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TCA: No Villain On ‘Idol’ This Season

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday January 11, 2011 @ 12:14pm PSTTags: American Idol, American Idol Season 10, Jennifer Lopez American idol, Nigel Lythgoe, Randy Jackson American Idol, Simon Cowell American Idol, Steven Tyler, Steven Tyler American Idol, TCA, Television Critics Association, TV

From Ray Richmond, who has been contributing to Deadline Hollywood’s TCA coverage:
The hot new (read: Simon Cowell-less) American Idol got rolled out by Fox on Tuesday morning at the TCA confab in Pasadena, with new judges J-Lo and Steven Tyler and new/old showrunner Nigel Lythgoe but without a man named Simon, the one named Cowell, arguably the nasty voice that has long stirred this top-rated drink for a phenomenon that enters its 10th season on Jan. 19.

First question of the day: Does anyone take it personally that everyone presumes there is a Hummer-size hole in the show to fill due to the looming absence of Simon’s bracing venom? “No,” insisted Randy Jackson, the only returning judge and now the undeniable veteran. “We don’t take it personally. Of course we love him and miss him, but what we’ve added with these new superstars is a lot. We’ve got a rock legend in Steven and a triple-threat in J-Lo.” This marked the first time in a public forum that someone has expressed “love” for Cowell.

For his part, exec producer Lythgoe expressed little concern over “Idol” continuing on its merry Number One way. “It’s an entirely new cast, and an entirely new show, but you need to evolve after you’ve been on the air for a decade, so it’s time,” Lythgoe said. “Simon’s leaving allows us to be creative and to shake things up.” Agreed exec producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz: “It was important that the show itself change, the direction, and that it wasn’t just a change in cast. You need to have the show match the new cast or you’re just casting somebody else’s show.”

Fox reality guru Mike Darnell also evoked a “What, me worry?” attitude, even after it was pointed out by a critic that Idol’s median age had crept up from 32 to 45. “I like to think the show has aged with me,” he noted. “But I mean, here’s a show that’s achieved Number 1 six years in a row. That’s bigger than M*A*S*H, bigger than All in the Family. What its achieved ia phenomenal. What this is about this season is keeping the show feeling fresh and new.”

The irony of that, of course, is that the new blood isn’t exactly brand new and fresh off the farm. Tyler has been rocking out since the 1960s. Lopez has been a star for the better part of 20 years. The thinking is that both are here not to replace Cowell but to burnish their own credentials as decent, likable people, not lay into amateur singers.

“We’re going to be very honest in what we say and do,” Lopez insisted on Tuesday. “Steven and I are both very spontaneous. I think he’d agree that we’re here not to break people how but to guide and help mentor them through the process…But I have to say, this has been a lot of fun, much more than I even thought it would be. I’m glad I made the choice to do this.”

“Why did I do this? Well, I’m not totally sure yet,” Tyler admitted. “It’s not just about singing but character with me.”

For his part, Lythgoe noted that there will be a renewed emphasis this coming season on not just wedding out the riff-raff but on “finding the next superstar. The performance part for me is more important than ever. In the new season, it’s more about searching for that eventual winner than stopping people from getting there.”

No, that was Simon’s job. And it doesn’t appear that he’ll be coming back anytime soon. We’ll have to see how that lack of a villain works out.

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No Behind-the-Scenes ‘Idol’ Drama For Now

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday October 9, 2010 @ 11:12pm PDTTags: American Idol, American Idol Ryan Seacrest, American Idol Season 10, Fox, Fox American Idol, Fox Ratings, Jennifer Lopez American idol, Simon Cowell American Idol, TV, TV Ratings
Nellie Andreeva

Despite a red-hot Glee, Fox’s fall lineup is shakier than expected as the network’s new series largely underperformed. That’s why a strong American Idol is crucial for Fox’s hopes to claim another season ratings win. But the talent show juggernaut finished last season at a record low, and lost its signature star Simon Cowell, and then embarked on a judges search that became a public spectacle. But now I’m hearing that, two weeks into the audition process for Season 10, the situation on the show seems to be settling down with no major controversies on the immediate horizon. Read More »

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IT’S OFFICIAL: Fox Announces Steven Tyler & Jennifer Lopez As New ‘Idol’ Judges

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday September 22, 2010 @ 10:15am PDTTags: American Idol, American Idol Judge Deals, American Idol Judge Unveiling, American Idol Judges, American Idol Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lopez American idol, Jennifer Lopez Fox Deal, Steven Tyler, Steven Tyler American Idol, TV
Nellie Andreeva

