MUSIC REVIEW: FLORIDA- R.O.O.T.S

PERSONALLY, I’M A FAN OF FLO-RIDA. I DIG HIS FLOW, & HIS SWAG ON WAX. HE KNOWS HE ISN’T SUPER LYRICAL, NOR DOES HE ATTEMPT TO BE. BUT HE DOES HAVE A GREAT BLEND OF COMMERCIAL & SUBSTANTIVE MUSIC ON HIS ALBUM, MUCH LIKE HE DID ON HIS FRESHMAN ALBUM, MAIL ON SUNDAY. SO CHECK IT THIS OTHER REVIEW, & THEN CHECK OUT HIS ALBUM. IT WON’T DISAPPOINT.

Flo Rida's 'R.O.O.T.S.'

From LL Cool J to Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, hip-hop always has prized larger-than-life icons whose alchemy of skills, style and swagger enabled them to scale the Billboard charts. But with rap finally submerged in the waters of the mainstream, it's only inevitable that it would emulate the superstar-as- cipher model pioneered by its pop kin.

"Right Round," Flo Rida's record-shattering, double-platinum first single from "R.O.O.T.S.," boasts production credits from Dr. Luke, the mastermind behind such smashes as Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." Interpolating Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," the song recasts rap as Hot Topic teen pop. It's a smart move. Gone are the illusions of hip-hop credibility that dogged "Mail on Sunday." In its stead, Flo Rida's Atlantic patrons have supplied him with billion-dollar beats, gluttonous hooks and a blinding chrome tint.

With an almost eerie facelessness, the Miami rapper inhabits the songs like Armani suits bought off the rack. He's enlisting a who's who of contemporary hit makers: will.i.am. and Akon ("Available,") Timbaland ("Touch Me,") Wyclef Jean ("Rewind,") Ne-Yo ("Be on You,") and Nelly Furtado ("Jump"). Flo Rida boasts an adroit double-timed flow, but his greatest achievement is his understanding of how to stay in the background, never overwhelming the electro-laced tracks.

Even the title song, a narrative of Flo Rida's gritty rise, is swathed in mammoth R&B hooks, baying ad-libs, dollar-sign synthesizers. There's an almost geometric symmetry to "R.O.O.T.S.' " pop precision, one that lends it a ruthless efficacy and anoints Flo Rida the first anonymous rap superstar.

-- Jeff Weiss

POP CULTURE: STYLE QUIZ PT. 2

Time for a quiz. Everyone loves a quiz, right? Haha. Well pump your brakes, this quiz is fun. No need to skip this post. This is for all you fashion freaks with a sense of history, & you professional guessers too. I’ll post one for the next two weeks, & we’ll track your progress. Have fun.

Dovima appeared in which Audrey Hepburn Film?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Sabrina

Funny Face

The Roman Holiday

Source: vogue

POP CULTURE: ACCIDENTAL CELEBRITY CAREERS

ACCIDENTS ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED NEGATIVE THINGS, RIGHT? RIGHT. WELL NOT IN THE CASE OF THESE SEVEN CELEBS. NO, NO, NO, THESE LUCKY BASTARDS LANDED THE BIG TIME WHILE NOT EVEN TRYING TO. GO FIGURE. LOL. ENJOY

Hollywood is filled with plenty of rags to riches stories. Jim Carey worked as a janitor, Demi Moore was a debt collector, Brad Pitt used to wear a chicken suit while handing out fliers and Sharon Stone worked (works?) at a McDonald's.

But some actors' beginnings can be attributed to not hard work, but sheer chance or accident. Such as...

Mel Gibson

Even though he's turned into a walking punchline the last few years, there's no denying Mel Gibson will go down as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history. His movies have made two billion dollars in the US alone and he's got two Oscars to go with it.

But Gibson's accidental stumble into stardom started in New York, where he was born (not Australia, as it turns out). Gibson's father, Hutton, filed a lawsuit against the city and won. After collecting his money, he moved his family to Australia. It was in this dingo-infested continent that a young Mel started to dabble in acting, and would get his big break due to a ridiculous, drunken stroke of luck.

What Happened?

Gibson went to the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. There he would perform in some stage productions, including the male lead in Romeo and Juliet, with Judy Davis as his co-star.

However, Gibson didn't consider a film career until a friend told him he needed a lift to audition for a movie. It was about a desolate, waste of a world in which gasoline is hunted by gay bikers.

Apparently, he still wasn't considering a film career, because the night before the audition, Gibson got into a drunken brawl at a bar. He dragged himself to the audition sporting a face full of fist shaped bruises. The director happened to catch sight of his sorry ass. Deciding that he already looked like he was living in a dystopian future, he asked him to come back because, as he put it, the film "needed freaks."

When Gibson did return, his wounds had healed into an unrecognizable mask of handsome manliness. The director asked Gibson to read for the only character who doesn't look like a blistered freak, and he landed the titular role in Mad Max , the franchise that would make him known around the globe.

Evangeline Lily

LOST is widely thought to have become a hit for two reasons: a twisting, confounding plot and an often-moist Evangeline Lilly.

After LOST debuted, Lilly immediately shot to the top of every list ever made to chart hotness, including Maxim's (twice) and FHM's. We guess she's a pretty good actress too, since she was nominated for a Golden Globe. Of course, all the fanfare could be short lived. Lilly announced that after LOST is over, she intends to put her career on hold and become a humanitarian.

What Happened?

Now usually when an actress claims to be a "humanitarian," it's because her agent had to explain to her that "vegetarian" is no longer socially-conscious enough, and "planetarium" is a type of building, and therefore also out of the question. But becoming a humanitarian isn't a stretch for Lilly. Before she was an actress, she was doing missionary work in the Philippines. After declining a two-year post, she became a flight attendant with Air Canada.

Things, however, changed one day when she was walking around Kelowna, British Columbia, and was spotted by a scout for the Ford modeling agency. She almost declined, but decided she needed the money to pay for school. While not actually doing any modeling for the company, she did do some acting for them

That's right: Kate, from LOST, used to star in phone sex ads in Canada. For a young ex-missionary, we'd imagine that starring in Canadian phone sex ads was as lonely and existentially terrifying as anything the LOST writers can think up to throw at her.

Marilyn Monroe

The quintessential blonde bombshell, Monroe was married to baseball great Joe DiMaggio, and romantically linked to the penises of men as famous as John F. Kennedy and Frank Sinatra (if you'd like to imagine an interlinking chain of penises here, we won't stop you). She posed nude for the first issue of some up-and-coming gentlemen's magazine called Playboy and showed up in some movies, too.

