Author Topic: American Idol Season 7  (Read 129264 times)

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Offline marigold

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American Idol Season 7
« on: November 27, 2007, 11:18:32 PM »
American Idol 2 Night Season Premiere Jan 15 & 16

Changes In Store For Next Season

http://www.americanidol.com/

http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/11/06/changes-in-store-for-the-next-seasons-american-idol/

Is it ever to early to talk about American Idol? The next season won't start airing until January, but the rounds of auditions have already swept the country. And, it seems there will be some changes to the format of the show. In an interview with The New York Post, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said things are being shaken up a bit this season.

In the upcoming season, if a contestant plays a musical instrument, they will be allowed to show off their talents in addition to singing. That's a big change from the past.

There will be fewer mentors such as Barry Manilow, Diana Ross, etc., used as they took attention away from the contestants. Mentors will still be used, but it won't be a weekly practice such as in previous years. Instead, the show will focus more on the kids themselves -- what makes them tick, their backgrounds, and such. The Idol tour for the top ten this season may be combined with the top group from So You Think You Can Dance because, after all, singing and dancing go together.

In real time, the show is into its Hollywood phase right now although we won't see it for a few months. Lythgoe said that 160 hopefuls will be going to Hollywood at the end of this month. From there the field will be narrowed to the top 24 -- evenly split between the boys and the girls.

Lythgoe sad of the hopefuls, "There are three girls who are superb including one girl we saw three years ago who wasn't an American citizen [at that time]." He also was quoted as saying they've got one or two guys who are very good.

The Hollywood phase will be the testing ground for contestants who play musical instruments, but Lythgoe didn't give any set rules to how they'll go about it.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2007, 03:57:31 PM by ca bb fan »

Offline RudyRules

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Re: American Idol 2 Night Season Premiere
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2007, 03:40:31 AM »
Can hardly wait!  I hope it's on the same day/time as Apprentice.  :cmas50
 :mas25  And guess who will have the largest audience?  :cmas10


Offline RudyRules

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Re: American Idol 2 Night Season Premiere
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2007, 03:43:21 AM »
Oh and thanks for posting the AI news item, cabbfn!

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol 2 Night Season Premiere
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2007, 04:42:48 AM »
 :cmaslol Oh definitely American Idol.

I suppose I should be checking for any new updates.

Thanks!!!

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2007, 04:03:25 PM »
An interesting update I thought I would share: Entertainment Tonight interview with Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe

http://www.etonline.com/news/2007/12/56388/index.html

SIMON COWELL just said that this will be the strongest Top 12 we have ever had on "American Idol." What's your opinion?

NIGEL LYTHGOE: (Laughs) I think we are all paid to say that every year. I would say we have got some excellent individuals. Last year, I said I thought it would be our strongest Top 12, and I still stand by that, even though a lot of people dissed us last year with our final group. But as a group, they were the strongest one, I think, of other years, where we have had bad people in it, and you kept your fingers crossed that they are going to be voted out, or you are embarrassed by them. I wasn't embarrassed by anyone last year, even young SANJAYA, I thought, came through with all the hits he was taking. I thought as a group, the MELINDAs, the BLAKEs, CHRISs, they were all pretty strong.

This year, I think there will be standout individuals right from the beginning. This year, it won't be like seeing somebody grow like JORDIN did last year. I watched her go up the ladder of voting. This year, I think, you are going to go, 'Wow! He is great." They are going to be standout very, very quickly."

This year, you said you were going to let the contestants play musical instruments. How did that work out?

NIGEL LYTHGOE: We did that on the Hollywood week. For some it worked out brilliantly. Three that I am positive are going to be in our Top 12 -- as much as you can be -- were terrific. A couple of others really crashed and burned very quickly. It is difficult to play the drums and sing in tune. Even KAREN CARPENTER wasn't that good at doing that.

We are seeing how it will affect the competition. We are trying to see if it will make it unfair on people who can't do that, or are we showing America their talent? -- which is what it is all about. We are opened-minded at the moment. We will see how it goes. We are not closing the door on it. At the same time, we want to make it fair.

