“Stone Cold” Steve Austin returns to guest host Monday Night Raw on a night he’s decreed WrestleMania Rewind Night, featuring Triple H vs. Randy Orton, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. HBK, and John Cena vs. Unified Tag Champion Big Show.”

“Before Mr. McMahon and Bret “Hit Man” Hart make history in the ring at WrestleMania, the two will sign the contract for their epic encounter on Raw … with both men’s longtime rival, guest host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, presiding.”

– While WWE has publicly downplayed fear that TNA iMPACT! represents any sort of threat on Mondays and even allowed TNA to air the final few minutes of last Monday’s overrun uncontested, sources say the company is still closely monitoring what the number two wrestling promotion does. A ProWrestling.net report said that iMPACT! was being shown on a number of the television monitors backstage as WWE kept tabs on its competition.

The disappointing rating for last week’s show, which featured far more promotional amunition than will be the norm, might, however, assure WWE that it need not carry any short-term worry.

– Bret Hart spoke to Canada AM regarding WWE WrestleMania 26 recently, assuring fans that he is “very careful” about what he does and that no one need fear any physical ramifications of his match with Vince McMahon. The video, available here via CTV, also features “The Hitman” discussing the decision to make amends with WWE, relying on the same talking points he has delivered in virtually all of his recent media interviews.

– “Illusionist” Criss Angel, who hosted this past Monday’s edition of RAW, said Sunday that he was originally slated to have a more physical role on the show.

“Inside scoop - I was supposed 2 do something in the ring at Raw but a few days be4 it got cancelled 4 my safety - it would have been awesome,” Tweeted Angel.

“Alice” grossed an estimated $62 million this weekend. Down less than 47% from last week’s debut take, the film wiped the floor with the competition.

New release “Green Zone” was closest, landing in second with $14.5 million. That gave it the edge over “She’s Out of My League,” which started the weekend in fourth but, by Sunday, had moved up to third with $9.6 million.

After landing within modest expectations Friday, “Remember Me” lost some momentum Saturday and and Sunday and landed in fourth with just $8.3 million. “Shutter Island” surpassed new release “Our Family Wedding” ($7.6 million) for fifth, adding $8.1 million to a total that now stands above $100 million.

Weekend Top Ten:
1) Alice in Wonderland - $62 million ($208.6 million)
2) Green Zone - $14.5 million
3) She’s Out of My League - $9.6 million
4) Remember Me - $8.3 million
5) Shutter Island - $8.1 million ($108 million)
6) Our Family Wedding - $7.6 million
7) Avatar - $6.6 million ($730.4 million)
8) Brooklyn’s Finest - $4.3 million ($21.4 million)
9) Cop Out - $4.2 million ($39.2 million)
10) The Crazies - $3.7 million ($33.4 million)

“Alice” added another $17.4 million to its take, according to preliminary box office reports. Though down a hefty 57% from last Friday’s debut number, the gross was more than enough to give “Wonderland” the win and will undoubtedly lead it to another weekend box office victory.

“Green Zone” ranked the best of the new releases, pulling $5 million at the Friday box office. Robert Pattinson-starrer “Remember Me” opened with a modest $3.6 million for third place, a decent opening for a film of the mold but evidence that merely featuring the “Twilight” heartthrob will not be enough for a dominating box office performance.

Raunchy “She’s Out of My League” followed with $3.3 million Friday. Though not particularly impressive for a debuting comedy, the total was more than double that of “Sex Drive,” which came from the same writers in 2008.

New release “Our Family Wedding” landed in fifth with $2.5 million, although it handily defeated the more-widely-released “League” on a per-theatre basis.

While Goldberg has made it very clear he has no interest in returning as a wrestler, WWE hopes it can sign him to some sort of legends deal that would lead to his possible inclusion in video games and the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE wants to bring big past WCW names into the mix for next year’s HoF ceremony in Atlanta.

– Bret Hart is booked as a special guest enforcer for the Chris Jericho-Edge matches in Germany following WWE WrestleMania 26, so it appears he will work through the upcoming pay-per-view.

PWInsider.com confirmed Friday that iMPACT’s replay averaged a 0.97 rating with 1.3 million viewers, marking a very minor decline from Monday’s original airing (0.98, 1.4 million). While there have been past instances of a TNA iMPACT! replay generating a strong number, never has retention from the original been 99% in the cable household number and more than 90% in total viewers.

