American Idol Down to a Pretty Fine Nine

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The tables have turned on American Idol, as R&B night produced more rhythm and less blues than we'd seen in awhile this season.

Sure, Crystal Bowersox remained the gold standard, Siobhan Magnus the wild card (too wild last night) and Tim Urban the lucky loser whose unlikely run has extended all the way to a spot on the Idols Live tour this summer.

But the overall quality of the performances ticked up a notch, with Andrew Garcia finally not sucking, Casey James rocking the house and Lee Dewyze having a potentially life-changing night, according to Simon Cowell.

We at least thought Michael Lynche had a great night, too, so why was the frustrated personal trainer poised to throw Ryan Seacrest off the stage?

Maybe because Ryan was messing with him, implying the beefy personal trainer was in the bottom three when he was really safe as a savings bond.

Meanwhile, America got it exactly right (based solely on Tuesday's performances, at least), voting Tim, Katie Stevens and Didi Benami into the bottom three.

Frank Micelotta / FOX

It was ultimately the increasingly morose and combative Didi who was sent packing, her pitchy encore of Fleetwood Mac's "Rihannon" not doing enough to save her.

"Didi, it's bad news, sweetheart. We're not going to save you, sorry," Simon broke the news.

So the smiley Tim train chugs on, just as the Brit predicted. And Katie, who remains caught in a country vs. pop-R&B war being waged by Simon and Kara DioGuardi, got her reprieve before the final commercial break, instead getting to enjoy the world-premiere Diddy-Dirty Money performance of "Hello Good Morning."

Ruben Studdard, who's heading off on tour with Clay Aiken this summer, sang tonight, as did R&B week mentor Usher, who performed "OMG" with  Will.i.am.

Next Tuesday, the top nine get to dip into the infinitely deep Lennon-McCartney songbook for your voting pleasure.

Did the voters get it right this week? Are you happy to see Didi go, or steamed that your least favorite didn't get the boot?

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Sandra Bullock Makes a House Call in Hollywood

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Thar she goes!

A Mercedes-Benz carrying Sandra Bullock, who hasn't been seen in public since reportedly moving out of the Orange County home she'd been sharing with Herr Husband, was spotted Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills.

E! News has learned that the actress was leaving the home of Beverly Hills-based investment manager and longtime Bullock family friend Gabriel Brener.

But though the paparazzi were out in force, no one got a clear shot of the Blind Side star as she deftly avoided the flashbulbs and settled into the Benz's backseat.

"Everyone was crowding around the car and being very aggressive," an eyewitness tells E!. "The car even went back inside of the gate at one point because they couldn't leave without hitting the paps."

This probably isn't the way Bullock planned to celebrate her Oscar win...

GEVA JSGS/GSI Media, Hector Vallenilla/PacificCoastNews.com

The 45-year-old star has been left unable, P.R.-wise, to sit for interviews or even go out in public in the wake of reports that hubby Jesse James philandered Tiger-style and, even more bizarrely perhaps, once posed for photos while making the Nazi salute and miming a Hitler mustache.

James' rep revealed yesterday that the Monster Garage star has checked into a treatment facility to deal with "personal issues," and TMZ placed the motorcycle builder on his way to Tuscon, Ariz. (where we hear there are places to rehab) last week.

But at least Bullock is in the company of friends.

Gabriel Brener and his family were guests at Bullock and James' 2005 wedding and Bullock has been friends with the Brener International Group founder for years.

—Additional reporting by Daniel Ramos

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Roger Ebert Seeks Thumbs-Up for New At the Movies

Jesse Grant/Getty Images

You can't keep a good thumb down.

A day after the syndicated TV stalwart At the Movies was officially canceled, Pulitzer winner Roger Ebert wrote on his blog that he and his wife are working on getting a new film-review show off the ground.

"We believe a market still exists for a weekly show where a couple of critics review new movies," wrote the longtime Chicago Sun-Times critic, who left the show in 2006 after surgery for thyroid cancer left him unable to speak.

In truth, At the Movies' popularity had been dwindling since the death of Ebert's original partner in criticism, Gene Siskel, in 1999. Ebert & Roeper never had quite the same ring, and then the show went on with a series of guest hosts after Ebert bowed out. After Richard Roeper finally left in 2008, the teaming of Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons was a disaster, and A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips didn't do much better.

Ebert, who appeared on Oprah recently to demonstrate the Steven Hawking-style computer he uses to carry on conversations, and his wife would serve as a producers on the new show. While he wouldn't regularly appear on camera, he writes, "the thumbs will return."

