Adam Lambert

For many faithful fans, this year's "Idol" has exactly one contestant: Adam Lambert. Others might impress, but compared with the 27-year-old former chorus boy with the unearthly vocal range, they all fall somewhere between "average" and "decent." America may love Danny Gokey like a brother and think Allison Iraheta is pretty cool, but in Lambert, audiences confront something never before seen on the show: the kind of pop star who can change people's lives. I'm not saying that Lambert is the greatest "American Idol" ever, though his mad singing skills and confidence as a performer put him in the top tier.

Today Roger Mooking; Donny Deutsch. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC Good Morning America Chef Emeril Lagasse. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Rachael Ray Jennifer Hudson. (N) 8 a.m. KCAL Live With Kelly Ewan McGregor; Elizabeth Banks; co-host Dana Carvey. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The Rosie Show Ricki Lake. 9 a.m. OWN The View Audra McDonald; Michael Symon; "Porgy & Bess. " (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Talk Wayne Brady; Keri Glassman. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS The Doctors Little changes can lead to big health results; getting a brighter smile and sexier skin.

Power ballads exist to climax. I use that final word, in all its lascivious glory, for the obvious reasons. Created to accommodate "soft" emotion in hard rockers, these flash-pot-fueled show-stoppers have to be as uncontainable as juvenile delinquent rock itself. From "Dream On" onward, that's meant one thing: an explosive ending in which the band, and especially the singer, pump blood into the vulnerability they've expressed by pushing themselves into unstoppable overdrive, straining at the song's seams, and finally breaking through with a swoon that obliterates everything else.

Seth Rogen and Michelle Rodriguez toasting with James Franco at a special preview of Franco's new bar the Writer's Room, attached to Hollywood's supper club.... Artist Claire Rojas unveiled a new show at Sunset Boulevard's Prism gallery last Saturday, attended by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Michael Stipe, Adrien Brody, Russell Simmons, James Van Der Beek, Rachel Zoe and Jeffrey Deitch.... Adam Lambert dancing up a storm at the soft open of Mr. H at the Mondrian Hotel. Gerard Butler, Gabrielle Union, Mickey Rourke and Javier Bardem all stopped by the concept space last weekend, which we hear becomes a permanent space in the spring.

The decision by ABC to cancel Adam Lambert's upcoming appearance on the late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and to remove him from the potential roster of New Year's Rockin' Eve performers continued to create controversy Thursday, as a conservative Christian group defended its decision to protest Lambert's sexually suggestive performance last month at the American Music Awards. The Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm closely tied to the late Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Virginia and provides legal assistance in defense of what it calls "Christian religious liberty, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family," filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over Lambert's controversial performance at the AMAs.

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Pop idol Adam Lambert kissed a man on national television on Sunday night. Now ABC has given Lambert the kiss-off, and CBS has embraced him. Apparently responding to hundreds of viewer complaints following Lambert's racy performance during Sunday's "American Music Awards" telecast on ABC, the network canceled its plans for a Lambert-headlined concert that would have aired on ABC's "Good Morning America" program today. The network reported on Monday that it had received about 1,500 complaints about Lambert's number, in which he kissed a male keyboard player and another dancer placed his face in Lambert's crotch during a performance of his song "For Your Entertainment" (the latter bit was edited out for the West Coast broadcast)

"Do I look like a firework?" Adam Lambert cooed from the stage at Gridlock's fourth annual New Year's Eve bash. "That was my motivation." Sporting his signature finger-less gloves and going a little heavier on the usual glitter and guyliner allotment, the "American Idol" runner-up had his work cut out for him at the Paramount Pictures lot Thursday night: executing his first full set of original music in front of about 4,500 revelers, each of...

The Early Show Ayla Brown performs; John Crowley. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Corinne Bailey Rae; Sharon Osbourne; Travis Payne. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Rosie O'Donnell; Josh Duhamel ("When in Rome"). (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Guest co-host Martin Short; Josh Duhamel ("When in Rome"). (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Alicia Silverstone; Laura Linney; stress.