You have admitted that the contestants got lost in the shuffle last season. Will there be any changes in the format as a result of that?

NIGEL LYTHGOE: We held our hands up and said, 'It was our fault.' We learned from "So You Think You Can Dance," where we pushed the individuals much more. We were rewarded for that with the success of it, and people understanding the people they were voting for much better. I think we got carried away with the mentors last season. We will take less mentors. We will spend more time talking to the kids about their lives and what they want from this competition.

It is a recurring complaint from the contestants every year -- and some of it is sour grapes -- that people who don't get screen time before the semi-finals have trouble making it into the semi-finals. Any thoughts of including everybody's audition tape?

NIGEL LYTHGOE: Not necessarily. I say that because all I am interested in at the end of the day is turning out a good show. If they are as boring as hell in front of the camera, I am not going to show them, so they should be grateful that they are not seen, to be frank with you. Once they do something interesting or good, we will show that. That's our job.





Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2007, 10:36:25 PM »
An interesting article:

Nigel Lythgoe Dishes On Season 7

http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/?pid=1122

With rumors swirling that this year's contestants are going to yield the strongest Top 12 in "Idol" history, Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe took time out of his insanely busy schedule to give his own two cents…and he didn't hold back in issuing his opinions either. Nigel said that there are a number of "strong individuals," but he still stands by his comment that last year's Top 12 was one of the strongest as a group. Whereas he felt that Melinda, Blake, Chris and many others from last year formed very a talented group, Nigel says we can expect to see a number of "stand-out individuals right from the beginning this year." This is in contrast to Jordin, who Nigel says actually grew quite a bit throughout the season.

As has also been discussed quite a bit during the off-season, Nigel does admit that the focus last year went too much toward the mentors and that, this season, the show will definitely spend a lot more time talking to the kids about their lives and what they want from the competition. They might even go to the parents for this kind of information. Another thing we can expect to see is less specialized genres, such as '60's/'70's music, instead of dedicating an entire night to one particular artist. Don't expect an entirely new concept, however. Nigel says that they will be sticking by the tried and true "Idol" format, while keeping the show as fresh as possible. This includes showing the good and the bad auditions. He went on to say that the bad auditions are usually what make people smile and laugh, calling it a virtual "Cirque du Lack of Talent." This also means that there won't necessarily be a complete equality of screen time when it comes down to it. As Nigel so frankly puts it, it's their job to show the entertaining ones, so if someone does something interesting or good, he or she will end up on camera.

Another thing that won't change is the talent. Don't expect Nigel to ever change the lineup of judges or enlisting Ryan Seacrest as the host. As he says, he would never "mess with the chemistry." He does say, however, that we can expect the usual bickering amongst them, jokingly calling the dynamics between them "pitiful, childish…same as every year."

While Nigel prefers to keep the themes a surprise, he did say that he always keeps his fingers crossed for a Beatles night. Sadly, he says that Paul McCartney will not be on the show this year despite the many rumors that he will be! Nigel is still holding out hope, though, that the Lennon/McCartney songbook will be opened up to the Idols.

As far as what Nigel likes to see in contestants, he says that there is no real set criterion. He doesn't care if the person came from a musical background or if they've had absolutely no musical training whatsoever. He says that this year we will see about three 16 to 17-year-olds that are "brilliant," but admits that when the show increased the age limit a few years back, he was quite impressed with many of the older contestants, like Bo Bice. As far as the season seven audition cities go, Nigel did say that he thought that San Diego was the clear winner for producing the most talent.

As for the best "Idol" alumni, Nigel wasn't able to pinpoint a clear favorite, citing the greatest things about each season's winner. He says that Kelly Clarkson has made herself into a legitimate star. He calls Ruben "probably one of the best cross-over artists," like Donny Hathaway or Luther Vandross. Fantasia is so unique that Nigel feels she stands out amongst the others. He calls Carrie Underwood a "beautiful and talented" girl that will have the most longevity because of her success in country music. Nigel says that Taylor brought fun to the show, although he does feel like America might have gotten it wrong that season. The person he thinks should have won is Chris Daughtry, saying he was the real "musical star." Nigel calls Jordin a "young, fresh pop singer" who will develop into a fine artist. He does admit that American Idol doesn't mean automatic success, even for the winners. Instead, he calls the show the perfect springboard, but says that the rest is up to them. He's also thrilled with the huge amount of Grammy nominations the Idols received this year, saying that it definitely validates the program.

