American Idol' still in its prime

BILL KEVENEY
USA TODAY

How long can the dominant but aging "American Idol" keep hitting the high notes?

Television's top-rated series opens Season 8 Tuesday (Fox, 8 ET/PT) with its hugely popular auditions while trying to freshen a format now well into the TV version of middle age.

Although "Idol" is expected to easily maintain its No. 1 status, last season's ratings drop was its biggest yet, Season 7 champ David Cook hasn't ignited the charts, and some wonder how long a devoted fan base will remain loyal in a medium as fickle as television.

To stem "Idol" fatigue, the show has made changes: a fourth judge, Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi; an extra week of Hollywood rounds with the return of group performances; and a larger semifinalist field along with reinstatement of the judges' wild-card picks.

Fox Networks Group CEO Tony Vinciquerra, speaking at a media business conference on Wednesday, said he hopes that "Idol" finds singers with more personality than last year's batch and that initial talent reports are good. He said the show also plans changes to what he called "very boring" top-12 results shows.

Simon Cowell, "Idol"'s severest judge, suggested that tweaks such as the wild cards should make it easier to assemble an intriguing field of singers, the key to audience engagement and an area he also found wanting last season.

"Too many people on the show were like professional reality-show contestants which made it a little frustrating," he says. "I like all shapes and sizes in the final 12, and I think this year we will have a more interesting and eclectic bunch of people."

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