"American Idol" heads for 9th season

       For those who are wondering what kind of judge Ellen DeGeneres will be on American Idol , she offered this nugget on Ryan Seacrest's radio show last Thursday:"I really do pride myself on not judging."
       Speaking roughly 12 hours after she and Fox Broadcasting announced that she would take the place of Paula Abdul as the fourth judge on the most popular series on television, DeGeneres vowed to fill Abdul's role as the nice one while also offering the perspective of fans at home.
       "I'm not going to be mean," DeGeneres said. Referring to Simon Cowell,the UK judge who usually offers the most piercing criticisms of Idol contestants, she added:"I hate when Simon's that mean. You can be constructive and you can criticise somebody in a way that's helpful instead of mean spirited."
       For Fox and the show's producers,FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, the appointment of DeGeneres created an immediate stir of excitement around a show that will begin its ninth season in January,2010.
       That is no small feat. At the least,DeGeneres' appearance is likely to draw those curious about how she interacts with three colleagues who each have significant experience in either musical performance or the management of popmusic artists.
       DeGeneres has neither, and her appointment drew some criticism from an array of professional Idol watchers.M.J. Santilli, the author of mjsbigblog.com ,which tracks all things related to American Idol , wrote that she was dismayed by the news, in part because the addition of a fourth judge last year caused too much focus to be placed on them rather than on the performers.
       "Adding an A-list comedian will exacerbate what I see as one of the major flaws in the show right now," Santilli wrote."The kids should be front and centre."
       Earlier this year, DeGeneres worked as a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance , which shares a network and producers with Idol . Discussions about the Idol job began shortly after that appearance.
       Several critics wondered how DeGeneres' penchant for making jokes and talking at length will fit in a programme that is performed live under strict time constraints. On multiple occasions in recent years the show has run over its time period, frustrating viewers who record it; in addition, almost every year some viewers complain that the performers are not given enough time to perform their music.
       Mike Darnell, the president of alternative entertainment for Fox, called that concern "the silliest thing I've ever heard". He noted that DeGeneres won rave reviews as host of the live broadcasts of the Oscar and Emmy ceremonies.
       DeGeneres, whose syndicated daytime talk show is in its seventh year, of course has plenty of experience performing in front of an audience. In addition to a career as a stand-up comic, she starred in a situation comedy on ABC from 1994 to 1998. An episode in which her character came out as gay attracted 46 million viewers.
       "I'm speaking as someone who is a huge music fan, and I also am onstage every single day and I've gone through the criticism," she told Seacrest.
       Cecile Frot-Coutaz, an executive producer of the show for Fremantle,said that perspective will be a benefit for the programme."Ellen knows what it takes to create a connection with the audience," she said."The show is not just about being able to sing. It is about the ability to create a connection and getting people to fall in love with you."
       Frot-Coutaz said the producers were working with Fox to try to expand some Idol shows in the middle of the show's season to 90 minutes from 60 minutes,to deal with the weeks when there are many performers and limited time.
       DeGeneres signed a multi-year contract with American Idol , which offers the producers some insurance if she succeeds in attracting viewers to a show whose audience has declined in recent years. Cowell, the most popular judge,has a contract that runs only through next season, and while he has said he wants to return he has also asked for a substantial raise.
       Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi,the other two permanent judges, have contracts through the current season as well.
       An array of guest judges will fill the spot vacated by Abdul for the audition episodes that take up the first few weeks of the season. But it is possible that DeGeneres will be on hand for "Hollywood Week", where the top 200 or so performers come to Los Angeles to compete for a spot among the final 36.
       In past years that week has taken place in November, but this year it has been moved to January, Frot-Coutaz said,and DeGeneres "should be there" if logistical arrangements allow.
       DeGeneres will continue to tape her daytime show on weekday afternoons at the Warner Bros studio in Burbank,California, before driving to the Idol studio for the live performance two or three evenings a week.