denlem

Source: http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/rea...for-season-10/


Hey, ever heard that old adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it? Well, apparently the powers-that-be at "American Idol" haven't. In an effort to revive the Fox franchise after a somewhat disastrous ninth season, they're "fixing" pretty much everything about "Idol" that once made it one of the most successful and beloved reality programs of all time. Returning executive producer Nigel Lythgoe just did an interview with TVGuide.com about the many, many changes in store when "Idol" returns to the airwaves in January, and it turns out that new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are just the beginning.

Now, I understand what Nigel is trying to do here. The biggest, and possibly most damaging, change to "Idol" Season 10 will of course be the absence of Simon Cowell, who left this year to launch the U.S. version of his talent show "The X Factor" in 2011--and since "X Factor's" format closely resembles "Idol's," Nigel probably realizes he better differentiate "Idol" in some significant way, lest loyal viewers all defect to Cowell's camp next year. Additionally, I agree with Nigel that after an underwhelming Season 9, "Idol" is in need of some sort of makeover. However, if I'm speaking in makeover-analogy terms, I'm talking about a little blush, a new lipstick, maybe a touch of Botox or microdermabrasion--not the head-to-toe Heidi Montag treatment Nigel is giving it. It seems that, much like Heidi post-surgery, "Idol" will barely be recognizable once Nigel is through with his nipping and tucking.

Sure, in past seasons this hardy reality-TV institution survived multiple format switchups--the loss of Paula Abdul (and Brian Dunkleman!), the addition of Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres, the raising of the age limit, the inclusion of musical instruments and a Wild Card round--but at the end of the day, it was still the same old "Idol" we all knew and loved. Will we still love it next year, as Nigel hopes and claims? I'm not so sure...

Below are my opinions on all the changes afoot for what lone remaining judge Randy Jackson calls "American Idol: The Remix." Do you think the show can survive this major overhaul?

New Judge Jennifer Lopez - Jenny is the new judge on the "Idol" block, and while I suppose she has the pop-girl background of Paula and the grouchy attitude of Simon, I still have my doubts about her. Simon was a likable villain, and Paula was just plain likable. J.Lo, on the other hand, seems like a one-note ice queen. And besides, with her tissue-paper-thin voice that makes Paula sound like Maria Callas, I'm not so sure J.Lo is so qualified to dole out singing advice.
MY VERDICT: Yuck!

New Judge Steven Tyler - Kid Rock and various members of Aerosmith aren't too thrilled about Steven sullying his rock 'n' roll legacy by joining "Idol," but I'm actually pretty excited to see what S.Ty can bring to the judging table. I've been missing the comedy on "Idol" since Paula left--and while Ellen, a professional comedienne, oddly couldn't fill that void, I'm pretty sure Steven can. Come on, there's no way this dude isn't going to be pure TV gold. He may not trip over his Chihuahuas, clap like a seal, critique a Jason Castro song yet to be sung, or threaten to hang David Archuleta's squishy head off his rearview mirror...but at some point, he's going to say, do, or wear something outrageous that'll have viewers gabbing around the watercooler on Wednesday morning. Bring it on, I say.
MY VERDICT: Yay!

In-House Mentor Jimmy Iovine - Since it's doubtful that either J.Lo or S.Ty will replace the irreplaceable Simon in the presumably requisite "mean judge" role, it's all riding now on Universal Records chairman Iovine, who will join "Idol" next year to whip the Season 10 kids into label-signing shape. Described by Nigel as a "music czar" and "the type of guy that can stand there, look you in the eyes when he's heard your CD, and throw it in the bin and say, 'Not good enough,'" Jimmy is probably the one guy on the show whose (brutal) opinion I'll truly respect. Sure, I'll miss some of the celebrity mentors next year, but really, the contestants on this show are better off taking advice from a guy like Jimmy than from, say, Miley Cyrus.
MY VERDICT: Yay!

