP4 with channels since there are serious pixelation problems on the other transponders and we hope that channels are distributed better across transponders with more bandwidth allocated for the channels which will result in an improvement in quality.




From The,
Dialog TV Blogspot

-

Saturday, January 26, 2008

"Mysterious ‘Ghostly’ Face of Child Appears In Cell Phone Photo"

Mysterious ‘Ghostly’ Face of Child Appears In Cell Phone Photo

At first glance, it seems to be an ordinary snap of a group of young people.

But look more carefully and there appears to be an extraordinary, ghostly presence among them.

Peeping out between the knees of two of the girls is the face of a child.

The eerie image - clear enough to show a pair of eyes, a nose, a mouth and hair - was captured by 17-year-old Matthew Summers on his mobile phone as he and his friends were preparing to go out.

“I zoomed in to my sister’s mate’s little sister who was crying and I saw a face,”

Matthew said. “You can see all the facial expressions and everything.

http://skypedia.org

Friday, January 25, 2008

Priyantha De Silva and Media History In Sri Lanka

A few months ago, I've seen on a blog of TV radio Sri Lanka, a person had insulted me as "What do you know about Media?".I newer gave them an answer and laughed.When my childhood, a music group called "SHA", had came our house to stay about one week. (There was a one who had some relationship with us, in the band). Many singers and songstress like M.S. Fernando, Mariazell Gunathilaka and many others have came our house and had dinner , that my mother had cooked. Those days I was very familiar with singers, specially , with Abewardana Balasuriya.


One day from the SLRC ( Sri Lanka Brodcasting ) had came our house to observe the information that I've posted by a letter.And they came to Matara from Colombo for that reason and got my sign to prove their attendance.They'd erected a antenna to get all the signal from other parts of the island ,in our home garden to search more.
************************************************************************************
In 1994 , I've posted a letter to The Sunday Times and It has published .The most important thing is, The Father Of Television History" in Sri Lanka,Shan Wikramasinghe (Pinier of ITN and TNL ) , had given me a replay next week.As a very reputed man in Sri Lanka, Shan Wikramasinghe, I'm very much glad to received a replay from him.Specially, that was my first letter I've posted to a newspaper and also it has published. Now you can see the copiers.





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When receiving a certificate from a minister , Mahinda Wijesekara at BMICH, Colombo.



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After that I've followed a "Media" course in the BMICH, from Mr. Sunanda Mahendra, Palitha Perera, Edvin Ariyadasa, and many more from the media sector.This's the certificate I've received for whole media"



************************************************************************************
This the 1st place Media certificate Ive won
from the SLBC a long time ago.I've won , got the 1st place from the Island wide

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Abhijit Sawant rocks the Stage on K for Kishore - SET Channel

Abhijit Sawant rocks the Stage on K for Kishore

The contest is getting fierce in K for Kishore.. Get ready for a mindblowing musical week, as Abhijit Sawant makes his presence in the episode.

Are you looking for some great songs, music and nostalgia? Look no further. Just tune in to K for Kishore the coming weekend, Friday, January 25 th,at 9.00 p.m and relive the memories of these songs that have been etched in our minds. To add to the nostalgia, the show has ample sprinkling of anecdotes from those who knew and loved Kishore Kumar in his lifetime. So wife Leena Chandavarkar Ganguly, Bappi Lahiri, Sudesh Bhosle and 'the little girl' who was a part of the late singer's troupe, Bela Sulakhe reveal the little known things about the eccentric singer in the absence of an indisposed Amit Kumar. Yes, Amit will be missed in this episode!

The theme "Aa dekhe zara kismet kitna hai dam …" was just apt for the face off round of K for Kishore. One contestant each from the Jhumroo team and Bangdoo team compete with each other to make it to the next round. At the end of this round two contestants with the lowest scores face elimination from the show which moves to its Gala rounds in the next phase of the competition.

The teams broke up into duets with Apoorva (he seems to be getting tons of mails from women admirers from all over ) and Kshtij, Vinod Seshadri and Chetan Rana, Chintan Bakiwala and Arnab forming the 3 teams in the first round. The solo numbers that were sung too had the audiences and judges asking for more. Apoorva's heart rendering of Geet gata hoon main… Kshitij's Tum bin jaoon kahan… Vinod's Yeh kyaa hua… Chetan's flawless rendering of Saanson se nahi, which was the best performance to say so, Arnab's Roop tera mastana…and Chintan's Dream girl…

This episode has another surprise for the viewers. Abhijeet Sawant, the first Indian Idol, makes his presence in the episode .He pepped up the environment with his energetic rendering of the all time popular number from film Don Khaike paan Benaras wala. Like Milind Ingle before him, has Abhijeet too entered the show as yet another Challenger? Stay tuned to find out.