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This Just In: Jackie, Tara and Other Nutty Housewives Live On

Ken Regan/Showtime

Nurse Jackie/United States of Tara: Showtime sure has a quick trigger finger! Though the premieres were mere days ago, Nurse Jackie and the Emmy-winning United States of Tara have both been renewed for a third season. We're gonna go all Spice Girls on you and say, "Girl Power!" And now we're embarrassed.

Wanna know which network is taking on your favorite dancing reality shows? Read on for the scoop, plus Sarah Palin (seriously) and Housewives return...

CBS: Because watching people dance never gets old, CBS is adapting a U.S. version of the U.K. reality hit Got to Dance. How will it be different than the 12 (OK, maybe three) other dancing competitions? This one is open to all ages, all genres and all ability levels. Think of it is America's Got Talent...But Only if You're a Dancer.

Sarah Palin's Alaska: Russia is gonna be so excited! The eight-part documentary showcasing Palin's home state has found a home on TLC. Although we're told it's not so much a "reality show" as it is a "travelogue." What word would you use to describe it? But hey, keep it clean.

Real Housewives of New Jersey: Insert overexaggerated Jersey accent here. Season two of Housewives of New Jersey will premiere May 3 on Bravo, starting at 10 p.m. We celebrated by flipping over all the tables in the office. Expensive, and not as much fun as you'd think.

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Doctor: Dennis Hopper Is "Terminally Ill," Deposition Could Be Deadly

AP Photo/ Evan Agostini

It's not looking good for Dennis Hopper.

In what amounted to a very sad testament as to Hopper's condition after months of battling prostate cancer, the actor's camp is arguing that he is "terminally ill" and in no condition to be deposed by his estranged wife's legal camp as she continues to fight the terms of their prenup.

"It is doubtful that Mr. Hopper will ever recover sufficiently to be subject to a deposition," oncologist David B. Agus stated in a declaration attached to the filing. Hopper barely weighs 100 pounds and cannot speak for long periods of time; therefore, a lengthy deposition "could actually threaten his ability to survive his current health crisis."

Hopper filing part 1
Hopper filing part 2

The prenuptial agreement signed by Hopper and wife Victoria Duffy was supposed to prevent this sort of thing, his camp says, and the Blue Velvet star has already spent $160,000 in legal fees to ward off Victoria's objections.

Hopper, 72, will be attending his induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 26, the filing said, but he will be in a wheelchair and require assistance.

"A deposition is nothing ike a short ceremony to praise his career," Agus stated.

The veteran actor-filmmaker-photographer has a restraining order in place against Victoria barring her from coming within 10 feet of him or his three children from previous relationships. They have a 6-year-old daughter together, who Hopper's allowed to visit with for two hours a day.

The 140-page filing also details Hopper's numerous personal effects, including thousands of dollars' worth of artwork, including an oil painting and a collage by Viggo Mortensen.

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Robert Culp, I Spy's Other Secret Agent Man, Dies

Long before Phylicia Rashad came into the picture, it was Robert Culp who played Bill Cosby's other half.

Culp, who teamed with Cosby in the 1965-68 secret-agent series I Spy, died Wednesday after falling down and hitting his head while on a walk near his Hollywood home. He was 79.

After finishing his run as tennis-playing lawman Kelly Robinson, the veteran character actor then starred in the adultery-run-amok dramedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in 1969.

Though he's known to younger audiences today as Patricia Heaton's dad on Everybody Loves Raymond, he made his mark on the small screen in a number of cop- and crime-themed series, from I Spy to The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Columbo to The Greatest American Hero, racking up four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nod along the way.

Culp is also a member of the club of actors who have played the president of the United States on the silver screen, having occupied the Oval Office in The Pelican Brief.

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Teen Angelina Jolie Coming at You in Black & White

ZUMA

Angelina Jolie has always taken a pretty picture.

And now the fruits of one of her first photo shoots as a teenage model are going on sale Friday in California, starting at $600 apiece.

Photographer Harry Langdon took the shots when Jolie was 15, with the future Oscar winner donning a variety of styles, including the grunge look emblematic of the early 1990s: a long gown paired with Doc Martens.

"Her smile is beautiful, but her best feature is her alluring look," Langdon said.

These black-and-whites, not to be confused with the swimsuit photos taken by Sean McCall when Jolie was 16, are currently part of the Michael H. Epstein and Scott E. Schwimer collection of rare Hollywood photographs and will be auctioned off March 26 and 27 by Profiles in History.

