"American Idol" a few years ago was once considered the "Death Star" by its rivals, cowering in its wake. Rival TV stations, morning radio and magazines would obsessively cover the controversies emanating from the show. No TV show for a few years was bigger. (Remember when Fantasia, LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson were in the bottom three at the same time? My god!)
But that once formidable franchise is now just another TV show when it returns Wednesday for its 13th season. Ratings peaked in 2006 when Taylor Hicks took home the crown. The decline in the show's popularity since then was gradual at first, with a upward tick in 2011 when Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the panel. In the past two years, the show's fall has been especially precipitous, as 10 million viewers on average disappeared each week and "The Voice" took over as most popular singing competition show.
This past year, "Idol" drew an average of 13 million viewers compared to 23 million in 2011. Among 18 to 49 year olds, the show lost half its fans and less than a third from its peak.
Fox reality show guru Mike Darnell was replaced. So were all the executive directors who made "Idol" what it was, including Nigel Lythgoe. The judge's panel was overhauled, with one new judge Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Lopez returning.
Will the show be able to stem the erosion? I think so. Connick will bring back some of the former regulars who were turned off by the Nicki Minaj/Mariah Carey nonsense in 2013. And I'm sure they will find better guys than they had last year, which should help bring in more women.
The changes will be obvious but not so crazy to turn off the loyal remaining viewers. Kevin Reilly, the Fox president, likened it to a "new, improved Tide." "It's not our intention to do a sort of overhaul but just to give the show a lot of fresh elements, to refind its footing," he told the New York Times' Bill Carter.
Per Blankens, showrunner of the Swedish version of "Idol" from 2007 to 2011, told the Hollywood Reporter that the focus is on "back to basics." Connick in the article likened the show to a cheeseburger ("familiar, simple") or Coke Classic. "People sort of missed their classic "American Idol." And it's back."
Based on the first episode I watched last month, the chemistry is there among the judges. Stylistically, the audition episodes have reduced the joke/bad singers to a mere footnote (a trend that has only accelerated in recent years, post Simon Cowell). There are fewer sob stories, a greater focus on the singers' singing talent. Guitars are allowed in the initial auditions. The middle Hollywood rounds will be condensed.
Once we get to the live shows, there will be a new stage, new lighting and revised theme music. Producers promise a refreshed music songbook. Allison Iraheta from season 8 will sing backup on Ricky Minor's band. There will be fewer restrictive theme nights.
If you want to see a preview of the show for free (with free popcorn and soda), come to Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville by 7 p.m. (They did the same thing last year). Via satellite, you'll be able to see a Q&A with Ryan Seacrest and the new judges' panel after the screening at 8:30 p.m. (Or you can watch the Q&A from the comfort of your own computer or tablet here.)
Here's the address: AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18, 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Tomorrow's episode will feature Austin and part of the Boston auditions. The Atlanta audition episode will air on January 23.
Here is some of the middle round details from "Idol" in a press release Monday:
Those who prove they have what it takes to move forward in the competition think they are headed to the "Hollywood" round. But, even before they unpack their bags, the contestants will learn they must compete in a surprise "Hollywood or Home" round, airing on Wednesday, Feb. 5 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). In this intense new round, the judges will decide if these hopefuls really are committed and talented enough to become the next singing superstar. Some of the singers will be asked to perform one more time for the judges – and for some, this will be their last performance. It's a tough decision for the judges, but even tougher for the contestants, because those who don't make the cut must head straight home.
The "Hollywood" rounds continue Thursday, Feb. 6 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Feb. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), as the hopefuls take the stage of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for group and solo performances. On Thursday, Feb. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), the Hollywood rounds end with a new twist as the Top semi-finalists are revealed.
RUSH WEEK
During a special three-night IDOL event, the hopefuls will have their last chance to impress the judges and America. On the season's first LIVE show, airing on a special night, Tuesday, Feb. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed), the 15 remaining female contestants will face their IDOL fates; the 15 male contestants will do the same on the following night Wednesday, Feb. 19 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed). On both Tuesday and Wednesday night, the voting lines will open immediately after each LIVE show. On Thursday, Feb. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 13 finalists will be revealed in the first results show LIVE from Los Angeles.
FINALIST PERFORMANCE ROUNDS
The following week, the competition gets fiercer when the Top 13 finalists perform LIVE Wednesday, Feb. 26 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed). One finalist's journey will end as America's vote is revealed Thursday, Feb. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed).
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Fox is unsure whether "The X Factor" will be back a fourth season. The show disappeared off the radar season three and ratings fell off the cliff. If it does come back, it will be much shorter and quite different. Cowell may not even be on screen anymore.
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was part of the last "Idol' season which saw an increase in ratings: season 10. He was the rock dude on a show that has had a relative paucity of real rockers. He is the only singer to date who had the cojones to perform
Judas Priest
.
But Durbin, who is performing Saturday at the Masquerade, has gone more pop-rock in his latest record called "Celebrate," set to drop in April.
"I don't want to stay in the same niche," Durbin said in a recent interview. "I'm tired of being angry." And he wrote most of this record, which is different from his first one.
"It’s definitely more of where I am as a person right now," Durbin added. "The proof is in the title. I'm in full celebration every moment because, 'Why not?' Look around you. Look up in the sky. Look at the clouds. Clouds don't make mistakes. Why do I have to make mistakes? Why do I have to beat myself over things that don't matter."
Durbin, who has been married for two years and lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., said the one year after "Idol' was a whirlwind but not all in a good way. "I was uprooted from my nest, my family, my home, my son and fiance," he said. "I was put in Hollywood with designer clothes and designer amenities. I had a chauffeur, five-star dining, massages, facials and pedicures. Then I returned home."
When reality hit home as well, he felt like a loser. "I was really f**** in my head," he said. It took some time for him to right himself to "label my own success by my own standards," not that of Chris Daughtry or Carrie Underwood.
He said the album cover says it all. He's not "on a backlot staring at the ground wearing a big trenchcoat. I'm instead on the beach. There's a sunset. I just wear my heart a little differently these days."
"I'm just really happy," he added. "I want to tour. I wrote a really killer record. I can't wait for people to hear it."
He said he owes it to "Idol" to keep tabs and give it props. He wouldn't badmouth last season. (You can leave that to a lot of other people.) He's a fan of Keith Urban. "He's an amazing songwriter, a cool guy. Seems like a good person to get drunk with and jam into the night." J. Lo? "Like a surrogate mother." Connick? "A very very smart man who knows a ton about music and the music industry. That's really needed on the show."
Durbin enjoyed how Connick parried with Randy Jackson last year when he was mentoring. "He understands that songs don't need to have all those frills on them. They're written that way. That's what makes them special. You could lose that fascination with it if you change it too much."
In concert
James Durbin
7 p.m. Saturday January 18, 2014
$18
Masquerade
695 North Ave., Atlanta
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