Before the start of the round, the large hearted judge Bappi Lahiri announced that he would gift one of his lucky gold chains to the best singer of the round. Perhaps, it was the very idea of bagging a heavy gold chain from Bappi's neck had all the singers belting out their songs with newfound energy and zing!

For those hardcore Kishore Kumar fans who have participated in the Challenger participation, stay tuned to find out who among the viewers will soon become the part of the show as Challenger participants.

K for Kishore, every Friday & Saturday at 9.00 p.m is getting in to interesting rounds. There's loads of singings, masti, magic, memories of evergreen Kishore Kumar only on Sony Entertainment Television.

http://www.india-forums.com

Monday, January 21, 2008

Sunflowers with Neel Warnakulasuriya : The No 1 Music Band in Sri Lanka






In early days in my life, they gave me a lot of fun than anyone else ! Who are they ?

That's "Sunflowers".The Best Music Band Of the industry so popular.
In early 90's, many of the Sri Lankans, except young and school children, had blamed them without reasons. With their debut album, "Salade", Nonstop , they had make the country rock . The leader of the group was 'Neel Warnakulasuriya', has able to keep his position with many obstacles until now. The heart of the group is 'Nelson Vass', is the leading singer. With them Ivore De Mel(Bass), Earny Peris(guitar), Cristoper(Vocalist), Atula Adikari(Organ), Mahinda Silva (Drum)were others. With the time some of them had to leave the band without quarrels or problems , for their personal purposes.


Now, with Sudath Nawala, Noyel Raj,From Drums, The most telented drummer in the country, Roshan Fernando, Anton(Key Board) and Manjula Gamage, Ruwan,.........( Who are others in The Sunflowers ? If you know You can comment here !) , Nelson and Neel, still making new trend in the Sri Lankan Music world.
When early days of the "Sunflowers", we were children. Now, some of them are keeping in high positions in the TV, Radio Stations and many more. They are giving many chances for our lovely band these days, can't find any one who blame the "Band", these days.
Now, thousand of people has got jobs because of "The Sunflowers" group. Even Singers. Some poor singers in last decades, Have sang to the music of Sun Flowers and in one night, thousands of their CD's have sold and got popular because of The Sunflowers.
*******

I can still remember the day in my school times, About 16 years ago, I think their "Salade" cassettes were much popular era, First I've met them at "New cinema" Matara.When I told some persons that I want to meet them, those people said "NO" , you can't. But, "Sunflowers" leader, Neel ,had seen that incident and told them, "leave them to me", so with Atula Adikari and Nelson Wass.I was able to get their signs for the first time in Matara, and now you can see them for the first time.

The signs of "Sunflower", group !




Monday, January 14, 2008

American Idol, Season 7, begins on Wednesday !!!

Image:AmericanIdoltitlecard.jpg

American Idol 2008 Returns

'American Idol'
Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul return for the seventh season of "American Idol."

'American Idol' returns

The hit show is back as an audience- and revenue-generating juggernaut.
AT midseason, the network television landscape sits still and silent like the corpse-strewn no-man's land of an abandoned battlefield. After the dual apocalypses of a hitless fall followed by the writers strike, the network line-ups have been left as carrion for the buzzards, the pockmarked territory of the dying and those who feed on them.

But just as sweeps month looms, the ground suddenly trembles, ripples radiate across TV nation's coffee mugs. The survivors gaze in the direction of distant thunder from the sands of the desert and wonder what rough beast seems to be slouching toward a new birthday.

Yes, television, "American Idol" has come again.

On Tuesday, the Fox juggernaut roars back onto the airwaves, still sending the rivals fleeing for cover (ABC moved "Lost" to Thursday nights to avoid a head-to-head battle). And proving that fortune truly favors the bold, after what many described as a shaky sixth season (with the franchise showing measurable ratings vulnerability by its finale), the show finds the field emptied of rivals and is greeted by a starving audience eager for proven entertainment value.

Tending to TV's most valuable franchise, the "Idol" team is prepping a season that addresses what they openly admit were missteps last season.

