Your Pocket Guide to the "Idol" Premiere Tonight's premiere kicks off the ratings giant's eighth season with auditions in Phoenix. Here's what you need to know before the show.

By  ELIZABETH BOUGEROL

Updated 3:49 AM PDT, Tue, Jan 13, 2009

Related Topics: Kara DioGuardi

7 Comments   Post a comment Post a Comment

The 'American Idol' season eight premiere is just hours away. Can you stand it?

 

  1. The new judge, Kara DioGuardi, loves everybody -- but apparently not in a "your specialness is the light that comes through in your voice, and you are shining that light" kind of way like some other female judges we could mention.
  2. Speaking of the new judge, all the math whizzes have pointed out that with a foursome, there's potential for dead-heat ties. So how to resolve that? Apparently, in the case of ties, Simon gets the final call.
  3. The producers are tightening control on the music contestants sing: They'll now only be able to choose songs that have charted in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 since 1958.
  4. Although producers have denied it in recent days, word is audition weeks will spend less time on the really bad singers, and more on genuine talent -- likely due to the sad story about a would-be contestant from season five (whose embarrassing audition was one of the most lingered-on trainwrecks the show's had) was found dead outside Paula Abdul's house in the fall.
  5. The show held auditions in Puerto Rico for the first time -- but exec producer Ken Warwick says the gambit to pump up the show's "Latin flavor" was a big disappointment on the talent front.
  6. Early ones to watch include Lil Rounds, the third singer in this preview for the premiere.

Copyright NBC Local Media / NBC Bay Area

Comments (7)

Sort by: Most Recent | Oldest
  • Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 13 at 8:50 PM FLAG COMMENT You know some people put a lot of timeinto this production and itsnot a joke
  • Bren V. part 2 re-duh Tuesday, Jan 13 at 8:19 PM FLAG COMMENT And I was so excited about writing to you other fans that I smacked my head on the corner of my Simon life-size poster and left a big dent in it. And I don’t mean my head you losers.
  • Brenda Vacaro's Pad Tuesday, Jan 13 at 8:15 PM FLAG COMMENT I'm not over it at all. Everytime I even hear "idol" I want to jump infront of a bus. It is the most excitng thing in the universe. Like, last week, I got my official poster of me infront of a giant Coke cup and I fell on the floor and, well, I couldn't wake up. Then I did. 4 idol judges will probably kill me into a big heart attack. WOW. How can you yawn- you losers.
  • JayD Tuesday, Jan 13 at 11:02 AM FLAG COMMENT You were over it 3 years ago but yet you felt the need to read the article and make a comment!! Very Interesting
  • JayD Tuesday, Jan 13 at 11:01 AM FLAG COMMENT Mike you were over it 3 years ago but yet you still felt the need to read the artical and post a comment........Very Interesting!!

Post a Comment

Name


Comment - You have 2000 characters left

Enter both words below, separated by a space, in the field located to the lower right. Can't read the words below? Try different words or an audio captcha. What's this?