What Happened?

The original blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe was neither blonde nor named Marilyn Monroe, though her early career was closely linked to bombshells, oddly enough. Born a brunette named Norma Jeane Mortenson in LA, she spent her childhood moving between foster homes and orphanages.

When she grew up, Monroe worked at a munitions plant where she inspected parachutes and sprayed airplanes to make them fire retardant. It was at this plant that a photographer for YANK magazine (a publication intended to boost morale of troops overseas apparently through the magic of double entendres) snapped a photo of Monroe for the cover.

The photographer pointed out to her that she was smoking hot and had the kind of breasts that could change the world. So she took acting classes, cut and dyed her hair blond and became a legend.

So let that be a lesson: If some random guy shows up at your job and takes a picture of you, you should absolutely do whatever he says. He only wants what's best for you.

Rosario Dawson

If you're asking who Rosario Dawson is, then we feel sorry for you. Very sorry. But despite the misfortune of landing roles in The Adventures of Pluto Nash, The Rundown and Josie and the Pussycats, Dawson's built a pretty solid career.

Those shitty roles allowed her to later pick up parts in MIB II, Rent and she even showed us the goods in Alexander. Unfortunately she was wrestling a greased up Colin Farrell at the time, but the goods were, nevertheless, delightful. More roles in movies like Sin City, Grind House and Clerks II solidified her spot as an actress with some decent range.

What Happened?

Born in New York City to a 17-year-old mother, Dawson grew up in the Lower East Side, living by the ethos, in her own words: "If you wanted something better, you had to do it yourself." She may have picked up this ethos from her mom, as the apartment they grew up in was initially abandoned, and only became home when her mother broke into it. She may have a New York accent, a kickass body and a distinct absence of moonshine on her breath, but until the age of 17, Rosario Dawson was basically a hobo.

It should be noted, though, that when "something better" did come along, it had nothing to do with Rosario getting it herself. Rather, it had everything to do with her sitting on her extraordinarily sculpted ass in front of her (stolen) apartment.

While she was sitting on her front stoop, a photographer named Larry Clark, and a young screenwriter named Harmony Korine, walked up to her and told her that she would be perfect for one of the characters in his new screenplay. Try to keep in mind a few things about this exchange: Dawson had no acting experience whatsoever. Harmony Korine is the cracked-out mess in this Letterman interview. Larry Clark is a 66-year-old photographer whose favorite subjects are teenagers taking drugs and having sex. And guess what that screenplay she was just "perfect for" was about: One hundred odd pages jam packed with teenagers getting high and boning.

Instead of calling neighborhood watch, Dawson showed up to an audition, got the role and the movie ended up being Kids, launching her and Chloe Sevigny's careers at the same time. To any little girls reading this, we really can't stress enough how unlikely the ending to that story is. Forget a movie career, she's lucky she didn't end up in some impossibly creepy inter-generational version of Bang bus.

Pam Anderson

If Marilyn Monroe was our fathers' blonde bombshell, Pamela Anderson, no doubt, was ours. Many a young man remembers where they were when they first watched that glorious rack on a swing in Barb Wire (in their bedrooms with doors locked and shades pulled). As do they remember how many countless hours it took to download the grainy 10-second bits of her sex tape that were available online, only to witness Tommy Lee honking a boat horn with his dong.

Okay, okay, there's more to Pamela Anderson than her boobs and her questionable taste in men. She's worked with PETA on their anti-fur and vegetarian campaigns, and has participated in fundraisers to raise money in the fight against AIDS. So even if you still think she's just a big ol' pair of boobies, she at least has used said boobies for good and not evil.

What Happened?

Born somewhere in Canada, probably to a pack of Molson-drinking timber wolves, Anderson actually became famous for being Canada's Centennial Baby in 1967--the first baby born after the clock struck midnight on Canada's 100th birthday in which they celebrated banding together under one lunatic. Or something like that.

Upon graduating from high school, Anderson moved to Vancouver and became a fitness instructor. It was here that during a CFL game (that's Canadian Football League for anyone who cares) Anderson's image graced the jumbotron while she was wearing a Labatt's t-shirt. The crowd got one look at her legendary chest and freaked the hell out. She was brought down onto the field where she received a huge ovation. It's unclear if they kept playing the game at this point, or if anyone was coherent enough to notice, but we like to think that Canadian football games are called all the time for "crowd's inability to handle wicked hot girl shown on jumbotron."

Labatt's quickly signed her to a modeling contract and, soon, Hugh Hefner was knocking on her door to pose for his magazine. So, we guess there's something we can actually thank Canada for.

John Wayne

If Marilyn Monroe was the quintessential Hollywood Bombshell, John Wayne was the quintessential badass. Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, Sly Stallone; all of them took lessons from The Duke.

Wayne would make himself a staple in the Western genre by starring in such films as The Searchers, The Alamo and True Grit. He also made his rounds in the War genre with films like The High and the Mighty, Island in the Sky and The Green Berets, a pro-Vietnam film. That's right; he just didn't give a shit.

By the time he was done, he would appear in 171 movies over 50 years. That's like one movie every three months.

What Happened?

Born Marion Robert Morrison (we'd go with John Wayne, too), the Duke grew up in California after his family relocated there. Having a natural athletic ability, he played football for his high school team which won the state championship in 1924. He attended USC on a football scholarship and would've continued, if not for an unfortunate injury sustained during the impressively unmanly activity that is bodysurfing. Injured and unable to pay for school (he lost his scholarship), he dropped out of USC.

To make ends meet, Wayne applied for jobs at the local film studios in the area. Not as a silver screen badass, just doing any damned thing. He wound up getting a job working with the props department at Fox.

Whenever they needed extras for movies back then, they apparently just grabbed whoever was standing around. Because Wayne had the build of a football player he got early roles like "football player in background" and "football player on sideline." In 1931's The Deceiver he played a corpse.

But then he caught his big break. And as it often happens, his big break wasn't a role, but a person. Wayne became friends with legendary director John Ford, who pulled some strings and got Wayne his first leading role, and later cast him in Stagecoach. That movie made Wayne a star and gave birth to "The Duke," the drawling caricature Wayne would play in movie after movie after movie after movie (just repeat that 150 more times).

Johnny Depp

Edward Scissorhands. Captain Jack Sparrow. Raoul Duke. Mort fucking Rainey. All legendary roles that probably wouldn't be quite as legendary had they not been played by Johnny Depp.

