Film + TV

William Hung's triumphant return starts now

by Dan MacRae

Oh, the 2000s! What a time to be alive. Not only did the Internet provide an endless stockpile of showbiz hopefuls for the globe to mock, but TV (that thing people used to own) dished ’em out in healthy supply too.

This week, we’ll flash back to those halcyon days when William Hung returns to the American Idol stage for the reality TV staple’s big Thursday farewell.

For those of you too young/proud to remember…

TMZ is reporting that Hung’s a go for the program’s series finale which will naturally feature Idol alums galore and mild laughter attached to whatever goofs ‘n’ spoofs Sanjaya gets into. Could we get a Hung + Ricky Martin “She Bangs” duet? The mind races with the possibility of what might have been.

Speaking of former American Idol luminaries, season 1 co-host Brian Dunkleman has apparently gotten someone to cover his shift at Pizza Hut because he’ll be there too (good news for any fans craving some old-fashioned Seacrest-Dunkleman banter). The show will reportedly open with some manner of Dunklemania, allowing Idol‘s circle to come to a close.

Mind you, series creator Simon Fuller claims he’s likely to usher in a revamped revival of American Idol in the future, so adjust your feelings of closure accordingly.