The eighth season of “American Idol” is just around the corner and here’s what we know so far.
It will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Fox, KDVR-Channel 31, with the first of six nights of auditions.
Hard as it may be to believe, the show’s producers are actually putting this “Idol” tradition on a diet. In previous years the screechy, erratic, “Gong Show”-style street theater masquerading as tryouts have gone on seemingly forever.
But the producers have tweaked their schedule to reduce the likelihood that the show will launch any more careers like William Hung, the defective crooner who soared to fame after his dreadful “Idol” audition was televised in 2004.
His performance unleashed a monster of delusionary warblers strutting into “Idol” auditions.
The phenomenon was fun for a while, but last season the audience made plain that it had tired of the imposters. Ratings dipped during auditions, only to rally at the end, when the two Davids — Archuleta and Cook — restored “Idol’s” luster as an actual talent competition.
“Wherever we can, we want to change things up a little bit,” said executive producer Ken Warwick during a conference call with reporters last month.
So goodbye to the unending auditions and hello to 12 more contestants in the show’s semifinals qualifying out of the second round of auditions held in Hollywood. In another effort to shift focus back to people who can actually sing, the Hollywood portion will take up an additional week on the “Idol” schedule, running from Feb. 3 to Feb. 11.
At that point, the semifinalists will be announced as the “top 36” (up from the “top 24” of previous years) and the live portion of “Idol” will begin. For the next three weeks, viewers will hear the top 36 perform — 12 per week, starting Feb. 17 — then vote. One male, one female and the next-highest vote getter will advance each of the three weeks.
Yes, that only adds up to nine finalists. The rest will be chosen by the judges on a special “wild card” telecast March 5, and the finals will begin in earnest March 10. There won’t be an “Idol Gives Back” charity night this year.
Warwick said the idea of the wild card arose because of previous seasons that lacked compelling characters. “It got a bit boring,” he said.
Singer-producer Kara DioGuardi is being added as a judge, joining Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul (who isn’t leaving the show, contrary to rumors).