Initially, Depp had no intentions of being an actor. When he was younger, his mother gave him a guitar as a gift and he had his sights set on being a rock star, and even ended up performing in various garage bands. Eventually, Depp dropped out of school to dedicate more time to his music. When he tried to return, his principal actually advised him against doing so, and to follow his dreams instead.

Despite having the world's coolest principal, his hopes for a career in music began to dwindle. Depp married a make-up artist who introduced him to Nicolas Cage, who told the young hopeful to try acting (advice we continue to offer Cage to this very day). Instead, Depp divorced the make-up artist, probably because she introduced him to Nicolas Cage.

What Happened?

Just like Gibson, one day, for no discernible reason, Depp accompanied a friend named Jackie Earle Haley to an audition for a horror movie about an ugly janitor who kills children through their dreams.

It was there that Wes Craven spotted Depp and asked him to read for the part of the protagonist's boyfriend who dies in the most vomit-inducing way possible. Depp nailed the audition and went on to become an iconic movie actor, while his friend was doomed to roles as smelly hippies, smelly perverts and smelly psychopaths.

The lesson? If a friend asks you to drive him to an audition, fucking do it.

MOVIE TRAILERS: ANGELS & DEMONS

COMING OFF OF ITS BIG OPENING WEEKEND, TOM HANKS, RON HOWARD, & CO ARE UNDOUBTEDLY GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR. CHECK OUT THIS TRAILER, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE TO SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT. CHEERS

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW: CASSIE

IN THE WAKE OF HER INTERNET BOOBIE PIC LEAKS, CHECK OUT THIS INTERVIEW THAT MY BIG HOMEY DJ BOOTH CONDUCTED WITH MS CASSIE, AKA OFFICIAL GIRL, AKA, DIDDY’S GIRL, AKA WHATEVER ELSE PEOPLE MAY CALL HER. I DON’T KNOW HER LIKE THAT SO … WHATEVER. LOL. ENJOY

DJ Booth: What’s goin’ on, everybody? It’s your boy “Z,” doin’ it real big, and joining me inside the DJ Booth is an “Official Girl.” Please welcome Cassie!

Cassie: Thank you!

DJ Booth: How you doin’?

Cassie: I’m great – how are you?

DJ Booth: I’m wonderful; thanks for asking. Cassie, please give me your personal definition of an “Official Girl.”

Cassie: She’s strong, she knows what she wants, and she won’t let a man dictate what she wants to do in her life. If he doesn’t want to be with her, then she doesn’t need him. [laughs]

DJ Booth: Okay, that’s fair. Cassie, why are titles so important for you ladies? I mean, if you’re loved, if you’re taken care of, if you’re supported, why the title?

Cassie: I don’t know if it’s necessarily a title – that’s definitely a translation of “Official Girl,” for some women out there – but it’s about being the only one. I think that’s more or less where I was going with the video, and the song, saying that I won’t play side-girl, I won’t play second girl.

DJ Booth: Numero Uno and that’s it?

Cassie: I’m Numero Uno, and there’s no more.

DJ Booth: Your sophomore project is right around the corner, but I want some details. Have you decided on a title yet? Spill some beans for me – you don’t have to spill them all, just some.

Cassie: Actually, there’s some up in the air, but I’m not allowed to talk about them until we all confirm it here at the label.

DJ Booth: How many are you choosing between – three, four, six?

Cassie: There’s a couple. It’s not that deep, but my last album was self-titled, so I wanted to make sure that I had something a little bit catchy and something a little stronger than that.

DJ Booth: Well, I’m assuming that when you do decide on the title, you’ll give me a call right back and let me know.

Cassie: I will!

DJ Booth: The first album, as you mentioned, self-titled, was produced mostly by the incomparable Ryan Leslie. Now, this time around, I know that you’re working with several producers. You’ve already worked with Danja and The Clutch, who else can we expect to show up on the liner notes?

Cassie: I just got out of the studio with Pharrell, I’ve been working for quite some time with Puff, he’s produced some tracks on the album, Mario Winans, Rodney Jerkins – there’s a whole roster, and some great writers, too.

DJ Booth: Those are all good names. I’ve spoken with Ryan a number of times about his work with you, and he usually gushed about how proud he is of all of your accomplishments. How much of your success, to this point, would you attribute to him?

Cassie: So much of it, really. You know, he convinced me that I needed to be a singer, and he believed in it, and he supported me one hundred percent, and he helped me make records and put together an album, and so much.

DJ Booth: In addition to his work on your material, you also contributed your vocals to his current single, “Addiction.” He said when I asked him that, other than music, he’s addicted to videos – I wanna know, what are you addicted to?

Cassie: I’m addicted to… Dexter.

DJ Booth: Great show, is it not a great show? For anyone listening who does not have Showtime, order it right now.

Cassie: Order Showtime – you need to get that, asap. Or go out and buy Season One and Two.

DJ Booth: I was just gonna say, if you don’t wanna pop the money for the channel, then go out and get it on DVD. Cassie, people have praised your work, but they’ve also been critical of your live performance. So, two-part question: how have you faced all the criticisms, and what have you done, if anything, to improve your work?

Cassie: I mean, facing it and dealing with it is one thing, and that’s the first step. I addressed it, I knew it was wrong, and it hurt, but I had to keep moving, and so the answer to the second question is, I’ve been in studio working with my vocal coach and working with my choreographer, and making sure that everything is exactly the way that it needs to be, so there are no more mistakes made.

DJ Booth: At this point, do you feel that you’ve improved to the max, or is there still room for you to get even better?

Cassie: I always think there’s room. I haven’t reached my full potential as an artist, I don’t think so at all, but you have to leave room for something, and I think that even now people don’t know what I’m capable of, so I have a lot of room, and a lot for people to see.

DJ Booth: Well, you have plenty of time to show ‘em. Cassie, having modeled before you became a mainstream pop singer, what elements of your previous career do you feel have helped you the most in your current career?

Cassie: I think just being comfortable in my own skin, in front of the camera, all that type of stuff. Sometimes it can be a little bit awkward – I don’t know how anybody else feels about it, but being in front of the camera, and all that type of stuff is a little weird, but it taught me poise and presence, and confidence, and I apply that to what I do now.

DJ Booth: Well, I’ll tell you, no one would know by looking at you that you feel awkward in front of a camera.

Cassie: [laughs] Thank you.

