Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Well, at least one of the American Idol rumors has been confirmed.

Nigel Lythgoe, most recently of “So You Think You Can Dance” fame, is returning to Idol as an executive producer for season 10.

Sounds like good news to me, especially considering what he’s been saying about Idol judges lately.

Lythgoe served the same role on Idol through season seven, which coincidentally, was the last season the show was really entertaining.

Remember that year? David Cook against David Archuleta. A supporting cast that include Syesha Mercado, Brooke White, Jason Castro, the underrated Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. Tons of talent (just listen to the music they’ve released since then.) Lots of personality. Heck, between bum notes and twisted quotes, even Kristy Lee Cook was entertaining.

Not that season seven wasn’t without its misfires. After all, it included that strange episode where all the contestants sang once, then returned to the stage as a group for the judges’ comments — a format that threw Paula Adbul for such a loop that she turned in one of her loopiest critiques ever, criticizing a performance poor Jason hadn’t even given yet.

But all in all, I consider season seven one of Idol’s best. Certainly far superior to the bore-fest we’ve endured the last two seasons, save the gems provided by Crystal Bowersox, Allison Iraheta and, of course, Adam Lambert.

As for what Lythgoe is saying about the judges and potential changes to the show …

* He prefers a three-judge format to four judges. Hooray!

* He thinks the focus should be on the contestants, not the people sitting at the judges’ table. Hooray again!

* He doesn’t like the idea of young mentors. Wow. Could he be referring to forever off-key teen Miley Cyrus and her stint as a mentor this year. If so, triple hooray!

You can go to this interview he did with USA Today for more, including his comments on prospective new judges.

Lythgoe’s hiring marks the third major change the show has made for season 10. The others include the blunder of allowing 15-year-olds to compete and the wonderful decision to cut the results shows to one-half hour.

Hey, as Meatloaf would sing, two out of three ain’t bad.

Now, Nigel, about the voting. Isn’t there some way to even that out? To keep fans enamored by a Kris Allen or a Lee DeWyze from voting a trillion times?

Hopefully, you can find a way.

It not, regardless of how many other changes you make, you might as well rename the show Cute Guy Idol and tell the ladies not to bother competing.