“American Idol” concluded its Hollywood round Wednesday with a new strategy that’s reminiscent of the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”: Even though viewer can clearly see the contestants are naked of any vocal ability, the show’s judges keep clothing them in compliments hoping you’ll believe what they’re saying.

Throughout the show, host Ryan Seacrest kept saying things like the contestants were “some of the most outstanding performances of our 10-year history” or “Some of the best singing to ever hit the ‘Idol’ stage,” and that viewers would see “breakout performances that will amaze you.”

None of that was ever seen. Instead, viewers saw Hayley Reinhard, 20, of Illinois horribly wailing “God Bless the Child” or white-glasses-wearing Clint Jun Gamboa of California screaming “Georgia on My Mind” and being touted as good.

Take it from me – outside his family, this guy will NEVER sell any records.

But rather than being the exception, it was the rule.

Carlton Higgins 22, of California sang a bad version of Bobby Brown’s “My Perrogative.”  Julie Zorrilla of California, on piano, sang a bad version of Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song.”  Ashley Sullivan, 26, of Massachusetts, forgot the word three times and sang through her nose. Deep-voiced Scotty MacCreary finally was forced to do a song different from the single one he’s done so far, and was weak.

But all of them were put through by judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Kendra Chantelle, 22, of Tennessee and Sophia Shorai, 28 of Minneapolis both were wretched but were not only put through, but praised. Redheaded Richard Simmons sound-alike Brett Loewenstein, 16, of Florida was just flat-out bad. Jovany Barreto of Louisiana was squawky. Pudgy Jacee Badeux, 15, of Louisiana also forgot the words. John Wayne Schulz, 23, of Texas, sang in a weak, affected voice.

But all of them were put through.

Not every contestant made it through.

Frances Coontz, 16, of California was so horribly off-key on Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” that even the judges couldn’t put her  through. But she was just as bad when  she first auditioned. The lesson is that they never should have been put through in the first place.

Same was true for Chelsee Oakes, 23, of Tennessee – so far off-key was her version of Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You.”

And Jacquelin Dunford, part of a couple who auditioned and whose boyfriend got booted Tuesday, got  sick and bowed out.

That may sound like a depressing recounting of the show, but it really was that bad.

There were a couple of contestants who weren’t totally horrible.

Jacob Lusk of California was good, but nowhere near as good as the over-the-top response – a standing ovation – he got from the judges. Thia Megia, 15, of California was OK.

Laurens Alaina , 15, of Georgia, over whose country singing the judges have hyperventilated, wasn’t band on Aerosmith’s   “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”

And the few front-runners continued to dominate.

Chris Medina, who wasn’t his best on Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” still was far better than almost all the others.

And Casey Abrams, who had not impressed me before Thursday, gave a nice, textured version of “Georgia on my Mind”  -- much better when singing softly than screaming week after week. He also played a cool stand-up bass.

But the bottom line is that the season doesn’t look bright. It is perhaps the most shallow talent pool the show has ever seen.

Despite what Ryan Seacrest and the judges say, the emperor has no clothes.

Next week, contestants take on Beatles songs in Las Vegas and are whittled down to the final 24.

Berks County mom Kate Gosselin said her show with her eight kids was nothing like "Hannah Montana" which Billy Ray Cyrus has said "ruined" his relationship with his daughter Miley Cyrus Tuesday when she appeared on CBS' "the Talk."

 Kate, looking extremely blonde, said "the big difference" between "Hannah Montana" and "Kate Plus 8" is that on her series "we're not scripted, we're living it."

She said  the show never interfered with her parenting her children. "I am still the parent on camera and off camera,' she said. "I have zero regrets."

She said the show also afforded the family "amazing experiences," such as the family's recent trip to Australia and New Zealand. "My kids have travelled the world," she said.

She also said the film crew has become part of the family and they have formed "deep life-long friendships" that will continue even after the show ends.

She also provided a sneak peak of the upcoming April episode of "Kate Plus 8" in which she goes diving in a cage to see sharks.

The East Stroudsburg special effects makeup artist Tom Devlin was the challenge winner for a movie monster he created that depicted a deranged stuffed teddy bear that came to nightmarish life on the Syfy reality competition series "Face Off."

During the episode "Bad to the Bone," the 9 remaining contestants had create a movie villain, with a fleshed-out back story, chilling poster and catchy tag line in three days. Helping judge the creations was Sean S. Cunningham, the man who created the hockey-masked horror Jason.

