Even by Hollywood standards, “Idol Gives Back” is a large-scale project.
It will be a big stage and big stars, trying to raise big money.
“It’s a different kind of show,” says producer Ken Warwick.
That starts with a semi-typical “American Idol” hour, at 7 p.m. Tuesday on KDVR-Channel 31. The next night it moves to Disney Hall in Los Angeles for two hours of music, comedy and more.
“You have the biggest show on television making a real effort to change the world,” says Mark Shriver, head of U.S. operations for Save the Children, one of the recipients of donations from the show.
Shriver, 43, is accustomed to the link between celebrity and charity. The son of Sargent and Eunice Shriver, he’s seen his family and his Kennedy kin propel the Special Olympics.
“Idol Gives Back,” however, will try to go beyond that.
On one level it will aim for emotion. “Over 30 million people are going to see vignettes that will open their hearts,” Shriver says.
On another it will try for fun. “These kind of shows can be a little bit depressing if you’re not careful,” Warwick says.
He plans to have lots of music – Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Rascal Flatts, Pink, Il Divo, Michael Buble, Annie Lennox, Josh Groban – and more. “There is a certain amount of humor,” Warwick says.
Yes, humor. That reflects Richard Curtis, who has pushed the idea.
Curtis, 51, would seem to be your standard writer of British silliness. He wrote the “Mr. Bean” and “Blackadder” shows for TV, then went on to such movies as “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love, Actually” and “Notting Hill.” Last year, Curtis detoured. HBO’s “The Girl in the Cafe” was a light romantic comedy that doubled as a plea for the rich nations to do more for Third World countries.
“Richard’s genius is that he can do a show that brings this to light in a real and entertaining way,” Shriver says.
In England, Curtis created a fundraising project called Red Nose Day. Then came the idea of an expansion.
“Richard Curtis … came over and said it would be so great if we could get it up and running,” Warwick says. “So we decided … to put it together.” An overall Charity Projects Entertainment Fund was created, which will fund money to at least eight organizations.
Some focus on Africa, where people face crises in AIDS, malaria and infant death. “Idol” judge Simon Cowell and host Ryan Sea-
crest visited there.
Others focus on the U.S. where “one in five children (grows) up in poverty in the richest nation in the world,” Shriver says.
Randy Jackson, an “Idol” judge, suggested that some segments be filmed in portions of Louisiana hit by Hurricane Katrina, Warwick says. “He comes from Baton Rouge so it was close to his heart.” “Idol Gives Back” will show films of that while mixing in the regular “American Idol” week.
