The TV Column

Thinning the herd to 24 begins on Idol tonight

Thomas Stringfellow (left) of Bentonville (formerly North Little Rock) shines at Group Round during Hollywood Week of American Idol.
Thomas Stringfellow (left) of Bentonville (formerly North Little Rock) shines at Group Round during Hollywood Week of American Idol.

American Idol finally gets serious at 7 p.m. today on Fox with Round 4 of Hollywood Week.

What? It hasn't been serious so far? Not really. All those audition rounds (including Little Rock) with their "Golden Tickets" and "You're going to Hollywood!" were just to generate interest and give us a taste of the competition.

In fact, some of the past winners (including Conway's Kris Allen) had little or no face time during their audition and Hollywood weeks. It wasn't until the herd was winnowed down to the Top 24 that we got to really see who had a chance.

That's what happens tonight.

A couple of months after the auditions, the contestants gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for their date with the cold, cruel reality of the series. Almost half the contestants were sent packing after the first round, when they lined up in groups of 10 to be judged one more time by Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban.

Round 2 is perhaps the cruelest of all. That's when the survivors form groups of three or four, stay up all night to rehearse and have to shine or go home. There's always plenty of drama as the more self-centered refuse to play well with others.

The hopefuls continued with solo performances and will be culled to the Top 24 tonight -- reportedly 13 gals and 11 guys this season. We'll get to see those sing beginning Wednesday.

Sleepy Hollow. The struggling Fox fantasy drama returns from its long winter break at 7 p.m. Friday. Note the new day and time. What does it mean when a series shifts from Thursday to Friday? It's usually the exit ramp to cancellation.

Granted, the networks have to put something on the air on Fridays, but they are generally older-skewing series (Hawaii 5-0, Blue Bloods) where the need to advertise to younger folks doesn't matter that much.

When last we saw Sleepy Hollow on Nov. 19, only 2.8 million watched. The series is averaging an anemic 3.24 million so far in eight outings of Season 3, which is set for 18 episodes.

Second Chance. But wait. Fox might actually be attempting to package a Friday night worth watching. Sleepy Hollow is followed by the fourth episode of Second Chance, an innovative new series that involves science fiction, fantasy, family drama, romance and police procedures.

In Friday's episode, a past case becomes relevant as Pritchard (Robert Kazinsky) and Duval (Tim DeKay) investigate murders involving young prodigies. In addition, Pritchard becomes a confidential informant for the FBI.

Project Runway: Junior. Part 2 of the season finale airs at 8 p.m. today on Lifetime. The precocious teen designers put the final touches on their collections and send them down the runway at New York Fashion Week. The winner is then chosen, a big deal is made and we promptly forget who these young people are.

Food Network stuff. I have a couple of co-workers who watch very little else than what's on Food Network. I rarely go there myself, but here's a heads up about a new series premiering Friday.

Guy and Hunter's European Vacation debuts at 9 p.m. Friday. In the half hour series, Guy Fieri and his eldest son, Hunter, visit Athens, Greece, to learn the secrets to making the perfect gyro.

Moving on to Crete, the duo experiences lobster fishing on the Mediterranean, sheep milking in the countryside and a family style Greek dinner.

Food Network fans have seen Hunter grow up on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy's Big Bite. For his high school graduation, Guy gave his son a "vacation" to 13 cities in seven countries.

There will be five episodes in the series. In addition to Greece, the boys will cover delicacies from England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Michael Jackson. If you're a fan of the late pop singer, check out the debut of Spike Lee's Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall. The two-hour documentary debuts at 8 p.m. Friday on Showtime and "shows the evolution of the artist, as well as the cultural significance and lasting impact of his first adult solo album, 1979's Off the Wall."

On that album were several future classics -- Grammy winner "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Rock With You," "She's Out of My Life" and "Girlfriend."

The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:

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Weekend on 02/04/2016

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