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Miley Cyrus Leads the Hit Parade on American Idol, Few Follow

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There are thousands of songs to choose from when the American Idol contestants are asked to cover past No. 1 hits from the Billboard chart.

Hence, the night started off with so much possibility.

But maybe by now we shouldn't be shocked by the preposterous song choices they ultimately make.

That's what 17-year-old mentor Miley Cyrus was there for, though: To help the top 11 not only choose the right songs ("Yesterday" was a chart-topper, but so was "Macarena"), but also tap into the sort of infectious appeal that has made even so-so singers into international superstars.

So, did anyone have one of those Moments that the judges are always talking about?

Lee Dewyze: We didn't really care for his jazzy, Michael Bublé'd version of "The Letter" by the Box Tops—though Lee gets points for the homage to the recently deceased Alex Chilton. Kudos to him for shaking up the arrangement and his voice sounded great, as usual; but, to us, that wasn't an Idol "moment." Simon Cowell didn't think so, either, calling it "quite corny" and "not a recording performance." He was outnumbered, though, by Ellen DeGeneres, who blathered on about her refilling her favorite pen with ink, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson.

Paige Miles: Cripes, who is picking Paige's music?! She utterly butchered Mariah Carey's version of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" (like, really bad), looking the whole time as if she had been forced onstage at gunpoint. The opening bars were so dreadful, by the time she let out a few booming, successful notes, we were over it. "Take a look at Paige now going home," is how the chorus should have gone. "That was honestly terrible…nothing came together at all," Randy lamented. Kara judged it "the worst vocal I've heard from you and possibly the worst I've heard all season." 

Tim Urban: We were expecting a disaster when we learned he was trying Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." But it wasn't so bad. The dancing around the stage was awkward, but in true JoBro style Tim stood surrounded by adoring girls for a moment, which theoretically could prove more important (in real life) than how his voice sounded. Ellen thought it felt like a High School Musical audition. "The dopest thing you did was the slide [on the steps], the vocals were so boring," Randy said. And Kara actually criticized Tim for going into the audience. "You're not at that place yet, you're not established," she chided him. Simon just ended up criticizing Queen, saying he was surprised that song was even a No. 1 record.

Aaron Kelly: Leave it to the 16-year-old to belt the first modern-day No.1  of the night, Aerosmith's oozy ballad "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Aaron wasn't pitch-perfect, but nor did he sound like a kid who suffered from tonsillitis and laryngitis all week. His version had a nice country tinge to it, and it actually came off like a real competitive performance. "Best song choice of the night," Kara said, though that was a given. "You're a little tryer, aren't you?" Simon queried. "If you want to vote for David Archuleta here…" quipped Ryan Seacrest, reading off the voting number.

Crystal Bowersox: The whole Janis Joplin picture was completed tonight, with Crystal actually choosing the Joplin heart-grabber "Me and Bobby McGee." Which, as you might have expected, she did a superb job with it, especially as the tempo picked up in the second half. And did you notice she's been standing on a rug while she sings? "That's what is called being a star!" Randy cried. Ellen and Kara are both itching for just a bit more emotion from Crystal. "I wouldn't change anything," advised Simon. "Up until now, we have listened to a karaoke competition…You took a song, nailed it, and your only gimmick is a carpet."

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Michael Lynche: Out came Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" for the umpteenth time in Idol history. But Michael's got serious chops, a consistently improving falsetto and the charm to pull the old standard off. Randy proceeded to explain why it wasn't that great but he loved it. "This woman loves that man," Ellen said, though she also compared the song choice to "driving the speed limit." And Simon agreed with Kara's synopsis of over-indulgence, saying, "I kind of know what you're saying…like you wanted one scoop of ice cream and you got 11."

Andrew Garcia: Well, Paige might be safe after this dreck. Is anything more overdone, karaoke-wise, than "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"? Not only that, but Andrew—so promising, once—didn't even sound good. His voice was, to steal an adjective from Randy, "weird." "I feel bad for you up there, because you're chasing that moment...I don't know who that was," Kara said sadly. "Maybe we just overrated that moment, in hindsight," Simon said. "You sucked the soul out of that song."

Katie Stevens: "Big Girls Don't Cry" was a great song choice and Katie did Fergie proud. Her version wasn't markedly different or unique in any way, but, at this point in the night, merely enjoyable was enough. A few sharp notes, but at least her performance made sense. "I think you meeting Miley Cyrus was probably the best thing that could ever happen to you," Simon concluded. He still thinks Katie should go the country route, but Kara felt the 17-year-old had found her niche. Ellen though it was her best performance to date.

