Video Beat - OUCH!!! ELIMINATION ON AMERICAN IDOL - MARCH 2008

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

American Idol' and Cambodia's Freshie Girls & Boys contest Cut to Final 16. Acting skills played a part in the Freshie decision. - HUMAN TRAFFICKING FILM - NBA ON TV - Recommended TV Listings

Sunday March 2, 2008 - Update March 3, 2008

AMERICAN IDOL Down to the Final 16

"No matter how good you are someone has to go home every week," said American Idol host Ryan Seacrest to a shocked and distressed Alaina Whitaker who broke out in tears when Seacrest gave her the news that she was one of the four contestants eliminated that night from American Idol's top 20. Those eliminations reduced the total to the final 16 to be telecast this week. Four more will go and it will be on to the big show for the Final Top 12 of those who survive.

It was this juncture of final 16 last season that one of Simon Cowell's pet peeves Antonella Barba was eliminated after earlier in the week sexy photos of her were revealed on the Internet. Simon consoled her noting that she had been through a lot that week but in reality he didn't think she had the talent to go through.

Barba lives on but her career is still up in the air. She was offered to do an adult film but she turned it down. We have yet to hear of anything constructive happening in her career.

Yes, we know about the careers of those who won but whatever happened to those who don't? Simon's other pet peeve Sanjaya Malakar appeared on numerous television shows after being eliminated. He went on tour with the Top 12 of American Idols last summer and reports now indicate that he wants to attend the highly respected Berkeley School of Music.

Of the 16 AI's who remain Kady Malloy just made the cut as she had the third lowest votes for females. Simon said her rendition of her song, "Just never went anywhere." Randy Jackson said it didn't work for him and Paula Abdul said her low notes were rough.

Chikezie Smith, a man who is referred to without his last name has been drawing fire from Simon. The first week he didn't like Chikezie's choice of clothes. This week Simon said it was a million times better than last week (performance). Simon has a problem remembering Chikezie's name so this past week Chikezie sang a song with the lyric CHIKEZIE IS MY NAME….and don't make a fool out of me. Simon got the message and now knows the singers name. Paula and Randy like Chikezie so Simon is on his own on this one. Last season Chikezie tried out but didn't get past the Hollywood stage.

Simon Says…. That Carly Smithson is the one to beat. Smithson entered a previous AI audition won the Gold Ticket to Hollywood but at that time a foreigner couldn't get her Visa on time and she had to drop out.

Who will be the next four to go? Tune in Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and find out. Wednesday it's the boys and Thursday the girls and Friday the elimination in Southeast Asia.

Please see schedule below for repeats and time schedule.

FRESHIE CUTS DOWN TO FINAL 16

Cambodia's Freshie Girls & Boys beauty and talent contest has cut down to its final 16 contestants of eight girls and eight boys. Freshie girl # 6 Sok Srepov and Freshie Boys Kao Sophea were eliminated by a voting panel of three judges on the televised show on TV 5 as well as the three teachers from Cambodia's Ministry of Arts & Culture.

Yesterday's show Saturday March 1 featured a traditional Khmer play that was performed by the contestants. Since there were 18 participants vying for the roles and only four key acting parts in the play it raised the question how were the roles allocated in a fair manner so each participant could be evaluated on a fair basis and given the opportunity for maximum exposure.? The key roles meant those actors had more TV time to display their acting skills while the others just stood around and watched as a backdrop.

According to Potjanart Suriyot one of the judges and the General Manager of Planet Communications one of the shows organizers said all of the contestants were given an opportunity to try out for the key roles during a week of rehearsals. Those that displayed the beast acting talent received the key roles.

Judging was also made on the contestant's performance during a fashion show. Decisions were based on the contestants walk and eye contact with the audience.

On this weeks show at TV 5 March 8th the judges will cut another girl and boy. The final 14 will compete for the title scheduled to take place March 31.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT?

A BBC report telecast March 3rd regarding the booming value of land and the ongoing construction in Phnom Penh, Cambodia showed photo's of building from the past and noted that they were buildings owned and occupied by the French colonialists. The Phnom Penh Post Office was included among those photos.