DJ Booth: You’re welcome. I know there’s an age-old saying, it’s from someone famous I’m sure, that beauty is both a gift and a curse. Do you feel that your looks in any way have negatively affected how seriously consumers take your music?

Cassie: I think.. I would never go out there and say, “I’m oh-so-good looking, and that’s why people give me a hard time,” but I think for anybody that is attractive it can be harder sometimes. I don’t necessarily think that’s my situation; I think I’ve been in the music industry and in the entertainment industry long enough for people to, maybe not see past it, but just give me that second chance. I wouldn’t be working on this second album without them giving me that.

DJ Booth: Exactly – accepting it and moving on; I agree.

Cassie: Exactly.

DJ Booth: We put out to our readers the opportunity to provide questions for this interview. We received several hundred, including two marriage proposals, so I was forced to narrow them down to three. Taniya from Toronto wants to know, “When do you plan on performing in Canada?”

Cassie: Oh, wow… The last time I performed in Canada was, I believe it was 2006, and it was Christmas Eve, and I flew home after that. That was the last time I performed there, so hopefully soon.

DJ Booth: I know all of your Canadian fans are hoping that it’s sooner rather than later.

Cassie: Definitely.

DJ Booth: Next question comes from Mercedes of Pennsylvania: “When you aren’t working on music, what do you do in your spare time?”

Cassie: Wow, I haven’t really had spare time in a long time, but I hang out with my girlfriends, go out, get dinner, sit at home watching movies – I’m a homebody, really.

DJ Booth: I’m the same way – as you just mentioned, you love watching Dexter, so I kinda figured you were the movie type.

Cassie: Yeah.

DJ Booth: Last question comes from Goldie of London, and she said, “What is your all-time favorite pair of sneakers?”

Cassie: Ah, this is always the hardest question; I cannot pick a favorite.

DJ Booth: That is not an acceptable answer. I need at least an inkling, what might be.

Cassie: It depends, really, ‘cause all sneakers are different. My favorite probably right now, I have teal, Nike Blazers, or my gold lamé Supras. [laughs]

DJ Booth: Somewhere, somebody’s listening, and they have that same pair of shoes, and they’re so excited right now…

Cassie: Yeah, I mean, I don’t know… I have a lot of Nike Dunks that are my favorites; there’s just too many.

DJ Booth: Well, you know what that means? You might have too many pairs of shoes, Cassie.

Cassie: Yes, I do, I definitely do.

DJ Booth: Cassie, people might have slept on your work the first time around, so what should they expect from an older, wiser, more mature artist?

Cassie: I think that anything that you go back to gets better with age, so, I’m hoping that that’s what’s gonna help me. I don’t know… the music sounds better, and I’m excited to entertain, and perform for people. It’s definitely much different than before.

DJ Booth: So, like a fine wine, you are gonna get better with age.

Cassie: Yeah [laughs]

DJ Booth: Very nice. Cassie, I wish you nothing but the best of luck on the upcoming project, dropping first quarter, hopefully, of 2009. Give everyone a website or a MySpace page, so they can find out more.

Cassie: Okay… my MySpace is myspace.com/cassie, and then we also have my website, lovecassie.com, which also has a blog on it, and I update everything myself.

DJ Booth: Wonderful. Thank you so much for joining me inside the DJ Booth.

Cassie: Thank you so much.

POP CULTURE: REALITY TV POWER 50 LIST

CHECK OUT THIS REALITY TV POWER LIST. ENJOY

THR profiles the 50 most influential players in reality TV

By THR staff

May 17, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

1. Simon Cowell

Principal, Syco Television

Yes, him.

The most influential person in reality television isn't merely the most galvanizing performer on America's top-rated program. He's not just the highest-paid primetime TV personality and a successful producer in two countries. And he's certainly not, as he described himself during a moment of humility before a recent taping of "American Idol," just "a judge on a bloody talent show."

Cowell tops this list because only he knows the answer to the most tantalizing question in reality TV: What will Simon Cowell do next?

His contract is up after next season of "Idol," and Cowell, 49, is not shy about his willingness to leave.

"The idea that for the next five years, I'd be doing exactly what I've been doing for the past five years ... the thought is just too depressing," Cowell says in his trailer before walking over to the "Idol" stage at CBS Television City.

"I'd go nuts, bored out of my mind. You have to evolve, you have to change. I like the challenge of launching something new."

If there were any doubts about Cowell's role in the success of "Idol," they disappeared when he launched "The X Factor" three years ago in the U.K. That singing competition has supplanted "American Idol" predecessor "Pop Idol."

The success of "Factor" was worrisome enough for "American Idol" broadcaster Fox to forbid Cowell from launching the show in the U.S. as part of his current deal. But all that could change soon.

Asked if he would stay on "Idol" if the series ever slipped from No. 1, Cowell bursts out laughing.

"Absolutely not!" he says, looking horrified. "Being No. 1 is verging on an obsession with me."

Cowell's drive helped him rise from the mailroom at EMI Music (his father was an executive there) to a job in its music publishing division. He left to form a company with his EMI boss, then bounced around the music industry and eventually landed with BMG.

Since first appearing on "Pop Idol" in 2001, Cowell's productions have included "America's Got Talent," "American Inventor" and "Celebrity Duets," as well as the U.K.'s "Britain's Got Talent" (on which he appears).

He earns a reported $36 million a year to do "Idol," plus millions more for "Factor" and his side gig as a consultant to Sony BMG Music (several publications have placed his yearly income at more than $50 million).

On a recent taping day, Cowell arrives about two hours before showtime, parks his black Bentley convertible next to his trailer, sits for his makeup and a quick cigarette and fast-forwards through a tape of the show's rehearsal performances. A bodyguard waits patiently outside, ready to shuttle him onto the "Idol" stage.

Unlike many in the TV business, Cowell rejects the claim that "Idol" ratings erosion is inevitable.

"I don't accept the argument of fragmentation or declining numbers," he says. "The Super Bowl goes up every year."

"Factor" has grown its audience every year, and Cowell thinks America wants another music competition.

"In the U.K., there is more than one type of music show running throughout the year," he says. "And I think the same thing could happen here. It's something we've been thinking about ... I would definitely do it now.

"Maybe it'll be 'X Factor,' " he teases vaguely. "Maybe it'll be something new ..."

Click here for the rest of the list

Related:

Q&A: Simon Cowell

The boom in the unscripted genre is creating the next generation of star reality agents

Global format owners are using the recession to their advantage

See how the rankings were decided on the next page

How the list was compiled

It's not how well they sing. Or how much weight they've lost. Or even whether they can eat a plateful of bark beetles. For The Hollywood Reporter's second annual list of the 50 most-powerful figures in reality TV, editors analyzed the influence each person has over the U.S. primetime unscripted television business.

