Welcome to Hollywood!

Grammy Award-winning producer and 20-year music industry veteran Randy Jackson will once again step behind the judges' table this week for the premiere of FOX's hit talent search series American Idol (airing tonight at 8:00 EST). We caught up with Randy last week to ask him about the changes behind the judges table and what we can expect from this season's contestants.

Gamesville:  After all these years of listening to auditions the first few weeks, are you growing more impatient with the contestants who obviously can’t sing but just want their 15 minutes?

Jackson: That’s one of the best questions I’ve had in quite some time. And, yes, I am growing a little impatient with that. You’ve watched the show, you know what the show is, you see every year somebody great wins the show. The top three or four or five or top ten people are all usually great singers and you just wonder what are they seeing that I’m not seeing? It’s like we’re not on the same page here, so, yes, I am getting a little impatient with that.

What's it been like working with Ellen?

Next week, Hollywood Week, will be our first time really sitting down with her because she didn’t do the auditions on the road. I’ve known her for quite some time, so has Ryan Seacrest, so we’re really good friends with her. I think we’re going to have a very funny, interesting season ahead of us. There will be a lot of laughs.

What do you miss most about working with Paula?

Paula is really near and dear to my heart and she’s one of my best friends. The whole thing started with me, Ryan, Simon and her, so she’s one of our best friends and still is. We look down the table sometimes and go, wait a minute, where’s Paula? I expect to hear something from my left ear and I go, wait a minute, that doesn’t sound like Paula. She’s one of my dear friends, so I wish her the best in the world.

Are you and Simon going to have the same relationship and dynamic with Ellen as you did Paula?

Ellen is different than Paula so it’s definitely going to be a different dynamic. She’s going to interact with Simon and interact with me and Kara very differently. It’s going to be a very interesting, wild, crazy, exciting season, I think.

What are this season's contestants shaping up like?

I think there’s some really talented girls that showed up this time. I also think that what changes the show from year to year are the contestants that we get. Usually whoever wins or comes in one and two, that next season of auditions you have a lot of those kinds of people. It’s almost like there was a signal to everyone at home that we like them, now it’s time to try out for American Idol. So I think we have a very interesting, unique cast that’s really only unique to this season nine. I think it’s going to be really, really exciting and very different.

Was there a particular city that stuck out for you as being just a real hot bed for talent?

For me I thought Orlando was really strange, just in terms of the talent and who came out and what was going on there. I thought it was a little strange of a place, but I think Dallas was good. I actually think probably Atlanta was one of the standouts for me, actually. I felt Dallas was really strong as well.

The premiere of American Idol continues tonight, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time on FOX.

With the return of FOX's series Fringe (airing Thursdays 9:00 EST) we had the opportunity to talk a guest star of the series and living sci-fi legend, Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy plays the role of William Bell, one of the show's most mysterious characters. He answered some of our questions about his new role on the show, what it was like to be back in the spotlight and his recent work on several J.J. Abrams projects.

Gamesville:  Did you have any reservations on taking another role with the potential of such a fanatic following?

Nimoy: I love this question. I can’t help but laugh and you’re absolutely right because it’s an interesting set of circumstances. What attracted me to it was several things: J.J. Abrams, Bob Orci, and Alex Kurtzman, all of whom I worked with on the Star Trek movie. I admire their talent and the work that they do and the series they are creating is at the very least to say intriguing. The character was somewhat of a blank slate, but we began talking about it and, therefore, I was attracted because there’s an opportunity to build an interesting and unpredictable character. I’m enjoying it a lot.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your relationship with J.J. Abrams having now worked on the new Star Trek the movie and now his series Fringe?

Well I first met him about three years ago when he first contacted me about the possibility of working together, and I went to a meeting with he and Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman and some of his production staff. They told me a very good and strong and touching story about their feelings about Star Trek and specifically the Spock character. I felt very good about it and went to work for them.