Speaking by phone astride Barbados' Green Monkey golf course, "Idol" co-executive producer Nigel Lythgoe basked in his final moments of peace before Season 7's onslaught is unleashed. While the rest of "Idol" nation has slept since Jordin Sparks was crowned champion last May, Lythgoe has been occupied managing two other competition franchise seasons -- "So You Think You Can Dance" (on which he also serves as a judge) and the debutant outing of "The Next Great American Band." But looking ahead to "Idol," he offered some hints at what lies ahead.

The back stories are back

WHILE the drop-bys last season from J.Lo, Bon Jovi and Herman's Hermits' Peter Noone added wild card elements to the proceedings, their visits came at a price. Namely priceless "Idol" air time in a space that had previously been used to showcase contestants' lives and back stories.

"We all felt we made a mistake with 'Idol' by sort of concentrating on the mentors and not so much on the contestants last season," Lythgoe said. "What we did with the 'Dance' show was really push the contestant, and I think it was much better for it. I want to make sure that this season of 'Idol' we don't forget how important it is to concentrate on their stories."

He continued: "the Kellie Picklers, the Kelly Clarksons, the Carrie Underwoods, Bo Bice, all of these people had such great stories, they are really important to us. They are the emotional hooks that bring in other people who aren't just interested in producing the next vocal talent. They want to connect with people and they want that sort of soap opera feel, but knowing this is real life and these kids have been through this in their lives. When you hear about frozen vocal chords and you'll never talk again and here they are singing on a show -- this is magnificent, you know? It's life."

Unfortunately for those pillars of the crumbling recording industry for whom a guest spot on "Idol" is one of the few mega-promotional outlets our culture still offers, the mentor slots fall in the only time available in the tightly packed episodes to feature the taped contestant segments. "The American hour on television is all of 41 minutes and by the time you've sung your songs and Randy says 'dog' five or six times, we're out of time."

"Idol Gives Back," the hybrid telethon/special episode in support of America's and the world's poor, will return. However, to avoid the awkward situation last year when the day of good feeling was nearly spoiled by the requisite duty to kick someone off the show (a duty they sidestepped by granting a surprise amnesty), this year's "Give Back" week will feature three nights of "Idol" -- the third being good-will-free so the execution can proceed on schedule.

For the first time this year, the singers will be allowed to play instruments as well. Lythgoe reports that during the Hollywood week final auditions, this maiden attempt met mixed results. Instruments, he says, were used by "about 30% and out of that 30%, I'd say there were only about 10% of them good. So, it's screwed up! It's very difficult to play the drums and sing 'Hooked on a Feeling' at the same time."

In contrast to last season when many felt the talents were slow to emerge from the pack, Lythgoe predicts that this year will see some significant early favorites. "I think there are three outstanding candidates this year, one of whom I think could really become an 'American Idol.' I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's always so difficult to tell. We're blind sometimes until we see them get on in front of the camera and how they hold their nerve. But one of them, I have high hopes for him."

God save the mean

DESPITE complaints last season that the brutality toward the deluded fools who paraded before the judges during the auditions crossed the line into cruelty, Lythgoe says the vitriol will flow freely once again. "In the early part of the show, you know, that sort of cruel streak that we have is very important because, I think, to understand if you're going to be successful in this business, you have to be able to take the knocks and rebound back from it."

With its seventh season, "Idol" is proving it's not just enduring but remarkably stable, preserving the (almost) original on-screen family intact and averting a show-stopping catastrophe that would force a major alteration of the formula. Asked what sort of contingency plans the show has made if any of the above were to change, Lythgoe sighed and protested that this is the last thing they have time to think about.

"I think probably [co-executive producer] Ken [Warwick] and myself will come on and do a couple of bars of 'Shuffle Off to Buffalo.' And I'll try and break-dance; the only thing is I'll probably break my neck. But no, we haven't [made any plans], to be frank with you. No. Put on an old movie."


http://americanidol-2008.blogspot.com/

"I'm not going to name any names because I always get into trouble for doing that. I might do it in a couple of week's time though. There are luckily three or four very strong guys and three or four very strong girls this year. It's probably going to be one of the most open competitions we've ever had," the Idol judge told reporters during a Wednesday conference call.

"I can't call out a winner at this stage. In my mind I think I have an idea who could make the finals, but I'm not going to give anything away at the moment."

