‘Idol’ format changes have made show dull

by **Angie** Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:13 pm

Choosing three singers each week means there's no one to root against

By Craig Berman
msnbc.com contributor
updated 9:00 p.m. CT, Wed., Feb. 25, 2009

When "American Idol" tweaked its semifinal format for this season, one of the goals was to add an element of drama to what has historically been a dull affair.

In recent years, the semifinals were a three-week event in which 24 contestants competed to reach the final 12 and only four were kicked off each week. It was more important for singers to avoid awful performances than it was to stand out.

Anyone with a good backstory and a decent voice was a sure bet to make it out of the first week or two, and if there was a controversy in the first week, so what? The 10th-best guy might get sent home instead of the 11th-best. Big deal. Whoever barely survived the first week's cut would likely be gone soon after anyway.

Read the full article at MSNBC.com