Things were getting testy among the artists, Tom included, as he made no secret of his opinion that Conor's feelings for Megan could be his downfall. However he felt confident about his villain design from the beginning. 

Two of the other contestants Gage and Marcel, made a major error when they forgot to "release" their silicon masks by lubricating the molds so the cast peels out. They ended up spending valuable time chipping the mask out of the mold.

When the judges see the villains, they pick Megan's unscary photographer and Marcel's campy roller rink villain as the bottom two. The judges love Tom's mix of fuzzy and gruesome and declare him the winner. Since the challenge winner gets to suggest who should go home, Tom immediately slams Megan, but the judges ultimately decided to send home Marcel who they feel has become complacent.

Next week the eight remaining contestants will have to navigate a gender swap challenge for the episode "Switched and Hitched," at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Bucks County’s Devyn Rush, the “American Idol” contestant introduced to viewers in this season’s first episode as the “singing waitress” who auditioned in New Jersey, was dismissed from the show Wednesday after being told her vocals were “wild and kind of screamy.”

Rush, indeed, was awful. But truth be told, she was no worse than most every other televised contestant who was put through on a truly bizarre episode of “Idol.”

As horrible contestant after horrible contestant was put through, it became apparent the judges panel of Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson just can’t say no to any but contestant who imploded – and in some cases, not even those.

Devyn Rush

The end of the line for Rush, 21, of New Hope came during the second and final night of the show’s Hollywood round, in which contestants who have made it through the auditions audition in groups before the show’s three judges.

Rush was the only member of her five-member group, which called themselves Four Non-Blondes and That Guy, to be dismissed by the judges after they sang Cee-Lo Green’s “(Forget) You.”

Among the contestants that were kept was Chris Medina of Milwaukee, who has been a favorite on the show because of his story of how his fiancé sustained a severe brain injury just before their wedding. 

“Devon, it was kind of wild and kind of screamy for me, you know what I mean? A little out of control,” judge Randy Jackson told Rush. “Sorry, Devyn, it’s the end of the line.”

As the screen showed Rush in tears, host Ryan Seacrest said: “Devyn’s face says it all. She couldn’t believe it, and she certainly wasn’t going to accept it.”

Outside the audition, she said, “I just want to figure out some way to get back in here because I really don’t – based on that performance, yes, if they hadn’t seen anything that I had done before, the I would deserve to go home. But because they said that they’re basing it on things from before, too, I don’t deserve, I don’t deserve to go home.”

The spoiler blog Joe’s Place had earlier reported that Rush wouldn’t make the show’s Top 40.

One of the others in Rush’s group, Caleb Hawley of New York, said that “during our rehearsals, we thought this was  going to be her shining song.” Before the performance, it told how the group had rehearsed in the ladies room and “were all smiles.”

But in a post-dismissal meltdown, Rush said, “I want to figure out some way if there’s anything I can do to get back in there, I would do anything. I would do anything.”

But others who actually melted down while performing were pushed through. Jacee Badeaux,  the pudgy 15 year old, knew almost none of the words to his song, but the judges put him through, yet dismissed others for the same infraction. In fact, all the contestant in Badeaux’s  group, including red-headed Brett Loewenstein, were awful, but all got put through.

Here’s how bad the judges were: Of 168 contestants, 100 still were left  after two Hollywood rounds.

The two-hour show featured long, boring interludes of the groups practicing, then their bad performances for which  the judges inexplicably praised them as Seacrest’s voiceovers talked about  “Some of the most amazing groups we have ever seen” and “The most amazing talent we’ve ever seen.”

But it never came; only bad performance after bad performance.

When they did dismiss someone, such as Paris Tassin, 23, of Louisiana – who truly was just horrible – it was someone who never should have been put though the first audition, much less to Hollywood. In other words, it was the judges’ fault they got as far as they did.

There were a few good contestants. Adrian Michael, 19 of Texas was very good on Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You” James Durbin, 21, the unemployed father, continued to be an Adam Lambert sing-alike on Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” but was one of the best.

Carson Higgins, 22, a California actor, gave exaggerated but pointed singing. “It was wild, but you were definitely entertaining,”  Jackson told him.

Two others who hadn’t gotten a lot of screen time were the best of the night -- Matthew Nuss of California and Jacob Lusk of California, who did an over-the-top version of The Temptations’ “Get Ready.

