LITTLE ROCK — Fox has just thrown a big ol’ monkey wrench into the midseason TV schedule.
For its 10th season, which begins Jan. 19, American Idol will air on Wednesday and Thursday instead of its usual Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
That means the weekly results show will air at 7 p.m. Thursday, TV’s most popular night. That’s the night when more viewers are tuned in and the networks bring in their big guns.
Why is Thursday the biggest night? That’s when viewers are planning their weekends for movies or restaurants or shopping. That’s the night advertisers really want to reach the most folks.
These days Thursday night is the home of such favorites as Bones, CSI, Fringe, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, The Big Bang Theory, The Office and 30 Rock.
If that’s not enough to melt your DVR, I don’t know what is.
Add the reconfigured Idol to the mix and viewers might have to make some tough decisions.
Reconfigured is an understatement. The 10th season will begin without two of last season’s judges, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara Dio-Guardi. In their places alongside judge Randy Jackson will be Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steven Tyler, front man for Aerosmith, and singer/actress Jennifer Lopez.
More importantly, this will be the first season without Simon Cowell, who, in my opinion, was the heart and soul of the show. Viewers could always count on Simon to give a truthful reading on a performance.
Music producer Jimmy Iovine will be the full-time, in-house contestant mentor next season, ending the boring parade of guest singers who parachute in for a couple of hours to pitch their latest CDs while “mentoring” the young folks.
Ringmaster for the circus, as usual, will be Ryan Seacrest.
Fox may as well roll the Thursday dice with its aging ratings juggernaut. Still TV’s top dog most of the time, Idol now has competition and was surpassed several weeks last season by Dancing With the Stars.
Last year’s Idol finale between eventual winner Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox brought in an impressive 24 million viewers. That was, however, 5 million fewer than 2009’s showdown between Adam Lambert and Arkansas’ Kris Allen. Overall, last season was down 8 percent.
All good things must come to an end. Proof? You had to think about it to recall Lee DeWyze, didn’t you? I did. Has Idol run its course or will the new season be a fresh start? We’ll find out on Jan. 19.
Whos on first. Not only are the Whos on first today at 7 p.m., but the entire town of Whoville is again featured in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Gather the kiddies and the dog.
The Grinch’s dog, Max, gives the evening’s best performance. Better, even, than Cindy Lou Who and far better than the Grinch, who has a tendency to be overly theatrical.
The half-hour special has been around since 1966 and is worth the price of admission if only for the marvelous narration by Boris Karloff.
Following the Grinch is Shrek the Halls at 7:30. The animated special features the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas.
You want to know what it’s about? Does it really matter?
OK. As Christmas approaches in the 2007 half hour special, Donkey goads Shrek into finding a special present for Fiona. Shrek is clueless about Christmas, so he gets a guidebook to help him do things right, including telling the story of The Night Before Christmas.
Gingy, Donkey and Puss in Boots add their tales to the telling and things get wacky.
There.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. E-mail:
Style, Pages 30 on 11/30/2010