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/ ENTERTAINMENT / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
TELEVISION
Former producer returning to 'Idol'
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Although it's still unclear who will be the "American Idol" judges next season, two major behind-the-scenes changes are underway for Fox's aging hit show, the Los Angeles Times has learned.
After two years away, Nigel Lythgoe is returning to run the talent show that he helped make a huge hit. Lythgoe, who also is a judge and executive producer on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," will manage "American Idol" with executive producer Ken Warwick, according to two sources close to the show.
Lythgoe left "American Idol" in 2008, in part to focus on the dance show, but sources at the time said that friction with Cowell behind the scenes was the primary reason for his departure.
Also taking a role on "American Idol" will be renowned music producer Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Interscope Records, who will be a central figure on "American Idol" next season, according to a person
close to the show.
Since leaving "American Idol," Lythgoe has been openly critical of the talent competition. When Fox allowed former judge Paula Abulde to depart over a salary dispute, Lythgoe criticized the network and producers, adding that the show had lost its "heart."
Lythgoe was unavailable for comment.
Lythgoe
With Cowell and DeGeneres officially gone, and Kara Dio-Guardi reportedly out of a job, it looks as
though Lythoge will have his way. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are negotiating deals to sit at the table with Randy Jackson, according to sources and a person close to Tyler.
Tyler has confirmed his interest publicly, but officials at Fox and the producers FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment have declined comment.
By Dave Green
Conceptis Sudoku
©2010 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
TELEVISION
Cannon adds stand-up tour to busy schedule
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Difficulty Level ★★★
Nick Cannon is late calling in for a phone interview, but with the schedule he's keeping these days, it's easy to cut him a little slack.
In the space of a week, Cannon has hosted two live episodes of NBC's "America's Got Talent," been on the air daily as the main morning personality for New York's WXRK-FM and begun a run of stand-up shows in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. The latter is part of his first national stand-up tour.
Pile on to that Cannon's other careers: R&B singer, actor, producer, chairman of cable TV channel TeenNick, with the 29-year-old coming full circle to the Nickelodeon empire that gave him breakthrough when he was still a teenager.
As busy as Cannon is, it doesn't seem like he'd need to add a national stand-up tour to his plate — especially while he's hosting "AGT" and it's in the thick of its season. Within the past 10 days, Cannon has hosted the show in Hollywood, flown to Florida for his act, flown back to Hollywood for another week of "AGT," then made his way to Texas. But he says it was time to do the stand-up tour.
8/05
According to his "America's Got Talent" bio, he headed to Hollywood at age 15 from his hometown of San Diego and got gigs at comedy clubs such as Improv, the Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store. He did warmup for the Nickelodeon show "All That," and had such a knack for it that the producers cast him on the show and hired him as a writer when he was 17.
"It's just something that I needed to do," he said. "I've gotta exercise my stand-up muscle."
He later became host and executive producer of his own show, "The Nick Cannon Show," then went on to a movie career, making his breakthrough with the 2002 sleeper hit "Drumline." Around the same time, he began a recording career, releasing his debut album in 2003. In 2009, he took over as host of "America's Got Talent" when jerry Springer departed.
Cannon says his stand-up act will be pretty freewheeling, and that he'll talk about "everything."
This includes pop superstar Mariah Carey, whom Cannon married in April 2008.
"I always tell people she's one of the funniest people I've ever met, he said.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon arrive at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7. The couple married in April 2008.
As Cannon begins his stand-up show, another project of his premiered on TeenNick: "The Nightlife," four summer variety specials centered on contemporary music, dance, fashion and entertainment. Among the people scheduled to appear are rapper-actor Ice Cube, "Up in the Air's" Anna Kendrick and hip-hop artist T.I., as well as several dance troupes.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
"It's just creating a destination for young tastemakers," he said, "the same way that we all grew up on 'American Bandstand',' Soul Train,' all the way to 'TRL.' It's just today's generation, giving them that same outlet."
The series is currently down as
four summer specials, but Cannon says he thinks it could go beyond that.
"I'm hoping, as the person who
runs the network, that it keeps going," Cannon said.
CRYPTOQUIP
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