According to Nigel, Idol Gives Back will be even better this year, as they have longer to plan the event. As opposed to having six weeks to put it together, as they did last year, they will now have plenty of time to enlist the talent they want to make it an incredible evening once again. They also plan on separating it out from the show and giving the event its own evening, with the most probable format being the performances on Tuesday, Idol Gives Back on a Wednesday, and the results show on a Thursday.

While many have wondered whether American Idol will pick up the slack that the writers' strike is leaving in the TV schedule, Nigel says that this will just not be so. As they also only like to air the show once per year, they wouldn't want to expand the nights in order to protect the successful brand that has been created.

Want to see if you can catch a glimpse of some of these talented season seven individuals? Check out our audition preview video #1, audition preview video #2, and our just-added audition preview video #3!

« Last Edit: December 17, 2007, 11:56:27 PM by ca bb fan »

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2007, 11:55:26 PM »
article: Nigel Lythgoe conference call with the media:

http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/blog/2007/12/17/american-idol-7-to-have-less-celebrity-mentors-but-same-pitiful-judges/


With the premiere of American Idol 7 just a month away, American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe talked about the upcoming season on a conference call with media.  One of the first questions that Lythgoe faced was what he thought about the talent level for American Idol 7 compared to previous seasons.

Lythgoe said “I would say that we’ve got some excellent individuals this year.  And last year, I said I thought it would be our strongest top twelve as a top twelve, and I still stand by that.  Even though a lot of people dished us last year with our final group, but as a group, they were the strongest ones.  When I think of other years where we’ve had bad people in it, and you keep your fingers crossed they’re going to be voted out or you’re embarrassed by them.  I wasn’t embarrassed by anybody last year, even young Sanjaya I thought came through all of the hits that he was taking very competently.”

In regards to the soft openings for Jordin Sparks’ and Blake Lewis’ new albums, Lythgoe said “I’ve never believed that the television audience is the same as the record buying audience, and if that were true then my god, they would be selling sixty million albums as opposed to two million albums.”

When Lythgoe was asked if there would be any special stunts on the show this year to revive the ratings, he said “No, I’m not into jumping sharks with this program.  This program will be around as long as people want it around.  If we lost fifty percent of our audience tomorrow, we would still be the biggest show on television.”

Even though the American Idol finalists might not be jumping sharks, there are actually several changes for season seven.  Some of the changes include less celebrity mentors, more time spent talking to the kids about their lives and what they want from the competition, and contestants playing instruments during Hollywood week.

In regards to how the use of instruments turned out, Lythgoe said “For some it worked out brilliantly.  Three that I’m positive are going to be in our top twelve, as much as you can be, were terrific.  And a couple of others just really crashed and burned.”  Lythgoe also added that they were undecided on if contestants would be allowed to play instruments in the top twelve.  His concern was that it might not be fair to the contestants that couldn’t play an instrument.

However, viewers can count on several things about American Idol to stay the same as they have in the past.  When asked if viewers would see more good singers than bad singers during the initial round of auditions this year, Lythgoe said “No, of course not.  We’ve been showing those people for the last six years.  I mean that’s what American Idol is in the first stages.”

In regards to if producers would show more early round footage of contestants that they knew were moving forward in the competition, Lythgoe explained “All I’m interested in at the end of the day is turning out a good show.  If they are as boring as hell in front of the camera, then I’m not going to show them, so they should be grateful that they’re not being seen to be frank with you.”

