Two weeks into the Hollywood Week episodes on American Idol, producer Nigel Lythgoe has decided it’s time to talk to the press.
Not sure what he’ll say during this 1 p.m. press conference, but I’m hoping he outlines — for once and all — the process Idol plans to follow between now and the finals.
That, apparently, is where Idol plans the biggest shakeup in season 10. And with the field being narrowed to about 50 tonight, the semifinal round can’t be too far away.
And the questions and answers begin …
* Nigel says the viewing numbers have held up “brilliantly” considering the loss of Simon Cowell, whom he called “irreplaceable.” He said it was obviously important for the judges to be “really good this year.” And that Idol decided to go in a different direction with the judges to avoid comparisions.
* Nigel says Idol will narrow its Hollywood field of 320 to about 60 to take to Las Vegas next week, where the field will be whittled down for the semifinals. He said some contestants are getting second and third chances to impress. He calls this year’s contestants the strongest he’s ever seen on Idol.
* Nigel says Randy Jackson’s role is being overlooked. He’s using more words than dawg, Nigel says. Most importantly, he’s serving as the new panel’s anchor and the person Nigel relies on to move the process along.
* Nigel says the new positive attitude on the panel was absolutely a direction Idol looked to go in, rather than something that just happened after the addition of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.
* Nigel indicates Idol will probably keep the finalists living in one setting, so that perhaps we’ll get to see more of their personality. It’s not just about talent. People support contestants because of other factors, including their personality, he says. It won’t be like big brother, he insists. And the cameras won’t be running 24-7.
* Nigel admits he’s a little concerned about what will happen when the show goes live — not because of the language the judges (read Steven) might use, because there’s a tape-delay, but because the show needs to end on time. And that means the judges need to be succinct, yet provide useful critiques for the viewers at home and to the contestants.
* Nigel promises us that new talent will break through during the next two episodes and that some of the favorites might stumble a bit.
* Nigel says the final Green Mile show was filmed last night, indicating that Idol has picked its contestants for the semifinals, though we won’t discover who they are for a couple of weeks.
* Nigel says Idol will always feature the best and the worst contestants. If it seemed to feature more of the best this year, it was merely because of the talent level. And a desire to make sure viewers are familiar with the final 20 or so contestants when the field reaches that number. But he adds that he likes “smiling at the delusional, especially when they’re arrogant about it and have something to say if you tell them they can’t sing and they go mad.”
Guess that means there will always be room for the crazies on Idol.
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