So You Think You Can Dance Producer/Judge Nigel Lythgoe spoke yesterday at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press Tour. EW's Tanner Stransky reports Nigel says there will be changes on next season's American Idol, partly based on what works for Dance:
''We realized we made mistakes on Idol last season,'' he said. ''We were so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show. We didn't know them as much as the Kellie Picklers of last season.''
Lythgoe is referring to the marked difference in the ways the two programs showcase their contestants: In recent seasons, Idol has tended to shun details about its singers to instead focus on the big-name stars who come to the show to perform and work with the contestants, especially in later episodes. Dance, however, spends quite a bit of its airtime featuring the back-stories of its dancers and their struggles to get on the show.
MORE
________________________________________
LSJ TV columnist Mike Hughes also attended the TCA tour event:
On the little Beverly Hilton stage, it re-created four routines previously done on the show. There was Jaimie Goodwin with her swirling, sexy modern dance. And Danny Tidwell with his leaping, bare-chested piece, merging ballet skills with contemporary style. And some zesty, West Coast swing, done by Sara Von Gillern (usually a break dancer) and Pasha Kovalev. And some hip hop by Dominic Sandoval and Sabra Johnson, managing to simultaneously seem free-spirited and polished.
These pieces had all looked good on TV. In person, they were amazing.
MORE