 Talk about an anticlimax. After weeks of speculation and spoilers, Fox officially intro’ed new American Idol judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez this morning in a brief ceremony hosted by Ryan Seacrest at the Forum in Inglewood. The two are joining original judge Randy Jackson. Additionally, record executive and producer Jimmy Iovine will serve as an in-house mentor to the contestants on the upcoming 10th season of Idol. Technically, Lopez replaces Ellen DeGeneres who asked to be released from her 2-year contract after the end of last season. Her wish was granted in early August. Lopez’s Idol judge gig is part of a $12-million salary and overal Fox deal which Lopez and her team negotiated over the summer as Nikki reported exclusively earlier this month as well as first scooped that Lopez was to be an Idol judge. Today, Fox confirmed the first-look deal for her Nuyorican Prods. with both Twentieth Century Fox Films and Fox Broadcasting Co.

“Jennifer is a true entertainment powerhouse who has made a tremendous impact on pop culture,” said Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman, chairmen and CEOs of Fox Filmed Entertainment. Added Fox entertainment chairman Peter Rice, “From the worlds of dance and music to television, films and fashion, she is a global superstar with iconic and captivating style, along with impressive insight on how to reach and move audiences worldwide.” Read More »

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‘American Idol’ Deal Done For Steven Tyler

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday August 18, 2010 @ 10:23am PDTTags: American Idol Judges, Fox American Idol, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lopez American idol, Nigel Lythgoe American Idol, Steve Tyler, Steve Tyler American Idol

I’ve just confirmed from sources close to the singer that the “deal is done” for Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler to be one of the new judges despite having very little TV experience. He has played himself on a few tube episodes … Read More »

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JENNIFER LOPEZ IS NEW ‘IDOL’ JUDGE! Closed Deal This Week; Replaces Ellen Who Wanted Out of Contract: “It’s Not Been Fun”

By NIKKI FINKE AND NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday July 29, 2010 @ 6:30pm PDTTags: American Idol, American Idol Judges, Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John, Fox American Idol, FremantleMedia, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lopez American idol, Kara DioGuardi, Nigel Lythgoe, Nigel Lythgoe American Idol, Simon Cowell American Idol, Steven Tyler, TV, Unscripted TV

EXCLUSIVE UPDATE 6:30 PM: We’ve just learned the backstory of how Ellen DeGeneres bowed out of American Idol and who will be the new judge taking her place. It’s Jennifer Lopez, JENNIFER LOPEZ 2whose singing and acting career has been on the skids after her recent movie failed at the box office in the spring and she was dropped by her record company Sony Music Epic Records this past winter. We hear her manager Benny Medina (whom she once fired) orchestrated the meeting with the American Idol producers a month ago, and negotiations have been ongoing ever since. We’ve learned a deal was closed earlier this week under the utmost secrecy. Today’s news came shortly after Nigel Lythgoe returned to Idol as an executive producer. He has vowed to shake up the show’s team of judges in the wake of the departure of Simon Cowell, publicly stating that he always thought a panel of three and not 4 made the most sense.

Still to be decided is who will replace Simon Cowell. Everyone associated with the show wants Elton John, but we hear he’s asking for too much money and has too many touring commitments he can’t get out of. (Denials That Justin Or Elton Judging ‘Idol’) 2ND UPDATE: Tonight, unconfirmed reports say Idol has offered Cowell’s judge seat to Steven Tyler. 3RD UPDATE: And another unconfirmed report claimed judge Kara DioGuardi has been fired to bring the panel count down to just 3, not 4.

As for Ellen Degeneres, we’re told she wanted off the show two months ago and complained that Idol producers “couldn’t control Cowell”, one insider tells us. Least of all Cecile Frot-Coutaz, the CEO of FremantleMedia North America. “Cecile is doing X Factor with Simon, so she’s in his back pocket.” DeGeneres and her reps went in to to see Fox Broadcasting’s Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice and Alternative TV President Mike Darnell and asked to be let out of the year left on her contract. “She’s not comfortable. She’s not happy. It’s not been fun,” Fox was told.  But Rice and Darnell responded that, with Cowell leaving, “We can’t let you out now because it would be bad for our franchise. Give us a chance to figure out who we could get.” In the end, all the show’s producers – Fox, Fremantle, and 19 Entertainment – worked it out. “Peter Rice was awesome,” an insider tells us. “Ellen is thrilled and relieved.” We’ve learned that serious conversations took place between Idol and Jessica Simpson to replace Ellen. But once Jennifer Lopez was locked in this week, the DeGeneres announcement went out. Read More »

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