The issue raises one of the most disputed questions in television ratings analysis, as it is never clear why some programs seem to replay so well outside of their timeslot (The CW’s recently-abandoned Wednesday replay of “Life UneXpected” is another example–that airing was often pulling 80% of the original Monday audience and yet never produced additional viewers for the Monday showing). And regardless of the reason, almost all analysis would lead to a conclusion that next Monday’s airing, especially without a Thursday replay programmed into the lineup, should see a massive ratings boost, something that is almost definitely not going to happen.

If, for instance, viewers had been unaware that TNA was moving to Monday, the confusion should now be corrected. If, instead, viewers were watching to witness the unadvertised appearances from RVD and Jeff Hardy, that buzz, too, should lead to increased interest come the next episode on Monday as viewers await the follow-up.

But with Monday’s rating not likely to increase notably–and certainly not going to achieve the sum of the audiences from this past Monday and Thursday–the analysis effectively proves moot. The only true takeaway is the fact that there exists a loyal audience on Thursday, and had the original episode aired in that slot instead of Monday, it would have popped a rating far in excess of Monday’s 0.98.

Spike TV could spin the strong replay as evidence that viewers are curious about the weekly iMPACT! airing and will catch the show on DVR in the future, but even if that proves true, it still signals that going head-to-head with RAW is hurting the show’s audience.

Update: As an update to the above story, it seems TNA was internally concerned that such a high volume of viewers tuned into Thursday’s TNA iMPACT! replay, fearing that the Thursday showing cut into the Monday audience. TNA President Dixie Carter Tweeted, “TNA iMPACT! will NOT re-air on Thursdays. If you can’t watch LIVE Mondays 9-11pm ET on SPIKE, please DVR it. PLEASE RT.”

Lee Dewyze, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Andrew Garcia, Tim Urban, Lacey Brown, Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Paige Miles, Siobhan Magnus and Katie Stevens all attended the event, which also featured appearances from other FOX network personalities.

The group posed for photos at the event, some of which can be viewed below (click thumbnails for full size).

Eve, the film’s female lead and the subject of the title, and Keibler, who has long been linked to the movie’s supporting actor Geoff Stults, did everything right on the red carpet this week.

Which gorgeous actress looked more attractive?

The twelve finalists now prepare to move into the big “Idol” theatre as they aim to impress voters en route to a shot at winning the ninth “American Idol” competition.

Those remaining in the competition–Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Aaron Kelly, Casey James, Michael Lynche, Tim Urban, Crystal Bowersox, Lacey Brown, Didi Benami, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens and Siobhan Magnus–will tackle the songs of the Rolling Stones on next week’s live show.

That was the case Thursday, in which “Idol” reduced the pack of sixteen remaining semifinalists to a total of twelve finalists. An argument could be made that none of the four contestants deserved to go, but there was one elimination in particular that sent shockwaves through the “Idol” community.

The controversial elimination refers to the dismissal of Lilly Scott, who many had viewed as Crystal Bowersox’s only true rival at the top of the female “Idol” pack. Scott’s quirkiness and odd song selection always put her at risk of appealing to the masses, but consistently strong reviews for her performances removed her from discussion regarding a likely elimination at this stage.

So when Scott was announced as being eliminated instead of Katie Stevens and Paige Miles, both of whom struggled significantly Tuesday night, the reaction was that “Idol” voters had made a mistake.

Katelyn Epperly was the other female eliminated from the competition. While Katelyn’s elimination was not shocking given her subpar showing Tuesday, it still came across as disappointing given the potential she showed on “The Scientist” last week.

On the male side, “Idol” waved goodbye to Todrick Hall and Alex Lambert. Though Hall scored strong reviews for his “Somebody to Love,” he never really seemed to click with the fanbase, so his elimination was at least reasonably predictable. Alex Lambert’s vocal tone had been touted as one of the best in the competition, but because his performance style was not the most exciting or inviting, he too had trouble generating a passionate fanbase.

While no one can objectively claim that Lambert was worse than a contestant like Andrew Garcia, who delivered the night’s worst performance on “Genie in a Bottle,” Lambert suffered from the standard, “it’s better to be bad and interesting than decent but forgettable.” Voters, perhaps fearing Garcia was in danger, opted to go for the contestant who they had been rooting for since the auditions, rather than the one who only emerged as a threat in the semifinal portion of the competition.

Following Wednesday’s male performance show–the final performance show of the semifinals–only one remains at the top of the pack.

