The story was written by Access Hollywood and is in the OMG section of Yahoo, for anyone interested.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/changes-coming-to-american-idols-season-8/16537?nc

No way Reuben won that contest but it all worked out in the end. “Not winning” may have been one of the best things to happen to him.

So, I love the Wild card round and this will be the first year since 2005/06 that I have been really interested and somewhat excited about idol.

Wait a sec…I don’t get this Top 36 invited to Hollywood thing.

The Top 50 are going to be whittled down to the Top 36 instead of a Top 24. They do this in “Hollywood” as well. Actually, it’s Pasadena, and it happens in January.

Technically there are 2 “Hollywood Rounds” The one in November that has about 200 people, and then again in January, when the 50 are whittled down to the contestants who will compete live on the show.

I personally do NOT like the way the semifinals were carried out in S1-3. It allowed the one-hit-wonders to advance and greatly decreased the chances of the people who didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get much airtime.

Same here. Jasmine Trias and John Stevens, anyone? Are the producers’ memories really that short?

The wildcard round is not a bad re-addition to the format, but I really don’t like the idea of people advancing straight to the top 12 on the basis of one performance.

I AM glad that the Hollywood rounds are going to be longer. That’s one of my favorite parts of the competition.

I enjoyed the wild card years myself, but also liked when they changed things up a bit. I always think how Idol would not have had Clay Aiken without a wild card pick which ultimately gave the viewers the famous Clay/Ruben duel that made that year really interesting, not to mention a year of some great, great singing.

Time for some fresh approaches (even if slightly rehashed) to how they do things.

More emphasis on the aspirational singers makes me happy too. I’m so tired of the bad auditions.

I’m a little confused about the new system, and I kinda miss the wildcard. I’m ready for anything. But overall, I’m ready for AI!

Bring. It. On!

The Wildcard round was also fun and I’m glad it’s coming back. It’s a chance for the audience to save some people that the judges might not select.

I’m also glad it’s 2 days a week at first and not 3. That was overkill.

So far it sounds good to me. As for Paula’s accusations, she is pretty nutso but I also wouldn’t put it past the producers to pull that sh*t on her.

And like Kristen mentioned, just think about who the Top 12 would have been in S4-7. I personally don’t think Cook would have advanced past the first week if he had been stuck in a group with say, Michael Johns and David Archuleta (who were pimped to the max prior to semifinals).

Except that 2 weeks of Hollywood means that people will start building fanbase from there.

Yeah, I know, this is why I added the “or not”. LOL. I was grasping at straws trying to find a positive side to it all. Sigh.

Well how about this: it will definitely get more dramatic this way. Much more “sudden death”. Which is probably why the producers made the switch.

I like that idea actually, make it the top 10 vote-getters from the entire semi-finals that advance and everyone else is eliminated unless they advance to Wildcard Round 1.

I’m not sure all voting nights are equal, so this would seem unfair to me. Unless you want 36 people to sing in one night (which would never work). If they sing on different nights, but pool the results, is it fair to the one group of singers that sang the night some special episode was on another channel or something? Maybe people aren’t ready to vote the first week, but more jump in the second and third week.

I guess there is no fair way. I feel that the format used in Seasons 4-7 was pretty fair, but I don’t think they needed to have the girls and boys groups. Just groups. They could even mix up the groups from week to week. Sure, some better people always got the boot early, but I think it was fairer than the S1-3 way.

Except that 2 weeks of Hollywood means that people will start building fanbase from there.

And maybe it starts even earlier.
I only take short look at the discussion on the rumoured contestant, but some of them seem to start to have some favourites even yet, thanks to myspace,
And what about people like Jasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s brother or others, who could gather fanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s for other reasons.

Maybe they should let all 36 contestants sing and then have an episode where they announce the top 8 overall (instead of top 2 from each group). Then proceed as normal with the wild card.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really know if there is a completely fair way to do thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦but since when has AI been fair?

I like that idea actually, make it the top 10 vote-getters from the entire semi-finals that advance and everyone else is eliminated unless they advance to Wildcard Round 1.

I’d make the wildcard a two-phase process over 3 nights:

Wildcard Round 1 – This group should include the 11th to 16th place vote-getters, plus one additional pick from each of the judges (10 total), and they would compete on the Tuesday night of Wildcard Week. Only the winner of the round joins the finals in the 11th spot.

