Katharine McPhee Guest Stars on LG15

[milowent]

Not a thread i thought i would ever see!

Per jayhenry:

According to the Associated Press it's true.

Katharine McPhee, runner-up on Season 5 of American Idol will guest star on a soon-to-be-released episode of Lonelygirl15.

AP on McPhee in LG

I'm not much of an American Idol fan myself, but this is pretty exciting news for the series, I think. Everybody'll have to buy McPhee's new album to show their support!

wow, this should generate some huge publicity. this is AP article that will probably run in papers all over. it really lends some credibility to lg15 that someone would want to do this. the fact that mcphee's new song will play during the episode, well, that's what happens these days. i have to laugh.

Katharine McPhee to guest star on "Lonelygirl15" Web series
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - The Internet serial "Lonelygirl15" will get star treatment Friday when American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee plays a guest role.

McPhee was an early fan of the show, which unravels the mystery of a 16-year-old girl named Bree in short video segments posted on YouTube, Revver and an official Web site.

"I followed it from the beginning," McPhee told The Associated Press. "I thought it would be fun to meet all those characters."

McPhee's management contacted the creators of the Web series about a guest spot. The writers had already been devising a female character who briefly meets Bree and had been searching for ways to cast fans as characters. They readily agreed to cast McPhee in the nonrecurring role.

"She has an album coming out and thought it would be fun to go on the show," said Lonelygirl15 co-creator Miles Beckett.

A song from McPhee's debut album, which hits stores Jan. 30, will be featured as background music on Friday's Webisode, although McPhee will not be seen singing.

Instead, the 22-year-old will play an unnamed character who meets Bree and her friends after they briefly emerge from hiding. The episode, entitled "Truth or Dare," was filmed last week. McPhee did not get paid for her role.

McPhee said she enjoyed the experience, especially the natural way she was able to deliver her lines. The show, though scripted, is shot in the form of a journal, where characters speak off the cuff into a Web camera.

McPhee said she learned some upcoming twists and turns of the closely-guarded plot, but laughed when asked to share them.

"No!" she said, adding she would love to reprise her role.

"I would definitely go back if they asked me," she said.

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Pic of McPhee if you don't know who she is:



could she be .... CASSIE? just kidding ...

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UPDATE: The Creators posted about it at the phorum:

www.lonelygirl15.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5270

Hey everyone,

Exciting news! Katharine McPhee from American Idol will be guest appearing in an episode of lonelygirl15 this Friday. She was a fan of the show (just like all of you) and she contacted us about being in an episode. There was an opportunity to have her play a character we had already planned out so it worked perfectly. It was really fun filming with her and we think you'll like it a lot. We plan on doing more things like this in the future to increase the profile of the show and strengthen the viewership. Thanks!

hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PEOPLE_MCPHEE?SITE=CAOAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The Creators

[Terryfic]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpraJYnbVtE

[hyemew]

Are you serious about that Terryfic? For once ALMOST all of Rancor Cove agrees on something the Creators did, but you are throwing a wrench in the works!

I personally love the idea as LG15 is in desperate need of publicity lately. Furthermore, it's not like she's becoming a returning character or anything, she's making a quick apperance and leaving. She's not even that famous, you can probably close your eyes and imagine she's a regular girl and let the plot continue as normal. I personally see no problem with this at all, if for no other reason for the continuity of lg, as we all can tell this sinking ship needs some sort of preserver.

[Terryfic]

Because I am lazy let’s do this in point form.

- casting people based on possible publicity instead of talent is everything that is wrong with Hollywood

- every attempt so far to increase LG viewership has been detrimental to the overall quality of the show

- I cannot recall a single ‘celebrity’ guest star that has ever improved any show, ever.

- American Idol, come on, that should be enough of a detractor in and of itself

- I can never support the dilution of quality of a product in order to make it sell better.

- This is good news for the creators, bad news for LG

[curiousgeorge]

I don't know this chick, and I detest reality TV shows (I had to pause on writing that last sentence, but I decided to let it stand, in the irony category) but I do think this was a good move.