Idol 7 will premiere over the course of two consecutive nights on Tuesday, January 15 and Wednesday, January 16, with both two-hour broadcasts beginning at 8PM ET/PT. As always, Idol will kick-off with audition-episode broadcasts, with the seventh season beginning in Philadelphia.

"I can't remember who came from which city after I've done the auditions. I never can. I watch the shows back then it all comes flooding back. But I can't, at this point, differentiate, for instance, Dallas or Philadelphia," said Cowell. "It's all a bit of a blur to me still. The only who can remember everything amazingly is [fellow judge Paula Abdul]. She has like a photographic memory for these things. But within about two weeks of doing the audition, I can't remember anything. But as I said, when I watch it back, then I remember everything, if that makes sense."

While Cowell said the auditions are a "worthwhile" part of the show, they're apparently not personally enjoyable for the sharp-tongued judge.

"It is becoming increasingly like torture, but you have to give most of the people who come in at least three or four minutes, but it has gotten harder over the years," he explained. "What's amazing, even after seven seasons, and we've had some shockingly bad people this year, is how much they still believe that they're right and I'm wrong and they got more argumentative with me this year. All I'm trying to do is help them."

Still, Cowell said he understands "you have to have that mix" of good and bad "within the show."

"I think that if it was completely sanitized -- the audition process -- that everybody came in and they were just competent, I think it would probably be the more boring show on TV," he said. "So, it's fun for me to watch. It is torture for me to do it."

A hopeful who particularly tortured Cowell was Ricco Barrino, the brother of third-season champ Fantasia Barrino.

"He was terrible... pretty dreadful," commented Cowell. "He can't sing and I think I'm right in saying this. From memory, he was terrible. I remember, 'Oh, great. Fantasia's brother has come in.' It was all fantastic until he started singing and then I think we disputed the fact that he really was Fantasia's brother because he doesn't have his sister's talent."

Cowell said it's talent that's paramount when it comes to Idol.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that first impressions aren't important. If somebody walks in with a sense of style, it means a lot. At the same time, when someone walks in a hideous outfit, regardless of what they're going to sing, you put off that person," he said. "It still comes down to obviously your singing voice. If you try and sum up what star quality is, it is a sense of style, a sense of knowing who you are, a sense of being an individual and obviously having a good voice. So, it's one part of the package. It's not the most important part, but it's one part of it."

While Cowell commented that "on a show like Idol, I don't think you necessarily want to make change for the sake of change," he did add that it's important to "evolve the process."

"That's what I think you're going to see this year," he added. "You're going to see an improved show with much, much better singers and more interesting contestants."

One reason why viewers should find the contestants more interesting is because Cowell reiterated executive producer Nigel Lythgoe's previous comments that the singers are going to be more of a focus -- not the mentors.

"I think when you run -- particularly a 90-minute, even a two-hour show of American Idol -- you actually haven't got a huge amount of airtime to do an awful lot of stuff with," explained Cowell. "I mean once you've done the judges' comments and the singing, the amount of time given to the film before the contestant sings when you have a mentor. It's very difficult for the audience to get to know much about the person."

Even with sixth-season winner Jordin Sparks, Cowell said he knew very little about her "other than the fact she's a good singer."

"I couldn't really tell you myself, and I was a judge on the show. I think that was also the same with the people who watched the show at home," he said. "We didn't let the audience at home know enough about where they live, what their likes or dislikes were because everything was about their chat with, as you say, [sixth-season mentors Diana Ross or Jennifer Lopez] or whoever it was. I think this year there will be more focus on the contestants and less focus on the person who is mentoring them that particular week. It's a balance, and I think it's the right decision."

In addition to less face time for mentors, Cowell said Idol also received a few "cosmetic changes."

"There will be a new set, which will be good," he said. "They tried a couple of bits and pieces in the Hollywood rounds of having people play instruments, which wasn't particularly a good thing or a bad thing. I don't think it made too much difference because we were lucky enough that the contestants were better, and that was the most important thing."

Cowell said "90% of what happened on the show last year was very good" -- presumably meaning Sanjaya Malakar and Antonella Barba filled the other 10%, helping to put a stronger focus on the seventh-season's crop of talent.

"We are completely and utterly reliant on who walks in the door in terms of the quality of the contestants. So, most of our focus this year was to make sure that we got a better Top 12 and a more interesting Top 12 than what we got last year," he explained. "I'm pretty certain that we have that this year. So, that's the most important thing."