Wildcard Round 2 – A REAL TWIST!!! This round is determined in a fan vote done during the semi-finals online. All the contestants eliminated in the top 50 or in Hollywood week would be thrown into an online vote pool. That way, if the judges are seen to have made a bad decision by the fans, they have a chance to respond. The top 10 voted by the fans would enter a second competition on the Wednesday night of Wildcard Week. The winner of this group joins the finals in the 12th spot.

A Thursday results show would be necessary there.

Group 1 (x12) – Alaina Whitaker, Amanda Overmyer, Carly Smithson, Chikezie, Colton Swon, David Cook, Joanne Borgella, Josiah Leming, Lorena Pinot, Robbie Carrico, Samantha Sidley, Syesha Mercado

Group 2 (x12) – Adelee Mitchell, Alexandrea Lushington, Amy Davis, Brandon Green, Danny Noriega, David Archuleta, Drew Poppelreiter, Jason Yeager, Kady Malloy, Michael Johns, Nina Shaw, Ramiele Malubay

Group 3 (x12) – Asia’h Epperson, Brooke White, Cardin McKinney, Colton Berry, David Hernandez, Garrett Haley, Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook, Kyle Ensley, Luke Menard, Mia Coleman, Shaun Barrowes

I wonder how that would have changed things?

Although, in the new way, why do we have to have 6 guys and 6 girls?

Maybe they should let all 36 contestants sing and then have an episode where they announce the top 8 overall (instead of top 2 from each group). Then proceed as normal with the wild card.

I don’t really know if there is a completely fair way to do this…but since when has AI been fair?

This is off topic, but whatever, it’s about the article and the grammar-nazi in me is mad:
Whoever wrote that press release for FOX needs some SERIOUS grammar lessons. “No Thursdayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s planned”??? “There will be a couple of more 2 hour shows than in the past”??? That may sound really picky, but if you’re being PAID to write a press release for a major TV network (which I assume this person was), GET IT RIGHT!!!!!!! /rant

I hate the old semi format. I didn’t fall in love with Elliott Yamin until week 2….or David Cook until week 3.

Well, there is one advantage – sorta – it gives people less time to develop massive fanbases over the semis, so they may start a little more equal at the big stage. Or not. Well, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m trying here.

Except that 2 weeks of Hollywood means that people will start building fanbase from there.

I think your chances are a little better with the current format, because instead of being one of the very best to last you just have to avoid being one of the very worst to get more time to work it out.

Well, I would agree if I didn’t believe that the ones I referred to earlier had not been the worst that first week. In my opinion, they were off’ed too soon simply because someone else had more exposure during the Hollywood weeks. Or because of other random reasons such as “OMG, that guy wasn’t great, but he is so cute! I just have to keep him in one more week!”

But meh. It’s in the past. lol

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never seen the point of the whole 6 guys/6 girls thing, to be honest. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d much rather have 8 strong guys/4 strong girls (or vice versa) than to have a really great guy or girl miss out simply because they were the 7th good performer of their gender.

I think that is a reaction to what happened in Season 3 when there were lots of big voiced divas who made the finals. They tend to do very well in the old system because people think “Wow! that singer held a glory note forever, she must be a good singer”. And the same people think that every week so they vote in lots of the same types of singers (they split their vote in the newer syste) But, after 8 weeks of nothing but divas singing glory notes it gets dull and the tours don’t do so well. It was an attempt to introduce variety.

Maybe they will have luck if they group singers. Here are 12 country singers, 12 divas, 12 rock stars and 12 crooners. Pick your two favs. LOL. And the third best in each genre goes home. It is tough to be fair. Remember that such popular contestants as Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, George Huff and JPL (and Cookie’s girlfriend, Kim) all relied on the WildCard round.

Unfortunately, I think that we sometimes lost some really great people after one performance as well. I mean, I know there have been a couple of my own favorites who were the first to be eliminated during the semi-finals only to be outlasted by people who ended up having consistently weak performances.

So I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see how that can be helped with either format.

I think your chances are a little better with the current format, because instead of being one of the very best to continue you just have to avoid being one of the very worst to get more time to work it out. This way, the most you get is 2 shots. But I do see what you are saying.

So it looks like they will be dividing them into 3 groups of 12, voting 2 people in to the finals each week, then having all the losers back for one more chance where the judges decide the final 4? Does that make sense? Ugh. Maybe they will combine judges scores and audience votes for that last round, al a DWTS

You know what might work? If they divide them into groups of 12, vote the top 2 in, have the next 3 qualify for the wildcard round, and everyone else goes home.

Well, there is one advantage – sorta – it gives people less time to develop massive fanbases over the semis, so they may start a little more equal at the big stage. Or not. Well, I’m trying here.