 “A new star emerges,” said Seacrest’s voiceover. For once, it wasn’t total hyperbole,

Tuesday was a rough night for Nazareth "Teen Mom 2" Kailyn Lowry, both on and off the show. The 18-year-old star of the MTV show and year-old son Isaac were in a car accident on Route 191 while on the Tuesday's show, Kailyn struggled with her decision to move out on her own with her baby.

Fortunately neither Kailyn nor Isaac was hurt Tuesday in the accident in which she rear-ended another car but her car was totaled she said.

"It's a big mess" was her description of her situation on the show.

In last week's show Kailyn and Isaac got kicked out along with Isaac's father Jo when the teen got into a fight with his dad.  This week Jo and Kailyn sit down with Jo's parents to discuss the situation. Jo's dad says they can move back home but theyr have to work on their relationship.

 Jo wants to get back together saying it will be "easier," but Kailyn is less sure. 

"I'm not focused on the relationship," she said. "I'm focused on everything else."

She tells Jo's parent she wants to live on her own with Isaac.

"It may not be realistic but I have to take the chance," she says. "I'm not willing to put my son's and my happiness at risk."

 She told Jo that them living together again was a "recipe for disaster" but that she would temporarily move back in, but only because it was best for Isaac.

In a extra online scene, Kailyn talks with Jo's mom who tells her she will "be there" for Kailyn "with or without Jo."

"I don't want you to feel you have to do this on your own," she says.

Berks County mom Kate Gosselin is schedule to be "The Talk" at 2 p.m. Tuesday on CBS.

The mother of eight will chat with the talk shows co-hosts Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen, Leah Remini, Holly Robinson Peete and Sharon Osbourne, all of whom are moms of kids ranging in age from infant to adult. The show ties in the theme of motherhood with the days events. Kate certainly should have a lot to say about motherhood. The show also will host singer Cyndi Lauper. 

Elaine Zelker, a registered nurse from Forks Township pursuing another passion -- photography -- was spotlighted on "Good Morning America" this morning in a segment about how three moms used the Internet to make money to further their careers.

In the segment called "Take Your Work Life in Your Own Hands," Tory Johnson, GMA's workplace contributor and founder and CEO of Women for Hire, explained how Zelker, mother of three, raised $2,600 from a "crowd funding site" -- indiegogo.com -- to put on a show of her art photographs. Johnson said she hoped to jumpstart her photography business with the show. 

Photo by Douglas Kilpatrick/Special to The Morning Call

The show last fall at Easton's State Theatre spotlighted Zelker's black and white photos of elderly hospice and nursing home patients holding an object that represents their lives. It's an ongoing project she calls "The Hand-some Journey." GMA showed Zelker's work and Johnson called the photographs "magnificent."

Bethlehem Township native Daniel Dae Kim told E! News  that the ex-fiancée of his "Hawaii Five-0" character Chin Ho, played by Reiko Aylesworth, will likely return to Chin's life on the series.

"I'll be surprised if we don't see her again,' he said in the interview shown below. ""It's a small island, they'll be corssing paths."

The Freedom High School grad also talked about living on Hawaii for the past seven years.

"I never take the environment for granted," he said citing the warm weather and fantastic scenery. 

Also on Hawaiifive0.net, they are reporting the show is holding a casting call for a woman to play Chin Ho’s very ill aunt, who may have revealing information about the character's background.

As Kim says in the interview "Chin Ho's past is checkered."

The show also is one of five dramas nominated in TV Guide's fan favorite awards. Fans can vote for their favortie show through midnight Tuesday Feb. 15 at http://tvinsider.com/fanfavorites/index.php?ff=drama.

"Hawaii-Five-0" is up against "Castle," "Criminal Minds," "House," and "NCIS." The winner will be announced in the April 18 issue of TV Guide.

Monday's new epsiode sees the Five-0 team fighting pirates (for real) in "Powa Maka Moana," when pirates attack an afternoon spring break cruise and hold some of the vacationers for ransom. The show airs at 10 p.m. on CBS.

Mack Trucks president and CEO Denny Slagle will go behind the scenes at three Mack Truck plants including the one in Lower Macungie Township on the hit CBS series “Undercover Boss” at 9 p.m. Sunday.

According to a CBS press release, Slagle brings the assembly line to a “grinding halt” as he works undercover with Mack employees on the reality show that follows company leaders as they secretly work behind the scenes to gain insight on how their company runs.

