Hollywood Week: Solo Round. No surprises.

Solo round makes more sense. Contestants have to choose, rehearse and perform a track in a day.

Stephanie Ngrete is first on screen. Good solid performance of Adele's Set Fire To The Rain. For all that I don't see her winning, although she will make the lower numbers.

I don't know Thomas Stringfellow's number, nor Avalon Young's. Olivia Rox does an original song so I wouldn't know that anyway! She has plenty of style and is someone I would expect to go far this year.

John Wayne Schultz does a Keith Urban number without his hat. Pity about the hat which was his lucky charm too. Obviously someone pinched it which is a bit sad as he seems a decent sort of guy. sings well, if a bit 'ordinary' Country. Hat or no hat, he hasn't much competition amongst the guys this year but then I have noticed a distinct lack of good ol' boys getting through anyway. It is not, I feel, a year that a Country guy will win.

Mackenzie Bourg avoids the scrum to choose a number (apparently only three can choose any one track) and sings his own number Roses. He is good. Not only is that a cool song that he has written on his own but it was performed really well. He is definitely someone we will see more of.

Shelbie Z knocks a Heart number into the next park but looks very odd doing the slut drop.

Karl Hooper (or similar) does a reasonable Coldplay number.

James VIII is still there and has a good voice but not a great deal of presence, other than a cool name.

Tristan McKenzie was almost knocked off the list for the song she wanted, despite being one of the first three to choose it. Seems like another girl of the top three for it decided to help her by switching. Nice. Tristan herself is excellent and I feel she may have done well anyway and perhaps made a bit too much of it all as she could have done wonderfully well with almost any song.

Sonika Vaid is another super performer and I can't imagine her and Stephanie both being selected for the live shows. They are pretty similar. Both good. Sonika just lacks a bit of experience in being on stage.

Lee Jean rocked Stitches. Brilliant. Sara Sturm is like his girlfriend but she's just sort of OK. The panel seem to like her, though, so the two may stay together for a while longer. I see Lee in the Live Shows. Not sure about Sara.

So far Lee and Mackenzie have been the ones that have impressed me most. Olivia Rox a fairly distant third but I know there are many girls (but few boys) still to see.

Jenn Blosil did a fine job of True Colors. Emily Brooke is excellent, a real star, and she looks the part too. Just a little too much like Carrie Underwood, that's all, but that can hardly be criticism. She is not happy with her performance, though, but we'll see what the judges think.

Malie Delgado comes on stage and does her version of Stitches with a very scratchy voice that has suffered from her recent illness. Mionne is also struggling with her voice. Neither are that great, though, voices regardless.

Jessica Cabral has also been ill but puts on an impressive show. I still don't find her likeable but she is good.

Joshua Wicker I don't remember at all. He wears one of those odd caps that make him look like someone out of a 50s movie. An old-style guy. Quite good but not marvellous for me.

CJ Johnson rocks out with You Can Go Your Own Way and that's something lively that's been missing. Not an Idol but nice guy.

Jeneve Rose Mitchell is the girl from middle of nowhere and she is the big discovery of the year in my book. Great. Original Country.

Dalton Rapattoni does Hopelessly Devoted To You in a completely different way to Olivia Newton-John. Nice. Cool guy and he is another definite in my book. He has to be on the Live Shows, never mind Top 24.

There are 75 waiting to know who moves on. I would guess that there are a few 'definites' amongst them and if you find yourself in a room with them then it will be a room of people who will be going through. I am guessing that the three rooms will be 24, 25 and 26 so that will also be a hint as to who gets to the last 24.
No, I was wrong as two rooms get through and that looks like a lot more than 24 still. Yes, the trailer for tomorrow's programme says that 51 will perform in front of an audience and that is when the cut to 24 comes. OK. That should be worth watching and maybe we;ll get, at last a bit more from each of the leading contestants as recently there hasn't been much by way of performance really.

I am also guessing that the 24 get cut in half to the Live Show Top 12. Then the fun starts.

Oh dear. Group Round at Hollywood.

In my last post I had hoped that they might have done away with this part of the round; the Group farce. It is just so frustrating to watch. Some seem all set and just have a great time rehearsing and getting on but others struggle even to find someone or one of their band leaves or gets grumpy and the others are left to pick up the pieces and simply, with the best will in the world, cannot be expected to compare easily with those others with the trouble-free environment.