I had a great time working on the movie. I think they did a brilliant job, and I think the audience response shows that that was the case and has reinvigorated the franchise. And when they contacted me about working on Fringe–the same people, the same attitude, the same creativity, the same creative team–it was very enticing.

Had you been a fan of the show prior to being cast?

I watched it periodically. I think it’s extremely well done, it's very nuanced and extremely complex. It’s a mixture of science and science fiction in a very interesting and intelligent way. And I think it has a long way to go in story-telling. It tells a terribly interesting story and the character that I was offered was potentially a very intriguing and controversial and fascinating character which is very inviting for an actor.

Having stepped away from the spotlight for awhile and now having returned, have your feelings about acting changed in any way?

I did not expect to be acting so much at this time in my life, but I’m having a wonderful time doing it. I’m very comfortable in the two offers that I’ve accepted. The Star Trek movie was a joy to do. I admire the production team that made the film. I admire the new cast and I thought Zachary Quinto was a great choice for the new Spock. It was a pleasure to work with him and with all the other people on the project.

The Fringe character was intriguing because, as I’ve mentioned, it was kind of a blank slate and we had some very interesting and intense conversations about who and what he could be and how we should perceive him. It's really been about what we might or might not learn about him and why we might or might not trust about him. These are intriguing opportunities for an actor and because the team piqued my interest I went back to work.

When will your character William Bell and his former partner Walter Bishop face off?

Unpredictable at the moment. In the upcoming episodes we will learn a lot, more than we have known in the past, about Bell and Olivia's relationship, what is all about and what William Bell’s intentions are–or at least we will be told what his intentions are. We’re not really quite sure that everything that he says is accurate or true.

What do you think of Anna Torv, the star of Fringe, as an actor and as a person?

I think she’s really excellent in the role. We spent a bit of time working together and I was impressed with the way she works. I’ve seen quite a bit of her work on the screen. I think she handles a very wide range of activities, from very internalized psychological questions to very physical stuff. She’s very competent and very interesting to watch. I think she’s terrific.

Final question, do you believe William Bell is evil or good?

That’s a really wonderful question. Time will tell.

Fringe airs Thursdays, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time on FOX.

With the start of Dollhouse's season two on FOX we got a chance to sit down with the series' star Eliza Dushku. We caught up with the leading lady to talk about her character's progression through the next season and her continued interest in working on Joss Whedon projects. Be sure catch up and read our interview with Joss Whedon from last week.

Gamesville:  How do you feel the direction of this season is different from the first one?

Eliza: Well, there’s so much being cracked open and explored, especially with Echo having this new place that she’s in. She had all of the personalities downloaded into her in one swift punch and they’re not going away. So every pick up this year she’s still tapping into these personalities. Sometimes it’s not in her control and other times it is.  But overall she’s really absorbing things from her engagements and from the dollhouse. She’s really becoming self-aware, but not necessarily as Caroline, but as Echo. So it’s definitely complicated.

It’s a little darker all around. We’ll explore some things like the origins of some of the other dolls and the other characters. And then bringing in a bunch of guest stars and fabulous people.

How much closer Echo will get to rediscovering her true self this season?

Every single episode it’s been a little bit more. She really is becoming an entirely different character in many ways because she is getting sort of farther away from Caroline, even though Caroline is still her original self.

The development of the character Echo has just been so exciting and so fascinating because the way our writers and the way Joss can pick pieces from each of her experiences and weave them into this new character is just fascinating. So you’ll absolutely see a whole new Echo this season.

Is there a particular role or character that was kind of hard for you to get into, and if so, why?

Playing a mother was certainly something I hadn’t expected. I’m an auntie and I’ve always loved other people’s children and babies. Playing a mother and trying to tap into that maternal instinct was a challenge, but also a thrill and a beautiful thing.

What trouble will Echo run into in her attempts to save everyone?

I’m sure all kinds because it’s a Joss Whedon show. There are so many directions and so many layers, it’s all over the map. Of course a main story line is Agent Ballard, who spent last season trying to get into the dollhouse. Now that he’s in and assisting as Echo’s handler he’s working with her and they may possibly be trying to bring the dollhouse down from the inside out.

