1. TV ratings: 'Glee' and 'Dancing With the Stars' finales down from last year

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, May 22, 2012

"Glee's" graduation episode Tuesday night scored its best ratings in three months, although it was way down from last season's finale and finished behind "America's Got Talent" in adults 18-49 for the hour. "American Idol's" shift to Tuesday for its final performance show also drove ratings down some.

Elsewhere, "Dancing With the Stars" ended its season with its biggest results show numbers of the spring, but it was also off significantly from last spring's finale. The CW's "The L.A. Complex" scored (or rather, didn't score) the dubious achievement of a zero share in households.

ABC averaged 14.6 million viewers and a 9.5 rating/15 share in households to lead Tuesday's overall race. FOX (11 million, 6.5/10) came in second, beating out CBS' rerun lineup (8.6 million, 5.8/9). NBC was fourth with 6.55 million viewers and a 4.0/6, while The CW (670,000, 0.4/1) was barely a blip.

FOX won the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.6 rating, a point better than ABC's 2.6. NBC finished third with a 2.1, followed by CBS, 1.5, and The CW, 0.2.

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Well, it may not be the perfect venue for every proposal, but for a couple of past "American Idol" finalists, it's a pretty nifty time to do it. At the Season 11 "Idol" finale, Season 5 finalist Ace Young came up on stage with his girlfriend Diana DeGarmo, the Season 3 runner-up.

Seacrest brought them up under the guise of wanting to talk to them about their relationship, after casually saying hi to several former "Idol" contestants in the audience. That Seacrest, he's so sneaky. Once up there, Ace took the microphone and got down on one knee and proposed to Diana, whom he called his "best friend." Aww!

The two met while performing in the Broadway musical "Hair" in 2010 and have been dating ever since. They are the first real "Idol" couple, though there have been a few rumors here and there about others - but this is definitely the first "Idol" marriage.

"Bachelor" 2, "Idol" 1. It's gaining on you, "Bachelor" franchise.

Congratulations to Ace and Diana!

"American Idol" Season 11 has crowned its winner and that winner is ... Phillip Phillips. Not a huge shocker. He was never in the Bottom 2-3 all season long, so we suspect he's been the vote leader from the beginning.

It's actually a bit of a shame - for an artist like Phillip, he might actually do better as the non-winner, you know? Jessica is much more suited to walk the company line as the winner, we think. But congratulations to Phillip. Awww, he's crying! Enjoy it, kiddo.

He definitely has a great first single - do you think the sales from "Home" are about to go through the roof? And hey, do you think a female can even win this show anymore? There hasn't been a female winner for six years. We aren't sure they can do it nowadays.

"Doctor Who" is coming back to the airwaves this fall, but some fans of the show couldn't wait that long to get their fix. Some of them hijacked a road sign in Boulder, Colorado and changed it to read something that Whovians fear (and love). It says "Warning Daleks Ahead."

According to Daily Camera, who's photographer Matt Sebastian snapped the shot, the sign warned of the space baddies since Tuesday night, May 22. As of 9:30 a.m. the sign was still active.

Last spring, pranksters did the same thing to another sign in Boulder. That one read "Warning Zombies Ahead." That time, the sign box was unlocked. The Colorado Department of Transportation's spokesperson Ashley Mohr says that workers were reprogramming the sign late Wednesday.

City of Boulder officials said Wednesday that the sign is maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation. "It was locked, so we're not quite sure how folks were able to break into it," she said. "But we're looking into it."

Sci-fi fans, are you now officially afraid of Boulder? Or is it the best place ever?

For her big duet-with-a-famous-person number during the "American Idol" Season 11 finale, finalist Jessica Sanchez got to take the stage with Jennifer Holliday and sing "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," which was one of Jessica's best performances of the season.

Holliday is most famous for originating the role of Effie Melody in "Dream Girls" on Broadyway, which is the musical "And I'm Telling You" is from. She won a Tony for Best Actress for the show and also nabbed a Grammy for her recording of the song.