Casey James: Sure, nothing screams youthful appeal like Huey Lewis and the News! But "The Power of Love" was from Back to the Future, so at least the Gen-Xers should like it. Actually, the 27-year-old stud-muffin sounded remarkably like Lewis and turned in a perfectly polished performance. Of course, Simon didn't even think the song was current 25 years ago, so he had no idea what Kara, who told Casey he was "on another level," was talking about. "Maybe it's just me…I'm English," he shrugged.

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Didi Benami: Who knew Didi's goal was to play a Reno lounge one day? She sounded OK, but Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" was just a really random song choice. It wasn't right for her voice, and the slinky performance just wasn't her. "I felt like you were playing a character," Kara said. Simon didn't really have to point out the irony of the song title, but he did.

Siobhan Magnus: Stevie Wonder tacklers, beward. But Siobhan, trotting out a Debbie Harry-Pat Benatar look tonight, worked "Superstition" out. And yes, she screamed at the end. "I loved it, man," Randy said, sounding like Jeff Bridges giving an acceptance speech. "To quote Oliver, 'More please,'" offered Ellen, obviously tapped out by show's end. "You express yourself every time you perform," Kara said (and you know how she loves expression). But Simon would rather she cool it with the screaming.

Nothing like a little Siobhan to close things out with a bang. One contestant will be eliminated tomorrow following a performancs by Professor Miley and, doing a duet (aw), Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato.

Michael Becker/FOX

So, which contestant deserves to go home? And why, when faced with a vast catalog of song choices, do they pick stuff like "The Power of Love" and "Superstition"?

Can someone please explain that in the comments section?

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Paula Abdul's Star Search Deal Flames Out

Courtesy: Kevin Parry/Getty Images

Well, so much for Paula Abdul's return to network TV.

Just a few days after ABC was reportedly all ready to sign the former American Idol judge up as host of a new version of Star Search, negotiations have fallen through.

Sources tell E! News that the network is not planning on moving forward with Abdul as host, although the show might still be happening.

Word is that both parties were at the proverbial table, a deadline was set to agree upon the terms of her contract, and then no deal was made.

We wonder what Paula could have wanted that they ended up dropping the whole idea... A cohosting slot for her dog? Time off to do X-Factor? What?!

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Dancing with the Stars Exclusive: Jake Pavelka Has Found True Love!

ABC/Rick Rowell

Well, color me surprised. Bachelor Jake Pavelka doth not sucketh!

While we had guessed the rose-giver would look about as comfortable as a snake in pantyhose on that dance floor, he seems to have fallen in love...with dancing! And doesn't look half bad doing it.

We just met up with Jake at rehearsals for season 10 of Dancing with the Stars, along with frontrunner (who insists she's not a frontrunner) Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, and a few others.

Get the video and scoop right here...

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Shannen Doherty was looking pretty good, too, during her rehearsals, but might we have to swap teams?

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Jake says he's ready to dominate on DWTS. "We're at the point where Chelsie is fine-tuning things," he tells us, "and she's smiling at me a lot more than she was yelling."

While there are nerves—"It's tough," he says—Jake is more than up to the challenge. "I work really well under stress, so I try to manage it right up until the point when it's time to stress out." And when that moment comes, Jake will be ready to hit the dance floor, no doubt impressing the pants socks right off of his new ladylove, Vienna.

As for Nicole, the Pussycat Dolls' lead songstress and dancer, she says it's unfair for anyone to think she has an unfair advantage.

"This is new territory for me," Nicole tells us at a separate rehearsal. "I am in Derek Hough Dancing with the Stars ballroom land. I'm a professional trained singer and performer who dances." Oh, that clears it up then. "It's good that I kind of don't know what I'm doing." Ummmm...right.

Elsewhere, yummy soap star Aiden Turner is looking forward to life away from acting. "Dance steps are harder," he says of this endeavor. "I've gotten learning the lines down, but this is new."

And just in case you're forgetting, Aiden's partner Edyta Sliwinska  was partnered with Aiden's former All My Children costar Cameron Mathison a few seasons back (Whew! That was a mouthful), and the two have definitely exchanged notes.

"He said, 'Work hard, listen to Edyta…be yourself and have as much fun as possible.'" Aiden says of Cam.

Oh, and ladies, Aiden promises there will be some shirtless action if he makes it to the top three, so keep that in mind while dialing in your votes.

