- The show's annual star-studded event to raise funds for charity.
- "American Idol" - "Idol Gives Back" Special - April 9, 2008
Tonight's Theme: Please help - the number is 866-IDOL-AID, or 866-436-5243
Last year's "Idol Gives Back" special raised $76 million dollars for children's charities in Africa and the U.S. The show hopes to top that tonight.
Ryan Seacrest opens the two hour, 40 minute special by noting that there are 3,000 people at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles while over at the "Idol" studio a full house also awaits the night's festivities. (The show at the Kodak was taped Sunday, the "Idol" studio stuff is presumably live since they have the "Idol" contestants - including cast-offs Ramiele, Chikezie, Amanda, and David- onstage fielding donation phone calls.)
The cast of "So You Think You Can Dance" busts some serious moves as the the "Idols" sing Rihanna's "Dont Stop the Music." As a dancer balances on his head and shoulders at the conclusion, Ryan says "I used to be able to do that." Then he shimmies as they bound offstage.
Our first pledge break with the numbers comes from NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson
Pledge break: George Lopez, who makes his plea in Spanish; Kylie Minogue
The first lady of California Maria Shriver comes onstage to talk about the nature of service and reads the famous Gandhi quote: "You must be the change you want to see in the world." She is joined by 100 volunteers from local charitable organizations and tells the audience "Acts of service are the stuff that real idols are made of."
In a pledge break Ben Stiller jokes that he recorded an album of Whitney Houston songs for charity called "Stiller Whips Whitney's Ass for Charity." Sadly, it did poorly and he's lost "Idol" $3.2 million. He then says he hopes the show raises a "googillion" dollars.
A video clip shows people, including Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, carrying containers to a lake in Central Park, filling them up, bringing them home and pouring the cloudy stuff into drinking glasses. A title card comes up to remind us of the shortage of clean drinking water in underdeveloped nations. It ends with the word "help."
Snoop Dogg & Charlie Wilson come on to perform "Can't Say Goodbye" as a group of adorable little boys, from Snoop's pee wee football league, dance around them. Charlie Wilson kills the hook.
Pledge break: NBA star Kobe Bryant; Pro wrestler Triple H.
Video package: Paula and Randy travel to a poverty stricken community just 180 miles from the "Idol" studio. The kids wish for a safe place to play and a spokesperson from one of the night's beneficiaries, Save the Children, talks about how tonight's donations can help make that happen.
We see a shot of "Carrie Underwood's dressing room" where James Denton, Mike Delfino the plumber on "Desperate Housewives" is pretending to fix her sink. Teri Hatcher, Denton's tv spouse, walks in and says to the "Idol" winner "if you are going to steal my man, I'm going to steal your song."
Cut to the stage where Band From TV backs Teri on "Before He Cheats." The band includes Greg Grunberg ("Heroes") on drums, Denton on guitar, Bonnie Somerville ("Cashmere Mafia") on vocals, "Bachelor" Bob Guiney on vocals, and Jesse Spencer ("House") on violin. Minus Hatcher, this is a real band that plays charity events in L.A. but alas, tonight, they are without their star keyboardist Hugh Laurie ("House").
Hatcher, who starred in "Cabaret" on Broadway, might not want to abandon Wisteria Lane for Madison Square Garden but she doesn't embarrass herself either.
Underwood comes out and congratulates Hatcher and makes a pledge plea.
Pledge Break: "So You Think You Can Dance"'s screaming judge Mary Murphy comes on and claims she will scream until people give. And then she screams... and screams...and screams some more.
Pledge Break: the Jonas Brothers
Billy Crystal comes on and does shtick with Miley Cyrus as if he doesn't know who she is and gives her advice about advancing her career. It's all pretty flat until Cyrus does a perfect line reading on "So are you in show business?"
Cyrus sings "Good and Broken" and the kids go wild in the crowd.
Back to the studio where the contestants answer the phones and Ryan shouts out to the corporate sponsors who have pushed the show to $15 million already.
Video package: Bono visits an African village where a volunteer nurse cares for those orphans affected by AIDS. HIV-afflicted Sophia asks for help and Bono reassures her that viewers will come to her aid and that she is a hero. (For what its worth, Bono doffs the glasses while talking to the little girl.)
Pledge break: Julianne Moore
Fergie performs her ballad "Finally" with John Legend on piano. She then introduces her idols Heart. The sisters Wilson kick into "Barracuda" and Fergie joins them, holding her own vocally and doing two, one-handed cartwheels to boot.
Pledge break: Pro wrestler John Cena
Pledge break: Adam Sandler
Back at the Idol studio Syesha holds up a sign saying "Call Me."
Video Package: Eli & Peyton Manning introduce a document of their trip to New Orleans where they talk, listen, and play with kids affected by Hurricane Katrina and who will be helped by Save the Children and viewer donations.
Pledge break: Posh and Becks
Ryan announces that the total is close to $18 million now.
Video package: We return to Africa with Bono who is talking to Deloy, who lost both parents and keeps a memory box with things like rosary beads and pictures to keep their memory alive.
Bono throws to Annie Lennox in South Africa who is also visiting with AIDS orphans, a family of four who are being carried on the slender but strong shoulders of the eldest, a 15-year-old boy. They go to get tested for HIV and, mercifully, none are infected. Lennox breaks down as she says goodbye.
Cut to the stage where she sings an exquisite solo piano rendition of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross." This will no doubt be one of the most popular downloads tomorrow on iTunes, where all of tonight's performances will be available with net proceeds going to the cause.
Pledge break: Kiefer Sutherland
Video package: A quick one with Celine Dion, also in Africa talking about those orphaned by the AIDS crisis.
Jimmy Kimmel comes on to introduce Simon Cowell and calls him "the real reason Governor Schwarzenegger must work to secure the borders." He adds that although tonight's beneficiaries are worthy he wonders if someone can't "set aside a little money to buy Simon a shirt that fits him." He also compares Simon's nipples to peppermills and asks "who parts your hair? Moses?" (In the audience Jordin Sparks cracks up). He concludes by saying "I think I speak for all of America when I say let's see you sing something Simon and button your shirt!"
Video package: Simon introduces a document of his trip to New York City to see how some of last year's funds helped a family stricken by poverty and medical crises by providing mobile health services.
Back onstage he makes a plea for donations and jabs at Kimmel by professing his love for Jay Leno. He then introduces Carrie Underwood.
Underwood performs George Michael's incredibly apropos and aching ballad "Praying For Time" which will likely be another popular download tomorrow.
Pledge break: Whoopi Goldberg
Pledge break: Ellen Degeneres starts by saying "hi it's me, Oprah" and, after giving the numbers, walks off camera saying "what was that Steadman?"
Gloria Estefan performs "Get On Your Feet" with the help of percussionist extraordinaire Sheila E., who knocks her cymbals off her platform but keeps on playing.
Sarah Silverman comes out and jokes that Gloria's song "is so inspiring I almost got up and made it happen." She then gets serious talking about the malaria crisis and introduces a...
Video Package: ...of Forest Whittaker and his wife touring Angola where simple mosquito netting could saves countless lives.
Pledge break: Gordon Brown, Britain's Prime Minister, pledges to pay for 20 million mosquito nets and says he will urge other world leaders to do the same.
Ryan checks in to say that the donations are up to $22 million.
Pledge break: Keith Urban
Video Package: Reese Witherspoon introduces a document of her trip to New Orleans and the good work the Children's Defense Fund is doing there in schools.
The "Idols" peform "Seasons of Love" from "Rent" with the help of a gospel choir.
Video Package: Alicia Keys journeyed to three African countries and saw firsthand the devastation of AIDS and how women who've lost their own adult children are now struggling to support their grandchildren.
Pledge break: Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale of "High School Musical"
Cyrus is back singing her hit "See You Again." (The one that sounds like Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night.")
Video Package: When she's done Cyrus introduces a clip of a trip that she and her dad Billy Ray took to the poorest parts of his home state of Kentucky where money from "Idol" is helping organizations that provide books and computer tutoring to the neediest children.
Robin Williams comes out in the guise of "Ivan Popinoff" aka "Bob," the winner of "Russian Idol." He does bits about Russian reality television ("Meal or Not a Meal"), Simon's manbreasts and then "auditions" for the judges by singing a loud version of "My Way" in Russian. Randy thought it was "forcibly pitchy," Paula compliments his garish shirt, and Simon says it was "brilliant." Williams then hugs him and grabs his butt.
Pledge break: Rob Schneider; Tyra Banks
Video Package: David Spade introduces a clip about Brad Pitt's Make it Right foundation which is building homes for Katrina survivors in New Orleans, 200,000 of whom are still displaced three years later.
Pitt comes onstage to a standing ovation and introduces a...
Video Package: ...of Daughtry who traveled to Uganda. The boys played an acoustic version of "What About Now" for a large crowd of kids who end up singing along by the end.
The big celebrity finish comes courtesy of Mariah Carey- with Randy Jackson on bass-- singing "Fly Like a Bird" complete with dove onscreen and another visit from the blue-robed gospel choir.
Ryan gives the numbers one more time and the "Idols" close out the night, all dressed in snow white, singing the contemporary Christian favorite "Shout to the Lord."
(No final word on the numbers yet or what happened to slated video clips from Clinton, Obama, McCain, and President Bush but according to E! Online they were bumped and may appear on tomorrow's results show)
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