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American Idol Season 10: Conference Call with Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe

Posted on 02/17/2011 by Gina in American Idol and Cast Interviews

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Nigel Lythgoe from American Idol Season 10

 

by Gina Scarpa

 

It's getting down to the wire on American Idol. 100 hopefuls remain in the competition after surviving the dreaded Group Night during Hollywood Week. Today, Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe talked to RealityWanted and reporters in a press conference call to discuss the season 10 changes, the level of talent, and preparing for the upcoming live shows.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Bringing on Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez has changed the whole vibe of the show. It's become a lot more supportive and positive. Is that something you were going for or did that just unfold organically?
A. Nigel: No, no. It was absolutely going for it. This is what we wanted. We never wanted anybody to be held up against Simon. Simon is his own man and brilliant at what he does. You can't replace somebody like that. They're always going to be less than, to be frank. If you do somebody that is their own person, no one is ever going to be Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell is never going to be Steven Tyler. Jennifer, Steven... these are stars putting themselves in this position. Something happened last night with Jennifer that touched us all. That would've never really happened before on the show. We really are dealing with real people. They might be stars but they're real people. One thing that shouldn't be forgotten is that the role that Randy is now playing is overlooked. He's the anchor of this program. I know that no matter what happens, Randy is there and will move the process on. Randy's role should not be dismissed.


Q. Can you tell us, in terms of the show's future success, how important is it to you that you can find a singer who can sell a lot of records? Is that more important than ratings or judges?
A. Nigel: It depends, I think, on who you are. If you're the record company, you want the singer to do well. If you're the broadcaster, you want the show to do well. If you're me, as the Executive Producer, you want every part of it to do well. It's a really difficult question. Each part is part of a jigsaw puzzle that has to come together. Obviously, the judges needed to be good this year, especially with the loss of Simon, who is irreplaceable. We decided to go in an entirely different direction. The talent we found this year is probably the best talent I've seen as a group on American Idol ever. I think tonight, if you watch, you'll agree with me. I think that the viewing figures have held up brilliantly considering we're on our 10th season, we've lost our two main stars in Paula and Simon, and we're in a very, very good place. If the person is going to be successful at the end of the day, that's out of our hands. That's in the hands of the public and the recording company. In that way, I've got to hold production's hands up and say we have no control on assisting that.

 

Q. You wanted to take 40 people to Vegas but watching [the promo] last night, it looked like it was 50. Is that right?
A. Nigel: It was worse than that! We got down to 60! Because this is the most amount we've ever taken to Hollywood... something like 327 or something in that area... we knew it was going to be really tough. We didn't want to lose anybody. The judges have been very careful in giving people second opportunities. Everybody screws up with nerves. Many people were given second and third chances and many came through and shone. We're in the area of about 50-60. At the end of the day, we put a final ceiling. We had 60 to Vegas, 40 to the final sing-off, and 20 to the final, or something like that.

 

Q. What percentage of votes is from texting versus voice calls? What has the impact been over time?
A. Nigel: I can't answer that because I haven't been involved the last two years. When we first came to this country, Europe had been texting for many years. America, when we first came here, they were talking about us not even texting because no one was texting. The growth of texting in this country is palpable.

 

Q. What did Steven Tyler do to warrant an apology from Fox?
A. Nigel: What Steven Tyler did? There was no apology! It's pretty difficult sometimes to get British humor. The producers wish to apologize, not Fox, for Steven using language that he shouldn't be using. I'm quite surprised that the people who watched it didn't get it.

 

Q. What do you say to the people who say that the judges are too soft and that's why so many people have advanced?
A. Nigel: At the end of the day, does it help the program that more people are given opportunity? I truly believe that we have the best talent we've ever had... ever! Whether they're soft or not, they still have to bring it down and present America with the final bunch of people.

 

Q. Do you have any concerns about the judges on the live show?
A. Nigel: Of course! It isn't concern about what they might say. We've always got a delay. It's more of the fact of pinning things down and saying them articulately in a short period of time, which has gone wrong in the past and you start running out of time. People who DVR'd the show get really annoyed. We need to be on time. I'm a stickler for that. Every break, I sit near the judges. They need to have something to say in a finite period of time. They haven't done that yet.

 


American Idol airs Wednesdays at 8/7c and Thursdays at 8/7c on FOX.

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)

 


Follow Gina @ginascarpa

 

For more American Idol links, visit SirLinksALot.net

 


  


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