It is almost a bit like being born on the wrong side of the tracks. Some guys just can't help what happens to them but still suffer. Unless the panel spot the problem or get advised by the various staff on duty observing developments. Yes, there needs to be some stress test and it's good to see how people get on with others and can work together to get over challenges but this is unfair a lot of the time.

So, whilst it may make good TV, I am more than glad that this is genuinely the last American Idol Group round I'll have to report on.

The best I can do as we're shown some full tracks but mostly extracts, and mixed up at that, is highlight the names of those that I spot getting compliments, mostly from Harry. All those shown make it through and were captioned by the programme. Many others go through too but, with no captions, I guess they don't get too much further whereas the captions do.

Kory, Jenna Rae, Jordan Sasser, Kelsie Watts make a great start. Good work for a day. All four make it through.

Jenn Blosil, Bri Kay, Lynnzee Fray, Sara Sturm were another good group who managed very well. All through.

Amelia Eisenhauer, Tristan McIntosh, Lee Jean. Tristan gets a special mention.

Avalon Young, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, both get big appreciation from the panel.

Chynna Shyrod, Terrian,

Trent Harmon is still there with something he calls 'Mono'. whatever that is. It's contagious so he has to perform alone. He deserves to get through for all the effort he's making. Good talent and he is easily through.

Michelle Marie, Ashley Lusk, Lindsey Carrier don't match Shelbie Z in their group. Michelle maybe had something bouncy about her but Shelbie Z was the only one that really made it. Lindsey didn't make it. I'm not sure about any of them really.

Elvie Shane and Ashley Lillinore didn't survive after poor performances. Mackenzie Bouro does well. Cameron Richard doesn't make it.

Dalton finds himself with a couple of girls in a pretty chaotic time. The 'Poh' girl left and another girl Anatalia joined them. Kassy had been with him since the start. Not bad for an hour's rehearsal and no sleep. He was still the stand-out but they all go through.

Sonika and Stephany Negete sound great in their group. The Russian Andrew is impressive but Keith didn't think they performed very well. They all get through anyway so both groups with problems survived after all.

A group with some odd looking guys and the girl with green hair is uninspiring and almost embarrassing to watch as they have no rhythm or mutual understanding by the look of things. They're out.

Marcio, Jon Lasaasen, Kylle Tommasson, Kayce Haynes do Uptown Funk. They're through too.

Joy Dove, Daniel Farmer, Lindita. Oddly, Daniel loses out and the others carry on.

Eliz Camacho, Gianna Isabella, Dana did not get on. Eliz was annoying and a pain. She didn't make it but was fair and not nasty to the other two as we'd expected might have been the case. Jennifer remarked that the 15 year old Gianna out performed the two 24 year olds.

Joe Dahman, Alesani, Olivia Thai, Jessica Paige. Only Jessica makes it through.

CJ Johnson, Jessica Baker, Zach Joseph, Jess. Zach loses out.

Thomas Muglia, Joey Hendricks, Bryson Dunn, Thomas Stringfellow. The two Thamses survive.

Manny Torres, Malie Delago and Christian Eason put on a very good performance.

Laurel Wright, Marshall and a couple of others wreck Staying Alive

La Porscha Renae, Tonie and Marlena have the same song. Marlene had trouble in rehearsals. Once again she forgets the words, despite reassuring everyone that she wouldn't. However, she sort of pressed on and they all make it after all. The girl with the hair is the one you tend to remember, though.

Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten

I always find this part the worst to watch, never mind report on. In X Factor it is called Boot Camp but Hollywood Week is pretty much the same idea. Put everyone in a big room and see who gets on with others and can survive sufficiently well to impress the panel (and a few advisers we don't see!) and make the Top 40.

These 'Lines of Ten', as the sessions are called, work well. I still have memories of Scotty McCririck running around looking for a band to take him a few years back. Nightmare viewing and bad for the contestants too as some know each other well, some just naturally fall together but several are clearly individuals, and several will, I am sure, have suffered as a result. Scotty did, of course, go on to win and I think the judges make some allowances too. We did see a few dreadful 'group' performers still reach the Live Shows.

This seems better organised this year, as the come up on stage in groups of 10 but don't have to perform together. They just do a brief own thing and, if the panel hasn't already decided that they want them (as often they have) then this is their chance to influence the instances where they're on the cusp between in and out.

Interestingly, and no doubt because the producers can edit the show to highlight certain contestants, several names come to the fore as we watch. No doubt others are also through but these are definitely ones to watch, as those of you who have checked out the Top 24 spoiler might already have realised.

Dalton Rapatonni is really quite impressive in my book. He has the look and the attitude.

Jenn Blosil has passion and a super voice.

Thomas Stringfellow is good and a certain appeal that is modern like Dalton but with a touch less good looks.

Olivia Rox has star quality but probably doesn't match Jenn's tone.

Jessica Cabral gets airtime but is a bit average.

Melanie Tierce didn't sound anything like as good as she had in her superb first audition. (She falls at this stage. That was quite a surprise but she didn't do well enough. Simple.)

Sonika Vaid continues to sound lovely. She is a real contender. Great attitude too.

LaPorscha Renae is through. The hair you will not forget.

Manny Torres is one of the leading guys this year.

Harrison Cohen is not through. He seemed excellent. Oh well.

Daniel Farmer is a lesser version of Manny, quite good.

Lee Jean is cool and another major guy contender for the title.

Melanie Huber doesn't

Shelbie Z

Others fly through

Jeneve Rose Mitchell ' this is the girl who's off the grid' Brilliant.

Gianna Isabella confident and great personailty, Strong contender.

Tristan McIntosh very very attractive personality. Super voice. Definite contender plus plus in my book.

Kyrsti Jewel is 16 on the day. Wails a lot. Pretty but she wails a lot. She doesn't make it.

Michelle Marie is a bit boring and same tone all the way through. She does but I do hope she doesn't go much further.

Trent Harmon is ill but pushes on through. Good voice for all that and emotionally all there. He gets through and I hope he survives.

Miranda Poh Scott is lovely and sounds cool and modern. She's through.

Last up is Emily Brooke. Smart girl. Looks nice and has a mature attitude. I think she could go all the way this time. Nice girl. Great audition. She is through.

Oh dear, I think it is Group round next after all. Damn. That is annoying.

American Idol XIV: Hollywood Round Pt 3

Alexis gets an all clear and Sal's gals are on again. Surprisingly, Alexis, who wailed a lot, gets through with one of the favourites in my book, Jax. Pity about Sal who put on a good show and was a decent fellow throughout but, I suppose, was never going to win the thing. He's had been entertaining on the Live shows though.

If the video is still available here then it is well worth watching in full as there are some great moments but each individual is come and gone so soon I can't really manage a commentary.

Hopefully, I can do better when we hit the solo rounds in the next instalment. That's really when people get to show what they can do and we'll start to get a glimpse of who could be that next American Idol.

American Idol XIV: Hollywood Round Pt 2

The Katherine Winston makes a good impression while Gabby Z recovers from freezing at the end of the previous episode.Both make it through for another day.

Andrew Annello is full of confidence but this could be the end of his road. Kylie look-a-like Maddy Walker may have reached the end of the line this year too. Alexis Gomez is the barefoot Country girl. Maddy and Alexis continue but it is, indeed, the end Andrew's road.

Cody Fry is the very old-style guy and he does Lilac Wine very well indeed. Glides through, as Ryan says.

Loren Lott says she thinks she can make American Idol a lot of money. She's not very good. But she's through too. OK, maybe the panel see more than we do.

Rayvon Owen has the name to survive and I am sure he'll do well. Shi Scott is nice and original but not so sure she'll go that much further although she joins Rayvon this time.

A really young lad, Daniel Seavey, is really too young to sign about being taken into lovin' arms. Clark is older and more likely to carry on further after an excellent sounding audition.

Dakota Suarez squawks and that may be the end for her.

Qaasim gets chatted up by a pretty blonde competitor and seems to get pretty well inspired for his performance. That was nice. He must be there for a while.

Next comes Group Round. I always find this odd and a bit frustrating when some bad luck can influence good people who just land up with annoying people or just those who don't want to be with them.

I have to say that they seemed far better organised this year. Maybe the producers had a bigger hand in helping them get started and there didn't seem to be the loud annoying ones or loads of mothers either, many acts making bed in good time and even those who stayed up did a reasonably good job. I cannot really pick out any individuals - there were many who excelled but we don't see much.

There's a nice touch from Sal, the Sicilian, who invites a lost girl to join his group. Unfortunately she faints during their practice and then again when they're about to perform. In that group are some of the best contenders so hopefully they'll not be affected. we'll find out next time.

American Idol XIV Hollywood Auditions Pt 1

Jax is just 18 and is something special. She gets pulled out of the audience in a surprise move to perform in front of everyone. We'll see a lot more of Jax.

Mark Andrew follows. A bit forgettable.

Emily Brook at 15 sounds like a leading contender for the Country spot. Great.

Sal Valentinetti brings all his Scillian charm but seems a little old style to me.

Adam Ezegilian good solid voice.

These are possibly the best - the judges calling up the most memorable, for them, which is a good way of setting the bar high for the others as well as double checking that these guys were worth the extra vote.

Tyanna Jones wants to dance with us and is really trying not to dance on the stage. She's good and quite interesting. Natural rhythm.

Savion Wright does Get Lucky and that commercisal number goes down well with the audience.

Hollywood Anderson. Well named! I remember him as one of the best. Not sure about his interpretation of Adele's number and that may have been a mistake.

Shannon Berthiaume is new to all this and looks cute in shorts and pale skin but does good justice to Steve Wonder's Sir Duke even though she lost some words.

Adam Lasher is a stronger performer and just the opposite in many ways, clearly comfortable on stage and relaxed.

Garrett Miles is the Country guy that they said was putting on the accent but nevertheless did a good job. He seemed a bit wobbly.

Trevor Douglas is a geeky guy who is delightful to watch. He has a sense of humour but also a fabulous voice and timing. One of the best auditions.

Joey Cook works without the squeezebox and hides behind a ukelele instead. Not bad. Different voice.

Amber Celechi puts too much at stake on this performance. She is OK but she needs to understand that there are several hundred that she's up against. Really worked up and not wanting to go back to the 'hood but, you know, over half of the people there will be going home and she'll be lucky to stand out against them, never mind the top half, for very long in the competition.

The first crowd now all get put on the stage and, despite some having some misses here and there, all get told that they were chosen because they'd been 'memorable' and all get through. That's nice. I like seeing people get a second chance at the early stages and this is a pretty crazy week at the best of times.

The others have to perform together and sing bits and pieces of the same song, about ten at a time.

Priscilla Barker has the voice and the look for this competition. Jaq Mackenzie does Cool Kids really well. She knows what she is doing. Nice. Priscilla doesn't make it though. Jaq does.

And that's pretty much how it goes for the rest. Some do, some don't. We get to see a few more but it's impossible to review based on the snippets we see.

This episode ends as we watch Gabby Z make a pretty good start but then freeze. To be continued, I guess!

American Idol XIV Auditions Day 4

New York. Cue Jennifer walking down a street and trying to tell some guy that she used to live there. He has no idea who she is!

Cue Sal Valentinetti. He has the name and the look and the accent. He sounds a bit like Sinatra and plays the part well. Harry is right. he won't go far but he's fun to watch and can sing.

This is an interesting first too as Adam Lambert joins the panel in place of Keith for the day. Adam really has done well since coming 2nd several years ago now. he has been a superb mentor on previous shows but this is the first time a contestant has been a panel member. He is also at the time of writing performing to great reviews with the remaining Queen band members, substituting for the almost impossible to substitute Freddie Mercury.

Next up is someone called J None. Hmmm. He brings on some toy bear. I didn't think he was particularly good but he gets through. Nicer enough chap but lacking a memorable voice and none too sure about the tuning either. I can only guess the panel were distracted by the bear.

Jax is blonde but New York blonde and she is just Jax, no surname. Playing the piano she does a great version of the Beatles' I Wanna Hold Your Hand. She is really original, bags of confident. I like Jennifer's description of her being shy and confident at the same time. The real thing. Definitely one I would like to see more of. 18 going on 28.

New York is certainly bringing some different talent! Johnny Arco is next and very off the wall with a cool track using a violin like a banjo.

Another performer from the underground stations (seem to be getting a few of them this year) is Najah Lewis. Sha says that she makes a decent income singing in the stations already. She's OK. Not brilliant but she's OK. The panel like her and she flies through.

Tion Phillips does Bruno Mars well. Very well.

James Dillian Dunn isn't as good. They both fancy Jennifer Lopez and get through. Adam wasn't sure about James. He was right.

Nervously rushing on to stage is Shi Scott. Just 19 but good and sounds very like Amy Winehouse with an excellent cover of Valleri or Valerie. Harry says it's an Amy impression. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Adam likes her but the panel don't seem to think she's ready. I would say she was a damn sight more ready than the two guys before. Jennifer is very much for her. Nice surprise as Harry actually overturns Adam and takes her through. She's genuine. I like her.

We see Adam turning down a lot of acts. Good job, Finally we get Eric. Now how can Eric get through looking like that and wearing those clothes. He's singing The Show Must Go On. OK. That's going to be another that Adam turns down. Eh? Harry says No. Adam has to choose. Our Eric persuades Adam. Harry says he 'hustled the crap out of Adam'! How did that happen. I don't think we'll see much of him at Hollywood.

Maddie Walker is only 16 but this is her second attempt to get in. Jennifer recognises her. Pretty. Blonde.

Courtney Zahne and Jackie Nese Two more very pretty blondes. All just teenagers. None are really impressive but they can sing and do look good so, yes, they get through. I am not so sure Harry would have put them through.

Qaasim Middleton is fun and pretty talented, doing an amusing but quite smart version of Sir Duke from the Stevie Wonder days. He's also at a jazz school, 'working on his craft' as Harry says. Three very firm and solid yesses for that guy.

Brigette Guerette comes and goes. She gets a minute of fame, I guess. Harry then recalls how Adam must have been a great audition many years ago. He gets Adam to stand up and recreate his audition. We get the old video too, with LA Reid, Paula and Simon Cowell in the background! Oh boy. Those were the days. Adam is amazing. Quite a cool moment.

Adam Ezegelian is another Adam with a big voice and actually he gets some good notes for Born To Be Wild which is not at all an easy song. He admits to taking some of Adam Lambert's ideas there. He does a second track and that's pretty good. This is a podgy looking fellow with 70s frizzy hair. Odd but I quite like the fellow who didn't bother to dress up, sings with his hand in his shorts pocket. He's through. Interesting guy. I doubt he'll get too far.

Katherine Winston is lovely. Just 18 and easily through with a gentle number that is like Country but also with soul. Reminded me of Ella Henderson in UK's X factor. Talent but will she get lost in the crowd at Hollywood? Hope not.

Travis Finlay writes songs and teaches 'Beats' and stuff. he had to save his house in the recent hurricane so missed out on a lot of chances. Nice fellow and great voice. He'll be through for sure and I'd expect to see him get past Hollywood too. Nice audition. I know I can look up who makes the Top 24 and cheat with all these predictions but I am genuinely not doing that and, although I have looked at the list before, I can't remember who's in it. I am not sure he is but the pane; reckon he;s a star so maybe he should be.

Benjamin Farmer. He's a bit annoying to listen to. Great song but he's no good. S we get quite a few bad auditions where people try to stand out. Most fail dreadfully.

Ariana is Yanni G apparently. She does things with a stool and a cup and even has her boyfriend playing guitar with her. Is that what the programme rules allow? If so, everyone should come in with friends. She gets short shrift. Nick Fradiani, her boyfriend, is good. He auditions on his own so all's well after all. He really gets the song across. I don't know what it was but there's something about him that works. He's through but not the girl. I would have given her more of a chance.

Another busker in New York City. These are certainly individuals. The last one today is 22 year old 'Hollywood' Anderson who sings a song he's written himself and it's great. Nice voice, great style. He has to go through. That song is something special. Harry says his audition is possibly the best not only of New York but of the Season so far.

Surely he makes it further than his name.

Hollywood: the hardest day

This was a crazy programme. We do get to see a few complete group performances but they were all pretty crap - decent efforts over the preceding 24 hours by some but others would have been better just having some sleep.

As usual, there are some real pains but none match the helicopter mother. Although her daughter, Stephanie I think, sounded pretty good to me, it somehow seemed right that she did get sent home. The mother was awful, embarrassingly so.

No surprises tonight in who goes on and who goes home and we're told that they will be 77 singing solos next. That should be the end of Hollywood and we'll be told who makes the final 30-ish.

This group round business is not good viewing and I am not totally convinced that it tells us that much about the individuals either as some are far better organised than others, some performing very comfortably with people they had become friends with and who clearly liked each other. Others had almost no time to rehearse after being messed around or messing others around themselves and the who thing just strikes me as unreasonable.

Hollywood Round 1

This is always an awkward round. This year the producers made it even more awkward by making quite a few sing for their supper. As soon as they'd arrived at a big warehouse type place, this group was asked to perform. They were mostly ones that maybe shouldn't be there anyway but also quite a lot that hadn't made three yesses - and I am sure they were all Harry's rejects!

I remember quite a few of them and eventually they whittle however many there were to 52 and they're put on two buses. One goes to the airport, the other to the hotel. It's all a bit strange and my guess is that most had figured out which bus they were on along the way by looking around at who was with them. It was a tearful journey for some and not the best viewing in the world, a dark and dismal bus interior at night.

Next day there are lines of several candidates on a stage and some get the step forward, step back treatment and there are some very impressive acts we shall get to see fight again. So far, I haven't spotted anyone wonderful being sent away but it is pretty early days still.