Younger Contestants - Next season, "Idol" will lower its age limit from 16 to 15, probably in an effort to stop the "graying" of the show. See, the "Idol" audience has obviously aged over the past few years. VH1-friendly, classic-rock-evoking singers like Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Crystal Bowersox, and Lee DeWyze have prevailed over contestants with Radio Disney appeal. Show themes have ranged from Elvis to Sinatra to the Stones, instead of genres or artists relevant to today's tweens. And inviting veterans like Hall & Oates, Alice Cooper, the Bee Gees, Joe Cocker, and Chicago to perform on last season's finale didn't exactly attract the Teen Nick demographic, either. Now, by lowering the age limit on the show, as well as hosting auditions on MySpace, Nigel seems to be making a blatant play for the youth market. So, will "Idol" find the next Bieber or Miley next season? I don't know, and I'm not so sure the world needs another Bieber or Miley, really. I'm also not sure that younger contestants will be able to handle the stress of live-televised cutthroat competition. Let's just hope all those hopeful 15-year-olds are ready for their 15 minutes of fame.
MY VERDICT: Yuck!

New Elimination Process - According to Nigel's TVGuide.com interview, the producers are doing away with the top 24 semifinals round, instead skipping straight to a top 12. Well, that just stinks. The semifinals are a big part of the fun on "Idol," giving fans more of a chance to get to know the contestants and see more live performances from the contestants they love; giving the contestants more opportunity to grow from week to week; and creating more suspense as viewers wait to find out who will make the final cut. I didn't like it when the semifinals round was axed from Nigel's "So You Think You Can Dance" last season, and I'll like it even less when this happens on "Idol."
MY VERDICT: Yuck!


No More Genre Themes - I spent much of last season complaining about all the lame, outdated themes the contestants were forced to sing. And I've often griped that themes limit contestants, not allowing them to showcase what they really can do and what kind of album they'd record if they won. But part of the "Idol" fun has always been watching an R&B singer try to go country, or a rocker try to sing soul. Whether the cross-genre attempt was hugely successful (David Cook's "Billie Jean," Kris Allen's "Heartless," Adam Lambert's "Ring Of Fire") or hugely embarrassing (Danny Gokey's "Dream On" nightmare, Lil Rounds' Martina McBride misfire, Casey James's failed Sinatra attempt), it was good TV. Now that the contestants are going to stick to their specialty genres all season long, it's just not going to be as fun. And now my dreams of a Goth Night or Bowie Night or Hair Metal Night will sadly never be realized. Sigh.
MY VERDICT: Yuck!

The Music Video Challenge - Apparently a new aspect of the competition will be a contest to make the best music video. And hey, if the contestants get to work with amazing directors like Mark Romanek or Michel Gondry or Jonas Akerlund, then that'll be fantastic. Gawd knows anything the contestants come up with will be better than most of those lame Ford promos (except for that vampire one--that one was cool). And considering how scarce music videos are on any television channel nowadays, I'll welcome this addition to the "Idol" format. I still want my MTV.
MY VERDICT: Yay!

The Self-Promotion Challenge - I'm torn about this one. See, my favorite reality show of ALL TIME is VH1's "Bands On The Run," on which five bands competed in a "Great Race"-style tour challenge, all trying to earn the most money through ticket and merch sales. They plastered telephone poles with fliers, visited local radio stations, chatted up prospective fans on the street, and practically donned sandwich-board signs to promote themselves. And it was AWESOME TELEVISION. Now, apparently, "Idol" contestants will have to hustle to promote themselves, too. Will the result be as awesome? Possibly maybe. But is this really how these contestants should be spending their time, instead of honing their craft? I mean, the judges are always saying this is a SINGING competition. So how about these kids just sing, and they can promote themselves later, once they have records out in stores? It should be noted, after all, that even on "Bands On The Run," the biggest slackers of the bunch--perpetually drunk Texan rockers Flickerstick, who rarely crawled out of bed before noon while their more responsible rivals were out playing the game--won because they were deemed to be the most talented at PLAYING MUSIC. 'Nuff said.
MY VERDICT: Yuck!