Michael Lynche, that successful contestant, absolutely blew the competition away with “This Woman’s Work.” Lynche has consistently been a strong singer, but prior to Wednesday night, he had never truly proven he deserved his immense fanbase and momentum. His performances had previously come across as a bit “loungey” and indulgent, but that all changed Wednesday. Lynche showed phenomenal vocal control and legitimate stage personality. This was not the big, funny guy working his class clown shtick–this was a legitimate star working the room like no one, male or female, has been able to do in this competition. Between the vocal prowess and the excitement, Lynche solidified himself as the real deal.

Garcia, on the other hand, was an absolute trainwreck on “Genie in a Bottle.” To Andrew’s credit, the horrible performance was not entirely his fault. The judges had spent the past two weeks berating him for not capturing the magic of his ironic Hollywood-round take on Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” so it seemed logical enough to transform another female pop song into a soulful, acoustic number. But it simply did not work this time, largely due to what Simon Cowell correctly identified as desperation. Whereas the Paula Abdul song represented a funny, surprising way for Garcia to show off his voice and performance style, there was nothing genuine about this performance. There was no connection to the lyrics and absolutely no sense that Andrew legitimately felt this performance would prove effective in showcasing his honest self. This was simply an insincere attempt at recreating the Hollywood magic, and it was thus doomed to failure regardless of how well he sang. The fact that the vocals were subpar made the nightmare even worse.

Elsewhere, semifinals standout Lee Dewyze took a few steps backwards with “Fireflies.” There was nothing wrong with the performance, and as some of the judges indicated, his rocker-take on the song actually improved upon the original and removed some of Owl City’s annoyance. But while the vocals were strong and the arrangement was interesting enough, the whole performance just came across as unnecessary. Lee’s take on “Chasing Cars” was not perfect vocally, but the changes he made to the song came across as honest and allowed him to tell a more emotional story. On “Lips of an Angel,” Lee was successful because he proved he has the voice, skills and self-awareness to stand out in the crowded post-grunge space. This week, however, it felt like Lee was simply trying to coast. Nothing about “Fireflies” expands upon the Lee Dewyze story, so while his confidence and vocal prowess still made it one of the night’s best, the whole thing was a bit disillusioning.

Todrick Hall cannot catch a break. Taking the judges’ recent criticism to heart, Hall refrained from making drastic arrangement changes and generally stayed with the original this week. The problem? He chose Queen’s bombastic “Somebody to Love.” The vocals were fantastic, although perhaps somewhat underwhelming–it was shocking to witness Todrick refrain from making a spirited attempt at the song’s classic “note.” The performance, however, was as dramatic and theatrical as one could possibly imagine if they learned Todrick Hall would be singing a Queen song. And that gave the judges fuel to knock the singer down a few pegs. The whole showing, nonetheless, was quite good, and it again proved that for all the heat the guy has been receiving, he is a legitimate talent.

As a side note, it was interesting to see “Idol” again dismiss the relevance of a “Glee”-like performance. Randy Jackson likened Todrick’s performance to the show as if it was an insult, ignoring the fact that for all the show’s quirks and theatrics, its two soundtrack albums were among the most successful records in recent memory. So, the show wholly proves that theatrical performers can record commercially-viable pop music.

Tim Urban continued his journey to escape the shadow of his horrendous opening week version of “Apologize” with a very pleasing rendition of “Hallelujah.” The arrangement was limited and underwhelming compared to the more notable cover versions of the song, but Tim nonetheless sang everything well and with true emotion. At this point, it seems crystal clear that Tim is incapable of a show-stopping, “moment” type performance, but he nonetheless remains a likable guy with a decent voice and a solid ability to connect to the lyrics.

Like Tim, Casey James and Alex Lambert were both solid in their relatively risk-free renditions of “You’ll Think of Me” and “Trouble,” respectively. Unlike the Urban underdog, however, neither did anything to make the performance pop. Casey’s rendition was dreary–he did little interesting vocally and never sold the performance in a way that would make the audience care. Alex was a bit more interesting, but he nonetheless failed when it came to showing any sign of ‘owning’ the song. Alex Lambert has one of the most unique and interesting voices in the entire competition this year, but little nuance came across this week, as he instead seemed to be chasing after the song. Whereas Alex Lambert’s performance last week made viewers feel and believe every lyric, this week’s showing just came across as an above-average karaoke performer trying to work the room.

