Brian Dunkleman profits from former co-host Ryan Seacrest's cheap shot on American Idol

The American Idol studio audience gasped and began to applaud when host Ryan Seacrest announced last night that Brian Dunkleman would co-host next week's Idol Gives Back charity show-- only to mutter in disappointment and distaste when Seacrest quickly said it was merely his latest misguided attempt at humour. It was a cruel, bitter joke from a guy who's profited so greatly from the starmaking Idol gig that he shared with Dunkleman on the show's first season (and which Dunkleman walked away from on moral grounds). Seacrest, who'd developed into a classy television presence in preceding seasons, has fallen apart this time around, with lame attempts to one-up professional comedian Ellen DeGeneres and uncomfortable sexual set-tos with his friend Simon Cowell. This latest display, following his dance with a male former contestant during one hopeful's performance and a reference to gay Adam Lambert's "tongue talents" made last night's episode especially unappealing.


The one who comes out on top, of course, is Dunkleman, who'd already won many new fans and was applauded for his self-deprecating hipness with his fictional comedy series American Dunkleman (produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures). In the aftermath of Seacrest's cheap shot, Andy Denhart writes:

"Brian Dunkleman is the real winner here, especially because he’s self-aware and humble in a way Seacrest will apparently never be."

Now it's up to Idol's producers to do the only right thing: book Dunkleman as a surprise co-host or guest on the Idol Gives Back show. The move will inspire goodwill and bring in the donations.

UPDATE: Click here to check out Lyndsey Parker's follow-up, "Brian Dunkleman back in the spotlight," at Yahoo music.

Idol return puts spotlight on Dunkleman

The debut of the ninth season of American Idol and Simon Cowell's coinciding announcement that he'll bolt when it's through has brought Tabloid Baby pal Brian Dunkleman back to the entertainment spotlight, putting his decision to leave American Idol after its first season in a new, perhaps prescient, light. Dunkleman, who has spent the past seven seasons honing his comedic chops, has developed into a top standup comic and comedy performer, as demonstrated in the proposed series American Dunkleman, produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures, and for some reason in a zucked-up TV world looking for a smart hit, has as yet not gone to pilot.


Dunkleman is showcased in an interview on AOL's Television webpage. Some highlights follow:

Everybody wants to know: What are you up to these days?
What am I up to? Right now I'm on the golf course, so that about sums it up. Doing that and doing standup. Making America laugh is what I'm doing.

What about more recently?
I actually just shot a comedy special for Showtime that should be airing in a few months. I don't have an official air date yet, but that's what I've been working towards for the last few months...

That first season looked fun. Did it seem fun at the time to you?
It was fun sometimes, and sometimes it wasn't so fun. I think that's the same with every job. Some days are good, some days are bad.

That's the reason that you left, right?
It was more than one reason. I mean really, I wanted to have a career as an actor. That's what I had done. This was actually the first time I'd done any kind of hosting. And all my experience was as a standup and as an actor. I hadn't done a ton of stuff, but I'd probably gotten like 12, 15 little guest-star appearances and co-star stuff. [So it was] mainly that reason, and I didn't think ... Here's my poor judgment. I didn't think the whole reality television thing was going to last. And neither did a lot of people, actually...

I saw somewhere that you're pitching a series called 'American Dunkleman.' What is that?
Do you remember a show called 'The Hudson Brothers' many years ago? A guy named Brett Hudson, he's a producer, he was on the show. And he was kind of a teen idol; he and his brothers got very famous, very quickly. So they got approached by McDonald's, who were like, we want you guys to be the McDonald's brothers -- you'd have a big M on your sweaters. And he's like, I'm not gonna sell out, are you crazy? There's no way we're doing that. And obviously they'd be billionaires right now. So he looked me up and had an idea for a show, just kind of like about the situation of my life, kind of a 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'-type, 'Extras'-type show, revolving around me. So we shot a little demo a while ago, and we're in the process of developing it and trying to pitch it.

So why hasn't this gone to pilot? TV genius pals, get in touch with the Frozen boys.

...and a tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to Michael Karp for pointing us to the story...

Ryan Seacrest's former American Idol cohost Brian Dunkleman is sitting on his own multi-million dollar goldmine

Word that Ryan Seacrest signed a well-deserved $45 million deal to host three more seasons of American Idol has apparently led to a barrage of Brian Dunkleman jokes on Twitter, the radio and across the universe (Tabloid Baby pal Nili informs us that "Howard Stern was making fun of Brian Dunkleman on his show today... Artie Lange said he was doing stand up in Peoria and Howard said he was cutting coupons out of the Pennysaver...") Dunkleman was Seacrest's cohost on the first season of American idol, but quit the show-- yes, he quit-- because he thought it was "mean to kids."

On the surface, Dunkleman has not achieved the same level of success as his former cohost, but he has carried on an is sitting on a multimillion dollar goldmine in the form of a scripted comedy series about his travails, mishaps and public persona called American Dunkleman. Check out the trailer above and, agent and network pals, set up a meeting.

American Dunkleman makes The Globe!

The Globe, the edgy supermarket tabloid that's scarfed up by millions of Americans each week, is highlighting American Dunkleman!

You remember American Dunkleman. It's the proposed television comedy series starring former American Idol host Brian Dunkleman, was hailed as "hilarious" earlier this year when a trailer for the based-on-real-life laughfest hit the Internet. The series from our pals at Frozen Pictures got great attention from the likes of the Los Angeles Times and The National Enquirer, which had fun with the producers' tongue-in-cheek Facebook campaign.


Now the current issue of The Globe tabloid features American Dunkleman. The fact that the weekly tabloid with a finger on the pulse of Middle America chose to seek out and publish a story on the show is yet another indicator of American Dunkleman's mainstream appeal.

The story is another juicy tease with an A+ tabloid headline:

'IDOL' IDIOT PLOTS SITCOM SALVATION

FORMER American Idol host Brian Dunkleman is attempting a TV comeback by shopping around a sitcom about his life.

Called American Dunkleman, the series plays on Brian's real-life reputation of having made "the biggest mistake in the history of show business" when he walked away from his role as "Idol" co-host after the show's first season.

Since leaving FOX's talent fest, his career has nose-dived, while his co-host Ryan Seacrest went on to make a fortune as a radio DJ and TV producer.

The comedy series follows the fictional Dunkleman as he attempts to get back into the television business.

A source says: "His character embarrasses himself and disappoints his friends while constantly being reminded that he could have been a millionaire if he'd stuck with the show."

So what about the show?

"We're negotiating, we're pitching and we've got one especially hot prospect we hope will become a reality soon, says Frozen's Brett Hudson. "This series will introduce America to a Brian Dunkleman who was never revealed on reality television. He's a true comedy idol!"

National Enquirer boosts American Dunkleman!

American Dunkleman, the new television comedy series created by our pals at Frozen Pictures got a huge boost this week as the National Enquirer is running a prominent story, spread over two pages, that not only promotes the show starring former American Idol host Brian Dunkleman, but gets in the comedic spirit and ratchets the satirical edge one step further!

Ex-'Idol' host resorts to begging
fans to help revive his career

runs the hilarious headline, which spins off the satirical Facebook group, "American Dunkleman is the next great television comedy," that's been promoting the proposed scripted series among the industry movers and shakers who communicate on the site.

The Enquirer article also gets to the heart of the series, which is a takeoff on Dunkleman's real-life plight of making "the biggest mistake in the history of show business," while at the same time showing off the actor's great acting and comedic skills.

"The Enquirer is the best," Burt Kearns, who created the series with fellow writer-producer Brett Hudson, tells us exclusively. "As a veteran of the tabloid industry, I appreciate the humour and spin of the headline-- it'll grab the millions of readers out there in America and will help them identify with the 'Brian Dunkleman' character in the series.