The criteria:

1. The contribution each person makes to the success of his/her shows, either as a producer, on-air talent or an overseeing executive.

2. Number of shows on the air, the Nielsen ratings and impact of those shows on the TV business and popular culture.

3. Reputation for quality and influence within the unscripted business.

4. The "watercooler" factor. People whose force of personality and ability to create the dramatic moments that have defined the genre are given extra weight.

5. Talk shows, clip shows, live events, daytime game shows or traditional documentaries were not considered, nor were foreign or network executives whose primary responsibility is not the unscripted division.

2. Mike Darnell

President of alternative entertainment, Fox Broadcasting

Mike Darnell

As a network executive -- by far the longest-tenured of the alternative chiefs -- the wild-haired Philadelphian is supposed to be the person listening to pitches. But, in practice, nobody sells a show better than Darnell. Although Fox stumbled this season with game show "Hole in the Wall" and was modestly successful with "Secret Millionaire," its flagship "American Idol" shows no signs of relinquishing its ratings crown.Darnell is selective in his development, trying only a few new shows a year. "The other networks have a tendency to throw on 20 new shows and the vast majority fail," he says. With "So You Think You Can Dance" returning alongside "Hell's Kitchen" and the layoffs competition "Someone's Gotta Go," Darnell has a not-so-bold prediction for summer: "We're going to be No. 1 again."

3. David Goldberg

Chairman, Endemol North America

The unassuming man overseeing "Big Brother," "Deal or No Deal" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" didn't have trouble figuring out the audience for ABC's "Wipeout," last summer's most successful new show. "When we looked at the times and saw a country that had seen better days, at war and with gas (prices) at an all-time high, we realized it was time to do a fun and escapist show that made people laugh," says Goldberg, a former Telepictures exec. He got a major promotion this year and now controls the format powerhouse's businesses in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

4. Mark Burnett

President, Mark Burnett Prods.

When Burnett struck a deal to sell his new entrepreneur series "Shark Tank" to ABC, network topper Stephen McPherson shook Burnett's hand and said, "Congratulations, you have your first ABC series." Burnett smiled, he recalls, and for good reason: the reality pioneer will now have shows on all four major broadcast networks (Fox's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" and, of course, CBS' veteran powerhouse "Survivor," which continues to win its time period in its 18th cycle). Combined with his multitude of cable shows, the former British Army parachutist might be the country's largest independent owner of reality product. "The through line is: all those shows have a positive element, aspirational and empowering," he says.

5. Cecile Frot-Coutaz

CEO, production, FremantleMedia North America

Fremantle reported record revenue of about $1.5 billion in 2008, and owner RTL Group can thank Frot-Coutaz's steady oversight of "American Idol" for a large chunk of that success. With the "Idol" format now in 42 countries and "America's Got Talent" back on NBC in the summer (and in 28 countries), the company has hardly blinked at disappointments like Fox's "The Osbournes: Reloaded" and "Hole in the Wall." Next up is "The Phone" for MTV, based on a Dutch format that places contestants in the middle of an action movie. "It's a new way to do reality," Frot-Coutaz says. "We script scenarios and put real people in the script."

6. Vicki Dummer & John Saade

Senior vps alternative series, specials and late night, ABC Entertainment

It's easy for Dummer and Saade to laugh at how every network passed on "Dancing With the Stars" three times before ABC finally relented. "Sometimes it just winds up working out for you," Saade says of the now-perennial top 10 show. The Alphabet's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is still a hit, "The Bachelor" enjoyed an improbable resurgence this spring and summer sensation "Wipeout" returns soon. Also in the summer comes a new "Bachelorette," and an update of the 1970s "Wide World of Sports" classic "The Superstars," while shows in the pipeline include Mark Burnett's "Shark Tank" and a Ryan Seacrest-produced show with "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver.

7. Mike Fleiss

President and executive producer, Next Entertainment

Everybody loves a comeback story. Fleiss' sagging "The Bachelor" roared to ratings life this season thanks to strong casting and a conclusion that thrilled (and infuriated) fans. Now his matchmaking series "More to Love" will reteam the pioneer with Fox reality guru Mike Darnell for the first time since their controversial "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" nine years ago. Fleiss also has "There Goes the Neighborhood" in the works for CBS; "Hitched or Ditched" coming to the CW; and "The Cougar" on TV Land. "It wasn't a conscious decision to get back into reality," Fleiss says of his return to TV after a recent foray into film producing ("Hostel"). "It mostly comes from having good ideas about shows I really wanted to make."

8. Simon Fuller

Founder and CEO, 19 Entertainment

"In difficult times the big definitive shows become even more definitive," Fuller says of his "American Idol." Ratings are down a bit but 19 Entertainment, now part of CKX, saw its revenue from "Idol" rise to $96 million in 2008, up from $83.8 million 2007. The "Idol" train keeps chugging with product integration, online revenue, spinoffs, music sales and touring, to say nothing of 19's management business. Fuller is developing six reality series with British broadcaster ITV, and his "So You Think You Can Dance" heats up summer on Fox.

9. Paul Telegdy

Executive vp alternative programming, development and specials, NBC Entertainment

NBC's new alternative head recently joined from BBC Worldwide and promptly picked up U.K. hit "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!," which the network will strip throughout the week at 8 p.m. "When it's on the air in the U.K., the show is the biggest thing," he says. With the "Biggest Loser" franchise, a summer hit ("America's Got Talent") and a veteran competition series ("Celebrity Apprentice") in the mix for next season, Telegdy is also looking to the future, including a celebrity panel show produced by Jerry Seinfeld and a self-improvement show with Tony Robbins.

10. Jennifer Bresnan

Senior vp alternative programming, CBS Entertainment

Plucked from the CW last summer, Bresnan now oversees the seemingly unkillable "Survivor," as well as Emmy stalwart "The Amazing Race" and reliable "Big Brother." But she knows she'll be judged on the next generation of shows, like a neighbor-against-neighbor competition from Mike Fleiss and an adventure show featuring people with terminal illnesses, from "Survivor" gurus Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst. "It's all a crapshoot," she says of the ratings game. "So you might as well stick with ideas you have a passion for and work with producers whom you believe in."