We thought Jessica and Jennifer stole the show in terms of performances at the "Idol" finale. It was pretty darn spectacular. What did you think, "Idol" fans?

"Eureka" fans have been very vocal about their love for the show and especially Season 5. In "Worst Cast Scenario," we find out that Holly (Felicia Day) is alive. Sort of. Her consciousness is still in the matrix, but her body is dead.

Co-executive producer and writer Amy Berg stopped by AfterBuzz TV to chat with myself and Jennings Roth Cornet about the show. She talks about creating Holly and finding her voice, what's coming up in the Jo (Erica Cerra)/Carter (Colin Ferguson)/Allison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) triangle and how Fargo (Neil Grayston) will come to terms with the hand he's been dealt. She also breaks the news that she's no longer with "Person of Interest."

Check out the video below and let us know what you think. Are you loving the season so far? Are you Team Allison or Team Jo? "Eureka" airs Monday nights on Syfy.

Had the "Modern Family" season finale played out in a different way, this post would probably have been about how the show seemed a little too comfortable in its success this year, and that the laughs that once came so frequently and easily weren't there as much anymore.

And frankly, when Cam, Mitchell and Gloria arrived at the hospital and seemingly stepped into the set of the telenovela they'd been talking about on the way there, "Baby on Board" seemed headed for a very pat, sitcommy ending. You could argue that Gloria's news falls into that category too, but Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet got to play maybe the strongest emotional material they've had in the show's run to date, and that made the episode a lot richer than we would have guessed.

Some critics and commenters (including this one, to a degree) have fallen out of love with "Modern Family" over the past couple seasons, largely over its predilection for warm fuzziness at the end of episodes and playing the same notes again and again, even though the actors are experts at playing those notes.

Good TV comedy often relies on the familiar, and no one, even the harshest critic, would expect Mitchell or Cam or any of "Modern Family's" characters to have the same kind of character arc as, say, Walter White. But giving additional shading to the people we laugh with for a half-hour a week is what makes the best comedies continue to feel fresh.

That's why Mitchell and Cam's emotional scene after realizing they weren't getting another baby worked so well. The telenovela nonsense at the hospital may have been a complete contrivance, but the reaction these two men had to the disappointment felt entirely earned. The scene was also maybe the purest expression of love Mitchell and Cam have ever shown one another -- for all their Bickersons routine, this is an unquestionably committed couple, and it's nice to be shown that once in a while.

So while Mitchell and Cam may not be getting the baby they want, Gloria, Jay and Manny are about to get a baby they're not expecting. Jay and Manny spend the day watching Lily and her unceasing "Why?"s and unwillingness to go on stage at her dance recital unless Grandpa goes with her. The actually aging Jay and prematurely fogeyish Manny agree they're both too old for that sort of thing ... and yeah, OK, that's pretty sitcommy. Sofia Vergara sells her closing monologue, though, and we see a lot of possibility in Manny being a big brother.

Also, whoda thunk Dylan would end up acting like such a grown-up with Haley? He's still a doofus, but maybe he actually did learn a few things out there in Wyoming. (Also also, Phil and Claire's tale of Haley's bleak future was kind of awesome. It's nice to see the Dunphy parents present a united front.) Plus, we got Phil dancing and Alex, always the smartest girl in the room, knowing and not seeming too bothered by her prom date being gay.

"Modern Family" was up and down a lot this season, but way to go out on a strong note, guys. Hope for Season 4 is higher now.

What did you think of the "Modern Family" season finale?

"Community" has been embroiled in a battle lately. After the issues between creator Dan Harmon and star Chevy Chase, his subsequent firing after the show was renewed for 13 episodes and the fallout from the decision, this show is hurting.

The "Community" fan base is intense, but will they stay with new showrunners? And how will NBC handle this? We now have an idea. Below is a leaked email, obtained by THR, from NBC which explains how the cast and crew are supposed to handle the situation. Let us know what you think.

