In this New York Post article, American Idol producer, Nigel Lythgoe, discusses possible changes for the next season of AI. Quotes from Nigel:

“We’re bringing about 160 people back to Hollywood at the end of this month,” says “Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.

There are rumors that the Hollywood Round will start Thansgiving weekend–the 24th, but those dates have not been confirmed.

Contestants will be allowed to play instruments, at least during the Hollywood Rounds:

“We knew Chris Daughtry, Carrie [Underwood] and Bo [Bice] could play the guitar but we really couldn’t show it,” he says. “If [the contestants] can play an instrument this year we want to be able to see that, and we’ll introduce a couple of days of that during Hollywood week.”

Lythgoe says he’s not sure if this idea will be carried over to the “Idol” competition when its seventh season kicks off in late January.

“We’ll make a decision when we see how many really talented people we have,” he says.

I bet it will depend on whether allowing instruments during the competition helps the contestants whom TPTB would like to succeed. Yes, I’m cynical.

“We did make something of a mistake with ‘Idol’ by focusing so much on the mentors,” Lythgoe says. “We got such good mentors [last season] that we forgot about . . . getting across who these kids were, their backgrounds and families,” Lythoe says.

“There are legends in our business that hopefully will come along as mentors on ‘Idol’ this season – but not every single week,” he says.

“I want to know about the kids, what makes them tick, what got them singing.”

Thank Jeebus. It’s the kids, stupid (should be a sign in their office). It’s all about the kids.

Lythgoe says he’d also like to see the “Idol” and “Dance” touring companies combined into one unit.

“I’d love to see the ‘Dance’ tour go out with the ‘Idol’ tour and put the singing and dancing together,” he says. “They should never be separate.

OMG. Let’s just hope this is Nigel musing. Or talking out of his ass. Pick one. Really. Forget that the logistics of the two shows (SYTYCD is airing while the Idols are touring) make this scenario improbable. I can’t imagine the overblown mess a combined tour would produce. Besides, half the fun of the Idol tour is the BAD choreography from the Idols themselves. I mean, c’mon. Don’t screw up a good thing. Book the tours in smaller halls, if you must. But in the name of all things that are good and holy DO NOT combine them…

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