Kara DioGuardi will return to American Idol -- confirmed in a press release today from Fox, 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia. Now the question on everyone's lips is -- what does this mean for Paula?
Some fans are expressing surprise that DioGuardi will return to Idol. Last season comments by the four-judge panel consumed so much of the program's time that performers appearing last on the schedule were rushed through. Fans overwhelmingly expressed that the show's original three-judge panel was ideal -- that four judges were too many. And judging by Idol message boards and messages posted on Twitter, it is Abdul that fans really want back on the show -- rather than DioGuardi. And, previously placing DioGuardi's return in doubt, her penned "No Boundaries" failed to catch on with the show's fans and was recently dropped from the American Idol tour song list.
But auditions for next season's American Idol have already begun. Simon Cowell is back. Randy Jackson is back. Now even Kara DioGuardi will return. And Abdul and her fans are wallflowers in the Idol dance -- left sitting on the sidelines, waiting and wondering whether the show's executives have any plans at all for her return.
"We are so happy to welcome back Kara for her second sseason with Idol," said the show's creator and Executive Producer Simon Fuller. "She is a breath of fresh air, and her passion for music and her understanding of talent is invaluable. This show is all about discovering new talent, and Kara's championing of Adam Lambert is proof positive of her great instinct."
"Kara brings her own special style and sensibility to the show," echoed Executive Producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz to Access Hollywood. "We're very pleased with her contributions as the fourth judge on the panel."
Abdul, on July 30, posted a message to fans on Twitter: "Your support & encouragement means so much to me. I hope you understand I can only return to #Idol if the deal is fair." So Abdul, rumored to have previously received considerably less compensation than Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest, is waiting for Idol executives to invite her back on the show with a deal that is "fair."
Abdul fans, who have worked tirelessly to send a message to Idol executives that they want Paula back, wonder why their messages have thus far been ignored.
"I think that we have made it clear that American Idol will not be the same without Paula," said Jenny Wilson of Sacramento. "We are the fans who support the show, and we want Paula there. She is as much a part of the show as the contestants and Simon and Ryan. I cannot understand why the show is ignoring the fact that viewers want Paula. Without the viewers, there would be no show at all. And, quite honestly, I don't think that most of us have cared whether Kara was on the show or not."
"You have to wonder whether Fox listens to its fans," said Rachel Karl of Los Angeles. "We have made it clear that Paula is important to us. The cost of keeping Ryan and Simon has apparently not been a concern, but why will they not spend the money to keep Paula? It makes no sense. There are just so many fans who love Paula. She brings something to the show that no one else does -- a sensibility, a real love for the contestants. It is genuine and real, and fans respect that."
American Idol has been called a "cash cow" for Fox, both in terms of bringing viewers to the network and for the revenue that it generates. While the show's ratings and advertising dollars have declined from the show's peak, it remains the most watched television show and is second only to the Super Bowl in rates from advertisers. Overall, American Idol drew nearly $850 million in advertising revenue last season, more than any other television show, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Thus, some fans wonder why Idol executives are dragging their feet in bringing Abdul back to the show. They say they want Paula back -- and, given the show's rich coffers, they wonder why their wishes are going unheeded by Idol executives. Sphere: Related Content
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