Kara DioGuardi: Getting to know the new 'American Idol' judge

During a conference call with the media this afternoon, newly added “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi got a barrage of logistical questions. Where would she fall in the judging order? What would happen if the four judges were split down the middle on whether a contestant should go through to Hollywood?

DioGuardi, for her part, was just as clueless as the reporters. “I just know that I’m on the judging panel and that I’m supposed to have my makeup done by 11 o’clock tomorrow,” she stated simply.

But although she didn’t know much about how panel decisions would shake out, DioGuardi was confident about her judging style. “I’m going to be a straight shooter and say it like I see it,” she explained. When asked which of the judges’ style most reflected her own, DioGuardi replied, “I don’t think I’m similar to anybody. I have my own style.”

And her “style” has done pretty well for her thus far. The Grammy-nominated songwriter has penned hits for Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Pink and many more. DioGuardi  has also written for a handful of Idols, including Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. “I’m a big fan of Kelly’s,” raved DioGuardi. “I had an incredible experience with her, and I was so happy when ‘Walk Away’ did so well for her.”

New 'Dancing With the Stars' lineup includes Cloris Leachman, Lance Bass, Misty May-Treanor, Warren Sapp

No, Dan Qualye is not on the list, but the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" will boast its largest cast ever, its youngest and oldest competitors to date, two Olympic gold medalists, a Grammy-winning singer, a TV legend, an Oscar winner and a Super Bowl champion.

The seventh season of the highly popular ABC series will have a three-night premiere because, for the first time, all of the couples will learn two routines for the first week of competition.

The new stars competing for the hideous mirror ball trophy are:

Lance Bass of 'N Sync, singer Toni Braxton, actress-host Brooke Burke, celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito, Olympic track star Maurice Greene, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, actress Cloris Leachman, "Hannah Montana" star Cody Linley, soap vixen Susan Lucci, Olympic beach volleyball superstar Misty May-Treanor, actor Ted McGinely, comedian Jeffrey Ross and NFL Super Bowl champ Warren Sapp.

The show premieres on Sept. 22 at 8 p.m., Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. and Sept. 24 at 8 p.m.

--Maria Elena Fernandez

'American Idol' gets a fourth judge: Kara DioGuardi

It's a girl!

When "American Idol" premieres in January, there will be a fourth judge seated at the judge's table: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi, Fox announced today.

DioGuardi will use her background as a songwriter and producer to praise or critique the contestants throughout the competition, according to a press release. The eighth season of the show premieres in January.

The network, partly responding to a small decline in ratings, announced in May that there will be changes to the format to the show.

In the press release, creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said: “We are turning the heat up on ‘Idol’ this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table. She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters.  We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show.”

The show had always intended to have a fourth judge, according to executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz.

"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges’ table," Fox President of Alternative Programming Mike Darnell said in the release. "She’s been as an island of consideration and gentle criticism between Randy and Simon, offering her invaluable expertise as a performer and No. 1 artist to the thousands who have competed on 'American Idol.' With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some backup, and now there is going to be a lot more ‘girl power’ on the show.”

More details came later when Fox hosted a conference call with "Idol's" new judge.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that "American Idol's" premiere date will be January 29. While the show will return in January, its premiere date is not yet set.

(Photo: Anne Cusack / LAT)

'Mad Men': The new girl

After drawing an impressive 2.1 million viewers in the first episode of its second season, “Mad Men” has reportedly lost a cool million in the weeks since. What’s behind this drop-off? Were people so swept up in Olympic fever that they had no time to watch anything else? Were they so glued to their cellphones, awaiting the text message announcing Obama’s VP selection, that they forgot about television altogether? Is it the classic sophomore slump that seems to afflict any highly original television series, novelist or musician? Did expectations just get too out of hand, making any reality pale by comparison? Has the novelty of the era and its workplace drinking worn off? Or have Americans en masse decided that, you know what, books really are a superior form of entertainment since they demand more active engagement on the part of the imagination? Just kidding.

The truth is, I don’t know the reasons behind the plunge in viewers because I’m intrigued by the second season. Perhaps it’s getting too dark for some; the show is beginning to induce that sense of unease I always felt during “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under” and any episode of “Big Love” where the polygamists have to interact with the outside world.

You see, our hero, Don Draper, is getting himself into some messy situations, and this week Peggy Olson is the fixer. Think of her as the Michael Clayton of yesteryear. And how did she land this gig? That’s a very interesting question. Bobbie Barrett would tell you that “this is America –- pick a job and become the person who does it.”

'America's Best Dance Crew' is Super Cr3w!

Season 2 can now be labeled the Season of Super Cr3w as the b-boys from Las Vegas (and Riverside,  etc.) were officially given the title of America's Best Dance Crew.

It could just as easily have been the Season of SoReal Cru or the Season of Fanny Pak if a few votes had gone the other way or if there were one or two more slip-ups.