Still, something tells us we can't count out Buzz Aldrin just yet. Did you see how suavely he executed that spin in the video above?!

Sadly, our E! team cameramen have yet to capture this season's blond babes in action—Erin Andrews, Kate Gosselin and Pamela Anderson—but we're guessing they'll be bringing some smooth moves of their own.

And just in case you missed it, here's some rehearsal footage of Shannen, Niecy Nash, Evan Lysacek and Chad Ochocinco.

Now that you've seen nearly all of the contenders, who is your money on to win?

Don't miss much more DWTS scoop weeknights starting at 7 p.m. on E! News and The Daily 10, and stay logged into Watch With Kristin for weekly updates.

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Donald Trump Fixing the Economy, One Apprentice at a Time

NBC/Ali Goldstein

The national unemployment rate is huuuge, and there's at least one man who's confident he can fix that.

Donald Trump and producer Mark Burnett revealed Wednesday that the next installment of The Apprentice will feature 14 contestants, ranging from recent college grads to out-of-work professionals, who have been affected by the economic downturn.

Fine, so long as there's no more Omarosa.

"I am very excited to return to the original premise of The Apprentice," said Trump, who hasn't presided over a noncelebrity version of the show since 2007.

"We've got to do something about the economy, and this is a terrific way to provide jobs as well as business lessons along the way. NBC, Mark Burnett and I hope this economic downturn can begin a turnaround, and we'll do our best with The Apprentice to see that it starts happening. I'm proud to be putting people back to work, and to [be] positively changing the psychology of America."

But while the winner will be hired by one of Trump's companies, as usual, the castoffs will hear more than "you're fired" this time around.

"Instead of just sending them off in a cab, I'm going to sit and talk to them about their future, give them a little advice," Trump promised.

Your country thanks you, Mr. Trump.

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Tiger Woods Joins Letterman, Clinton in South Park Battle Against Alien Sex Fiends

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In a very special South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's topical toon returns for its 14th season to pose the question: What could be causing rich, successful men to seek sexual favors from women who are not their wives?

The only plausible answer: Alien wizards!

As some seriously deluded South Park scientists create a test to isolate sexual addicts, the President Obama-led government aims to learn what could be wreaking havoc upon our nation's men—including an imagined celebrity support group featuring toon versions of Charlie Sheen, Bill Clinton, David Letterman, Tiger Woods and more—before nailing the alien sex fiend behind all this nonsense. 

You get all that, plus the most awesome golf video game ever.

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Arrest Made in Drug Ring Case Linked to Corey Haim's Illegal Painkiller Prescription

Ron Galella/Getty Images

While Corey Haim's mom was making funeral plans, authorities were busting a suspect who may have had something to do with the actor getting an illegal prescription for a powerful painkiller.

The California Attorney General's Office confirmed to E! News Tuesday that an arrest had been made in connection with its ongoing investigation into a prescription-drug ring linked to Haim's death last week.

Agents discovered records in a state database that indicated an illegal Rx for OxyContin had been written for the Lucas star on one of the fake prescription pads the suspected drug ring is accused of selling on the street after fraudulently purchasing them from legal vendors.

Four undisclosed prescriptions were found in Haim's home after his sudden death March 10. Authorities first reported it as a probable overdose, but the medical examiner is remaining mum on the official cause of death pending toxicology tests.

About 200 people packed a Toronto chapel today to pay their respects to Haim at a private funeral.

—Reporting by Whitney English and Lindsay Miller

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Britney Spears Back to the Circus of Single Life

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Britney Spears is once again a solo artist.

The 28-year-old pop princess and her talent-agent boyfriend Jason Trawick called it quits at the end of February after about a year of dating, a source exclusively tells E! News.

"They were fighting a lot and have not been getting along," the source says.

William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, where Trawick plies his trade, confirmed Tuesday that the 38-year-old agent is still representing Spears. A rep for the blond-again Circus star has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, this isn't the first time the business-and-pleasure-mixing duo have required some time apart.

Spears and Trawick cooled off over the holidays in December, but rekindled the flame in time to attend the Grammys together on Jan. 31, where Spears was nominated for Best Dance Recording for "Womanizer."

They were last seen in public together on Valentine's Day at a McDonald's drive-thru in L.A.

"They both just needed to take a break from each other," the source says. "It wasn't working out."

Just as it wasn't the other time they split up within the last three months, but, as our insider says, reconciliation remains on the table.

(Originally published March 16, 2010, at 3:45 p.m. PT)

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Jerseylicious: Sneak a Peek at the Series Premiere