Joss mentioned that Echo will be looking for allies and maybe form some kind of a team. Could you give un any details on Echo is looking for?

Yes. Absolutely. She is looking for allies because as she is becoming aware of her surroundings and what’s going on. All of these personalities that are creeping up and out of her put her in an entirely vulnerable place because if wrong person catches on to what she’s experiencing she could be done forever. She’s being very careful with the tools and the knowledge that she has gained to sort of sniff out who she can trust, who she can manipulate, who she can use.

Agent Ballard was trying all last season to get into the dollhouse and now that he’s in it remains to be seen if he can be trusted. But in the beginning of the season it seems like there’s a pretty strong connection there. Then with the introduction of the other dollhouse and some of the other players, it’s just makes more of a maze for Echo to navigate and to find her way through, realizing that one wrong, one bad step and she’s done.

What’s the dynamic like between you and newcomer Summer Glau?

She’s great, I love her! We’ve had such a good time filming these last two episodes. She just has come in with her A game; she’s just a sweet, positive, fun actress. Our characters have some back story that we have to fight out, and so that's a lot of fun. Joss has brought in some of his favorite people to the show so I always can pretty much safely know that we’re going to have the cream of the crop coming in.

What do you like about working with Joss and doing his shows?

I would say, first and foremost, that I just love the guy as a friend. He’s been a friend, a brother, a teacher and a mentor. Obviously he is just incredibly talented. His skill is so beautiful to me and he’s just wildly creative, smart, funny, dark, scary and twisted–he just combines it all into such a sweet little package that he gets me every time.

Dollhouse airs Fridays, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time on FOX.

With the second season premier of FOX's Dollhouse last week (airing Fridays at 9:00 p.m. EST) we got a chance to sit down with the series' creator Joss Whedon. Best known as the creator and head writer of the well-known television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, we caught up with Joss to discuss the new season of Dollhouse and his thoughts on how the series is progressing.

Gamesville:  There were a lot of people who were worried that you might be cancelled after your first season. What do you think it was that convinced FOX to sign you on for another season?

Joss: I think it’s the nature of the business and the nature of the fan base. The nature of the fan base is they’re in it for the long haul, and they’re nurturing, and they’re intense about it and they will see it through. They will stick with it and that means years after it’s cancelled. Firefly still sells, Buffy still sells, and that’s also a business thing for the studio. They’re in it for the long haul because they know the long haul is how my work pays off. I don’t make hit shows. I make shows that stick around, that people come to long after they would have stopped generating revenue in the old system.

With the advent of DVD and the eventual monetization of Online, there’s a market there that exists beyond your Nielsen numbers, and the fans showing up and DVRing, and buying a DVD, and proving on all my other projects that they don’t do these things lightly, that it runs deep in them, means that the base doesn’t have to be as broad for the studio to think it’s worth it to try and eke out another season.

Could you talk about how you approached the idea of new viewers following the show?

We try and make the premise clear enough so that if you haven’t been watching it, you don’t have to do a huge amount of math, especially in the first episode of the season. There’s a lot of exposition in the first pilot and in the first episode of this season to help that. But at the end of the day, you do have to go, 'Well, if they don’t get the premise,' and we’ve even rejiggered the opening credits to make it clearer, than they’ll either become involved in these peoples’ stories or they won’t. You have to move slow enough so people can grab a hold and jump on with you, but you have to keep moving.

[Dollhouse star] Eliza Dushku had a hand in developing her character for this role. How has she helped shape who Echo has become and will become?

Eliza has specific things she’s interested in, specific things she feels comfortable with. Sometimes I like to go to that place because I know that she can knock it out of the park and sometimes I like to go in the opposite direction to take her out of her comfort zone because that’s the best thing you can do with an actor.

The fact is she shapes it because she is very specific as a person. She’s very specific in the way she presents and even though there are many different aspects to that, the people don’t usually get to see how funny she can be, how elegant. It was a conversation about all of the different things she was supposed to be, or had been, or was trying to be, or trying to get away from that led to the creation of the show.