Compared to all the other HORRID things they have done to wreck the show, this is not a big deal and will probably help it continue.

[Terryfic]

I think it is another step in the direction of letting the marketing control the content and that will result in a show which is unwatchable.

[VanillaFlava]

First of all, Katherine who?

So, she's promoting her single, this is probably a one-off attention spike due to Katherine fans tuning in. The only thing to sustainably increase viewership is to actually deliver a product worth viewing ...

Promoting LG15 in it's current random, totally non-accessible to new viewers shape with this guest appearance will do pretty much nothing for the show, I suspect.

Could have made sense if they kicked of a totally new, and actually accessible story arc with this PR event. But do you think this is happening?

Second of all:

McPhee said she learned some upcoming twists and turns of the closely-guarded plot

In fact so closely guarded that it is only made up the second the camera is turned on. I shouldn't be posting this I guess, because The Order probably had cameras installed in my brain last week.

I'm with Terry on this one.

I wish they would just wipe the slate clean and start fresh. They are losing themselves in their own byzantine, convoluted plot mess. I don't think it bears much resemblance to Lost at all, because at least on that show some threads are resolved and foreshadowing leads to revelations. Sure, they still pile on more, but at least they also shovel it off every once in a while. And at the very least, their mysteries have a veneer of originality. Whether they are all storytelling bliss remains to be seen, I totally agree, but at least they are not feeding us non-ceremonies and a convenient world-conspiracy. Heck, LG15 can't even get some sizzling platonic love action going. I think if any comparisons have to be made LG15 is more like 8th season X-Files.

I'll still think that Alien Bounty Hunters would kick the Watcher's asses though

Where's Bobby Ewing when you need him?

*tosses two euro cent into the Let's Do The Time Warp Again fundraiser jar*

[lesbrent]

I'm with Terry and Vanilla too. I don't think she's much of a star to change much or promote viewership that much. She's doing it for free publicity for herself - if anything LG viewers are in her "target demographic" and SHE will be the one getting more fans. I don't see it as a symbiotic relationship at all. Now if we were talking a true A lister, that might mean more fans.

I do wonder if the creators got their much seeked after sponsership. And if so, who and when will we start seeing ads?

[milowent]

Katharine McPhee is hawtt. She's in one episode. She'll draw in some more viewers. There is really nowhere to go but up.

Terry said: "I cannot recall a single ‘celebrity’ guest star that has ever improved any show, ever."

Even the Beach Boys on Full House?

[curiousgeorge]

Just a little social observation: It's nice to see that we can muster a little debate here. I have felt for quite a while that our little enclave of LG sanity was a little too cloistered and that we all merely marched in lock-step to the same drummer. I am not advocating flame wars or the like, it just seems good to me that we can agree to disagree in a healthy manner.

Now, if Katharine McPhee shows up as a merperson, alien, tri-sexual Zombie then we could all agree that would be fan interaction at it's best. Or Cassie. Or all of the above. Hee!

[Smashing]

I somehow agree with...everyone? She is definitely hawt, and I look forward to her appearance, but it also symbolizes everything that's wrong with the production. They are popular enough to get a low-level celebrity to guest star, but desperate enough that they need whatever attention a low-level celebrity guest star can bring. Now that they are setting this precedent, could it start a trend of other B, C, and D list celebrities appearing on the show? Probably not, but I wish it would, if just for the humor value. Forget the Beach Boys on Full House, I want to see Dave Coulier on LG! or even the Beach Boys on LG. Brian Wilson might be brain damaged enough to accept.
As for other great guest appearances, let's not forget the Harlem Globe Trotters on Gilligan's Island.
Ha...You can have a lot more suspension of disbelief if it's a comedy.

[milowent]

smashing said:

Now that they are setting this precedent, could it start a trend of other B, C, and D list celebrities appearing on the show? Probably not, but I wish it would, if just for the humor value.

[curiousgeorge]

There are not enough exalts in the world for that last post...

[flwright]

Thanks for making my day, Milo, exalt!

FLWright

PS And despite my snarkiness in another post, I really, really like Ms. McPhee. Her Somewhere over the Rainbow is top drawer!