One thing that viewers can count on is that the judges and the host that help keep the show alive whenever the talent might be dragging are not changing.  In regards to the dynamic between the judges this year, Lythgoe described it as “pitiful.”  Lythgoe explained “Childish, pitiful, the same as every year.  It’s wonderful to see actually.”  When responding to a later question about other possible judges, Lythgoe said “We have got the best judges for American Idol on American Idol.  That chemistry and their chemistry with Ryan Seacrest is one of the main elements of the success of this show, and I wouldn’t dream of changing any one of them.”

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #7 on: December 19, 2007, 02:39:10 PM »
Article: American Idol producer talks about seventh-season format changes

Full article is in the link below.

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/american-idol-producer-talks-about-seventh-season-format-changes-6282.php

American Idol's seventh-season talent has been a hot topic of conversation among judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson after the "Hollywood Round" -- where 160 hopefuls were narrowed to 24 semifinalists, 12 boys and 12 girls -- came to a close late last month.  Jackson has called the talent "unbelievable;" Cowell claims it has the potential to be the best season so far; and Abdul said the "Hollywood Round" was full of "stand-out superstars."



Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2007, 11:12:54 PM »

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2007, 12:49:53 PM »
SEASON 7 UPDATE :

American Idol: Your Tune-in Schedule... After This

http://community.tvguide.com/blog/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Todays-News/700000044

Don't plan those dinner parties, bar mitzvahs or C-sections just yet. First, take a look at (and print out, if you are truly hardcore) these first few key dates for the upcoming season of your American Idol.

Tuesday, Jan. 15, and Wednesday, Jan. 16: Two-part season premiere

Jan. 22, 23, 29 and 30, Feb. 5 and 6: Audition episodes

Feb. 13: Hollywood round, Part 2 (top 24 announced)

Feb. 21: First results show (two males, two females booted)

March 6: Results show (top 12 revealed)
« Last Edit: December 21, 2007, 12:56:44 PM by ca bb fan »


Offline RudyRules

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2007, 08:45:28 PM »
The Top 12 performances will begin on Tuesday, March 11, with a two-hour episode.  The first single elimination of the season will take place on Wednesday, March 12.

Whether the writers' strike continues or not, AI fans will luck out with hours of marvelous entertainment!  Just observing Simon Cowell rip into the appalling crooners during the audition rounds is purdy lively!!  :cmaslol :cmas20

Offline RudyRules

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2007, 08:53:24 PM »
Bring it awwwnnn!!!!!!  :xmas146 :cmas9

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #12 on: December 24, 2007, 10:36:09 PM »
Bring it awwwnnn!!!!!!  :xmas146 :cmas9

 :cmaslol Your so funny RudyRules, thanks for the Season 7 schedule update  :cmas51

Offline RealityFreakWill

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #13 on: December 24, 2007, 10:49:37 PM »
The Top 12 performances will begin on Tuesday, March 11, with a two-hour episode.  The first single elimination of the season will take place on Wednesday, March 12.

Whether the writers' strike continues or not, AI fans will luck out with hours of marvelous entertainment!  Just observing Simon Cowell rip into the appalling crooners during the audition rounds is purdy lively!!  :cmaslol :cmas20


Uh-oh...the schedule will conflict with Big Brother since they will be on Tuesdays at 9 and Wednesdays at 8. I hope the results show will be at 9.  Now I have a dilemma. What to do? I wish I had TiVo but I don't. I'm hoping Big Brother change their schedule because they will know they won't be able to compete with Idol as popular that show is. 

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2007, 02:59:18 PM »
Season 7 Update

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20168248,00.html



Who will be the next Jordin Sparks...or William Hung? American Idol fans will soon find out, as Fox has announced the schedule for the first several months of the show's next installment.

The seventh season is set to begin with a pair of two-hour segments that will run over two consecutive nights, Tuesday, Jan. 15, and Wednesday, Jan. 16. Episodes presenting highlights from auditions that were held in San Diego, Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami, and Philadelphia will then air twice weekly, every Tuesday and Wednesday, through Feb. 6. The Hollywood round will air on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13, with the top 24 contestants named on the latter show. The first performance episode, featuring the 12 male finalists, will air on Feb. 19, with the 12 female finalists taking the stage the following night; a live telecast revealing the results of the season's first vote will air on Feb. 21. And the top 12 finalists will perform for the first time on Tuesday, March 11. Mark your calendars!