But this way, you could lose people who needed a couple of extra weeks to find real footing (like Cook or maybe Brooke) and get people who had one good performance they never match again (Ramille, Aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢siah, Sundance).

I know. Let’s just take a look at DialIdol results (and pretend they are the real results) for this year and see who our finalists would have been. For the sake of argument, I’ll treat the boys and the girls as seperate groups.

Week 1 (semi-final rounds 1 and 2):
Top 2 vote getters girls: Ramiele Malubaby, Asia’h Epperson
Top 2 vote getters guys: David Archuleta, Michale Johns
Week 2 (semi-final rounds 3 and 4):
Top 2 vote getters girls: Amanda Overmyer, Brooke White
Top 2 vote getters guys*: Jason Yaeger, Robbie Carrico
*David Archulta top vote getter, but he’s already in top 12

Then we would go to the wildcard to pick the final 4.

Here would be your top 8 from Season 6: Lakisha, Antonela, Sundance, Sanjaya, Melinda, Jordin, Chris S and Blake
Top 8 from Season 5: Kellie, Paris, Taylor, Ace, Ayla, Mandisa, Chris D. and Will

So I don’t see how that can be helped with either format.

Unless, like I said in my above post, they mix it up a bit and instead of passing the top vote-getters through to the finals, they eliminate the bottom vote-getters. But it would be equally based on the actual performances rather than a guy vs. girls thing. So if there were two really weak guys or two really weak girls, they could both go home. I’ve never seen the point of the whole 6 guys/6 girls thing, to be honest. I’d much rather have 8 strong guys/4 strong girls (or vice versa) than to have a really great guy or girl miss out simply because they were the 7th good performer of their gender.

I think the wildcard spots should also be Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choice.

Definitely. The judges’ ability to choose should end once the top 36 are selected.

I LOVE the Wildcard round à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  as long as they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lisa Leuschnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  anyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦fripping Simon/Randyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

Amen! I was so upset about Lisa. She was outstanding and should NOT have missed out on the finals to Camile and Matt. That was just wrong. And then Randy telling her during the Wildcard results that she was good enough to win the entire competition…and then telling her that she wouldn’t be in the finals? I was seriously like WTH!? lol

–

Maybe they are going to sort of combine the two formats? Like they would have randomly chosen groups, such as in Season 1-3, but instead of the top two vote-getters from each group moving on…maybe it’ll be like the bottom two vote- getters are eliminated? Hmmm…

But yay for the wildcard round! Though I agree with Suzanne. I think the wildcard spots should also be America’s choice. If there has to be a judge’s choice, I think there should only be one.

I LOVE the Wildcard round à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  as long as they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lisa Leuschnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  anyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦fripping Simon/Randyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

I think that was done to block her and protect the “chosen ones” as the producers knew she was likely to win the fan vote and the producers didn’t like that. That was really mean and probably was a catalyst in the format change.

With no Thursdays scheduled I wondered if theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve abondoned trying to get 6 guys and 6 girls in the top 12.

Yes, the lack of Thursdays, the increased number of finalists and the wildcard round all make it seem like we are returning to the semi-final format from seasons 1-3.

While I don’t think it is necessary to split the boys and the girls (you could just have random groups of 12), I did prefer the semi-final format we’ve had for the last four seasons. The problem with the format for 1-3 is that it is even worse for favouring those that get airtime during the auditions and people with big voices. Too many times I’ve seen people with one good song in them get to the finals over really good singers that are a little lower key. With the Orginal semi-final format, the top 2 vote getters moved on (so if you get stuck in a good group, your odds of surviving go down. For example, in Season 2, the top 3 finishers all came from the same group and in Season 3, the top 2 finighers came from the same group). In the newer format, only the bottom two from each group go home each week. It gives us a bit more of a chance to get to know the singers.

Plus, how is the judge’s pick going to work? In Season 1, the judges picked one wildcard and the audience picked the other (for a total of 10 contestants). In Season 2 and 3, each judge got a pick. So, how do we get to 12 when there are four judges? No audience pick? One of the judges don’t get to pick? Two wild-card rounds (with one audience and one judge pick?). I’m guessing we’ll get 9 contestants for four weeks with the top 2 each week going on and then the wildcard? Or maybe 3 weeks of 12 and then a wildcard that picks 6 (4 judges and 2 audience vote getters). Yuck!

I guess they think that the show is getting stale. There was great talent last year, but the show choices did have weakness (a second Beatles week, one hour results shows, a one-hour top 5 show–insane).

I wonder how they’ll do the results shows in the semi-finals? Won’t they need Tues and Wed for performances??