American Idol (season 8)
From Television Wiki
| American Idol (Season 8) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Format | Interactive reality game show |
| Created by | Simon Fuller |
| Directed by | Bruce Gowers |
| Starring | Simon Cowell Paula Abdul Randy Jackson Kara DioGuardi Ryan Seacrest |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Ken Warwick Simon Fuller |
| Running time | Varies |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | FOX |
| Original airing | January 13, 2009 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson are judges once again, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. This season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol panel.[1]
Contents |
Changes from Season 7
Several changes were planned for season 8. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that Idol will feature fewer "William Hung-like" contestants and "funny auditions", and will quickly move its focus to the potential singers during the earlier stages of the competition. The upcoming season will also move at a faster pace. As part of this thrust, there will be a return to half-hour result shows, which was done prior to Season 5.[2] Mike Darnell, president of Fox's alternative programming, also revealed that this season the contestants will be more emotional and viewers will learn more about the contestants. The show will continue to delve deeper into the contestants' past and as done on the previous season.[3]
Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe confirmed that he is leaving Idol, stating that he is moving on with So You Think You Can Dance and his new show with Simon Fuller Superstars of Dance, therefore Ken Warwick is the new Executive Producer for the show.[4] and in a change to the judging panel, the show will now feature a permanent fourth judge — songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi. The professional songwriter has collaborated with many pop artists and superstars including Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Enrique Iglesias, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera and has produced several Top 40 hits. The songwriter also has worked with many of the American Idol alums and winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Archuleta and recent winner David Cook.[5]
Additionally, Idol Gives Back will not return this season. This is due to the ongoing economic crisis and recession, as Idol officials did not feel comfortable asking viewers to donate as many are struggling financially.[6]
However, the semifinals will see the biggest change as the Wild Card round returns for the first time since Season 3. Also, there will be 36 semi-finalists picked instead of 24. They will be divided into 3 groups of 12. The groups of 12 will perform on Tuesday. At the conclusion of each results show on Wednesday, the male and female semifinalists who received the highest number of home viewers votes for their previous night's performance will instantly become a Top 12 finalist. In addition, another semifinalist that had received the next-highest number of votes after the performance episode — regardless of gender — will also become a finalist. In the wild card round, the next highest finishers plus other eliminated semi-finalists will return for one more chance to compete. The judges will pick the 3 performers left that they consider the best. No voting by the public will be done at this stage.[7]
Early process
Regional auditions phase
- Locations
Auditions were held in the following cities:[8]
| Audition City | Date | Audition Venue |
| San Francisco, CA[9] | July 17, 2008 | Cow Palace |
| Louisville, KY[10] | July 21, 2008 | Freedom Hall |
| Glendale, AZ[11] | July 25, 2008 | Jobing.com Arena |
| Salt Lake City, UT | July 29, 2008 | EnergySolutions Arena |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | August 2, 2008 | Coliseo de Puerto Rico |
| Kansas City, MO | August 8, 2008 | Kemper Arena |
| Jacksonville, FL | August 13, 2008 | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
| East Rutherford, NJ | August 19, 2008 | IZOD Center |
Contestants are required to be between the ages 16 and 28 on July 15, 2008 and eligible to work in the United States. Those ineligible include former contestants who reached the top 40 of past seasons, (although those who made the top 50 during season 7 are eligible if they meet all other eligibility criteria), and those holding recording or management contracts or those who are not US citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. temporary residents).
Hollywood phase
For this season, the Hollywood round moved to the Kodak Theatre, which was previously used for the season finale from seasons 1-6. In addition, the Hollywood round was extended to two weeks. The Top 36 will be announced in a special two-hour broadcast on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
References
- ↑ Songwriter Kara DioGuardi joins 'American Idol' panel
- ↑ OK! Magazine - First for Celebrity News - Less is More for Next Season of American Idol
- ↑ ‘Idol's’ emotional focus will highlight Abdul
- ↑ Lythgoe Leaving 'American Idol'
- ↑ Associated Press
- ↑ American Idol Shelves "Give Back" Show for 2009 Season
- ↑ Fox releases 'American Idol' schedule, confirms format changes
- ↑ Who Will Be The Next Singing Superstar? - American Idol News
- ↑ Release says San Francisco; arena is actually in Daly City, though part of its property is in San Francisco.
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/22/american-idol-finds-a-major-label-burnout-kentucky-derby-hats-at-louisville-auditions/ The filmed session before the judges was actually at Churchill Downs.
- ↑ Release says Phoenix; arena is actually in Glendale.
External links
| Preceded by Season 7 (2008) | American Idol Season 8 (2009) | Succeeded by Season 9 (2010) |
| ||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||