American Idol: Judging table not the only thing changing!

The news that Jennifer Lopez, Stephen Tyler and Randy Jackson heading the judging table was big news for American Idol, but more changes are headed for the Idol stage. Nigel Lythgoe, returning Executive Producer of American Idol, has brought in Jimmy Iovine to help coach the Idol hopefuls behind the scenes. Jimmy Iovine is a music industry giant, chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M, a music producer, and will be a regular presence on the show. Iovine will also tap in to his network of high profile music producer friends to come in and coach the contestants.

In addition, Lythgoe explained that gone are the “theme” weeks. No longer will we see a country singer perform rock, a rock singer perform broadway.  Rather, the themes will be based more on decades, allowing the artist to choose a song that focuses on their already chosen genre. Lythgoe wants to focus more on the contestants performances, allowing the audience to catch a glimpse of what we may actually see them do if they were to get that elusive record deal. The new judges are also gearing up to provide more sound advice to the contestants to help them get better, rather than the sound bites we are used to in AI seasons past.

All the changes so far seem positive, but will American Idol be able to hit the mark without the snarky Simon Cowell? I guess we will just have to wait and see. What do you think? Will you give American Idol a chance this upcoming season? Let us know in the FORUM.