Other Great Reality Shows > American Idol
American Idol Season 7
marigold:
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.
RudyRules:
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
RudyRules:
Oh and thanks for posting the AI news item, cabbfn!
marigold:
:cmaslol Oh definitely American Idol.
I suppose I should be checking for any new updates.
Thanks!!!
marigold:
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.
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