Smallscreen News

Too much nice may be problematic for American Idol, some thoughts

By April MacIntyre Jan 11, 2011, 1:06 GMT

Wild card Steven Tyler - Farm Aid 25 - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI, USA © Jennifer Bronenkant / PR Photos

Watching the screener for the new "American Idol" was an interesting undertaking.  

Boston rocker Steven Tyler will most certainly be the true wild card, behavior-wise, and Jennifer Lopez is heavily into seeking audience approval with her warm fuzzy approach to the contestants.  Randy is the dawg, but has embraced the "brevity is the soul of wit" ethos as he tightens and brightens his critique style.

But no one lays it out like Simon, and no one (so far) had the huevos to tell someone to shut it and leave the stage the way the pained Brit did mercifully speeding up the whole winnowing process. 

There's the problem, there's too much kindess in what I saw, and that won't do, pig. We need someone who cuts to the chase and spares us a second chorus of "Feelings."

"Idol" is back on television next week with the new mantra of support and coaching instead of both barrels blazing.

The TCA's were all about FOX today, and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told TV critics,  "It's about giving the right information to (the contestants) so they continue on their journey as an artist. It is a lot more about searching for that eventual winner, than stopping people getting there...in the past, we may have been accused of putting barriers up against them or making glib remarks, rather than trying to help them through the whole process," Lythgoe said.

"American Idol" will be a different experience, as Lopez, Aerosmith rocker Tyler, and Randy Jackson will deliver the bad news to the challenged with a teaspoon of sugar.

"Idol" has lost a massive chunk of viewership in the past four years, with "Idol" winners Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze seeing poor sales for their respective albums.