How will Echo come in to her own this season?

Basically, through force of will. She had all those personalities dumped into her at once and as we pick up we’re going to find out that that’s starting to affect her. Rather than be at sea in between engagements, she’s much more directed and driven, and even in her doll state is growing, learning and starting to try to access these personalities to see what they can help her with. She has a mission that she understands now, which is to get back to her personality and get everybody back to theirs.

Summer Glau is joining the cast this season. What was that casting decision like and what’s in store for her character?

The casting of Summer was based on the knowledge that Summer existed and the character was created with the hopes that she would play it, which she is right on stage right now doing. She’s playing the programmer of another Dollhouse. It’s a somewhat eccentric part but hopefully different than what we’ve seen her do before. The most useful part of that is that the writers work twice as hard to make sure that the character really pops and pays off because they know that it’s going to be played by somebody extraordinary.

Can you talk a little bit about the relationships that are coming up this season – what it’s going to be like with Echo and Paul, and even among the dolls this year?

Victor and Sierra just can’t keep their hands off each other, and they’re like monkeys and it’s something that we’re going to be treating, they’re going to be seeing through for a while. It makes some people very uncomfortable and sometimes it’s just extremely sweet. Sometimes it’s just funny.

But Echo is very much building herself and she sees it as an indication that they’re ready to be pushed to a level like hers. She’s looking for allies and Paul is the first person she’s going to turn to for that. But then a lot of the season is going to be her attempt to put together some kind of team, even though she has trouble articulating it at first. She’s looking for the sense of family that I think the audience was looking for last season. So we’re going to be seeing who’s on her side and who, not so much.

Dollhouse airs Fridays, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time on FOX.

With the return of FOX's sci-fi series Fringe (airing Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EST) we had the opportunity to talk with one of the show's stars Joshua Jackson about the progression of his character and what we can look forward to in the upcoming season.

Gamesville: What can you tell us about your characters particular story line this season?

Joshua: The entire first season for Peter and Walter was about this father and son reconnecting through the craziness of their circumstances and actually becoming something of a family.  And Season two has carried that forth. In the beginning Peter is really invested now in being part of this team and actually belonging to this Fringe family, but eventually he’s going to find out that this horrible happened to him as a child and that’s going to blow up his relationship with Walter and probably with Olivia I would imagine.  To me, that’s the great thing hanging over Peter the entire season and it gives me something to move toward as they go forward.

When we first met your character in season one we got a sense of this kind of dark background that you had, doing arms dealing and such. Will we get back to that this season?

Yes. We actually delved right into that very early in the season. We kept on hinting at it last year, but never showing it. Walter has as part of this Fringe team and we spent the first season explaining exactly why Olivia Dunham in particular, as opposed to any other FBI agent, had to be the center of this Fringe team. What we never really got into until the final episode was why it is specifically Peter that needs to be a part of this. Now that we’ve brought him in, this season we’ve gone a lot deeper into actually showing rather than just talking about this prior life that he had.

What is your reaction when you get the scripts and it’s some new crazy thing that they’re bringing into the story?

That’s the beauty of our show; if we don’t have a new crazy thing, something’s gone horribly wrong so I take it always as a positive thing. Each week it’s a little bit of a science lesson for the class, it’s a little bit of a vocabulary lesson for the class and it always presents you with some other kooky thing. The great thing about our show is that if we can dream it we can do it.

What do you enjoy more as an actor, when you get to do an episode in which there’s lots of action, fighting, racing around, when it’s crazy science elements or when it’s simply doing a scene with the cow?

It’s a little known fact that the cow’s a diva. I don’t know that I have a particular favorite. I think if I did any one of those things too much each one would become boring in their way. I would tell you that the thing I spend the time thinking about is trying to keep the dynamic between Peter and Walter truthful and growing, but the beauty of being on a television show is that you get to do a little bit of everything all the time.