Mira Sorvino Stars in the film Human Trafficking

While scanning television channels on one of those sleepless nights Mira Sorvino appeared on the screen on the Hollywood Channel at 2 AM. I've been a fan of Sorvino since she made an appearance at one of our Television Critics Tour presentations in 1996 promoting 'Norma Jean & Marilyn Marilyn Monroe' a film made for television that earned her Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.

After watching the the Hollywood Channel for a few minutes I found the subject matter profound. It was about human trafficking a subject that we have covered in the past and dealing with for the past 20 years on numerous trips to Southeast Asia.

Though this film was made in Montreal, Canada the scenes set were for New York, Russia and the Philippines. Human Trafficking was a television mini-series about an agent going undercover to stop an organization from trafficking people, it also showed the struggles of three trafficked women. It premiered in the United States on Lifetime Television on October 24, 2005 and later aired on CityTV in several major Canadian markets.

I tuned in late but the first scene I saw was a 16-year-old girl auditioning to be a model without her father being aware. She wanted to escape having to live in poverty and help her father. She was being interviewed and supposedly helped by a 40ish year-old lady. The result... she was tricked and sold to a Russian Mafia gang running a prostitution business as well as a dating service.

Another scene depicted 12-year-old girl being snatched off the streets in Manila, Philippines and taken to a bar owned by a disgustingly fat old American man. He had sex with her and beat her as he did with the other children. One Philippine girl was sold to him by her father. She became ill. The 12-year-old kidnapped girl suggested that he take her to the hospital. Rather than do that and try to save the girls life he murdered her to avoid exposing his business.

Another girl was murdered when she was saved by Sorvino's character's ICE (Immigration Control Enforcement) and placed in a SAFE HOUSE. She was shot from a nearby rooftop when she stepped out on the balcony. Other girls including the aspiring model were transported in freight containers from one country to another.

It's SOS in this region where it is believed the Russian Mafia exists and uses young girls in the same manner. SOS means 'same old $#!t' to some and 'same old story' to others. Whatever your interpretation the results are the same young girls being tricked, sold by their parents or kidnapped into prostitution.

Along with Sorvino it starred Donald Sutherland and Robert Carlyle, with a supporting cast including Rémy Girard, Laurence Leboeuf, Isabelle Blais, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse and Céline Bonnier. On May 2, 2006, Muse, with the permission of Lifetime, released a DVD of the entire mini-series, which also included deleted scenes not shown on the Lifetime airing.

The DVD also includes interviews with the cast, interactive resources, and scene selections. The DVD is worth viewing if you miss the reruns on the Hollywood channel.

NBA GAMES ON TV

NBA (National Basketball Association) games are televised in the Southeast Asia region on the Star Sports television Network on Friday and ESPN Saturday's. Start times vary depending on the start time in the region of the USA from where the games is televised.

TV SCHEDULE

Note: The shows listed are for the Cambodia - Thailand time zone. Check your local listings for time and date in your area.

MONDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

6:00 PM - TOP MODEL CYCLE 9 - Channel V - NEW EPISODE

10:00 PM - TOP MODEL CYCLE 9 - Channel V

TUESDAY

7:00 AM - TOP MODEL - CYCLE 9 - Channel V

11:00 AM - TOP MODEL - CYCLE 9 - Channel V

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

WEDNESDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5 PM telecast

8:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN - NEW EPISODE

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5/7 PM telecast

11:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN - repeat of 8 PM telecast

THURSDAY

11:00 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of previous day

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5 PM telecast

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5/7 PM telecast

FRIDAY

??:?? AM - NBA GAME - Star Sports

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of previous day

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - ELIMINATION SHOW

9:00 PM - NBA GAME - Star Sports - Replay of earlier game)

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - ELIMINATION SHOW - repeat

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - ELIMINATION SHOW - repeat

SATURDAY

7:30 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

??:?? AM - NBA GAME - ESPN

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of elimination show from previous day

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

5:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

7:30 PM - HI NET WORTH - (financial magazine show) - CNBC

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

12:00 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

SUNDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

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