For the Emmy-nominated reality show, Slagle works side-by-side with employees at the Macungie Assembly Operations plant in Lower Macungie Township. The plant assembles all the trucks sold in North America and employs about 875 people. In 2010, the plant delivered 13,465 trucks.

Mack Trucks, which moved its headquarters from Allentown to Greensboro, N.C. in 2009, is the second largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks in the world.

“I came away from this experience with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by our front-line employees,” Slagle says in a release. “Mack people live up to the brand’s reputation — they’re tough, genuine, dedicated and reliable. The future truly is bright for this 111-year-old American icon.”

The show follows Slagle, sporting a scruffy beard and moustache and having shed his suit for a black Mack Trucks T-shirt and baseball cap, as he goes undercover as a line-worker and accidently brings Mack’s assembly line to sudden halt. Slagle also works behind the scenes at the Hagerstown, Md., plant that produces all of Mack Trucks’ engines and the Baltimore, Md., distribution center that provides parts to Mack dealers and customers. During the course of the show, Slagle discovers that rumors are rampant among employees that Mack Trucks is moving its operations to Mexico.

Slagle, 56, took over as Mack Trucks CEO in 2008. Before that he was the CEO of Volvo Construction Equipment North America in Asheville, N.C.

“Undercover Boss” debuted in 2009 to 38.7 million viewers and was the most-watched premiere episode of any reality series. Each week the show follows an executive as he or she leaves the corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of the company. While working alongside employees, executives see the effects that their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.

Past undercover bosses have included Kim Schaefer, CEO of Great Wolf Lodge, which has 12 indoor water parks including one in Scotrun, Monroe County; Joel Manby, president of Herschend Family Entertainment, the company that runs Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J., and Ride the Ducks tours in Philadelphia and Michael Rubin, who heads GSI Commerce, a Montgomery County e-commerce giant.

In the market for a new dog? Or are you, perhaps, simply trying to better understand the one you already have? There’s a great place to find valuable information – dog shows.

Whether you go to a show like the recent Canine Learning Experience at the Allentown Fairgrounds or watch the top dog show of the year, the upcoming Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City, you can learn so much about dogs, even if your dog is a mixed breed. (The show be televised from 8-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on USANetwork and CNBC.)

Dogs come in a variety of sizes and shapes – some with a massive amount of fur and others with hardly any fur at all. But there’s so much more. Each breed has its own set of characteristics that make it better suited for some people or some families than others.

When choosing a dog, you need to find one that will fit your lifestyle. If you’re a coach potato, don’t buy a breed that needs regular walks, or without that exercise, you may come home to find your dog has chewed the arm or cushion on that couch you love to lounge on.

On the other hand, if you’re a runner, you’ll want to find a high-energy dog that can keep up with your fitness routine.

Before you buy a dog, do your homework. Research the breed of the dog or the breeds you suspect are within a dog by reading books and magazines, watching videos, consulting with your veterinarian or talking to local breeders.

A great place to find a lot of breeders under one roof is a dog show like Canine Learning Experience. Many breeders and dog owners love teaching others about their chosen breeds, like Joan and Steve Kutoloski of Coopersburg, whose Havenese, Angus, will compete in breed competition at Westminster on Monday. “I really enjoy the questions from people trying to learn about our dogs,” says Joan. She and Steve also show bearded collies. “Bearded collies are very active. I wouldn’t recommend them for older people. And Havanese, although smaller, are like bearded collies in training,” she says.

Both breeds have long, flowing coats, which make them a grooming challenge. To keep these dogs looking good and keep their skin healthy, they need an owner who will stick to a regular grooming schedule, like Joan, who actually enjoys grooming her dogs. “I don’t like showing the dogs, but I love getting them ready,” she says.

Bearded collies also fall into a group of dogs called “herding.” They were bred to herd on farms, but also be family companions.

My family learned from personal experience that herding dogs are great family pets. Our last dog, Dusty Rose, was a rescue and mixed breed that was part Old English sheepdog or bearded collie. She brought us joy for 15 1/2 years. But we also learned that herding dogs can be a bit of a problem when they are around little kids who are running. Dusty Rose would run alongside of them and nip to keep them in line, just as she had been at least partially bred to do.

Knowing this, helped us better understand our mixed breed’s behavior and keep her away from active little kids. It also made us a whole lot wiser about choosing our next dog, Ranger, a Labrador retriever. He’s incredibly smart and patient (no wonder they make great service dogs!), he loves long fitness walks and he instinctively knows how to be gentle with children.He fits our lifestyle perfectly.