Team Community:

With last night's news of David Guarascio and Moses Port as new showrunners/EPs on "Community" running in the press, and since we know that cast members have interviews coming up this week, I wanted to forward some messaging we hope our cast will find helpful as they navigate questions that will undoubtedly come up. I know that David and Moses are reaching out to them all directly but I've also heard from some of the actors that they'd like some guidance on the topic. 

I saw some of the tweets that went out and wereglad they all addressed their own sentiments quickly, and we're hoping that the news will lose some steam over the next day, especially if we're not perpetuating the topic in any way

We're tracking the coverage and conversation and will circle back if we feel the need to reshift our plan or messaging. Please let me know if you have questions.

Why did Dan get let go from the show?

We're not made aware of why staffing changes take place but I will always be grateful to Dan for his great work on the show and wish him only the best. We're also excited that we'll be back on NBC's schedule in the fall and are looking forward to working on those episodes.

Were you aware that Dan was going to be let go?

No, that's not something we're consulted on. I'm sad to see him go but I am looking forward to starting our next 13 episodes of "Community."

Did the studio or network consult with you about these changes?

No they didn't but we're looking forward to working with David Guarascio & Moses Port on a new season of Community.

What are their plans for the new season?

It's a little early to say at this point but we're looking forward the stories our characters will find themselves in come Sept.

Phillip Phillips still hasn't fully absorbed the fact that he is the newest "American Idol" winner. Just minutes after being crowned the Season 11 champion, beating out 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez, Phillips tells reporters backstage at the Nokia Theater that he can't believe what happened.

"I don't really feel anything," he says. "It's amazing -- this whole situation is so unbelievable. It's so unreal, man. It hasn't sunk in yet! It's such a blessing and I am trying to comprehend it all."

In fact, Phillips' mind went a little blank after Ryan Seacrest read the good news. During the performance of his coronation single, "Home," he didn't actually realize what was happening. "I wasn't thinking about anything -- I wasn't really wanting to sing or anything. I just started thinking about the journey and how far all of us have been."

As catchy as the single is, Phillips says his future album won't sound too similar. "No, I don't really write stuff like that. But it's a very good song and a very good writer. I'm glad people enjoy it but I'm excited to do my own stuff."

It's been almost a year since Phillips first auditioned for "Idol," and he says he could never have imagined coming so far. "Honestly I didn't think I would make it to the judges. I have no shame in saying I'm not a great singer. I just love having fun up on stage with the guys, and just playing good music, getting the crowd into it. Music's fun. It takes away from all the hard feelings that are around."

Phillips says his fantastic support system has helped him through the season, especially throughout his health troubles. "It means a lot to be supported by your family and people who love you," he says. "It's just a blessing to have a good family like that. My sisters, my brother in laws, my nieces, my girlfriend, my mom and dad and everybody. Just great people."

There will be plenty of time for Phillips to adjust to his new title during the coming weeks, where he'll go from interview to interview, but the 21-year-old says he'll probably have another emotional moment or two as he spends his first night as the new American Idol. "I hate crying, but I'll probably cry some more. It feels good sometimes."

Although Phillip Phillips was finally crowned the Season 11 "American Idol" champion after an ultra-competitive year, judge Steven Tyler says backstage after the finale that both Phillips and runner-up Jessica Sanchez will have great careers in the music industry.

"The last two get record deals and she sings so beautiful, she'll be on her way," Tyler says of the 16-year-old Sanchez. "She'll have a great career."

As for Phillips, Tyler says he admires that Phillips kept doing his own thing throughout the season. "He just don't care and that's beautiful. I said from the first, I thought he'd win, only because he's so vulnerable," Tyler says. "I think he's going to be a movie star. I don't know why but I just think that but I look at his face and I see James Dean."

Tyler says he's impressed with Phillips' development as an artist throughout the season. "He's real. We watched him go from a guy that was pulling himself out of his soul to a guy who can sing a melody line without feeling uncomfortable. He's just really evolved and he's been vulnerable."