11. Howard Owens & Mark Koops

Co-head of television, head of digital, Reveille; managing director, co-head of domestic television, Reveille

When Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group acquired Reveille in April 2008, founder Ben Silverman had decamped for NBC and Owens and Koops were left to run the show with international sales guru Chris Grant. The challenge was empowering, they say. "She has allowed us to run the business as we always have," Koops says. That means growing such hit formats as "The Biggest Loser" (NBC), "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" (Fox) and "Shear Genius" (Bravo), and prepping new series like "Breakthrough With Tony Robbins" (NBC). Owens prides himself on innovative product integration like a deal with General Mills that put "Loser" on cereal boxes and boosted ratings. "We couldn't have done it without them," he says.

12. Chris Coelen

CEO, RDF Media USA, group director of North America for RDF Media Group

Chris Coelen

Just three years after leaving UTA, Coelen presides over a broad roster of programming for the format powerhouse, including "Secret Millionaire" and "Don't Forget the Lyrics" on Fox, "Wife Swap" on ABC, "Coolio's Rules on Oxygen and "How to Look Good Naked" on Lifetime. Next up is the CW relationship series "Hitched or Ditched." "We're going to keep growing, that's the plan," Coelen says. The expansion strategy also applies at home. Coelen and his wife last year added twin boys to the family. Recently, they were joined by a baby brother.

13. Tony DiSanto

President of Programming, MTV

"Reality is not an ownable space anymore," DiSanto says. "Everybody is doing it." But not everybody is pushing the boundaries like the network that introduced "The Real World," "The Hills" and "Run's House." For "College Life," MTV stripped away the production elements and let a group of college kids call the shots. And then there's the upcoming "The Phone," where players find themselves thrust into a series of hair-raising stunts without warning. "What you can own is reinvention, taking things to new places and breaking new ground."

14. Ryan Seacrest

Chairman and owner, Ryan Seacrest Prods.

Ryan Seacrest

"I'm developing a brand built around 'popular,' " says the ubiquitous Seacrest during a rare free moment between hosting Fox's "American Idol," his daily radio and E! shows, as well as producing "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." In addition to a massive deal with Comcast, Seacrest recently sold an hourlong series to ABC with "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver and has three or four unannounced projects in development at E! "Pop culture, pop music -- I'm interested in pop programming."

15. Jeff Olde

Executive vp original programming and production, VH1

What kind of creative process gave birth to the VH1 hits "Sober House," "Tool Academy" and "Tough Love"? Olde first gathers his staff to brainstorm themes that might connect with viewers. "Redemption and comebacks" are timely in these turbulent times, he says. Then he looks for the right storytelling voice and lets the producers and talent take over. "I feel we are really good friends with our viewers and they can count on us," he says. Ratings agree: VH1 has enjoyed a three-year streak of growth each quarter.

16. Craig Piligian

President, Pilgrim Films & Television

He's the master of Testosterone TV with Spike's "The Ultimate Fighter," Discovery's "Dirty Jobs" and "Extreme Loggers," Sci Fi's "Ghost Hunters" and TLC's "American Chopper: The Series." And though he recently branched out with "My Fair Wedding" for WE and Discovery's "Doing DaVinci," he seems most excited about "Out of the Wild: Alaska," which took nine people into the Alaskan wilderness with almost nothing. "They didn't win anything, except the satisfaction of testing their own limits."

17. Francis Berwick

GM, Bravo

Project What? Despite the move of "Runway" to Lifetime, 13-year Bravo veteran Berwick can boast about "Top Chef," which hit ratings highs in its sixth cycle, and "Real Housewives of New York City," which is up nearly 50% year-over-year. Shows like "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" and "Millionaire Matchmaker" are targeted to the cabler's "upscale, highly educated viewer," but Berwick is proud that she has lowered the median age of viewers by five years to 40 and takes a multimedia approach. "We were the first network to do a live fully interactive show with interactive commercial breaks," she says, beginning with the "A-List Awards."

18. Paul Buccieri

CEO and president, Granada America

Paul Buccieri

Since he joined ITV's Granada America 15 months ago, the former Endemol and Twentieth Television exec has "tripled the number of shows we have on the air," he says, pointing to such series as Fox's "Hell's Kitchen," ABC Family's "Nanny 911," VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" and MTV's "Room Raiders." "Chopping Block" flopped on NBC but the net plans to run a new version of "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" four nights a week in primetime for nearly a month.

19. Cris Abrego

President, Cris Abrego Prods.

Who needs celebrities? In the past year, Abrego and frequent collaborator Mark Cronin have moved beyond VH1 hits like "The Surreal Life," "Flavor of Love" and "I Love New York" to create spinoffs with characters like Megan Houseman, who goes from "Rock of Love" to "Megan Wants a Millionaire." After the duo sold their 51 Minds company to Endemol in August for a reported $200 million, Abrego is focusing on solo projects like "From G's to Gents," "Glam God" and a Carmen Electra series.

20. Arthur Smith

CEO, A Smith & Co. Prods.

Smith's "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" (ABC) was one of a scant few new reality series to earn a broadcast renewal last year. And with "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" returning to Fox, "the thing we pride ourselves on is our produced-to-hit ratio," says Smith, who founded the company with Kent Weed in 2000. They have high hopes for their "Crash Course" auto obstacle course pilot at CBS. "People are tired of the overly manipulated shows for pure entertainment," he says. "They have to believe there's a purpose to the show."

21. Jonathan Murray

Chairman, Bunim-Murray Prods.

MTV's four-season renewal will take "Real World" to an astonishing 26 cycles, giving Murray the most enduring reality franchise (plus "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," which will hit 21 cycles). He also has a fourth season for Oxygen's top-rated "The Bad Girls Club," "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" on E! and the upcoming "Frat House" for TBS. "I think the thing that I may be proudest of is that we're able to not only get something on the air but keep it on," he says.

22. Jane Lipsitz & Dan Cutforth

Co-founders, Magical Elves

Jane Lipsitz & Dan Cutforth

Their "Project Runaway" was the first competitive reality series to win a Peabody. So what are Lipsitz and Cutforth most proud of? "We're hoping that we can move up in the Power List this year," Cutforth jokes. The duo are working on "Top Chef Masters," a spinoff of the popular Bravo series, as well as a CBS relationship show about arranged marriages, two new Bravo projects and a rich development deal with programming.