Offline RudyRules

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2007, 01:45:46 AM »
The Top 12 performances will begin on Tuesday, March 11, with a two-hour episode.  The first single elimination of the season will take place on Wednesday, March 12.

Whether the writers' strike continues or not, AI fans will luck out with hours of marvelous entertainment!  Just observing Simon Cowell rip into the appalling crooners during the audition rounds is purdy lively!!  :cmaslol :cmas20
Uh-oh...the schedule will conflict with Big Brother since they will be on Tuesdays at 9 and Wednesdays at 8. I hope the results show will be at 9.  Now I have a dilemma. What to do? I wish I had TiVo but I don't. I'm hoping Big Brother change their schedule because they will know they won't be able to compete with Idol as popular that show is. 
Will, don't you have a VCR? 
I do but wish I also had TiVo cuz sometimes I have 3 shows conflicting! :groan: 
Then I could watch one and tape two.

Offline BballKates

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2007, 10:52:58 AM »
Idol needs to bounce back after last year's mediocre season. Season 3 was bad, but last year came pretty close to be the worst. I'm glad they are making changes you think they would have done that a long time ago. I'm looking forward to people who play instruments they have done that on Canadian and Australian Idol and it brings in a whole new group of artists.

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2008, 10:11:44 PM »
American Idol Season 7 Update:

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20169587,00.html



American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe wants us all to know that he is completely aware something went horribly wrong last season. ''Last year we had nobody outstanding,'' he admits of the leggy, pony-hawked, and beat-boxing top 12. ''I promise it's a different year altogether.'' Now that the apologies are out of the way, what's new about season 7? For starters, contestants that reach Hollywood will be allowed to play instruments to accompany their crooning. ''No one did anything stupid,'' Lythgoe says. ''The worst was some poor guy playing drums and doing a very poor impression of Karen Carpenter.'' Far from poor was some of the talent Lythgoe and judge Randy Jackson unearthed during auditions in San Diego. ''San Diego was da bomb,'' Jackson says, adding, ''That's D.A. Space. B.O.M.B.'' (Thanks, Randy.)
« Last Edit: January 07, 2008, 10:29:23 PM by ca bb fan »

Offline michael

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #18 on: January 07, 2008, 10:21:11 PM »
This show has gone so down hill for me. The judging and audition process is way to staged now.

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #19 on: January 07, 2008, 10:25:43 PM »
Update: American Idol Season 7



The search for the next AMERICAN IDOL begins in Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love,” Tuesday, Jan. 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, and continues Wednesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) with auditions from Dallas.


Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #20 on: January 07, 2008, 10:33:14 PM »
This show has gone so down hill for me. The judging and audition process is way to staged now.


Yep, in the article I think Nigel Lythgoe just said last season sucked  :lol3:

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #21 on: January 08, 2008, 11:51:07 AM »
I agree. Normally I love American Idol, but half-way through last season, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I'm going to try and give it another fair shake this year though
When all is said and done, there is nothing more to say.

Offline RudyRules

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #22 on: January 08, 2008, 10:11:55 PM »
American Idol Season 7 Update:

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20169587,00.html

American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe wants us all to know that he is completely aware something went horribly wrong last season. ''Last year we had nobody outstanding,'' he admits of the leggy, pony-hawked, and beat-boxing top 12. ''I promise it's a different year altogether.'' Now that the apologies are out of the way, what's new about season 7? For starters, contestants that reach Hollywood will be allowed to play instruments to accompany their crooning. ''No one did anything stupid,'' Lythgoe says. ''The worst was some poor guy playing drums and doing a very poor impression of Karen Carpenter.'' Far from poor was some of the talent Lythgoe and judge Randy Jackson unearthed during auditions in San Diego. ''San Diego was da bomb,'' Jackson says, adding, ''That's D.A. Space. B.O.M.B.'' (Thanks, Randy.)
Sounds to me like they are honestly trying to improve the show and not have a repeat of last season.  I'll hang with 'em to see if it improves and give them the benefit of the doubt.