One or two acts seemed to get to sing on their own. Not quite sure how they got to do that but they seem to get through anyway.

104 left.

Tomorrow is 'Group Day'. Oh dear. First they have to find a group. This is mad and slightly depressing. Some were already organised and get to see the vocal coaches quickly and move forward with some advice. Others either are inexperienced at working with others or wanting to control everyone and things go wrong at both levels - people who can't help or understand less confident ones and those who just can't push themselves at all and get walked over. We see some pretty selfish people and some odd personalities as well some reasonable people having trouble for no reason at all.

I suppose the judges have, to some extent, decided that certain people are through anyway so, unless someone does something crazily bad, they'll stay regardless. We saw that last year. It's a round that I have heard justified in terms of people have to show they can cope with pressure and communicate, work with others etc. time and again but I still doubt its importance in this competition and think it was put there as 'good tv' but now, 13 series in, I think it's time to drop it.

Hollywood Week: The Boys

It's always been difficult commentating on this round. Huge numbers get whittled down and in the past they had to form groups which was pretty mad. Memories of Scotty wandering around and no-one wanting to have in.

This time it looks a little better with a line-up of six or seven by the look of it on stage going one or two lines at a time. We see one or two for the first time too but really just a line isn't enough. Cortez Shaw we see doing three lines and sounding pretty damn impressive. This part, though, is more of a way to find a quick exit to avoid time wasters who probably shouldn't really have been there and in that respect, if they can get ri of a pile of useless acts now, so much the better.

At the end of the week there'll be just 20 guys left and next week they'll choose the 20 girls. That should make life a bit easier. How they'll cut them further remains to be seen. I'm surprised there hasn't been any good leaks yet.

We get a long intro for Lazaro Arbos, the guy with the stutter and the heavy Spanish or Portugese accent. I do hope they don't put him through just because he makes good TV as his singing of Angels wasn't that brilliant. Bryant Tadeo and Charles Allen we hadn't seen before that I remember.

I don't know if it's my monitor's resolution but Mariah looks huge. Some shots taken from behind on the stage weren't so complimentary, nor were some of her behind the desk. For someone with so much money, you'd think she'd be able to choose colours and clothes that disguise bulges rather than emphasise them. I suppose it's possible that no-one dares advise her. Occasionally she's got it right but the sky blue number does not work.

So, Group Night is still there. The producers fix the groups and that's probably not such a bad idea and certainly an improvement on people trying to sort themselves out. Looks like they get some support from vocal aides too which is another good thing. Still some problems but I guess it's a way to see who can cope with getting some tune and lyrics together. I've always wondered why on Earth they need to learn dance moves as well and don't recall many of the previous winners doing anything particularly impressive or more than a shuffle at best! Philip? Scotty? David? Hardly!

Anyway we get to see some cool performances and some disastrous ones and plenty seem to get through this section too so presumably there's still some decisions to be made to get the numbers down. Not having names appear on screen very often makes it tricky but I spotted Gupreet Singh Sarin and Elifah Liu going through which should help to tick some diversity boxes. Johnny Keyser is still hanging in there despite losing the words to Reach Out I'll Be There. 

We get a look at someone billed as JDA who I think is Joshua jada Davila and he sounds cool. Still haven't seen another Joshua - Halliday - who is supposed to be pretty good. I may have missed him I suppose.

The kids at the end made us all go Aww as my tennage daughter would say. They tried pretty hard and David Leathers was a stand out with Kevin Quinn. Not sure how much further even they'll get, though.

One thing strikes me, though, and that's how average they all seem at the moment. This round really doesn't give anyone a chance to do themselves much good - it's more a case of ensuring they don't give the judges a reason to send them home.

A lot of time spent on one final group in the evening with Frankie Ford getting upset and telling the cameras he'd be back next year quite a lot.

To be honest, after two hours, I'm not a great deal wiser about anyone. This is a round for the judges more than viewers. Let's see what they decide tomorrow.

The One Where Jen Gets Bingo, Only Skylar Does Country and Reed Plays The Drums

Finally we get to see and hear what some of the better contestants can do. I counted group or single performances by 15 of those who make the final 24 which still leaves 9 of whom we only get the briefest glimpse (and I'm not sure we even got that for two). Part 3 carries on from the previous night when they were all trying to make groups, some successfully and some not.

