New judge signs on as 'Idol' tries to regain ratings

Here we go again.

Another long, twice-a-week pilgrimage to the May coronation of a new singing idol.

TV's reigning heavyweight champ, American Idol, launched its eighth season last week, determined to reinvigorate the franchise.

Though still the top show by a wide margin, Idol saw its audience decline week by week last season right up until the climactic showdown between David Cook and David Archuleta, which drew an encouraging 31.7 million viewers, the third most-watched finale in the Fox singing contest's history.

The Idol producers are clearly looking to halt the regular-season slide.

The most immediate change is the expansion of the judging panel, with songwriter Kara DioGuardi joining the roster. (Ryan Seacrest, in a typical flourish of Idol hyperbole, introduced her as a "superstar hit-maker.")

DioGuardi, who resembles an earthier Mary Louise Parker, appears to be a strong addition. She was noticeably nervous during last week's audition rounds in Phoenix and Kansas City, Mo., discomfort she tried to disguise with bravado.

But it's apparent DioGuardi has excellent instincts for pop music. Plus she's articulate, opinionated and animated. She should be a considerable asset.

Just as important, her presence has brought up Paula Abdul's game enormously. The charter female judge, who in previous years has often seemed lost in a cloud of her own devising, was exceedingly clear and focused in the initial outings.

Abdul also displayed a more playful attitude, not letting Simon Cowell's barbs get under her skin. The change is so stark that one might surmise she got extensive off-season coaching for her on-air personality. Of course it's a long season, and even loose cannons stay stationary when the seas are calm.

Other alterations in the Idol format have been instituted. There will be 36 semifinalists after the Hollywood shakedown (instead of 24). And the judges will get to salt the eventual Top 12 with a trio of wild-card selections.

There will be less reliance this season on those dreadful "theme nights." (Say goodbye to the looming prospect of a Leo Sayer marathon.) Instead, Idol producers vow to give us the hits, just the hits.

Another promise from the show: The mentors this season will not all be drawn from the ranks of the AARP.

Will any of these modifications make a difference? The season opener on Tuesday was down 10 percent from last year's (and that was down by the same percentage from the previous year's).

The single most important factor in Idol's ratings health is the Top 12 talent and charisma. And we won't get a reading on that until we slog through cattle calls in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Louisville, Ky.; Salt Lake City; Jacksonville, Fla.; San Francisco; and a return to the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

The audition rounds are always a shell game, with Idol hiding the most promising singers. Any time you see someone make it to the final five who was previously seen auditioning during the first weeks of the season, it's usually because the producers misjudged his or her potential.

Having said that, we have seen a couple of keepers emerge already, including cute-as-a-button Casey Carlson and Cody Shelton, the slasher-film fan with the angelic face. He could turn out to be this year's Danny Noriega.

The revisions to the Idol formula have already had an impact. Whenever the judging panel splits on a decision, the side Simon voted for wins.

This confirms the balance of power Idol viewers have long suspected: What Simon wants, Simon gets, right down to the selection of the winner.

Consider that right after Simon mused in the off-season that a winner with a country style would fare well on the charts, Carrie Underwood took the prize. And not long after rocker Chris Daughtry, the fourth-place finisher in 2006, notched robust sales strength, we got David Cook served on a platter.

Another dubious byproduct of augmenting the judges' panel is that all four now seem to feel that they have to jump in early and loudly to be heard above the crowd.

Last week we saw DioGuardi give Bikini Girl (Katrina Darrell) a detailed tutorial on how to correctly deliver "Vision of Love." And Simon informed another girl mid-note that she had the lyrics wrong. Yeah, like that's not intimidating!

Please, judges, we know that it's tough to have to share face time, but play nice. Even the mentors aren't this intrusive.

We beg of you, Simon and Kara, let the children sing before you set about crushing their dreams. Isn't that what Idol's for?

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