 

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2008, 06:30:32 PM »
Update: Simon Cowell On American Idol Season 7

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/simon-cowell-discusses-america-15526.aspx

Simon Cowell may be the most judgmental man on television, but his unique ability to humorously insult terrible singers has made him an indispensable part of the American Idol juggernaut.  To gear up for the big two-night, four-hour premiere of Idol season 7, Cowell gave an exclusive interview to the press to discuss what we can expect from the new group of talent on display.  As expected, Cowell couldn't resist mentioning some of the "shockingly bad" acts he saw during the audition process, but he also promised that we may be surprised by how talented some of the newcomers are.

One of the most interesting things Cowell discussed are the changes fans can expect in season 7 of the series.  The main focus for the producers this year was to get a better and more interesting group for the top 12, especially after last year's Sanjaya-tainted talent pool.  Cowell also mentioned that the series will focus more on the personal lives of the singers, as previous seasons haven't really allowed viewers a chance to get to know the contestants.  It's all about balance, which means that there will likely be less time spent with famous mentors and more time diving into who the contestants are as individuals.

Other changes viewers can expect include a brand new set, as well as the opportunity to see the contestants play their own instruments when they move to the Hollywood rounds.  Cowell said that allowing the instruments didn't make much of a difference when it came time to find the big talents, but it should make for some entertaining television.

When asked whether it was getting harder for him to sit through bad auditions as the show moves into its seventh year, Cowell replied that it's become "increasingly like torture."  Not only are the talentless people becoming more argumentative with him than ever, but the judges have to give them three to four minutes regardless of the pain they inflict.  However, he admitted that the series needs a mix of good and bad contestants, otherwise it would be boring to watch.

Viewers may be surprised to learn that one of the most horrendous contestants was the brother of former Idol winner Fantasia Barrino.  "He was terrible," Cowell lamented.  "Absolutely dreadful.  He can't sing.  We disputed the fact that he really was Fantasia's brother, because he doesn't have his sister's talent."

Two former Idol stars who definitely do have talent are Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks, but unfortunately talent hasn't translated into album sales for either of them.  Cowell blamed the unpredictability of the record business for the poor sales.  He pointed out that Idol has churned out more successful artists than failures, but that there's simply no way to predict what the record buying public is going to want.  "Ruben [Studdard] should be on his third or fourth album by now, but it didn't happen," he said.

Though the American Idol juggernaut is still as strong as ever, Cowell admitted that his time with the show will have to come to an end eventually.  He currently has two more years left on his contract, and has a feeling that a total of nine seasons may be just enough.  He also doesn't think the series will suffer without his trademark quips and insults.

"Can the show exist without me?" he pondered.  "Absolutely. It'd probably get better."

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 7
« Reply #24 on: January 09, 2008, 06:34:45 PM »
Update From Simon Cowell's Future On American Idol

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/01/simon-cowell-re.html



So just how long does Simon Cowell plan to be a fixture on American Idol? The surly judge addressed his future with the show on a conference call today, telling reporters he finds the audition process to be "absolute torture," and hinting that he may be hitting the road once his contract expires in two years. "The public eventually are gonna get sick to death of me. Nine years is probably enough to inflict on anyone. Can the show exist without me? Absolutely. It would probably get better."

Cowell also spoke about Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, and Katharine McPhee no longer having record deals. "It's a reflection on the unpredictability of the record business. Fortunately, we got it right more than we got it wrong.... There's no scientific way to explain what happens. It's a reality show and what happens at the end is also reality." He used the same theory to explain lackluster sales by the most recent winner and runner-up, Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. "Naturally, I'm disappointed that they didn't sell more copies or that neither artist has caught on fire," he said. "What you want [is] a Carrie [Underwood], Daughtry or Kelly Clarkson, where they're competing with the Mariahs. It didn't happen. Am I surprised? Not particularly.... The public decided it's not necessarily what they wanted, so we have to try to do better this year."