American Idol In Aspen

Tonight's episode of American Idol held auditions in Aspen.  Though cold in Aspen, there were a few contestants auditions sure to warm you right up.  There were a couple of shockers, a tearjerker and what the hell were you thinking.  Out of all the Aspen contestants, the following four were the ones that stood out for me.  There was some really great talent this evening.

Haley Smith - Country girl working three jobs.  Haley's got a very natural feel and some soul.  She's not afraid to show her own style in the music.  She comes off very comfortable when singing and she's just for real.

 


Richie Law - When I heard the voice that came out of that boy, I was initially dumbfounded.  If you just hear him sing, you would be expecting someone along the lines of Trace Adkins to be standing in front of you.  I am interested how far he can take that voice beyond country music and in other genres. A voice like that is a gift, not just a talent.




Shelby Tweten - The tearjerker tonight was Shelby's story and voice.  She has been diagnosed with bipoloar disorder and has suffered from depression.  Her focus on singing and the journey to Idol have helped to keep her on track and taking her meds.  Her story alone could bring tears to your eyes.  Then she began to sing,  and you couldn't help but feel the emotion of every note.  Shelby has a beautiful voice and cute look to take her all the way to the finals.



Angie Ziederman - This audition was the 2nd shocker audition for me tonight.  (Richie's being the other shocker)  I wasn't quite sure what to expect when Angie came out with her quirky style.  She started to sing Blue Moon and my first thought was, "2012 American Idol winner of the William Hung Award".  Somehow she got to sing a second song.  I couldn't believe it was the same girl.  I was in awe as I believe many others were also.  Angie really does have an amazing voice and fun personality that could take her far in this contest.



What did you think of tonight's episode and who were your Aspen picks?  Could be a great season with the talent I have been seeing.  As Ryan Seacrest says,  "See you next time on American Idol!"

Being Human

I have become a huge fan of the series Being Human on the SyFy network.  I watched every episode of the first season and season 2 will be starting Jan. 16, 2012.  It's a little different than your usual show featuring supernatural characters.  The story is set around three main characters, all of which are inhuman, who live in a house together.  These three 20 something roomies try to help each other maintain and keep their double lives a secret from the outside world.  Though they are all inhuman, they want to try to keep some piece of humanity in their lives however small it might be.

A show with a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost is defintely off to a great beginning.  The first season got me hooked and I am anxiously awaiting season 2 to see in what direction they take these characters.  They are constantly threatened with exposure or persecution, pressure from other supernatural creatures, and with problems caused by their attempts to deal with their own natures.

Vampire - Aidan played by Sam Witwer (Smallville & Battlestar Gallatica)
Werewolf - Josh played by Sam Huntington (Cavemen & Superman Returns)
Ghost - Sally played by Meaghan Rath (The Assistants)

Now I am ashamed to admit it, but it wasn't until recently that I became aware that this show is a re-imagining of the acclaimed BBC original series Being Human. There are actually quite a few US shows that we have adopted from the BBC, but that's another post altogether. 

Anyway when I learned this, I went to my Sidereel acount and added it to my tracker so I could check it out.  I have finished the first season of the UK version and enjoyed it even more than the US version.  The plot and characters are basically the same, but I believe they dig deeper into each characters personal issues and situations. Last I heard, there will be a season 4 in 2012 with returning characters and also new ones.

Vampire - Mitchell played by Aidan Turner ( Hmmm and the Vampire's name in US version is Aidan...coincidence?)
Werewolf - George played by Russell Tovey
Ghost - Annie played by Lenora Crichlow