Aaron Kelly wisely went back to pop-country with “I’m Already There,” but the performance ultimately panned out as nothing more than mediocre. Aaron is definitely becoming more confident and poised, but as far as the vocals were concerned, he struggled to exercise any control, as if he knew he was in way over his head. As the youngest male in the competition, Aaron brings a combination of honesty, vulnerability and likability that makes audiences want to ignore the vocals and just celebrate the fact that he is an entertaining kid with a great voice. But in actually criticizing the performance, one simply cannot deny that the singing did not make for a great “American Idol” performance. It was simply a mediocre one, as Aaron neither nailed all the notes nor conveyed any of the emotion behind the lyrics.

Top 8 Male Rankings
This is an assessment of performance quality; it is not a prediction of vote totals.
1) Michael Lynche
2) Todrick Hall
3) Lee Dewyze
4) Tim Urban
5) Casey James
6) Alex Lambert
7) Aaron Kelly
8) Andrew Garcia

Representing the movie, which features supporting appearances from Chris Jericho, MVP, Mark Henry, Big Show and The Great Khali, will be Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe.

– Speaking to F4WOnline.com, a WWE source reportedly confirmed Eric Bischoff’s claim that a Lloyd’s of London insurance policy risked getting in the way of Bret Hart’s WrestleMania match with Vince McMahon. The policy would have placed restrictions on the physical component of the match, and WWE officials were reportedly sweating when they learned it could put the match in jeopardy.

The issue has nonetheless been resolved–Bret Hart is scheduled to wrestle Vince McMahon at this year’s Super Bowl of wrestling.

After holding steady from week one to week two, NXT eroded viewers for its third airing, falling to a viewership average of just 1.298 million, according to Mediaweek. That amounts to a viewership decline of 25% from last week’s 1.73 million total.

Among adults 18-49, the drop was even more staggering. The show fell from a 0.6 to a 0.4, a decrease of 33%.

PWInsider.com is reporting the cable broadcast rating at a 1.0, down from the 1.24 for week two.

Essentially, that means NXT is now right where ECW was when WWE and SyFy decided an overhaul was needed.

The CW brought “90210″ and “Melrose Place” back Tuesday, and both posted disastrous ratings for the network. “90210,” which has already scored a third season renewal, averaged a series-low 0.8 adults 18-49 rating with just 1.68 million viewers. “Melrose Place,” very likely to be cancelled, followed with just a 0.5 and 1.19 million.

Scheduling an extended break between the fall finales and spring premieres clearly did not help revive The CW’s soaps, which had rapidly been bleeding momentum prior to the respective fall finales.

With “American Idol” limited to just one hour, FOX failed to top CBS in total viewers for the evening (it did, however, claim the adults 18-49 crown). “Idol’’s 22.61 million viewers and 8.2 rating led into a re-run of “Glee,” which scoerd a 3.0 with 7.83 million viewers.

CBS’ lineup included “NCIS” (19.5 million, 3.8), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (16.93 million, 3.5) and “The Good Wife” (13.91 million, 2.8).

A Ben Linus-centric episode of “Lost” gave ABC the demographic victory at 9PM with a 4.2 and 9.52 million viewers. “the forgotten” followed with a dismal 1.3 and 4.89 million.

NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” was solid but unspectacular with a 3.0 and 7.9 million viewers–its first hour, in particular, struggled against “American Idol” (a 2.6 with 6.96 million viewers). New series “Parenthood” dipped from last week’s premiere to a 2.6 rating with 6.07 million viewers.

Those individuals–Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott–were leagues above the rest of the competition and, barring some massive surprise, should enter the Top 12 with serious momentum.

If forced to select the night’s top performer, one would nonetheless find himself favoring Bowersox. The soulful singer absolutely nailed “Give Me One Reason,” injecting a surplus of emotion into the song as she took the vocals to a place they have never been. Simon Cowell once criticized Bowersox for resembling the average subway performer, and while there might have been some merit at the time, Crystal made it clear Tuesday that she is the real deal. From having a genuine identity to showcasing an edgy and effective voice to connecting passionately with the audience, she simply has been the most successful female performer to date.

Lilly Scott was not, however, far behind. Her quirky rendition of “I Fall to Pieces” was executed brilliantly, with the right combination of bluesy vocals and confident crowd interaction. Her song choices and overall style steer her clear of the mainstream, which always puts a contestant at risk of scoring with the mass voting audience, but from a talent perspective, she is easily one of the best contestants of either gender in the competition. Unlike so many of the females who have simply tried to emulate the 21st century jazz style that has brought success to singers like Duffy and Adele, Scott has her own style that is both genuine and controlled.