Do you think that Peter and Olivia will have some sort of romantic? What are your feelings about that?

I feel like this is more of a family dynamic than a romantic dynamic. What’s unique and what’s great about our show is, as opposed to having just a leading man and a leading lady, you have this crazy father in the center of it. That would be a very, very awkward love triangle so I don’t think they’re going to go in that direction. I see Peter and Olivia as more brother and sister rather than lovers on this show. Where they’re going to take it, I have no idea, but for right now I run under the assumption that this is father, son, daughter rather than boyfriend, girlfriend, dad.

What does shooting the show in Vancouver actually add to the show?

The gray rainy-ness of it all actually seemed to add to sort of the natural moodiness of a show like Fringe; I think that’s a positive. Then whereas last year we were in New York, which has all of the obvious things that New York and that backdrop add, it’s difficult to shoot there because there are the other 14 million people that you have to deal with. It makes our production life, I think, a lot easier being up here, just the things that you’re allowed and capable of doing on the streets of Vancouver.

Fringe airs Thursdays, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time on FOX.

Dollhouse is a new scifi series about identity and mind control–and we recently sat down with the show's lead actress and executive producer Eliza Dushku, to talk about the shows beginnings and her take on playing a different character each episode. Be sure catch up and read our interview with Joss Whedon from last week.

Gamesville: Can you tell us a little bit about the premise of the show?

Eliza: We pick up in the Dollhouse where these programmed “Dolls” are starting to have these memories and develop these little flickers of self awareness and recognize one another. Of course, that’s considered a glitch in the Dollhouse system and that’s where all hell breaks loose. That’s kind of where the show expands and that’s where it gets interesting to me.

What would you say is the main theme or message that Dollhouse is going to explore?

It’s about not only the search for one’s true identity, but also identifying what makes us who we are and our thoughts and our surroundings. What happens when you start to allow other people, a big corporation or a mass of people define that? I think objectification is a huge theme of the show and  how and why we are authentic individuals.

Is there a reason that your character Echo is the one that is becoming more aware?

I can tell you that you’re going to find out what kind of time frame the Dollhouse has been operating under and what maybe happened to previous dolls. I think that we just come into the story with Echo, but there have certainly been dolls before her and there will certainly be dolls after her.

You’re essentially a different character every episode; is that a large part of what sold you on the show?

Well, Joss and I came up with the show together and we were talking about what kind of show would suit me right now in my career and in my life. So the premise of the show was based on my own life and on keeping things moving and on keeping me active and having the chance to play and jump around in between these characters every week and sometimes multiple times every show.

What are the best and worst parts about getting to play such a variety of people, yet playing a single character as the base?

The base character, Echo, is in a word simple. She’s blank. She’s had her personality and memories erased and she’s a child with no inhibition, no fear. She’s sort of a blank slate and it’s exciting in the sense that every week there’s a new star of the show and it’s whatever character I am imprinted to be.

We found out early on that one of the challenges was each character, when they’re introduced they need a good scene full of story. You basically need to give this character’s background and we found that it was nice to get me in the role in some of the easier scenes first, before having me step on set in the outfit as the person with five pages of dialogue explaining who I am. It’s nice to get in the skin and find something to latch on to that makes that person distinct. Some scenes are easier than others to slide into and I have worked with Joss specifically on certain roles. I also have a coach that I’ve worked with since I was ten-years-old and I’ve taken it very seriously. It’s been humbling, exciting and I’m ready for more.

Four years from now when you’re working on season five do you still think that you’ll have places to go with this character?

Absolutely. I look at how much we as human beings evolve everyday. There’s constant evolution, if you think about how many desires and how many scenarios occur in daily life. Apparently Joss has had a five-year plan for the show from day one and we’ve talked about what some of those are. I think that’s one of the things that’s so exciting about this show is that it’s so open for endless possibilities.

Has your new role as executive producer of the series given you any new perspectives on making a TV series that you might not have had before?