"I mean, it's genius. The Enquirer writes of Dunkleman's 'agony' and desperation when it's the producers who put up the Facebook site as a stunt! They're treating the star as if he's the character, like doing a story on Larry David as if he's really the guy in Curb Your Enthusiasm! Brilliant! Hey, we may even use the article in one of the episodes!"

The full article runs below-- as you can see above, they even showed the Facebook page.

As for the rest of Hollywood... stay tuned... after the release of the promotional trailer (below) led to a tremendous publicity blitz that included raves in places like the Los Angeles Times ("Hilarious!"), the Dunkleman series, including its pilot script, is just now beginning to be shopped.

Ex-'Idol' host resorts to begging
fans to help revive his career
Brian Dunkleman
still can't live down his
'biggest mistake'

FORMER "American idol" co-host Brian Dunkleman has gone from becoming a living room fixture in millions of American homes to begging fans to help him land a new TV show.

Dunkleman was Ryan Seacrest's sidekick when "Idol" debuted in 2002, but to his lasting regret, left the mega-hit s how after the first season. Now he's desperately seeking a new gig-- in a series about himself!

The title: "American Dunkleman"!

"Let's be honest-- I didn't think 'American Idol' would be successful. Had I known, I would have stayed," he told The ENQUIRER exclusively.

After the 37-year-old entertainer announced his departure, Simon Cowell declared Dunkleman had "made the biggest mistake in the history of show business."

In his drive to return to the spotlight, Dunkleman, who's found sporadic TV work, is opening up about his personal agony on the Web site Facebook.

"I'M TRYING TO GET FANS to support a new TV comedy series called 'American Dunkleman.'

"The show is based in how every day of my life I'm reminded of the biggest mistake I've ever made-- leaving 'Idol'-- and how I can't go anywhere without being reminded of that career decision.

"I'm appealng to members of Facebook in an attempt to get one million fans to support the show before we pitch it to the networks."

by LISA LUCHESI

LA Times: American Dunkleman is 'hilarious'

We told you yesterday about American Dunkleman, the great new scripted comedy series starring American Idol veteran Brian Dunkleman. Our pals at Frozen Pictures have just begun shopping the project, and today the Los Angeles Times ran with the story-- and posted the video clip-- on its Idol Tracker blog:

Los Angeles Times
January 23, 2009
Idol Tracker: What you're watching

The return of Brian Dunkleman

"American Idol's" original black sheep is back. It's hard to remember a time when then-surfer dude Ryan Seacrest shared the stage as one of two hosts, but that's how it was in Season 1 of "American Idol." And while we all know what happened with to the Man Who Became Dick Clark, his vanquished other half has largely disappeared from view -- except for the occasional embittered interview.

Now, as seen in the hilarious trailer above, Brian Dunkleman has returned, shooting a series about the travails of being the Man Who Did Not Become Ryan Seacrest. The press release from Frozen Pictures, the show's producer, explains:

"American Dunkleman" is a fictional account of the actor-comic's life, based on his reputation for having made "the biggest mistake in the history of show business" when he walked away from his role as co-host of "American Idol" after its first season in 2002 (Dunkleman's cohost was Ryan Seacrest).

The series follows the fictional Dunkleman as he tries to work his way back to the television industry, embarrassing himself and disappointing his friends while constantly being reminded that he "could have been a millionaire" had he stuck with "Idol."

The episodic arc runs from realism to absurdity, including Dunkleman's misadventures hosting a cable reality pilot; disaster in a stand-up comedy appearance when he offends an audience of young teens; his surprise at a convention event when he's forced to host an Idol-like contest among "furries"; a desperate decision to become a patient on a Hollywood rehab reality show (even though he doesn't have a substance abuse problem); an embarrassing mugshot; and, in a twist, a stalking by a deranged celebrity.

The series pitch tape is running at AmericanDunkleman.com and other industry outlets.