While Crystal and Lilly had the clear standout performances, it was not as if there were not other strong showings. Further, for the first time of the season, the judges were generally on the ball–absent were the blatant contradictions or wildly inconsistent critiques.

The only instance of the judges dropping the ball was on Didi Benami’s “Rhiannon.”

A mistake should not be made regarding that statement–Didi’s vocals were solid and absolutely gorgeous at various points. Nonetheless, the performance itself came across as detached and even painful at times–it is hard to see what made this so much better than her week one “The Way I Am.” Having clearly borrowed her entire look from Taylor Swift, Benami also mirrored the country-pop phenomenon’s “deer-in-headlights” facial expressions and stiff overall performance style. While the vocals were much better, one comparing Didi’s take on this song and Swift’s critically-panned Grammy rendition would have a tough time arguing that Benami came across like a better stage performer. And to win “American Idol,” one does need to outdo Taylor Swift from a performance standpoint.

The judges’ extraordinarily positive reaction will, however, do wonders for Didi. After generating buzz in Hollywood, Benami’s limped through the semifinals. On the first night in which she probably could have been in jeopardy, she earned a “wow” from Simon and absolutely secured herself a spot in the Top 12.

Lacey Brown, who, like Didi, has thus far failed to live up to the reputation she built in Hollywood, also made a big impact with “The Story.” There were still moments in which Lacey’s voice came across as “whiny,” and her awful choice of lipstick was rather distracting, but she definitely found a song that allowed her unique tone to click. Lacey’s haunting version of “What a Wonderful World” made a huge impact in Hollywood, and she again showed how instrumental her voice can be in making a song resonate. She did not own the performance the way Crystal and Lilly did, but this was a great rebound for her.

Siobhan Magnus, one of the weirdest contestants ever on “Idol,” continues to also be one of the show’s toughest to judge. Her vocals on “The House of the Rising Sun” were haunting and emotionally-loaded at times, but they were quite flawed and detrimental at others. Similarly, while she appears dialed into the lyrics and capable of conveying feeling, she absolutely has a tendency to get a bit blank, lost and predictable on stage. What it ultimately meant is that while Siobhan showed she has the power to be a true force in this competition, the performance was a bit too uneven to secure her a place as a frontrunner. But how voters will situate her as the competition gets more heated remains anyone’s guess.

Not all the performances were good. The night’s worst, unfortunately, involved a contestant who was on the verge of becoming a true force.

After entertaining the judges two weeks in a row, Paige Miles absolutely bombed on “Smile.” A song brought back into pop culture via a beautiful rendition on “Glee,” the classic just did not suit Miles at all. Paige never seemed emotionally connected, and from a vocally standpoint, the word “shaky” cannot even begin to describe how it went. Paige seriously appeared to be shivering at times, totally messing up the vocals and totally removing herself from the top of the pack.

Katelyn Epperly’s fall from grace was nearly as dramatic. After shocking the world last week with a mature version of “The Scientist” that put everyone on alert, she hit the stage with a brutal, “karaoke” version of “I Feel the Earth Move.” The vocals were passable, but the facials and stage antics were excessively gimmicky and the whole thing just failed to leave an impression–this was not a star’s performance. Most unfortunate about the performance is that Katelyn described this performance as her answer to Simon’s note that last week’s take on “Coldplay” was “corny.” “Corny,” interestingly, is probably the most apt adjective for describing this week’s performance.

It is impossible not to root for Katie Stevens. Unlike so many precocious young contestants in the past, the charming Katie Stevens actually looks and acts her age. Unfortunately, that positive becomes a negative when it comes time to own the stage. She again showed no ability to internalize a song, stumbling through a mediocre rendition of “Breakaway” that had far more vocal low points than high points. A contestant like Katie always goes in with a slight edge due to her rapport with youth voters, but as she is the only female remaining in the competition who has not yet had even ONE strong performance, she could be in trouble this week.

Headline Planet’s Top 8 Females Ranking:
Ranking based on performance quality, not on likelihood of elimination.
1) Crystal
2) Lilly
3) Lacey
4) Didi
5) Siobhan
6) Katelyn
7) Katie
8) Paige