Littleton singer Aubrey Collins is on ABC’s “The One,” but we may never know if she could win the “American Idol” meets “Real World” rip-off. The show’s first two outings last Tuesday and Wednesday drew such low numbers it was almost like no one was watching. It went from a 1.1 on Tuesday to a 1.0 on Wednesday, earning ABC its worst night of the year. Media Life magazine notes that Wednesday may end up the lowest-rated night in ABC history among viewers 18 to 49.
Collins, 18, started out in Colorado as a country singer, switching to rock when Nashville shrugged. She rocked around Denver for a bit, earning a good bit of praise.
On “The One,” Collins is one of 11 chosen to compete and live in the same “Real World” house. Each week, one contestant is eliminated. Collins made the cut Wednesday.
“The One” is also playing up the relationships in the house, with all the attention going to Collins and Nick Brownell, a goofy frat-boy type. In the first two shows, they move from tickle fights to kissing and cuddling, all the while Collins saying she has a boyfriend on the outside. Uh-oh. On stage, Collins sang a fairly flat if exuberant “Born to Be Wild,” then Brownell sang “Let’s Get It On.” Hoo boy. The judges gave her mixed reviews.
It doesn’t look like Collins would go all the way with this group anyway (well, maybe with Nick), but if this week’s numbers stay so pathetic, the show’s going away before anybody gets to win.
I want my HBO
HBO Comedy Festival is returning to Aspen Feb. 28-March 4. It changed its name from U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, which it carried for 12 funny years, to HBO Comedy Festival. Bob Crestani is CEO of the comedy fest both in Aspen and the new one in Las Vegas, which debuted last November.
The name change makes it more of an HBO project, says Crestiani, but the fest itself should look familiar to people who come back year after year.
“Every year we morph it,” he says. “Each of our festivals have their own personality.”
Look for HBO to get into broadcasting elements of comedy fests through new media, says Crestiani – cable, webcasting, podcasting.
Stills on the stump
Stephen Stills showed up as promised Wednesday night at Hal Haddon’s swank offices for a funder for congressional hopeful Ed Perlmutter. Rumors swirled that Neil Young might join him, but nope. Stills sang three CS&N ditties and schmoozed the crowd.
David Crosby and his wife were spotted at Barnes & Nobel on the 16th Street Mall last week. She was raising a stink because they wouldn’t sell her a copy of “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” because both copies in stock were on hold. They left, helplessly hoping.
City spirit
The National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice was at the Adam’s Mark for three days, ending Thursday. The 1,000-strong group has booked its convention here for multiple years. “They love this place,” says Rich Grant at the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. They also rented two double-decker buses on Tuesday for a tour of Aurora bars … Check out Sarah Siegel-Magness on bravotv.com’s preview of “Work Out,” a new reality show based in Jackie Warner’s celebrity Hollywood fitness center. Jumping out of a private jet, Magness says, “When you have a busy schedule and don’t have the time to mess around – and Jackie’s the real deal.” The show premiered on Bravo on July 19th… Sez who: “The reason I drink is because when I’m sober I think I’m Eddie Fisher.” Dean Martin
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-820-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com.
This story has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, it gave an incorrect premiere date for Bravo’s “Work Out” series.