23. Kristin Connolly-Vadas

Senior vp, alternative programming, the CW

With the CW only a few months, the former Oxygen exec already has "Hitched or Ditched," in which couples agree to either get married or part ways forever. "There's a really great payoff at the end of every episode," she promises. Midsummer, she'll unveil "Blonde Charity Mafia," a "Hills" in Washington, and she's looking to build companion shows for the net's anchor, "America's Next Top Model."

24. Nancy Dubuc

Executive vp and GM, History Channel

A virtual nonplayer in reality before Dubuc arrived in January 2007, History has since introduced the hits "Ice Road Truckers," "Ax Men" and "UFO Hunters," and last fall's debut of "Time Machine" became the highest-rated show in the channel's history with more than 5 million viewers. "The very basic themes of rivalries, winners and losers, the struggle against nature: These are all common stories told through time," she says.

25. Nick Emmerson

Executive vp, Ricochet TV; president, Shed Media U.S.

Emmerson's job expanded recently when Richochet's parent, Britain's Shed Media, consolidated its American subsidiaries under him. He now oversees the U.S. branches of Ricochet, Wall to Wall, Twenty Twenty, Shed Prods. and Outright Prods., with such shows as ABC's "Supernanny," "The Real Housewives of New York City" on Bravo and NBC's upcoming "Who Do You Think You Are." "In the past we were only repackaging and Americanizing existing U.K. formats," he says. "Now we're also coming up with our own ideas for original programming for the U.S. market."

26. Thom Beers

CEO and executive producer, Original Prods.

The creator of genre-defining "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers" sold 75% of his company to Fremantle Media in February for a cool $50 million. Beers, a 20-year reality veteran, says his new bosses told him to "just keep doing what you are doing," including putting his camera crews in the same line of fire as many of his subjects. "I lose sleep over this stuff," he says. But "that is how we make visceral television, and that's what I love."

27. Gena McCarthy

Senior vp production and development, Discovery Channel

In her first stint at Discovery, McCarthy executive produced such hits as "Dirty Jobs," "Deadliest Catch" and "MythBusters." That led to jobs at WE and TLC. Now back at Discovery (with a promotion), she says her challenge is to keep things fresh. "We're trying to make sure we have a broad range of genres and programs in development," she says.

28. Rob Sharenow

Senior vp nonfiction and alternative programming, A&E Network and Bio Channel

A former TV writer who just published a novel, Sharenow's appreciation for unique characters has helped him develop shows around Gene Simmons ("Family Jewels"), Steven Seagal (the upcoming "Lawman"), MC Hammer ("Hammertime") and William Shatner ("Raw Nerve"). He also has "Intervention" for A&E and "I Survived" for Bio. "Authenticity is at the heart of everything we do," he says. A&E wrapped up the best year in the network's history, up 8% in adults 25-54.

29. Michael Davies

President and CEO, Embassy Row

After selling his company to Sony in December, Davies was asked why he no longer wanted to be independent. "Because I want to remain independent," he countered. Huh? "You have to be backed by a company like Sony to have that creative independence, and the scale to sell to networks and cable channels around the world." The man behind the U.S. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (returning in the summer) now produces "Wife Swap," food shows with Bobby Flay and is developing hidden camera shows for TV Land and Sony's GSN.

30. Gordon Ramsay

"Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares," Fox

Gordon Ramsay

The caustic Scotsman is the hottest TV chef in primetime, and the only one to break through the broadcast network ceiling. Fox has renewed both "Hell's" (for a sixth season) and "Nightmares" (for a third) as part of a massive deal that includes a third series and specials. "The contestants in the last season of 'Hell's Kitchen' really raised their game," Ramsay says. "It's made my job 10 times more exciting."

31. Jeanne Newman

Partner, Hansen Jacobson Teller Hoberman Newman Warren & Richman

Newman is the only dealmaker on this list because her work in the reality space (especially for A-list clients Endemol and Shine Reveille) continues to define industry templates. This year she helped set up Jerry Seinfeld's "The Marriage Ref" for NBC and brokered Ryan Seacrest and "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver's upcoming ABC series. All while tending to the winery she runs with husband Gary Newman, president of 20th Century Fox Television.

32. Ken Mok

President and founder, 10x10 Entertainment

One of Mok's first jobs was as a PA on "The Cosby Show," which included finding the signature sweaters worn by Bill Cosby. Impressed by Mok's moxie, Cosby helped him into NBC's junior executive training program. Now Mok has the top-rated "America's Top Model" (in its 12th cycle), and he's executive produced and/or created such hits as MTV's "Making the Band," and the CW's "Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious."

33. Sally Ann Salsano

President and founder, 495 Prods.

Salsano isn't afraid to comple-ment her competition. "I'll e-mail the producers of other shows and tell them, 'I love this year's cast!' And they're like, 'Why are you watching these shows?' " On track to become a CPA until a summer internship on "The Sally Jessy Raphael Show" changed her ambitions, her credit list ranges from the crass (MTV's "A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila") to the classy (HGTV's "Design Star").

34. Eileen O'Neill

President and GM, TLC

Fueled by such originals as "Jon & Kate Plus 8," "Little People, Big World" and "Trading Spaces," O'Neill's first year heading TLC has included seven consecutive months of ratings gains among women 18-34. "The success of 'Jon and Kate Plus 8' has been really gratifying, since it was a show I developed back when I was at Discovery Health." In fact, it's hard to find a Discovery Communications channel where O'Neill hasn't logged time. She even started as an unpaid Discovery Channel intern.

35. Bertram Van Munster

President, Earthview Inc.

Contestants on the 14th edition of Van Munster's "The Amazing Race" traveled 40,000 miles, but the real accomplishment was the ratings. The six-time Emmy-winner is way up over last season and was renewed for a 15th. Van Munster credits "a new coat of paint" for the resurgence. "We went back to basics," he explains. "We changed the graphics package. We changed the music. We made changes in the editing approach."

36. Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg

Partners, Katalyst Films

"Beauty and the Geek" and "Punk'd" have ended, and "Game Show In My Head," "Opportunity Knocks" and "Misguided" all lasted only one season. But Katalyst recently raised $10 million in venture capital, Goldberg says, and has eight unscripted shows in the pipeline. "True Beauty," produced with Tyra Banks, has been picked up for a second season on ABC; they've got shows for MTV and Bravo and a series commitment from OWN for "Excellent Adventure," in which a celebrity and a friend hit the road together.

37. Tyra Banks

President, Bankable Prods.

Tyra Banks

The woman whom Entertainment Weekly dubbed America's Next Top Mogul is already there. Her "Top Model" is sailing through its 12th cycle on the CW and her ABC collaboration with Ashton Kutcher "True Beauty" proved a ratings winner. In the fall, "Top Model" will be joined on the CW by her Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show in a two-hour daily afternoon block.