It’s sort of been what I expected. I have been in this business now for over 15 years. I grew up in this business and it was exciting and validating to have a friend and a partner like Joss in this. I have picked up and learned a lot about how the machine operates. It was more exciting than anything and it also made me that much more invested in the fine details of the show. There are just so many elements, but I absolutely loved it because, again, this is something that I asked for. It’s been the best kind of challenging, because I’ve learned so much and I’ve gotten the opportunity to be more hands on than project I’ve ever worked on.

Dollhouse airs Fridays, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time on FOX.

Best known as the creator and head writer of the well-known television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, the Gamesville team humbly considers Joss Whedon to be a television visionary. The Academy Award-nominated writer is now prepping for the premier of his newest project, FOX's Dollhouse. The premise of the show revolves around the illegal operation of the "Dollhouse" where a series volunteers work to enhance human "Dolls" who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. We recently had the chance to talk with Joss about Dollhouse and his reflections on the project.

Gamesville: Can you tell us a little bit about the genesis of the show?

I had lunch with Eliza Dushku, where we started talking about what kind of stuff she should play. I thought she should play lots of different things, and then the show happened. As for the other characters, I wanted to have a strong ensemble around Eliza, because I didn’t want her to have to carry the burden of every single day of shooting.

Beyond that, I’m very interested in concepts of identity– can people actually change, what do we expect from each other, how much do we use each other and manipulate each other, and what would we do if we had this kind of power over each other?  And in this, our increasingly virtual world, self-definition has become a very amorphous concept, so it just felt what was on my mind.

Are these “Dolls” supposed to be empty vessels with new personalities each week?

They’re supposed to be empty vessels and the constant struggle with Dollhouse is that they’re not quite empty and that Echo is clearly evolving in a way that they have not imprinted her to do. The idea is to create people that people can relate to, because they were so helpless and so innocent, and then let them have these latent senses of identity and of their surroundings, and create sympathies through that, as well as through the characters that they become.

Why was Eliza the right actress to build this around?

Eliza has a genuinely powerful, electric, and luminous quality that I’ve rarely seen.  She’s also a really solid person.  She’s a good friend, a feminist, an activist.  She’s interested in the people around her.  She has a lot of different things going on, and I’ve watched her over the years, as a friend, try to take control of her career and protect the ethos and the message of what it was that she was doing, and I respect that enormously.

What can you tell us about the other dolls that are in the Dollhouse?

Obviously we start out focusing on Echo, Eliza's character, but the friends that she makes, in particular, Sierra, all have their own stories, their own reasons for being there, and their own reaction to things.  As her friendships are formed more, we get to spend more time with the other dolls, and we get real tastes of how difficult their lives can be.

There are a lot of other Whedon alumni in your cast, can you talk a little bit about your other cast members?

The basic mandate for me was to find new people, because I had Eliza and I didn’t want to feel like it was going to be just a reunion for my pals or anything like that, and I found some not only amazing new actors, but amazing new friends.

What is your reaction to the Friday night time slot and what challenges or maybe even opportunities you see there?

I really do see the opportunity. It’s about growing a fan base, both for Dollhouse and Terminator.  I’ve always worked best under the radar.  Most of my shows people have come to after they stopped airing, but I would like to buck that trend, and at the same time, it is part of how I work that you stay with it and it grows on you and it becomes family, and the Friday night is a much better place for that to actually happen.

You’ve gone through the process of launching this show several times now, so how has the process changed for you since you launched Buffy?

You know, in many ways, it hasn’t changed at all.  We were held to mid-season on Buffy.  There was a certain amount of birth pains.  We were re-shooting things for the first episode during the last episode.  So I think part of this is either the same, or I just really haven’t learned anything about how to do it better.  But I think the changes have really been that the media is constantly making new demands. There’s just more to it than going in there and telling your story.  The marketing of the thing and the story itself are intertwined in ways that create opportunities

Given the pressures of being a creative person working within television, what keeps you going?

