Jordin Sparks

SERIES Community: Interlopers ramp up the drama at Greendale's paintball tournament in the season finale (8 p.m. NBC). The Vampire Diaries: While watching "Gone With the Wind," Damon (Ian Somerhalder) finds memories of Katherine (Nina Dobrev) from 1864 mixing in with the reality of present-day Elena (Dobrev again) in the season finale (8 p.m. KTLA). American Idol: Jordin Sparks performs in this results episode (8 p.m. Fox). CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Langston (Laurence Fishburne)

The Early Show (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Wrestler Henry Cejudo; 3 Doors Down; chef Lourdes Castro; Denise Richards; Jordin Sparks. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Tori Spelling. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Sofía Vergara; OneRepublic performs. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Tom Bergeron. (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Talk Giuliana and Bill Rancic; chef Ludo Lefebvre. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS Dr. Phil A recovering addict and his mother return to try to help a young woman hooked on drugs.

The Early Show (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Wrestler Henry Cejudo; 3 Doors Down; chef Lourdes Castro; Denise Richards; Jordin Sparks. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Tori Spelling. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Sofía Vergara; OneRepublic performs. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Tom Bergeron. (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Talk Giuliana and Bill Rancic; chef Ludo Lefebvre. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS Dr. Phil A recovering addict and his mother return to try to help a young woman hooked on drugs.

SERIES Community: Interlopers ramp up the drama at Greendale's paintball tournament in the season finale (8 p.m. NBC). The Vampire Diaries: While watching "Gone With the Wind," Damon (Ian Somerhalder) finds memories of Katherine (Nina Dobrev) from 1864 mixing in with the reality of present-day Elena (Dobrev again) in the season finale (8 p.m. KTLA). American Idol: Jordin Sparks performs in this results episode (8 p.m. Fox). CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Langston (Laurence Fishburne)

Media theorist Marshall McLuhan once stated that anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either. If only he were alive and on hand at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, where creme de la creme teen-pop performers Jordin Sparks and Jesse McCartney beautifully illustrated his point. First lesson: Things on TV are not always as they appear; occasionally, they are better.

NBC announced Monday that "Undercovers," a new spy drama from Abrams ("Lost," "Fringe") and Josh Reims ("Brothers and Sisters"), is the network's first scripted series pickup for the 2010-11 season. The deal marks Abrams' first association with NBC. The show centers on the lives of married ex-CIA agents Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw) as they find themselves getting pulled back into the business. —Yvonne Villarreal Investing in arts leadership The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the largest private donation in its history Monday: a $22.5-million gift from Dick and Betsy DeVos to endow a management training program for arts leaders.

WHIRLING through pop's history faster than a time-traveling phone booth, this year's "American Idol" finale was Blake & Jordin's Excellent Adventure. Tony Bennett actually sang, after pleading sick a few weeks ago -- awesome! Sanjaya rocked out with Joe Perry -- heinous! Doug E. Fresh gave Blake a beat-boxing lesson. Green Day showed him what good fake-punk hair looks like -- totally rad!

The Times' pop music critics' take on "American Idol": The most palpable emotion inside Walt Disney Concert Hall during Wednesday's two-hour "Idol Gives Back" special was the collective gasp from the 1,600 onlookers when Ryan Seacrest told Chris Richardson he was safe after America cast some 70 million votes following Tuesday night's competition, briefly, and cruelly, letting fans think that 17-year-old Jordin Sparks had been booted.

IT'S a bigger mystery than who cuts Simon Cowell's hair: Why aren't "American Idol's" complete voting results ever released? Viewers discover each week which unlucky singer is getting the boot, of course. But one of the main complaints about "Idol's" phone-in balloting is that the show has never published precise voting totals, not even at season's end, when such information would be in no danger of swaying perceptions that could alter the competition.

Paula Abdul has lined up her first post-"American Idol" gig: She'll be hosting this year's "VH1 Divas" ceremony. Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis and Miley Cyrus are slated to perform on the Sept. 17 show, which will unfold at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Howard Gilman Opera House in New York. -- Denise Martin

NBC announced Monday that "Undercovers," a new spy drama from Abrams ("Lost," "Fringe") and Josh Reims ("Brothers and Sisters"), is the network's first scripted series pickup for the 2010-11 season. The deal marks Abrams' first association with NBC. The show centers on the lives of married ex-CIA agents Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw) as they find themselves getting pulled back into the business. —Yvonne Villarreal Investing in arts leadership The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the largest private donation in its history Monday: a $22.5-million gift from Dick and Betsy DeVos to endow a management training program for arts leaders.

Media theorist Marshall McLuhan once stated that anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either. If only he were alive and on hand at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, where creme de la creme teen-pop performers Jordin Sparks and Jesse McCartney beautifully illustrated his point. First lesson: Things on TV are not always as they appear; occasionally, they are better.

WHIRLING through pop's history faster than a time-traveling phone booth, this year's "American Idol" finale was Blake & Jordin's Excellent Adventure. Tony Bennett actually sang, after pleading sick a few weeks ago -- awesome! Sanjaya rocked out with Joe Perry -- heinous! Doug E. Fresh gave Blake a beat-boxing lesson. Green Day showed him what good fake-punk hair looks like -- totally rad!

The Times' pop music critics' take on "American Idol": The most palpable emotion inside Walt Disney Concert Hall during Wednesday's two-hour "Idol Gives Back" special was the collective gasp from the 1,600 onlookers when Ryan Seacrest told Chris Richardson he was safe after America cast some 70 million votes following Tuesday night's competition, briefly, and cruelly, letting fans think that 17-year-old Jordin Sparks had been booted.

FINALLY, we have on stage, as the winner of "American Idol," a healthy, well-nourished young woman, Jordin Sparks, and The Times calls her "oddly matronly" ["A New American Spirit," by Ann Powers, May 24]. To those concerned about young women's eating disorders, this remark is a setback. What a mistaken signal to our wholesome young musicians. CHERIE ROUSE Loma Linda