After taking heat from Adam Lambert's fans and gay advocates for a week, ABC on Friday extended an olive branch of sorts to the "American Idol" runner-up who made headlines with his provocative performance last month at the American Music Awards in which he kissed a male musician. ABC canceled Lambert's scheduled appearances on "Good Morning America" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and stopped considering him for "New Year's Rockin' Eve," which drew thousands of complaints from viewers and gay advocates who believed the network was retaliating against him because he is gay. On Friday night, Lambert took to Twitter, where he first announced the cancellations, to tell his fans that he will appear on "The View" next Thursday.

A list of upcoming shows across the Southland, with on-sale dates in parentheses. Hollywood Palladium Faith No More, Dec. 1 (Fri.) Music Box Beats Antique, Oct 30 (now); Needtobreathe, Dec. 10; Old 97s, Jan. 21 (Sat.) Fox Theater Pomona Brandon Flowers, Nov. 9 (Fri.) Club Nokia Kelis, Nov. 19; OK Go, Nov. 27; Adam Lambert, Dec. 16 (Fri.); K-Ci & JoJo and Dru Hill, Nov. 11 (Sat.) El Rey Theater Fitz & the Tantrums, Nov. 17; Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Nov. 27; Kina Grannis, Dec. 10 (Sat.

Here are a few things to consider about Ellen DeGeneres: She became a stand-up comedian when that was rare for a woman. She has starred in three shows -- two prime-time comedies and a daytime talk show -- named after her. She voiced an animated character so popular that aquariums across the country have special Dory and Nemo exhibits. She is the first major female star not only to come out publicly (on " The Oprah Winfrey Show," which is as public as it gets) but also to then have her television character come out as well.

The Early Show Ayla Brown performs; John Crowley. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Corinne Bailey Rae; Sharon Osbourne; Travis Payne. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Rosie O'Donnell; Josh Duhamel ("When in Rome"). (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Guest co-host Martin Short; Josh Duhamel ("When in Rome"). (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Alicia Silverstone; Laura Linney; stress.

"Do I look like a firework?" Adam Lambert cooed from the stage at Gridlock's fourth annual New Year's Eve bash. "That was my motivation." Sporting his signature finger-less gloves and going a little heavier on the usual glitter and guyliner allotment, the "American Idol" runner-up had his work cut out for him at the Paramount Pictures lot Thursday night: executing his first full set of original music in front of about 4,500 revelers, each of...

The Early Show David Archuleta. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today James Cameron; Nicole Kidman; Mary Steenburgen. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Guest co-host Anderson Cooper; Colin Firth. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Charles Gibson; Ashley Dupre (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Doctors 11 a.m. KCAL The Dr. Oz Show 11 a.m. KTTV Rachael Ray Cesar Millan ("Dog Whisperer")

Adam Lambert is not being targeted because he is a gay male ["Clash Over 'Idol's' Kiss," by Maria Elena Fernandez, Dec. 4]. What parents -- liberal or conservative, gay or straight -- wanted their kids to see that performance? My objections to his performance are about aggressive sexuality, not homosexuality. After having been a huge fan of Lambert since I first saw him perform, I was completely disappointed in how he decided to spend his big moment, and I was so happy I had not kept my 7- and 10-year-old kids up to see the end of the American Music Awards show.

It was the strangest thing. During this week's "American Idol" elimination round, a truism briefly came true. For the 12 or so minutes when the show's three top stars-in-training actually performed, this was a singing competition, maybe for the first time this year. But it became so in ways more subtle and meaningful than that usually empty phrase implies.

Out of the tens of thousands who queued up before dawn last summer for a chance at the golden ring on "American Idol," it will come down to a head-to-head match between San Diego's Adam Lambert and Arkansas native Kris Allen. The two advanced Wednesday night after the elimination of initial favorite Danny Gokey and will vie next week to become the eighth "Idol" champion.

After taking heat from Adam Lambert's fans and gay advocates for a week, ABC on Friday extended an olive branch of sorts to the "American Idol" runner-up who made headlines with his provocative performance last month at the American Music Awards in which he kissed a male musician. ABC canceled Lambert's scheduled appearances on "Good Morning America" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and stopped considering him for "New Year's Rockin' Eve," which drew thousands of complaints from viewers and gay advocates who believed the network was retaliating against him because he is gay. On Friday night, Lambert took to Twitter, where he first announced the cancellations, to tell his fans that he will appear on "The View" next Thursday.