Ultimately, it’s two things.  It’s the story and it’s the people I’m working with.  I’ve gotten pretty good at putting together a group of people, both in the writing and in the acting fields who are not just really gifted and delightful to learn from and to watch, but are just good people to be around.

Dollhouse premieres on Friday, February 13th, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time.

The team at Gamesville is eagerly anticipating tonight, as FOX kicks off the eighth season of their hit reality show American Idol. Last week we had the pleasure of speaking with Simon Cowell and this week we sat down with the newest addition to the judges table, hit songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi. She joined us to answer a few questions about her role on the show and to talk a little bit about what we can expect this season.

Gamesville: So Kara, what do you bring to the judge’s table that American Idol did not have before?

Kara: Well, I think what is really unique about me is that I have worked with a lot of these singers that are out there, from Christina to Pink to Celine Dion.  I have been in the studio with them when they have recorded songs that we’ve co-written.  And I have worked very closely with them on how they interpret the songs we have written and giving them guidance and support. I think that distinguishes me.

How has your being part of the mix changed the dynamic of the judges table?

In the beginning it was a little unnerving.  I didn’t know where I was going to sit.  I didn’t know when I was going to speak.  So to shift some things around that have been only one way so many years has really added a new dynamic I think.

What kind of faux pas did you make because you’re the newbie and maybe didn’t know how things worked?

I think I would talk over people a lot because I did not really know when to talk.  When do I speak?  Who is speaking now?  Who is going now? I think that was my biggest faux pas to be honest. 

How do you think you’ll be seen or described by the audience after they get to know you?

I think they are going to see somebody who is pretty feisty and opinionated, but is also coming from a good place–I am really trying to help these contestants and impart my own experience to them so that at the end of the day whether they win or they lose they’ve learned something.

Who do you tend to agree with the most among the other three judges and who do you tend to disagree with most?

You know, there have been times that I’ve agreed and disagreed with all of them.  It’s hard to really say.  You have to take situation by situation and city by city, but I definitely can sometimes see where Simon is coming from.  I may not have said it quite the way he said it, but I also do believe in second chances early on and I know that if I hadn’t had a second chance a lot of times I wouldn’t be where I am today.  I definitely grew as an artist and as a songwriter and sometimes you see potential in people and you have to think past some of the maybe mistakes they made because they were nervous or whatever, so I do believe in second chances.

You mentioned in an earlier interview that the make contestants this year have the edge. Are any specific auditions that blew you away?

There are.  I’m not sure I can get into which contestant or their names at this point, but looking at all the contestants as a whole I felt that the males were the strongest.  There are also one or two females that I’m excited about as well. I’m really just waiting for the show to roll out and for the next phase to kind of see who is going to end up on top.

Are there any differences overall from what you’ve seen of last year’s contestants?

I would say that there is a uniqueness to some of the male contestants that’s different in terms of their voices and their song selections. I don’t know if I can share specifics yet, I think you will just have to tune in and see what happens.

The eight season of American Idol premiers on tonight and tomorrow evening on FOX.

With the eighth season of American Idol just one week away, the team at Gamesville had the opportunity to sit down with the very opinionated judge of FOX's hit reality series, Simon Cowell. He joined us to answer some questions about the upcoming season and shared some insight into the previous success stories from the show.

Gamesville: Let's jump right into it. How is the talent pool this year compared to last year?

Simon: Having done the Hollywood round, which we completed about a month ago,  I feel that we have an interesting bunch.  Where I think we got a little bit stuck last year, it was kind of like battle of the blondes and they all looked the same.  I couldn’t differentiate one from the other.  This year there seems to be more personality.

In the early years of Idol, the show was primarily based in pop music. Have you been surprised by how successful Idol contestants have done in the country and rock genres?

I think the rock thing, particularly Chris Daughtry, made a huge difference. Contestants like Chris have brought a different type of edge to the show and have been incredibly successful. I do like is the fact that we’re open minded enough to now encourage all different types of artists, which is a good thing for the show.

