AMERICAN IDOL
On: Channel 25
Time: Tonight and tomorrow night at 8
PASADENA, Calif. - When “American Idol’’ returns to the airwaves tonight there will be roughly 800 singing/talent competitions on TV.
Or at least it will feel that way.
With vocal showdowns proliferating like notes in an Aguilera-sung vowel, what will the granddaddy of the format do to freshen things up for its 11th season? Not much, apparently.
Staying the course seems to be the theme, as last year’s newbie judges - Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and Jennifer Lopez of the block - settle into their seats alongside Randy Jackson of the limited critical vocabulary. The new season begins tonight and tomorrow night at 8 on Channel 25.
The judges, host Ryan Seacrest, producers Ken Warwick and Cécile Frot-Coutaz, and the head of alternative programming for Fox, Mike Darnell attended the Television Critics Association press tour recently. In addition to queries about Seacrest’s potential future with the “Today’’ show (he couldn’t comment) and whether or not the judges will be tougher this year (doesn’t look like it), there were plenty of questions focused on the crowded talent show landscape, and whether audiences have reached a saturation point with all of this talent America has got.
While the group played nice with “The X Factor’’ - which stars their former pals and network buddies Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, and is also overseen by Darnell - they had plenty of choice words for NBC’s “The Voice,’’ which recently announced inaugural “Idol’’ winner Kelly Clarkson as a mentor for its upcoming second season, set to kick off after the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.
Darnell views Clarkson’s appearance on “The Voice’’ as a compliment to “Idol,’’ and validation of its place as the show that creates superstars. “We’re not hiring a lot of people from ‘The Voice’ to be on our show,’’ he said.
Added Jackson, “Yeah, it’s great that we can invent some talent for ‘The Voice.’ ’’
Clarkson might bristle a bit at the use of the word “invent,’’ but “Idol’’ producers aren’t incorrect in their insistence that few of the other shows have spawned as many commercially successful artists - be they winners like Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, or deeper-in-the-pack runners-up like Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson. (Or finalist Katharine McPhee, who looks poised to finally make good on her “Idol’’ launching pad with upcoming NBC musical drama “Smash.’’) Last year’s winner, country singer Scotty McCreery, broke a commercial cold snap for the most recent winners when his debut album went platinum. Given the slumping nature of record sales, Jackson noted that success is rare, indeed.