The Big Performance Challenge - The performances on "Idol" last season were all very ho-hummy and guitar-strummy. Only when something interesting and a little over-the-top occurred (Tim Urban's knee-slide, Lee DeWyze's bagpipes, Crystal Bowersox's didgeridoo, Siobhan Magnus's dramatic descent down an illuminated staircase) did the show actually get exciting. We all remember how a little mood-lit Glambert theatrically added zest and zing to Season 8, and if you've ever watched the U.K.'s "X Factor," then you know how much more thrilling the performances on that show, which are often augmented by Vegas-style backup dancers and the entire contents of the ITV network's prop house, can be. (Go YouTube anything performed by last year's John & Edward or this year's Wagner, and you'll see what I mean.) Anyway, in "Idol" Season 10, the contestants will work with a band and dancers (hopefully from "SYTYCD"??? please???) to create an "awards show-style" performance. Will this detract from their singing ability? Probably. Is that exactly what I complained about in my previous paragraph? Um, sure. But hey, at least watching these bigger, bolder performances will be interesting. And hey, if only one "Idol" contestant comes close to recreating the OTT magic of Jedward's "Ghostbusters," Wagner's "Bat Out Of Hell," Prince Poppycock's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (from the very Vegas-y "America's Got Talent"), or Adam Lambert's "Whole Lotta Love," then Season 10 will have compensated for Season 9's 12 weeks of snoozy coffeehouse performances.
MY VERDICT: Yay!

denlem

American Idol moves to Wednesdays & Thursdays. Season 10 premieres Wed., January 19 at 8/7c

Blue Notch

Dancers? Blah. I'm out.

denlem

One week from tonight this thread comes alive again!!!

2k7gtcs

oh boy

Rather B.Blown

2k7gtcs

That looks like Nathan.

Rather B.Blown

Blue Notch

Not chubby enough to be Gary.

denlem

The Return of 'American Idol'

We predict what the likely impact might be for this season's coming changes

By Kati Johnston
Special to MSN TV

"American Idol" fans are getting ready to jump into a Season 10 with a lot of unknowns. "Idol" returns to Fox Jan. 19 with new faces in the judging panel and a lot more. And the biggest change of all: "Idol" creator and curmudgeon Simon Cowell has left to work on a new show, "X Factor" (also for Fox). "American Idol" premieres Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

Photos: See Season 10 gallery | Bing: More about "American Idol"
Fox has a lot at stake. "Idol" is still solidly the No. 1 rated TV show in the country (and has been for six straight years -- a record for any show, scripted or not). But last season's finale ratings, while enormous with more than 24 million viewers, marked the lowest number since the show debuted in 2002. Fox wants to make a meteoric star again out of its flagship show--and we think it can.
Plus: J. Lo dishes on Ryan Seacrest's diva-ness

Let's run down this season's coming changes, factual or rumored, and see what the likely impact might be:

1. No Simon: OK, this is a big one. Cowell's blistering appraisals of contestants grew to be one of the show's big appeals. And when he doled out one of his rare (and heartfelt) compliments, well, that really meant something. Whether you loved him or loved to hate him, he was a reason to tune in. But remember that TV cast changes are common, and that Cowell was really playing a role. (And even his legendary banter with host Ryan Seacrest was starting to feel phoned in, wasn't it?) Randy Jackson has become more thoughtful and blunt when he needs to be, so he may well rise to the role of "AI" elder statesman.
The Verdict: cautiously optimistic. Give it a few shows to see how the new judges' personalities shake out.

2. New judges: Which brings us to the panel of shiny new and famous faces. Jackson is back, Dawg. And gone are the previous new (and wobbly) judges, Ellen DeGeneres (who's great at nearly everything, but not at being an "Idol" judge) as well as Kara DioGuardi. In their place: Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. Since both still have actual musical careers, their addition could bring much-needed credibility to the judging. (It takes one to know one, right?) Though Lopez, Tyler, Seacrest and Jackson recently gushed to Entertainment Weekly that they are "more collaborative" and are "more on the same page" than any previous panel of "Idol" judges, we hope there's still room for strong opinions and sparks. Lopez does not exactly suffer fools gladly (let's hope no contestant tries to make actual eye contact with her).
The Verdict: Walk this way!

