Gearing Up For American Idol

Is it just us, or does it seem like American Idol is always on? The first round of auditions start up again this week for season eight, and the producers are saying this season will make up for last season's low ratings. Executive producer says there will be more guitars, less focus on the auditions process, and shorter results shows. Guess they must have caught on to the fact that everyone tivos the show and flies through the first hour to get to the end to find out who's going home.

Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly says, "That felt like a healthy thing to do in terms of the setup of the show, getting through all the audition phases that people still love. But now, everyone knows the format... They say, 'let's get to the legitimate competition.' I think you will see some fine tuning."

Nigel chimed in by adding, "We are going to keep the idea of being able to play instruments. I really like that. I'd like to see a really good singer/instrumentalist."

But Nigel doesn't think the rating were bad for last year. He says they were right on par with every other show on TV last year. We'll have to see if the revamping of the show makes a difference this season!