38. Allison Grodner

Executive producer, CBS' "Big Brother"

Allison Grodner

In 2001, when Grodner stepped in to run the second season CBS' "Big Brother," she ratcheted up the drama with changes that have powered the show through its 10th season. Thanks to "Brother" and early producing gigs on CBS' "Rescue 911" and TLC's "A Wedding Story," she's now one of reality's forefathers. "I love seeing how this genre can evolve," she says.

39. J.D. Roth & Todd Nelson

Founders and CEOs, 3Ball Prods.

The secret to their 20-year partnership? "We're exactly the same, but completely different," Nelson jokes. The two met on the 1980s kids game show "Fun House" (Roth was the host; Nelson was on the crew) and launched their own company in 2001. 3Ball's "Opportunity Knocks" didn't last on ABC, but they've got 40 edit bays working 24/7 on shows ranging from the NBC smash "The Biggest Loser" (Roth also narrates) to Spike's upcoming "Fourth and Long," starring former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin and MC Hammer's "Hammertime" for A&E.

40. Conrad Green

Executive producer, ABC's "Dancing With the Stars"

Ratings for Green's "Dancing With the Stars" are up -- thanks to a bit of bad luck. When Nancy O'Dell and Jewel withdrew because of injuries on the eve of the premiere, Green was able to cast former cheerleader Melissa Rycroft only days after she was jilted in front of millions on "The Bachelor." "The most difficult thing for a show that's on so much is making it feel special every time," Green says of a format that BBC Worldwide has now sold in 26 markets (it's in the top 10 in at least 17 of those and shows little sign of slowing). "We seem to have managed that."

41. Nigel Lythgoe

Founder, Big Red Entertainment

Nigel Lythgoe

A former dancer who once choreographed for Gene Kelly, "Nasty Nigel" was a snarky TV judge on the U.K.'s "Popstars" before anyone had ever heard of Simon Cowell. He produced "Pop Idol" there and helped bring the format to U.S. Although Lythgoe this year stopped working on "American Idol," his "So You Think You Can Dance" returns for Season 5 as Fox's highest-rated summer show.

42. Lisa Berger

Executive vp original programming and series development, E! Entertainment Television

"Fun" is the guiding principle of Berger's reality slate. "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" is up 15% to 1.6 million viewers in Season 3, and "The Girls Next Door" scored its highest ratings in March. Berger seeks characters who know each other well enough to create sparks. "The natural dynamics of a group of people are far more interesting than trying to force people together," she says.

43. Holly Jacobs

Executive vp reality and syndication programming, Sony Pictures Television

Jacobs' journey is strangely appropriate. She worked with schizophrenics and borderline personality disorders for several years before segueing into the award-winning documentaries "Forget Me Not" and "Time Will Tell." After stints at Buena Vista Prods. and Fox TV Studios, she's now shepherding such shows as the upcoming "Sing Off" for NBC and "Shark Tank" for ABC. "In hard times people are looking for feel-good fare and things that are aspirational," she says.

44. Diddy

Executive producer, "StarMaker," "Daddy's Girls," "I Want to Work for Diddy," "Run's House"

Diddy

The rapper-turned-TV-producer certainly knows the importance of branding. "Everybody has a certain unique style, a certain niche," he says. "Mine is dream fulfillment." With the upcoming "Making His Band" for MTV, Diddy searches for musicians to back him on tour. Does reality TV undermine his street cred? "There's nothing more credible than providing people with opportunities to have their dreams come true."

45. John Irwin & Dr. Drew Pinsky

Executive producers, VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," "Sober House," "Sex Rehab"

Dr. Drew Pinsky

Taking cameras into rehab is no simple task, especially when the patients are public figures. "I had concerns about malpractice, licensing," says Pinsky, the addiction specialist who made his TV name hosting MTV's"Loveline." "But John is just one of those guys who says, 'Just tell me what the problems are, and we'll figure it out.' " The duo's "Celebrity Rehab" is prepping its third season, and it has spawned a successful spinoff, "Sober House" and the upcoming "Sex Rehab."

46. Matt Kunitz

Executive producer and creator, ABC's "Wipeout"

"We thought we'd get a tractor, dig some holes, and make a simple obstacle course," jokes Kunitz of his initial plans for ABC's "Wipeout," which became last summer's top network show. Now the "Real World" and "Fear Factor" veteran, who also produced NBC's "Celebrity Circus," manages a "Wipeout" crew of 200 and consults on a new stunt show, "The Whole 19 Yards" for CBS.

47. Randy Jackson

Judge, Fox's "American Idol"; producer MTV's "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew."

Randy Jackson

The leader of the "Idol" dawg pound has hardcore exec cred, y'all. Jackson spent 15 years doing A&R and producing albums at Columbia and MCA. "And when you're a producer on a record it's almost like being a director on a movie or a producer on a TV show. You agonize over every moment and you sit through every meeting." Now, in addition to "Idol," he's agonizing over his own show as "Dance Crew" finishes its third cycle.

48. Tom Forman

CEO, Relativity Real

Forman jumped last year from CBS Paramount to Relativity, best known for film, in a three-year deal worth about $12 million. Nothing new has made it to air yet, but the man who executive produced "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Kid Nation" says he has an astounding 20 shows in development. "Lots of people come and pitch me a show beginning to end," he says. But "if you've figured everything out, you don't need us. Frankly, it's not a challenge -- and I thrive on challenges."

49. David Lyle

President, Fox Reality Channel

A former geologist and geophysicist, Lyle came to Los Angeles in 2001 as president of entertainment for FremantleMedia North America and helped launch Fox's "American Idol." Since joining Fox Reality in 2005, the channel has been taking risks with such shows as "My Bare Lady," "The Academy" and "Battle of the Bods." "In the whole cable world, and certainly for a young channel such as ourselves, we've really got to grab people quickly," he says.

50. Jeff Tremaine

Executive producer, Dickhouse Prods.

Tremain has parlayed his success as part of MTV's "Jackass" crew into a producing career. He now has two hits for MTV, "Nitro Circus" and "Fantasy Factory," starring Rob Dyrdek, one of his old skateboarding buddies. He also has "Steve-O: Demise and Rise," which chronicles the "Jackass" star's struggles with addiction. "Yeah, I'm getting older," Tremaine says. "Luckily, I'm just as immature as I've always been."

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