I did this show in the first place because I’ve always been a big fan of American singing talent. You have to hope and assume with a show as big as ours that through the process that we are going to find stars.  I’m not really that surprised.

You’ve said already that you think a guy will win this year. Is that because the male talent pool is so overwhelming or do you have someone specific in mind?

Not anyone specific.  When you do the Hollywood week, which we did about a month ago, you get to see all the contestants for a second time.  My memory of that was that the guys overall were just stronger and they stood out more than the girls.  Still, anything can happen.

What’s your take on the changes to the shows format this year, such as bringing back the wild card and focusing less on the train wreck auditions?

I think the wild card is a good idea.  I wasn’t crazy about the process we went through the last couple of years where we were given a small group of contestants who you actually got bored with once you hit about show five of the live shows.  This way this is a bit more jeopardy and hopefully a bit more fun in the middle stages.

I think it’s important that we have all types of singers, all types of people because I have to say, I think personality is as important as talent on a show like this.  What you hope you end up with is somebody like Fantasia, who’s not only extremely talented, she’s an incredible person, has a great vibe and makes the show interesting.  We tried, where we can with what we had, just to get a more interesting group of people.

It was announced that Kara DioGuardi will be joining the panel as a fourth judge this year. Given that she’s worked with Idol contestants in the past, do you think that helps or hinders her as a judge?

I’d think it’s probably a good thing.  At least she knows what the end process is and what you have to do to turn somebody into a recording artist.  She’s obviously not snobby about this kind of music, which some people can be, with this kind of process.  At least she’s not going to look down on the process, which is a good thing.

She also has tons of experience–she’s written hit songs, she has an opinion, and she talks a lot. I think she’s probably well qualified.

A number of idol’s were nominated for Grammy’s this year–Jennifer Hudson, Carrie, Fantasia. Obviously, you must be proud of the level of success they have achieved.

I absolutely love it when that happens because they deserve it and there’s so much snobbery in the music business about what we do on these shows and I know how upset they all get, so I think it’s fantastic.

The eight season of American Idol premiers on January 13th and January 14th on FOX.

"Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" is an animated children's television series created by Bob Boyle. The first season debuts on DVD today, and we spoke with one of the executive producers, Fred Seibert, about Wubbzy and what it's like to develop programming for preschoolers.

Thanks for joining us, Fred. What attracted you to Wubbzy? What makes this show different from other preschool shows?
The creator, Bob Boyle. I've worked with him for 10-12 years now on shows like "Oh Yeah! Cartoons" and "Fairly Odd Parents". He's a great guy, a relentless creative force, full of wonderful ideas and wonderful characters. What he's done, visually, with Wubbzy is take his love for Japanese vinyl toys and interpret them through his own visual style, and just made them irresistible.

Are there lessons you want kids to learn from watching Wubbzy?
Bob wanted the show to feature lessons for children with an underlying message of friendship. I think that came, in part, because he developed the show with his nine-year-old niece. Personally, I don't think TV is a great place for teaching lessons. I was, and am, much more interested in entertaining children with great characters and great stories.

How is Wubbzy different from other shows you've worked on?
Wubbzy is softer, friendlier, not as fast or as joke-oriented. But it's still very funny. Basically, Wubbzy is comedy for kids. Also, Wubbzy is a very huggable character. Each of the shows I've worked on have featured likable characters, but Wubbzy is the one you want to actually have as a friend.

Your company, Next New Networks, is about to launch its 20th video-oriented site. What's your goal with New New Networks?
It's our view that new media demands new programming. Video online should be about more than just repurposing last night's Daily Show. Cable can service thousands of different interests. But, in the real world, there are millions of different interests. Our goal is to create unique programming for the many different communities that are out there online.

Any last words before we go back to watching Wubbzy?
Just that we're so thrilled! The second season of Wubbzy just launched to record ratings, we have the DVD coming out, and the new toys have been really well received. So we're very thankful. We've been working on this show, in one form or another, for six years now, and it's really gratifying to know that you guys are as excited about Wubbzy as we are!