DAVID BIANCULLI

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AMERICAN IDOL
January 15, 2014  | By David Bianculli

Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET

 

SEASON PREMIERE: Superstitious types may worry that Season 13 of this long-running Fox competition reality series comes burdened with an ill omen, numerically speaking. But what it’s unburdened by is the caustic bickering, and bitching, by last year’s mismatched female judges, Nicki Minaj and  Mariah Carey. They’re gone, as is now-retired original judge Randy Jackson. But Season 13 has two experienced judges in the saddle – not only returning, amiable Keith Urban, but former Idol sweetheart Jennifer Lopez. And with the (back to a pared-down) trio of judges rounded out by likable Harry Connick, Jr., this year promises, or threatens, to be the most positive Idol ever. Whether that makes it more entertaining, or will stop the show’s precipitous ratings slide (last year’s finale drew a third fewer viewers than the year before), only time will tell. And that time will arrive when the show goes live, and the judges’ collective chemistry is televised unedited and unfiltered. For now, the show is firmly in “Best Behavior” mode, hoping to persuade viewers their stars are one big happy family. Think of it as a prime-time version of the Today show.

 
 
 
 
 
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