But before we bought him, we did our homework, much of it online. We found a wealth of information at  the Westminster Kennel Club’s website, www.westminsterkennelclub.org, including descriptions of 179 different breeds and varieties and links to the websites of breed clubs, such as bearded collies or Labrador retrievers. You also can hear those same breed descriptions by watching the club’s annual dog on Monday and Tuesday nights. And for those who want a puppy, watching the show also gives you the opportunity to see what a puppy will look like when it’s full-grown. Far too many puppies end up in shelters when they outgrow their cute and cuddly stage.

We also found great information on the American Kennel Club’s website, www.akc.org.

When you do find the perfect dog for your lifestyle, commit to that dog for his lifetime. Love him. Care for him. Train him well. Treat him with the respect you’d give any other member of your family. In return, you’ll find a friend that will never stop loving you back.

The downside of this season’s “American Idol” judges being so nice and pushing through marginal talents – and worse – is that, at some point, they have to tell these people, “Oops, instead of ‘You’re great,’ we really meant, ‘You have no talent.’”

On Thursday night, with the auditions over – oh, Lord, thank goodness – the judges were left with 327 people to sift through in the Hollywood round. That’s double the amount from other years.

And while judge Randy Jackson said at the start of the show that the “Talent is most definitely better than ever” and show host Ryan Seacrest said it’s “the most talent we’ve ever seen,” there was scant evidence of that -- or that anyone they've chosen is even worthy of a record contract.

That meant singers that I, and presumably everybody watching the show and not medicated, knew were bad were summarily let go after the judges showed them so much love  in the auditions.

Victoria Huggins: Never should have been put through to Hollywood

The judges lauded Victoria Huggins, an abrasive, whiney contestant from North Carolina, when she auditioned, But after one performance in Hollywood in which she launched into the same screamy voice, she was gone – crushed and wondering what had happened.

I mean, thank God she was, but what’s the lesson here? Build up false hope and crush them by knocking them down?

That’s why honest and forthright (not to mention discerning) Simon Cowell is so missed on the show.    

Same was true for Miss Teen USA Stormy Henley, who was quickly dismissed. She never – and I mean never – should have been put through in the first place.

And the same also was  true for Steve Beghun, 27, the Milwaukee accountant. His Hollywood rendition of Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet”  sounded like Kermit the Frog from Sesame Street. The guy should have never been in Hollywood to begin with.

Or horrific singing belly dancer Heidi Khzam.

The show still made some bad choices. Brett Loewernstern, 16, the Carrot Top look alive with the pronounced lisp, made  it through. So did Tiffany Rios, best known for wearing stars on her bra during her audition, even though she not only was bad this time, but offensive, too.

I still thought Nazareth’s Tyler Grady was better last singing Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” than Jerome Bell, but the judges raved over Bell.

Couple Nick Fink and Jacqueline Dunford  both were very bad, but she was worse. I liked Fink during the auditions, but hated him this time, and her. But Dunford made it through.

The show’s other couple, feuding Rob Bolin and Chelsee Oakes both made  it through. He sounded like last year’s winner, Lee DeWyze on “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. She was OK but no great  shakes.

The judges were far more impressed by blues  shouter Casey Abrams, 19, than I was.

But some were better than at their auditions. I liked 15-year-old Jacee Badeaux on “Bless The Broken Road” much better than I liked his audition. Nervous 15-year-old Holly Cavanaugh was much better than her audition.

Of the candidates who had impressed me, Chris Medina – whose fiancée had a traumatic brain injury right before they were to be married – didn’t wow me as much as he did singing The Script’s “Breakeven” in the auditions. But he still was far better than most of those put through.

And James Durbin, 21, the jobless young father with Touret Syndrome, sounded even more like Adam Lambert this time than during Wednesday night’s audition.

There was nary a mention of New Hope's singing waitress, Devyn Rush, who was put through to Hollywood after auditioning at New Jersey's Izod Center. The spoiler blog Joe's Place blog doesn't include Rush on its list of those who made "Idol's" Top 40.

In all, 168 get another shot next week in Hollywood’s “group round.”

Following her dreams may pay off big for 20-year-old Bailey Noble, who was superb on the hit new ABC drama series "Off The Map" on ABC Wednesday night.

The Hellertown native spent the first half of her guest appearance under water and you couldn't really see her face. That's because she played the part of an injured scuba diver stuck under water when her leg gets trapped by a rock.