But that wasn't the case as the Cr3w, friends of Season 1 winners JabbaWockeez, lead in the minds of many voters from start to finish.  There were definitely times that other crews out-shined them, and SoReal Cru was also popular throughout the competition, but Cr3w's skill seemed too great for the voters and judges to overlook.

Exclusive Interview: David Archuleta's 'Crush' tops charts

“All my friends keep saying, ‘You should try to hook up with Shawn Johnson,’” confessed “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta with a giggle.

It was 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, and Archuleta had managed to squeeze in a quick chat between signing autographs and walking a press line in Tampa, Fla. 

Our topic of conversation –- Archuleta’s real-life crushes – was prompted by the outlandish success of his first single, “Crush.” Not only was it the top-selling digital download of the week, but “Crush” also hit No. 2 on the U.S. pop singles chart today; the best chart debut in 18 months, according to Billboard. 

So, I just had to ask: Does Archuleta have a “Crush” of his own? “I’m just afraid to mention anything now,” confessed Archuleta.  And he’s right to be afraid.  Recently, after one of Archuleta’s female friends attended his show, she received a deluge of hate mail from Archuleta’s fans. “They said, ‘You’re not good enough for him, and you’re ugly,” Archuleta said, shuddering.  “You can see why people want to keep things to themselves.”  Despite the fact that his rabid fans harassed his guest, however, Archuleta continued to defend them. “They’re just really protective,” he concluded.

'America's Best Dance Crew': Tila and the end

As its second season draws to a close, "America's Best Dance Crew" can lay claim to being one of the most popular shows on MTV -- it draws celebrity fans, millions of votes (39 million for last year's finale) and credibility in the hip-hop dance community.

The two crews remaining for Thursday's finale, Super Cr3w and SoReal Cru, specialize in different types of hip-hop.  A smooth, precise style for SoReal Cru and an athletic, b-boy style for Super Cr3w.  Each has had great moments this season.  SoReal Cru's snake routine and their overcoming an uncomfortable closeness to create a great routine for Janet Jackson's "I Get So Lonely" were certainly highlights.  Super Cr3w's ninja routine and gravity-defying feats on "We Fly High" and more are some of the best the show has ever seen (including JabbaWockeeZ -- yeah, i said it).

'Project Runway': Good queen fun

Justice was administered swiftly and fairly tonight on "Project Runway." The judges picked the correct winner and loser and all was well in the most fabulous episode ever ("fabulous" being a term here that can only be applied objectively). 

The drag queen challenge appeared more difficult than it might have seemed at first. It wasn't just about throwing as many sequins and feathers on a guy as possible; it was about flattering the models, showing their personality, being over-the-top and still demonstrating good craftsmanship.  Joe Faris' pink sailor outfit was adorable, and his drag queen clearly loved wearing it.  Korto Momolu's fiery red sequined number was flashy and fun but it looked to me like something I've seen before (on a drag queen).  And the insane kimono that Terri Stevens made for Acid Betty was a work of art, but it seemed like designing for that particular model may have been a little easier, since he didn't have to appear as feminine or traditional as the other queens.  Speaking of which, it was fascinating to see them all out of costume.  And confidential to guest judge RuPaul: girlfriend, eat a sandwich.

Rachel Maddow promises to stir things up with her new MSNBC show

Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s newest host, giddily contemplated what her show will look like when it debuts on the cable news network on Sept. 8.

“Live audience. Live punk band. You know, mariachis for important segues,” she joked with Keith Olbermann Tuesday evening during an appearance on his program to announce her new gig.

No matter what form her show takes, there’s no question that the 35-year-old will cut a different figure than most of her cable brethren. An openly gay woman, unapologetic liberal and Rhodes scholar with a doctorate from Oxford University, Maddow has drawn a passionate following during her stint this year as an analyst for MSNBC.

Network executives are now trying to capitalize on her rising popularity, hoping that she will further their efforts to remake MSNBC as the destination for lively political news and analysis.

MSNBC officially announced today that it was replacing Dan Abrams’s program “Verdict” in the 6 p.m. PT time slot with “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

"Rachel is unbelievably talented and brilliant; her breadth and depth of knowledge of politics and news is astonishing and I'm so excited to give her a place to really showcase what she can do," said MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement.

'The Hills' ratings still strong against Olympic competition

A big 3.5 million people tuned in to see Audrina give Lo a dressing-down during the fourth-season premiere of "The Hills" Monday night.

Numbers show some muscle considering the episode went up against Olympic coverage (including women's gymnastics). Among adults ages 18 to 49, the episode notched a 2.0 rating/5 share, down a significant 29% from the March season opener (2.8/7) but good enough to make the premiere the reality show's second-best, according to Nielsen.

"The Hills" won the night in ad-supported cable, faring especially well among its core female audience.

-- Denise Martin