Series was created and written by Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns of Frozen Pictures. Their credits include the 2005 Fox movie comedy "Cloud 9," Showtime's "My First Time" and "The Seventh Python," the Neil Innes film bio now making the film festival circuit.

"Brian Dunkleman is a great comic actor," says Hudson. "He's a very self-aware personality who's got the timing, the face -- and the name -- for comedy. Dunkleman (the character) fits somewhere between Rodney Dangerfield and Charlie Brown. The audience can't help but identify with and root for him."

Check back next week when we hope to bring you an interview with the one-man lost colony of Idol Nation, Brian Dunkleman.

-- Richard Rushfield

American Dunkleman is the next great TV comedy

So say our pals at Frozen Pictures.

We told you the Brian Dunkleman comeback is underway. Check out the trailer for the show they're now shopping. Visit AmericanDunkleman.com and see the news release:

Frozen Pictures Pitches 'American Dunkleman'
First comedy series of the Obama years
features "Guy Who Quit American Idol"

Hollywood, CA (Frozen Pictures) January 23, 2009 -- Brian Dunkleman continues his television comeback with the starring role in 'American Dunkleman,' a new scripted comedy series being shopped by Frozen Pictures.

American Dunkleman is a fictional account of the actor-comic's life, based on his reputation for having made "the biggest mistake in the history of show business" when he walked away from his role as co-host of American Idol after its first season in 2002 (Dunkleman's cohost was Ryan Seacrest).

The series follows the fictional Dunkleman as he tries to work his way back to the television industry, embarrassing himself and disappointing his friends while constantly being reminded that he "could have been a millionaire" had he stuck with Idol.

The episodic arc runs from realism to absurdity, including Dunkleman's misadventures hosting a cable reality pilot; disaster in a standup comedy appearance when he offends an audience of young teens; his surprise at a convention event when he's forced to host an Idol-like contest among "furries"; a desperate decision to become a patient on a Hollywood rehab reality show (even though he doesn't have a substance abuse problem); an embarrassing mugshot; and, in a twist, a stalking by a deranged celebrity.

The series pitch tape is running at AmericanDunkleman.com and other industry outlets.

Dunkleman is featured again tonight (Thursday) in the second two-episode arc of NBC's My Name Is Earl, playing another version of himself.

Series was created and written by Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns of Frozen Pictures. Their credits include the 2005 20th Century Fox movie comedy Cloud 9, Showtime's My First Time, and The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes film bio now making the film festival circuit.

"Brian Dunkleman is a great comic actor," says Hudson. "He's a very self-aware personality who's got the timing, the face-- and the name-- for comedy. Dunkleman (the character) fits somewhere between Rodney Dangerfield and Charlie Brown. The audience can't help but identify with and root for him."

Dunkleman is repped by Susan Haber of Haber Entertainment.

The Return of Brian Dunkleman?

“Dunkleman turned his back on a fortune, and people ridicule him for it. I think he’s a hero. I say we should start a 'Dunkleman for President’ campaign.”

-- Neil Innes, LA Times, June 2008

Pop culture alert: An unexpected resurgence of Brian Dunkleman, the actor-comedian who made show business history when he quit his co-hosting role on American Idol after its first season (he didn't like the sadism inflicted on the young contestants-- Simon Cowell called it the biggest mistake in industry history). Dunkleman's cohost Ryan Seacrest went on to Hollywood prominence and power. Dunkleman went on to the "Where Are They Now?" files. And Celebrity Fit Club.

Until now. Heroic Dunkleman appeared at the top of last night's Idol premiere in what had to be a heart-wrenching half-second cameo (in a reprise of Seacrest saying "This" over seven seasons, leading into his "This is American Idol" open). Tomorrow, he's featured in a new episode of My Name Is Earl, and we are hearing there is about to be some kind of major Dunkleman announcement on Monday.

A major Dunkleman announcement.

Stay tuned.