American Idol Showdown: Vote for Blake or Jordin

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American Idol 6 finalsAfter 18 weeks of eliminations — and that brief Sanjaya Malakar stint– the last two standing contestants of American Idol show off for the ultimate prize. Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks now battle for fans’ votes and that precious chance to fame.

The winner of the popular U.S. television contest will be announced at the end of a two-hour finale on Wednesday, but not beforethe finalists are given one more chance to strut their stuff on Tuesday night.

Not even the show’s judge and music producer Simon Cowell would dare predict the winner. “I can’t call it at this stage because I think they’ve both got different strengths,” Cowell said. “One is a better entertainer (Lewis) and one is a better singer (Sparks).”

Sparks, who hails from Glendale, Arizona, is the daughter of former NFL football player Phillipp Sparks. The 17-year-old won the judges’ and audiences’ praise for delivering worthy performances.

But Cowell said Sparks is “a great singer, but added that she hasn’t done one performance yet which I can remember as a ‘wow.”‘

Lewis, who Cowell said was a “brilliant entertainer … not a fantastic singer,” had a somewhat rockier road to the finale. A full-time musician from Bothell, Washington, he puts his own original twist on classic songs by using a vocal percussion technique known as beat-boxing.

American Idol, now in its sixth season on the Fox network, has grown from a cheesy summer talent competition into a cultural phenomenon and the United States’ most-watched TV show.

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Foreign Actors Invading American TV!

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Hugh Laurie in HouseThere’s a new wave of foreign invasion going on in America, and it’s targetting where we’re most vulnerable — television!

The Fall TV season lineup has tons of new shows from major networks with foreign actors playing American. Probably taking a cue from British Hugh Laurie (House) or Australian Anthony LaPaglia (Without A Trace), studios are banking on relatively unknown accented thespians to put sizzle to many dying program lineups.

Almost all new drama series with a single lead that will premiere next season — a total of eight shows –have a foreign actor playing the role of an American. Even two iconic Hollywood characters, Jamie Sommers of “The Bionic Woman” and Sarah Connor of the “Terminator” franchise, will be played by British actresses Michelle Ryan and Lena Headey, respectively.

NBC picked up five one-hour series for next season, the ensemble comedy drama “Lipstick Jungle,” the action comedy “Chuck” and a trio of single-lead dramas, “Bionic Woman,” “Journeyman” and “Life,” all three of which are toplined by British actors: Ryan, “Rome” star Kevin McKidd and “Band of Brothers” star Damian Lewis.

The private investigator/vampire at the center of CBS’ new drama series “Moonlight” is played by Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin, while the lead in the CBS musical/murder mystery “Viva Laughlin” is played by Briton Lloyd Owen. Colombian actress Paola Turbay and British actress Polly Walker play leads in the Latin family ensemble “Cane,” and one of the main characters in the partner-swapping drama “Swingtown” is played by Brit Jack Davenport.

And at Fox, in addition to Headey starring as the title character in “The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will play the lead in the new drama series “New Amsterdam,” with British actress Zuleikha Robinson co-starring.

So maybe American actors do the same. Learn new accents and take their trade offshore?

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