Cowell added he doesn't think Idol will ultimately be impacted by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike and boasted about the Fox mega-hit's ratings superiority even when the writers were working.

"People still have a choice to watch other channels. We have to be making a better show this year than we did last year. That's the only reason we're going to gain or lose viewers," he explained. "When we found out about the writers' strike, it had absolutely zero impact on us.... With American Idol in the last three or four years, no one has ever put anything up against our show. So, we've always kind of been out there on our own. So, our success is down to the quality of our programs. I don't think it's going to have an impact on us either way."

One factor that makes Idol different from other shows, according to Cowell, is its "unpredictability," which is always aided by fellow judges Abdul and Randy Jackson.

"We know each other well enough that we can argue with each other. Nothing really is premeditated on this show. I can remember last year somebody saying that the arguments are planned in advance or something," Cowell correctly recalled. "We see each other normally 10 minutes before the show goes live on air. Nobody knows what they're going to do, what they're going to say, and I think it's that unpredictability that makes this show different from the others. So, we'll just try and do what we've done previously again and hope people like it, albeit that this year we'll have hopefully some better talent as well."

Cowell also reiterated that he still intends to hang-up his tight T-shirts once his current contract expires.

"Nothing is going to last forever. I think the exit point to a point is determined by the public who eventually are going to get sick to death of me, if they haven't already," he said. "I'd always, in my mind, kind of thought I would go up until the end of my contract, which would mean two more seasons after this one, which would have made it nine in total and nine years is probably enough to inflict on anyone. So that's what I sort of have in my mind. Can the show exist without me? Absolutely. It'll probably get better."

One show that could have used Cowell was Fox's The Next Great American Band, which wasted away in a Friday night time period.

"I never saw the band show," Cowell candidly told reporters. "I think I saw about 10 minutes of it or something. It's tough doing band shows. It's a whole different ballgame to doing solo artists, which is why I've never done it before and probably wouldn't."

A solo artist who could use Cowell's help is Britney Spears, who he gave an open invitation to.

"She's welcome to call me anytime," he said. "I genuinely think, if I sat down with Britney, I would, number one, remind her of all the good things in her life, which are her kids, her money, her success -- everything. So, I'd try and give her a sense of perspective. Then I'd take her out to where she's living at the moment and ask her to go and live with her family and live normally for six months because -- if you can live normally and do normal things -- you'll suddenly find that the Paparazzi aren't camped outside your door everyday. Most importantly, just give her a sense of perspective because it looks to me at the moment that she's out of control and she has to have someone in her life who she has to listen to."
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'American Idol' Can be seen on

"STAR WORLD",

Wednesday 16th of this month, 8-10 pm.

and, 10am on Thursday 17th.

Friday, January 11, 2008

What's the "Liberty Bell" coming in the Nicolas Cage's film "National Treasure"

'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' (stars Nicolas Cage) -- 1 1/2 stars

http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/

The most suspenseful sequence in 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' has the American treasure hunter played by Nicolas Cage masquerading as a local and haranguing a London bobby in Buckingham Palace. Your breathing becomes very rapid and your knuckles start to pale as you think: How many more lines can Cage keep it up with his idea of a Cockney dialect?

Compare that scene to the big one near the end of this very draggy sequel. Cage, Jon Voight (as his pop), Diane Kruger (as his ex), Justin Bartha (as the Jimmy Olsen of the piece), Helen Mirren!? (as mom) and Ed Harris (as a rival treasure seeker looking for the lost City of Gold) have converged inside Mt. Rushmore, which was of course a massive cover-up designed to conceal the golden temple. The set looks like a pre-Columbian water park straight out of the Wisconsin Dells, and director Jon Turteltaub keeps us in there a long, looooooonng time.

In the first 'National Treasure,' which was a good-sized international success, Cage and associates chased down treasure-hunt clues encoded in the Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Bell. Here the clues lie in the Statue of Liberty (not that one, the other one) and in matching antique desks located in Buckingham Palace and the White House Oval Office. The film slogs all over the map, from Paris to London to Rapid City, S.D., in hopes of recapturing some of the first film's box office appeal. The plot also has to do with missing pages from John Wilkes Booth's diary, and Ben Gates kidnapping the current U.S. president in order to get a look at the super-secret Presidential Book of Secrets.