Things start reasonably enough with Jennifer and Carrie from the first five girls getting through and then all five of Aaron, Creighton, Jen Hirsh, Reed and Nick getting through easily. Brielle, Joshua and Shannon get through in the next but the annoying All American Beefcake Kyle doesn't which, judging by his attitude to the others, would have been a popular decision.

Mathenet survives in the fourth group where Amy Brumfield's efforts to get over illness don't and so it's back to her tent again.

Then we get three girls who forget their words who don't proceed further and get told of a bundle more who didn't and do get through but with no idea who they are! In the next group we get to see it's Alicia (I'm a cop, d'ya like cops?) who has stayed up almost all night and tries hard but it doesn't work. A chap called Christian who we haven't seen before comes across well but fails to impress the judges. These are tough times. As we head for the break cue a door closing and, yet again, Alicia gets a bundle of publicity. I should ahve mentioned that, on being rejected, she did a quick ad for herself as a personal security guard and that will have helped her career, I'm sure. Just not her music career.

Eben, Ariel, Gabi, David Leathers (the young ones) and an older guy called Jeremy are all through in one of the better and well-organised groups. In complete contrast we then get a poor young girl called Imani who faints and appears to have lost hope of joining her group who redo their act to take account of that. Just before they go on she returns and wants to perform so it's almost understandable that they make a mess of it with only Johnny Keyser, one of the real experienced professionals in the field, virtually single-handedly holding the whole thing together. He deserves to get through and Imani faints again at the end of their performance. That gave the judges a tough decision to make as she wasn't at all bad and, in the circumstances you might have expected them to give her one more chance. However all credit to them, they made the point that it only gets tougher from here on and she was out.

There are several more indicated as going through that we don't see and then we get the final group, the extraordinarily pompous Richie Law trying to tell Heejun, Jairon and Phillip Phillips what to do. Heejun seems to have really appealed to Jennifer with his husky voice but the sound of anything beginning with b a or p in the lyrics from the Korean was clearly not as annoying to her on the stage set as it sounded on my tv set. Jairon did very well and Phillip was excellent, these three showing up the Cowboy who was not at all good after all the hype! For all that they all get through and we get some odd scene of Heejun, with tongue so much in cheek they both seemed to bulge (or maybe that's just the way he looks anyway) offering an apology for remarks he'd made about the Cowboy the night before. Hilarious.

We hear that Erica, Adam, Hallie and Elise also get through but with little clue as to who they are and that ends that day.

At last, in the second section of this show, we see several performing with an 'Idol band'. We meet Joshua who is good, very good and, for the first time, Colton Dixon who returns after failing to make it last year. Colton has nice shades, a natural talent. Phillip Phillips has an earthy voice that sounds way older than he looks. He has a unique and natural talent too and provides an interpretation of the tracks that is his and his alone.

Jen Hirsh is very professional and we see her in her element at last - excellent, quite different to many of her competitors and delivering Georgia On My Mind in style. She can do gentle and heavy, mixing seamlessly and effectively the two. Steven says "Bingo!"

Creighton Fraker shows us he's good but a bit off-tune for my ears. a clear talent, though, and apart from trying too hard and screeching a bit, that was not a bad version of What A Wonderful World.

Reed Grimm seems to have lost his nerve after being so confident in the past and we're led to believe that he had intended to sing on his own but was instructed that it had to be with the band. This bothers him and we get several minutes of him with a vocal coach just a few minutes before he's due to perform and, oddly, he calls his mum who sounded to me as though she would have simply told him to get on with it and stop being so stupid had someone not told her she'd be broadcast to several million. After all that show, Reed was brilliant, playing the drums in the band by way of compromise with the musical director and giving us an absolutely spot-on performance of Georgia and making us wonder just whether all the preceding stuff was one good act. Compare that to the fainting girl and you can see who gets through and why.

Shannon MacGraine follows. She's been great in the past but didn't sound so good this time and was heading for a disappointing performance but eventually, when she stopped trying so hard, she was considerably better and finished in excellent style and impressed the judges.

Skylar Laine had suffered from exhaustion the evening before and been taken to hospital but still insisted on getting her act together and appearing on stage. She was the first country girl we've heard and did a great job. a really great job. I was full of admiration for her, not just in getting up and performing but in doing so as if nothing had happened. Steven, unusually, says how good she is, too, at the end. Apart from a Bingo remark for Jen Hirsh earlier, no judges really gave such obvious preferences.

Rachelle breaks the run of star performances by messing up the words. She gets over that and has a nice voice and attitude but couldn't avoid her nerves flowing through her performance and was disappointing.