In quite the harrowing tale, her leg has to be amputated under water because this is remote South America and equipment will not arrive in sufficient time to remove the rock before she dies.

Bailey really shines in the second half -- post leg removal -- when she shows pain, fear, confusion, anger and hope. In the story, the young woman was on a scuba diving trip with her largely absent father who was trying to reconnect with her. Her feelings about him and her life are explored back on a boat and in the undersupplied medical clinic that is the heart of the series.

Bailey attended DeSales University for a year after graduating from Saucon Valley High School in 2009. But she left and moved to California to make a go at an acting career. A certified scuba diver, she got the "Off The Map" gig soon after arriving and took off to Hawaii to film. It's her first big role.

I predict we will see much more of her in the future.

Nate Torrence, nephew of former Just Born president Sam Torrence, plays the neglected child-like son of the owner of  the arena The Sunshine Center on the new ABC show 'Mr. Sunshine.'

Matthew Perry stars in the new series as the Ben, the self-involved manager of the arena. Nate plays Roman Cohen the son of Crystal Cohen played by "West Wing" alum Allison Janney.

In the premier, the clueless Nate shows up in Ben's office for a job at the arena even though he has no discernable skills and can only come up with boats and mafia movies as things he likes.

Ben immediately dumps him in the kitchen, which backfires when Nate burns his hands in hot oil and decides he can't be a fry cook. Nate spends the rest of the show with his hands bandaged while his mother says she likes working with children "because she never had one of her own," at a press conference at which Nate attends.

The show airs at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on ABC. See the whole episode online at http://abc.go.com/watch/mr-sunshine/SH55106567.

It's a close call for East Stroudsburg native Tom Devlin on Wednesday's episode of the special effects make up competition "Face Off" on SyFy.

In the challenge to  create a full-bodied alien that could live on a newly discovered planet, Tom is paired with Megan. After watching a video about the new planet, Tom and Megan decide to create a volcano dweller.

But personalities are starting to clash and one pair - Frank and Anthony - are at odds right away.  And Megan  can't seem to keep her attention on the project, off of hunky Conor, frustrating Tom.

he next day happens to be Megan's birthday and Anthony makes her a cake, while Conor gives her a cupcake, but the tension between Tom and Megan is increasing.

But all are not divisive. When Sam and Tate look like they won't be able to finish, the other artists in true collaborative fashion, come over to bail the pair out and ultimately they are safe.

The next day, judge and Hellertown native Glenn Hetrick praises the detail of Conor and Jo's work. But Frank and Anthony are raked across the coals for their concept and they immediately blame each other.  When Megan and Tom are judged, they also snipe at each other just like Frank and Anthony, annoying the judges even more.

Conor is named the winner and he suggests Tom be cut because he didn't work well with Megan. But the judges decide to send home Frank because of his consistently poor attitude, which is fine with him.

"Face Off"  which continues with a new episode "Bad to the Bone" with 9 contestants left at 10 p.m. Wednesday, was Syfy's best premier for a new reality show in six years with more than 1.4 million total viewers and 896,000 viewers in the coveted age 18-49 range.

 The numbers are Syfy's best since the original Ghost Hunters debuted in October 2004.  

With San Francisco being the place where, two years ago, “American Idol” found Adam Lambert, it was no surprise that on Wednesday, the last of this season’s audition episodes showed that city and trumpeted a singer whose voice most resembles Lambert.

James Durbin -- the new Adam Lambert?

James Durbin, 21, whose rock bassist father died of a drug overdose and when he was 9, who has Touret Syndrome and who has a son he can’t afford to care for, sang a short version of “You Shook Me,” then a few bars of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” that even judge Steven Tyler (Aerosmith’s singer) liked.

Durbin had a high range like Lambert, but also strayed into a scream, as early Lambert tended to do. But it at least was interesting that a contestant had some talent and was different.

I’m not sure I agree with all of “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest’s show full of voiceovers that touted Durbin as : “A voice that will blow you away,” “A voice you don’t want to miss” and “The voice we’ve been waiting for.”

But with all this season’s disappointing choices, I’m willing to give Durbin a chance.

He certainly was better than almost all the other contestants showed Wednesday, who were chosen from 9,000 people who auditioned in the city by the bay.