All you want from a movie like this, really, is a little brainless fun, and it keeps holding out on you. Everyone looks fatigued. Even Cage's toupee seems ambivalent about having signed on for a sequel. The script by The Wibberleys keeps spinning the compass, and a line spoken with weary authority by Voight in the first 'National Secrets' haunts this one: 'And another clue leads to another clue ...'

[Click here to read Terry Armour's interview with Nicolas Cage.] mjphillips@tribune.com MPAA rating: PG (for some violence and action).

- - - - - 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets'

1 1/2 stars out of 4 Directed by Jon Turteltaub; screenplay by The Wibberleys; photographed by John Schwartzman and Amir Mokri; edited by William Goldenberg and David Rennie; music by Trevor Rabin; production design by Dominic Watkins; produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Turteltaub. A Walt Disney Pictures release; opens Dec. 21. Running time: 2:10.

Ben Gates ... Nicolas Cage Riley Poole ... Justin Bartha Abigail Chase ... Diane Kruger Patrick Gates ... Jon Voight Emily Appleton ... Helen Mirren Mitch Wilkinson ... Ed Harris


The Liberty Bell *********************

Liberty Bell
Click to enlarge

Tradition tells of a chime that changed the world on July 8, 1776, with the Liberty Bell ringing out from the tower of Independence Hall summoning the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the Bell in 1751 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's original Constitution. It speaks of the rights and freedoms valued by people the world over. Particularly forward thinking were Penn's ideas on religious freedom, his liberal stance on Native American rights, and his inclusion of citizens in enacting laws.

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Click to interact with the Virtual Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell gained iconic importance when abolitionists in their efforts to put an end to slavery throughout America adopted it as a symbol.

As the Bell was created to commemorate the golden anniversary of Penn's Charter, the quotation "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," from Leviticus 25:10, was particularly apt. For the line in the Bible immediately preceding "proclaim liberty" is, "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year." What better way to pay homage to Penn and hallow the 50th year than with a bell proclaiming liberty?

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Also inscribed on the Bell is the quotation, "By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada." Note that the spelling of "Pennsylvania" was not at that time universally adopted. In fact, in the original Constitution, the name of the state is also spelled "Pensylvania." If you get a chance to visit the second floor of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, take a moment to look at the original maps on the wall. They, too, have the state name spelled "Pensylvania" (and the Atlantic Ocean called by the name of that day, "The Western Ocean"). The choice of the quotation was made by Quaker Isaac Norris, speaker of the Assembly.

Centered on the front of the Bell are the words, "Pass and Stow / Philada / MDCCLIII." We'll get to Pass and Stow in a bit.

The Crack

There is widespread disagreement about when the first crack appeared on the Bell. However, it is agreed that the final expansion of the crack which rendered the Bell unringable was on Washington's Birthday in 1846.

The Bell as Icon

Liberty Bell
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libertybell
The Liberty Bell. Boston: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1856. Click to enlarge

The Bell achieved an iconic status when abolitionists adopted the Bell as a symbol for the movement. It was first used in this association as a frontispiece to an 1837 edition of Liberty, published by the New York Anti-Slavery Society.

It was, in fact, the abolitionists who gave it the name "Liberty Bell," in reference to its inscription. It was previously called simply the "State House bell."

In retrospect, it is a remarkably apt metaphor for a country literally cracked and freedom fissured for its black inhabitants. The line following "proclaim liberty" is, "It shall shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." The Abolitionists understood this passage to mean that the Bible demanded all slaves and prisoners be freed every 50 years.

William Lloyd Garrison's anti-slavery publication The Liberator reprinted a Boston abolitionist pamphlet containing a poem about the Bell, entitled, The Liberty Bell, which represents the first documented use of the name, "Liberty Bell."

The Bell and the Declaration of Independence

Liberty Bell
Click to enlarge

In 1847, George Lippard wrote a fictional story for The Saturday Currier which told of an elderly bellman waiting in the State House steeple for the word that Congress had declared Independence. The story continues that privately he began to doubt Congress's resolve. Suddenly the bellman's grandson, who was eavesdropping on the doors of Congress, yelled to him, "Ring, Grandfather! Ring!"

This story so captured the imagination of people throughout the land that the Liberty Bell was forever associated with the Declaration of Independence.

The truth is that the steeple was in bad condition and historians today highly doubt that the Bell actually rang in 1776. However, its association with the Declaration of Independence was fixed in the collective mythology.