3. No more boy-girl parity: "American Idol" had been committed to bringing an equal number of men and women to the semifinals (and beyond), but executive producer Ken Warwick says that's gone, and that talent alone will determine who moves to the next rounds.
The Verdict: Let the sing-off begin.

4. New semifinal round: The rumor is that the show will begin with 60 "I'm going to Hollywood!" contestants who are flown to Vegas to cover Beatles songs; from that group comes a group of 40, and then a semifinalist group of 20. Then viewers will choose the finalists. The show's producers have been mum about whether there will be 10, 12, or even 15 finalists, so there could be even more shake-ups in the pacing, the voting and the results.
The Verdict: Neutral. As long as the pacing stays quick and seamless, we're in.

5. New kingmaker: With Cowell out, longtime music producer Jimmy Iovine (of Interscope Geffen A&M Records) has taken over the role of behind-the-scenes mentor and magic-maker. Iovine is nothing if not connected in the music biz, so the producers, arrangers and session musicians he selects may be more commercial, more cutting-edge than in the past or both.
The Verdict: Play it!

6. Lack of good contestants: Well, it's true that last season's batch didn't really grab our attention. (Show of hands: Who's currently listening to Crystal Bowersox? Lee DeWyze?) "The biggest thing that 'Idol' needs to do this year," Richard Rushfield, author of the coming book "'American Idol': The Untold Story," told The Los Angeles Times, "is produce a major recording star. They haven't done that in a lot of years, and it's sort of the premise of the show." It's been ages since we've seen a Chris Daughtry or a Carrie Underwood. And the biggest singing sensation to be plucked out of nowhere and catapulted to stardom in the country is Ted Williams, the homeless man with a voice of gold. "Idol" has to get some strong singers back into the national consciousness, stat.
The Verdict: The only way to tell if the new judges' enthusiasm for what they heard in the auditions is authentic is to tune in. So we will -- but we've spent time in Missouri, so, Steven, J.Lo and crew: You'll have to show us.

7. More competition: Cowell's "X Factor," which debuts in September on Fox, is just one direct competition to "American Idol." Folksy-country star Jewel and ex-"Idol" judge DioGuardi are launching a similar show, "Platinum Hit," for Bravo, home of "Top Chef," "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" and the original "Project Runway." It's scheduled to air sometime this summer. But having a lot of singing-competition shows is nothing new ("Nashville Star," "America's Got Talent," et al). Notice that none of these shows is foolish enough to overlap with the "Idol" juggernaut.

The Verdict: May the best show win. But we're betting on, and grooving to, "Idol."
"American Idol" premieres Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.



Source: http://tv.msn.com/reality-tv/america...ure/?GT1=28103

Blue Notch

Well I won't be watching that week for sure.

2k7gtcs

You know you will.

denlem

Beatles songs are a lot better than the other junk they end up covering!

cdynaco

The other night Ricky Gervais and Conan were bantering back and forth about how this year's panel was going to be nicer, and gentler...
after a brief pause they both said at the same time:
"this will be their last year then".

JimC

My wife and I enjoyed the addition of Steven Tyler - seems to have a quick wit and some of the same qualities as Simon but with a little more humor behind him. Both of us laughed at the "did you eat a lot of paint chips as a child" comment - we both thought that was something that Simon would have said.

denlem

I just finished watching and I really enjoyed it. I think it was more entertaining, less of the crazy people auditions, and more real. Steven is pretty funny. Let's hope it keeps up this way.

denlem

Wow, so quiet in here.

Glenn

Hi Nathan

Blue Notch

I guess it's been pretty good so far. I liked the last girl they showed from new orleans. I think it's time for a girl to win and one who sings country only makes it better.

BoogieNights

NO this cant be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not American idol AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE SAVE US ALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!