Probably the other contestant worth putting through to the Hollywood round was Emily Anne Reed, whose house had burned down. She sang like a more worldly Carol Channing or a female Leon Redbone – quirky for sure, but maybe a voice upon  which she  actually could build a career.

Despite being one of just two contestants Wednesday that I thought were worth putting through, Tyler voted no, telling her she wasn’t ready. But judges Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez put her through.

Reed was far, far better that Clint Jun Gamboa, 26, whose swinging was flat out horrible, but who Jackson told he had “a beautiful tone. One of the best I’ve seen in San Francisco.”

Julie Zorrillam 20, whose family fled war-torn Columbia, was OK, but nothing special. And yet Tyler told her she was “fabulous, beautiful. Great range and great star quality."

Stefano Langone, 21, who told a  story about how he recovered  from a bad car crash, had a decent tone, but a truly weird way of affecting his words. Yet he was put through.

Nearly all the rest of the contestants were jokey, including Ukraine emigrant Inessa Lee, 22, who sang Air Supply’s “All Out of Love.”  Tyler correctly – for once – assessed her as “sweet and precious” but not a singer.

Tyler also told rocker Dave Combs, 25, who sang The Beatles’ “Oh Darlin,” that he was off key.

“You were so off the melody it was like you were on another planet,” Tyler said.

Hollywood week, where contestants are winnowed down, starts tonight.

Things are looking tough for Nazareth "Teen Mom 2" Kailyn Lowry. In Tuesday's episode on MTV, she got  kicked out and now is faced with finding an place to live for herself and baby Isaac. And Isaac's father Jo is not helping matters.

Things started off more smoothly than usual with Jo and Kailyn agreeing to try and work on their relationship for the sake of the baby.

However things were still tentative between Jo and Kailyn who is going to Northampton Community College full time and struggling to find someone to watch IIsaac.

But the real trouble started when Jo's parents became disgusted with the constant fighting vetween the teenage couple who both are living in their home.

"Same shit every night," Jo's father said. "I don't think it's gonna change ever."

Then Jo mouthed off to his dad and got the whole young family kicked out. Jo took Isaac to Newark where he crashed with his aunt infuriating Kailyn who has to stay at a friend's  house.

The next day Jo tells Kailyn he wants the three of them to get an apartment together in New Jersey but Kailyn who works in Whitehall and goes to school in Bethlehem Township doesn't see it as a good option,  leading to another fight in which Jo accuses Kailyn of being selfish. At this point Kailyn has pretty much had it with Jo.

 "I'm so tired of not knowing what's going to happen next," she said. "The only way for me to figure things out is for me to do it by myself."

Watch for Nate Torrence, nephew of former Just Born president Sam Torrence, on the new show 'Mr. Sunshine.' Torrence routinely brings Just Born candies to movie and TV sets he's working on.

Matthew Perry stars as the Ben, the down-and-out, selfish manager of the arena The Sunshine Center. Early clips showcase the wonderful and weird Crystal, played by ‘West Wing’ alum Allison Janney. The supporting staff of the Sunshine Center features James Lesure, Torrence and Portia Doubleday.

Torrence's character is Crystal's son, who needs a job but doesn't seem to get the concept of 'skills.' The first episode will deal with Ben trying to find Roman (Torrence) a position at the entertainment arena. Check it out 9:30 p.m. on ABC.

Tears were flowing like rain on "The View" Thursday when Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson showed up with two teammates in support of  a middle schooler who was attacked by group of teen bullies who filmed the attack and posted it on YouTube.

Jackson surprised 13-year-old Nadin Koury of Upper Draby and his family when they appeared on the show to to raise awareness about bullying. Hasselbeck said Jackson had changed his plans to appear on the show with Nadin.

"The View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck said she understood Nadin was a "huge Philadelphia Eagles fan" and in walked Jackson, Jamaal Jackson and Todd Herremans, carrying a huge basket filled with green and white Eagles goodies.

Everyone started crying as the players high fived and hugged Nadin and his family to thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. Tears rolled down the middle schooler's face as Jackson squeezed in next to Nadin and put his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"You're brave," Jackson told the boy. "This happens every day and some people are not brave enough to stand up to it. Bro, you're doing it."

"Anytime you need us, I got two lineman right here," he continued. "Anything ever happen again, you let us know, we got you."

He then pulled his Eagles jersey off over his head, signed it and gave it to the stunned Nadin who finally managed to get out "you're my favorite player of all time."

Jamaal Jackson then told the boy he and his family could come to any Eagle's game.