At the end we hear Adam Brock, a good singer with a big voice but weak at the top end when he sounds very tinny. His low roar, however, is quite appealing and that's what the judges seem to like. He doesn't look like Idol material, though, but has a mature attitude and will be around for a while yet.

The show closes with the division of the remaining people into four rooms. Three roomfuls get through and one doesn't. We say farewell to Britany Kerr and Rachelle as well as one or two others that previous shows had featured as interesting but I didn't spot any particular favourites in that room. The big and most painful cuts will be next as, presumably, they're whittled down to those that will be appearing on our screens and appealing for our votes, not just those of the judges in Las Vegas.

The One With A Cowboy and Heejun's Reservations

If you missed this hour of American Idol then don't worry. If you recorded it and are worried about hearing who does or doesn't get through here then don't worry. This edition had nothing but videotape of contestants wandering around, practising dance steps or harmonies and several being ill. Highlights were Richie Law as one of the Cowboys and Heejun's hoody having reservations about daddy dancing and Alicia Bernhardt thinking it was a good idea to yell "I'm a cop!" followed by "I wanna do Joy To The World" and looking surprised when people ran away.

You really do have to wonder why on earth they insist on this crazy 'group round'. Some of the smarter people who thought they knew what was coming had already formed into groups with friends from one or other of the auditions. Unfortunately for them, they didn't pay attention in earlier years as the producers' rules insist that the groups comprised some from one week of auditions and some from another. So everyone was back on a level basis to a greater or lesser degree but it was clear that the pleasant, amenable and those willing to consider any of a range of the songs available would find colleagues to get to work with. That left those who, for better or worse, either only wanted to perform a particular track or in a particular style and we get shots of one or two contestants doing the pleading and hoping and lots looking dejected and rejected.

I can understand that this device should reward the skills of those who can fit in, adapt and organise themselves well but are they really the qualities that a future artist has to possess? There must surely be someone there who may not have the nicest personality in the world, who is determined to present a song in their own style, who may not want to dance in some pre-ordained way and yet is absolutely brilliant and could sell, on their own, with no help from other contestants, millions of albums and have voters streaming to enter the right numbers on their touchpads in a few weeks' time when their own, individual performance and brilliance and unique style win hearts and minds. That's the Idol quality I expect, not someone who is nice and amenable. It's about the way they can interpret emotions in what song writers have written and, yes, for me, it helps if they look good but I couldn't care less whether they get on with other people or not.

What tends to happen in these so-called groups is that one person will dominate the thing, telling the others what to do and when. Amongst the others will be those who might also have done the dominating act but decide to play the subservient and keep the peace as well as those who need that management and go along with what they perceive as the general good for all. The dominatrix, or domaniatrice, sets themselves up for the fall and the stakes can be high as they'll claim the credit for success and be held in disdain for failure. It's still, either way, not an Idol quality but that's the way it has to go again this year.

Heejun Han, who we're seeing a lot of, had real trouble with his 'Western Cowboy', Richie Law. Richie wanted to do certain dance steps. I tell you, my 15 year-old daughter is pretty critical of my attempts at dancing but she would have accompanied me rather than young Richie any day of the week. Richie was instructing Heejun, or rather, Heejun's hoody, which was all that was actually visible on the Hollywood Plain, to wave his arms around in a particular manner. Richie clearly hadn't seen Heejun shaking it out in Part 1 or he'd had realised that there was no way East would meet West and accepted the fact that an odd looking chap from Korea with glasses and a hoody was more likely to be promoted as an American Idol than a tall good-looking guy from somewhere like Texas in a Stetson.

We watch Alicia Bernhadt tell everyone she's a cop and that she has to sing a particular track. She seems a pretty well-organised and effective girl but fails to find anyone until way late in the day. Another girl, Jennifer Walsh is ill, as is Amy Brumfield, the tent girl, and both struggle to get anyone to take them on too. How on earth it can be fair that people with a genuine illness, and many looked ghostly pale, get forced to carry on at this stage when it could easily be filmed over a few days and edited later for us to view as if nothing had happened?

What do judges, or we for that matter, learn about contestants' talents from this crazy exercise? All we ever see in this part of the round (and not even this much in tonight's show) is a brief group performance or two but we get very little insight into the capabilities of those we're interested in getting through. I would be amazed if there were not some very good contenders who suffer at this juncture through no fault of their own.

After an hour of watching nothing in particular Ryan announces that next week we'll see who does what. Next week?! Why did I bother watching this week - the week when nothing really happens?