Bell as Symbol

After the divisive Civil War, Americans sought a symbol of unity. The flag became one such symbol, and the Liberty Bell another. To help heal the wounds of the war, the Liberty Bell would travel across the country.

Starting in the 1880s, the Bell traveled to cities throughout the land "proclaiming liberty" and inspiring the cause of freedom. We have prepared a photo essay of its 1915 journey to the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.

A replica of the Liberty Bell, forged in 1915, was used to promote women's suffrage. It traveled the country with its clapper chained to its side, silent until women won the right to vote. On September 25, 1920, it was brought to Independence Hall and rung in ceremonies celebrating the ratification of the 19th amendment.

To this day, oppressed groups come to Philadelphia to give voice to their plight, at the Liberty Bell, proclaiming their call for liberty.

History of the Bell

Liberty Bell
Click to enlarge

On November 1, 1751, a letter was sent to Robert Charles, the Colonial Agent of the Province of Pennsylvania who was working in London. Signed by Isaac Norris, Thomas Leech, and Edward Warner, it represented the desires of the Assembly to purchase a bell for the State House (now Independence Hall) steeple. The bell was ordered from Whitechapel Foundry, with instructions to inscribe on it the passage from Leviticus.

The bell arrived in Philadelphia on September 1, 1752, but was not hung until March 10, 1753, on which day Isaac Norris wrote, "I had the mortification to hear that it was cracked by a stroke of the clapper without any other viollence [sic] as it was hung up to try the sound."

The cause of the break is thought to have been attributable either to flaws in its casting or, as they thought at the time, to its being too brittle.

bell10
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Two Philadelphia foundry workers named John Pass and John Stow were given the cracked bell to be melted down and recast. They added an ounce and a half of copper to a pound of the old bell in an attempt to make the new bell less brittle. For their labors they charged slightly over 36 Pounds.

Liberty Bell
Click to enlarge

The new bell was raised in the belfry on March 29, 1753. "Upon trial, it seems that they have added too much copper. They were so teased with the witticisms of the town that they will very soon make a second essay," wrote Isaac Norris to London agent Robert Charles. Apparently nobody was now pleased with the tone of the bell.

Pass and Stow indeed tried again. They broke up the bell and recast it. On June 11, 1753, the New York Mercury reported, "Last Week was raised and fix'd in the Statehouse Steeple, the new great Bell, cast here by Pass and Stow, weighing 2080 lbs."

In November, Norris wrote to Robert Charles that he was still displeased with the bell and requested that Whitechapel cast a new one.

Upon the arrival of the new bell from England, it was agreed that it sounded no better than the Pass and Stow bell. So the "Liberty Bell" remained where it was in the steeple, and the new Whitechapel bell was placed in the cupola on the State House roof and attached to the clock to sound the hours.

The Liberty Bell was rung to call the Assembly together and to summon people together for special announcements and events. The Liberty Bell tolled frequently. Among the more historically important occasions, it tolled when Benjamin Franklin was sent to England to address Colonial grievances, it tolled when King George III ascended to the throne in 1761, and it tolled to call together the people of Philadelphia to discuss the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765.

Liberty Bell
Click to enlarge

In 1772 a petition was sent to the Assembly stating that the people in the vicinity of the State House were "incommoded and distressed" by the constant "ringing of the great Bell in the steeple."

But, tradition holds, it continued tolling for the First Continental Congress in 1774, the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775 and its most resonant tolling was on July 8, 1776, when it summoned the citizenry for the reading of the Declaration of Independence produced by the Second Continental Congress. However, the steeple was in bad condition and historians today doubt the likelihood of the story.

In October 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia. Weeks earlier all bells, including the Liberty Bell, were removed from the city. It was well understood that, if left, they would likely be melted down and used for cannon. The Liberty Bell was removed from the city and hidden in the floorboards of the Zion Reformed Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which you can still visit today.

Throughout the period from 1790 to 1800, when Philadelphia was the nation's capital, uses of the Bell included calling the state legislature into session, summoning voters to hand in their ballots at the State House window, and tolling to commemorate Washington's birthday and celebrate the Fourth of July.

The Bell Today

The Liberty Bell Center was opened in October, 2003. On every Fourth of July, at 2pm Eastern time, children who are descendants of Declaration signers symbolically tap the Liberty Bell 13 times while bells across the nation also ring 13 times in honor of the patriots from the original 13 states.

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