by Gina Scarpa

 

There are just seven singers left in the American Idol competition and season 10 has proven that from week to the next, you never know what's going to happen. Today, executive producer Ken Warwick took time to talk to RealityWanted and reporters in a press conference call about the changes this season, the surprising eliminations, the fact that male contestants have been dominating, and his thoughts on The X Factor and The Voice.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There have been Idols in the past, like Chris Daughtry, who have done very well after the show. What does someone like Pia need to do in order to be successful?
A. Ken: She needs to record songs that people need to buy and download! She needs expert guidance and good talent behind her. Personally, she went at the wrong time for me. That's the vote and that's the end of it. I can't change that. The girl obviously has something that people want to listen to. People believe an injustice was done. She's on the show again this week and she's going on the tour.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: As a producer, isn't it good for you when something happens like Pia's exit or when the judges used the save on Casey? Both had fans really fired up.
A. Ken: Anything that makes people talk about the show is good for the show. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, but as long as people keep talking about it. I don't care what people say as long as they're talking about it.

 

Q. Why are the males dominating so much this year? It is because of the addition of texting and Tweeting?
A. Ken: That's exactly it. It's no secret that most reality shows are female driven by moms or young girls. When you have a group of boys like we've got, we know we're going to get a heftier amount of these female votes. It's always bent towards the boys. It's something we're going to have a long discussion about after we finish. We're not in the process of changing anything at the moment.

 

Q. Is it possible that the judges could provide more guidance and influence the voters?
A. Ken: The first thing I would say is that I would always ask them... I know people love disagreements and arguments but the truth is that these people are very good. I wouldn't influence the judges to say anything they didn't believe. They are trying to keep things on the straight and narrow where they feel that it is a genuine feeling.

 

Q. What goes through your mind with Simon Cowell's X Factor coming here and The Voice starting up?
A. Ken: Do you have any idea how many three judge talent shows there are on tv? And not just in this country! I can't get worried about it, to be honest. What will be will be. We've been here for ten years. In season one, I was told, "Don't unpack your suitcase. You'll be home in six weeks." Of course, I think our show is the best. It's got the best track record. It's one of the shows that has become part of America's fabric.

 

Q. Critics have concluded that you've essentially dodged a bullet and saved the show. The tweaks that you've done have worked. Do you feel that way?
A. Ken: I've made a number of major tweaks from last year. Obviously, the judge changes. We knew if we could get J-Lo that it would be huge. It was not the same with Steven. It was a leap of faith on both of our parts. He wasn't sure that he was doing the right thing and neither were we. This has absolutely worked spectacularly. The guy has a heart, he's a quintessential rock and roller, he's got a side that's edgy but underneath it all, he's a lovely man. The second thing is the talent this year. They're a diverse group that lots of people can hook into. We give some of them a chance to show what they're about and make a few stars. Those parts have worked very well. It's a hard production process because as you know, we're using Jimmy Iovine and the kids are recording things and making downloads. It's working but it's harder for us because it takes two days out of our week. The rest is just what generally happens in a reality show. We try not to overproduce it. I think it's worked. For me, it's not just a question of working from the beginning. It's the question of working throughout a very long series.

 

Q. We've heard talk of the judges voting people out, similar to Dancing With The Stars. Is there any truth to that?
A. Ken: I wouldn't put too much faith in anything because that's just one of the solutions. That's just one of the ideas on the table. There are a number.

 

Q. The last few male winners on Idol haven't had a great track record. Does that concern you?
A. Ken: The answer is I don't know. I make a television show. At the end of that show, I hopefully give the record company a person who has a following of 20-30 million people. What they do from then on has nothing to do with me. I move on to the next year's show, holding auditions, and putting the show together. Has the best person always won? We know from history... you could say that Kris Allen hasn't really broken but there's always a hell of a buzz about Adam Lambert. From the top five, there's usually a star in there somewhere. It's just a question of who picks them up and what songs they release. There are lots of Idols who have become stars. I'm pretty sure that whoever comes out of this season is gonna break. I'm really confident that the winner has a future.

 

Q. Is there a plan to get music out faster? Is it possible someone like Pia could have a record out this summer before the winner releases their album this fall?
A. Ken: It wouldn't surprise me. I don't know exactly what the plans for Pia are but I know if I was in the record company's seat, I'd be looking to get her out as early as possible.

 

Q. You've had Latino success in the past. How has that, and the Latino audience, factored into the show?
A. Ken: The Latino audience is incredible. Every audience, every demographic, is important to me. I would never slew what we are doing to one area. But we do make a concerted effort in the Top 40 to say, "Okay, how can I make this group as diverse as possible?" My job is to stop people from picking up the remote control and switching it to another station. I try to make contestants as different as possible and that has worked very well this year.

 

 

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

 

(Image courtesy of Getty Images)

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa