Nigel Lythgoe may return as an executive producer of 'American Idol'

Nigel Lythgoe is in talks to return as an executive producer for Fox's "American Idol," according to people close to the show.

The potential return of Lythgoe, who has been busy running Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," for which he is both executive producer and a judge, is yet another sign of how much is at stake for Fox and "American Idol" next season. Simon Cowell, one of the show's judges, has left the program, and no replacement has been named yet, even though it is less than six months until the show returns.

Ratings for the musical talent show are still strong but on the decline. About 24.2 million people watched the finale last May when Lee DeWyze took the crown as the new "American Idol" over Crystal Bowersox. While any network would love that big an audience, it was about 16% off the 28.8 million who watched last year's finale. Among adults ages 18 to 49, "American Idol" was down about 10% last season.

Fox and producers Fremantle and 19 Entertainment are taking steps to try to boost viewership for "American Idol," including lowering the minimum age for contestants to 15.

Lythgoe left "American Idol' in 2008, in part, to dedicate himself to running "So You Think You Can Dance." But sources at the time said that friction with Cowell behind the scenes was the primary reason for his depature.

If Lythgoe does rejoin "American Idol," according to the sources close to the show, he would also hold on to his job with "So You Think You Can Dance." But host Ryan Seacrest would probably be the only "Idol" personality with job security. When "Idol" ended in May, Lythgoe said in interviews that he would revamp the aging show by hiring an entirely new panel of judges.

— Maria Elena Fernandez and Joe Flint

twitter.com/writerchica

twitter.com/jbflint

Photo: Nigel Lythgoe in May. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images.

'So You Think You Can Dance': Wha?

I feel like I’ve been a little shortchanged over the last three Thursdays.  Well, that’s not entirely true: "SYTYCD" results shows have been delivering some wonderful dance performances (and some OK musical performances), but are we ever going to get a regular elimination, one where the solos actually mean something?  

The episode kicked off with a great group number to "All That Jazz" with guest choreographer Kelley Abbey. I liked the Fosse-esque moves combined with the rather grubby, old-fashioned styling and set design of the piece, along with the toned-down version of the song. The dancers reminded me a bit of scrappy street performers, in a good way, of course.

In terms of showcasing American dance at its finest, it was a good episode, first paying tribute to former Ailey School director Denise Jefferson. I confess I wasn’t familiar with her or her passing prior to tonight but I’m grateful to the show for bringing it to my attention -- if it wasn’t for "SYTYCD," I don’t think I would be familiar with the Ailey dancers either.  After that, we saw an exquisite pas de deux from members of the American Ballet Theatre.  I was captivated by Yuriko Kajiya, who was what I think of when I imagine the perfect ballerina, especially as she twirled en pointe, making it look like the simplest thing in the world. She looked like one of those little jewelry-box ballerina dolls, only, you know, happy and alive.  

In a break from the performances, we learned that Robert and Jose made up the bottom three with Billy. Billy sat in the audience and didn’t participate in the group number, so part of me figured he must be going home, but then another part of me thought, "No, they’ll never let that happen for a third week in a row. Maybe Jose will be eliminated and I’ll look really smart because I predicted that Wednesday night."

'So You Think You Can Dance': Giddy-up

All right, this is getting old. Another week, another injury on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Is it just bad luck, or are the dancers perhaps being pushed too hard this season?  This time it was Billy Bell, who hurt his knee during rehearsals. Nigel Lythgoe gave the impression that Billy’s injury is not serious and that he should be able to bounce back by next week, but we’ll see.  Perhaps Cat Deeley could have lent him the Ace bandage material that made up the bottom layer of her dress? I’m just looking for an opportunity to mention how much I disliked her dress Wednesday. Usually I love Cat’s sartorial flights of fancy, but this one looked like a big red garbage bag on top of an unattractive flesh-colored slip. 

Lauren and Twitch kicked off the episode with a Nappytabs Wild West-themed hip-hop routine.  I thought Lauren really held her own through the dance: The choreography was impressive, and she hit her moves hard (and I loved her costume, which reminded me of a hip-hop version of what Madonna wore in her “Don’t Tell Me” music video. Props to the show’s costume designer, Soyon An, for her recent Emmy win. You can read an interview I conducted with her last year, "The Fanciful Creations of Costume Designer Soyon An.")  The judges loved the dance, and that included guest judge Kenny Ortega, who seems like a nice enough person, but I didn’t think he really added much, and I suspect that he was just brought on to help fill in the two hours of the episode. 

Jose and Allison  performed a Sonya Tayeh contemporary routine that took place on the edge of the stage. It was sweet and rather understated for Sonya, which Mia Michaels interpreted as “pedestrian,” meaning that the dance utilized gestures more than technical ability. I happened to be watching “SYTYCD” on Wednesday with a group of friends (which is the most fun way to watch it), and one of my cohorts opined at this point that Mia just talks to hear herself talk. However, Nigel agreed with her, saying that, although the dance was fine and Jose was endearing, Sonya helped cover up his weaknesses. 

I wonder how Lauren feels about the male dancers all objectifying her booty this season? It happened again as Robert performed a sexy Tyce Diorio jazz routine with her. I wouldn’t have guessed it was a Tyce routine, especially with Robert licking Lauren’s leg, but it was a strong and sensual dance, which one of my friends described as reminiscent of the movie “9½  Weeks.”  The judges loved it, as did my own peanut gallery.

'So You Think You Can Dance': Deja vu, in a bad way

When the producers of “So You Think You Can Dance” decided that this season would be different, I hope they didn’t mean the way it’s turning out. For the second week in a row, a contestant was dropped from the competition due to injuries (and, from a selfish point of view, the audience sat through something of a red herring of a results show).  I had a feeling Ashley would be leaving us at the beginning of the show when she didn’t seem to appear in Tyce Diorio’s fun Broadway group number, and then later on when Cat announced, after Billy performed his solo, that there would be only one other solo, Jose’s, a possible hint that Ashley’s rib injury was fairly serious.

Maria Elena Fernandez e-mailed me earlier Thursday to express her disappointment that the show didn’t make as big a deal about Ashley’s injury and departure from the show as Alex’s, and while I didn’t think much of it last night, on Thursday night I did. Yes, Ashley will be able to join the show’s tour, unlike Alex, but didn’t it seem like the show mourned Alex’s leaving while Ashley’s departure was more of an unfortunate reality?   

In terms of the other dancers who were in the bottom three, I agreed with Nigel that Jose seemed to furiously give his all during his solo, while Billy sort of went into default mode. Then again, that’s what Adam had instructed Jose to do (although I got the impression Adam was going to say something stern to him, like “You don’t belong in this competition,” he U-turned his seriousness into a big pep talk).  

Aside from the elimination, there were some moments of note in the episode. We saw a young (10 and 11 years old) couple dancing ballroom to “Jailhouse Rock.” The kids were great (and I liked the young lady’s silver pants) but I have to admit when I watch kids do serious partner-dancing, I feel a tiny bit like I’m watching “Toddlers & Tiaras.” I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, the kids are amazing, but it is disconcerting to watch kids portray adults in a performance. After their dance, Cat kinda-flirted with the young man while the young girl seemed a little shy, which was endearing.

"So You Think You Can Dance": Disco, b-boys and Tahitian dance, oh my!

As Nigel Lythgoe noted halfway through Wednesday night’s episode, it was one of the more diverse installments of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and the slight changes of scenery paid off, despite the drama that last week brought.

I was very happy with the way the show kicked off, as Lauren and Mark performed the series’ first Tahitian dance. I thought it was a great style for Lauren, playful yet sensual (plus I loved the feathered costume.  She played “Day” and at certain points she actually looked like the sun). I think Mark was a little more committed to character and chemistry than she was but I don’t know if it was the type of dance where a lot of intense looks were very necessary.  It looked like a lot of fun, the kind of dance I would love to learn.

Next Adechike performed a “competitive” salsa with Anya.  While I don’t think it was the super triumphant return from last week that would have been very satisfying to see, Adechike still took what the judges described as “hard-ass” choreography and made it look not-that-hard, so while Mia Michaels didn’t think it was perfect (with which Anya agreed), she still gave him props for pulling it off. I, meanwhile, would like to have muscles like Anya, who spent a good deal of the dance bent over backwards, parallel to the floor.

Jose then performed a Joey Dowling Broadway routine to “Mister Cellophane” with Courtney. I loved seeing Jose play a sad sack and I thought he utilized his grace during the dance, but my complaint with the performance is that he didn’t actually seem to dance with Courtney at all. Yes, it was about a man pining after a woman who doesn’t know he’s alive but they had hardly any interaction during the performance. Nigel felt that the problem wasn’t in the choreography, but that if Jose’s personality wasn’t allowed to shine, his dancing looked extremely weak in comparison. I wonder what Nigel meant regarding the “mistake” the judges made in regards to him.

'So You Think You Can Dance': Another one bites the dust?

Maybe you shouldn't feel bad for merely sitting on your couch while toned dancers perform feats of strength onstage on "So You Think You Can Dance," because according to Give Me My Remote, yet another dancer from Season 7 is injured!  I won't spoil it for you if you want to be surprised, but if you'd like to know who is (possibly only temporarily) out, along with which dancers are performing in which genres Wednesday night, go here.

-- Claire Zulkey

Cat Deeley (left) and Alex Wong. Credit: Mathieu Young / Fox

'So You Think You Can Dance': A chat with Alex Wong

Wednesday night it was announced that, due to an Achilles tendon injury, Alex Wong will be leaving “So You Think You Can Dance,” which was a disappointment to those of us who enjoyed his performances to date, especially his hip-hop routine with all-star Twitch Boss the week before his injury. Alex will undergo surgery for his injury Tuesday, but before that he was able to catch up with journalists on a conference call about his experience on the show and what the future holds.

Did you know that you were injured right away?  What was going through your mind at that point?
Well, I was doing a series of jumps at the end of my Bollywood routine on the Tuesday night rehearsal, and it was actually the last rehearsal, the last time I was going to do that, and it was the last eight counts of the piece. And I landed, and I didn’t even land funny. I just landed. I thought I stepped on something. I heard a crack. I thought the floor buckled or something, which, when I looked down, the floor was flat. So it did not buckle. And I was kind of shocked, and I stopped and then [someone] came onstage, and he looked at my Achilles and he said, “Look, it’s not there. It looks like it’s split in half.”  And so I was so frustrated. I sat there and I just thought to myself, “Better not be hurt. This better not take you out. Because I’ve worked so hard and I’ve given up so much to be here.” And it was just really, really hard.  I was very, very frustrated, and I still am.  But looking back at my journey, I’m very grateful to even be here in the first place.

What’s the procedure going to be like for your recovery?
I’m actually not sure yet because I haven’t been able to speak with my surgeon extensively yet. But I do know that it’s something like you get in a boot. I think at first your foot is kind of pointed, and then they slowly flex it as the weeks go out so that your tendon doesn’t tear.  And then there’s rehab after that, and it’s slow because you’re not supposed to push it too hard because the tendon could tear again.

Did you know that you were going to be leaving? And how heartbreaking is it to leave the show a second time?
Yes, I knew I was going to be leaving because the night before I was pretty sure I had split my Achilles in half. And it’s just been kind of a long couple days to just find out that it wasn’t going to happen. And I had such an amazing journey, and I’m so grateful for everything that’s happened to me. Well, except for any of this. But everything happens for a reason, and I just have to try to keep my chin up.

Alex Wong says he was 'really living' when he was injured on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

 

Ouch.

Alex Wong's Achilles tendon split in half and is up his calf. Double ouch.

It's horrible, as horrible as it is for "So You Think You Can Dance" fans that he can no longer compete.

Wong was injured Tuesday night during his final rehearsal of his Bollywood number and needs surgery, which means he's eliminated from the competition.

"I was really living," he told Zap2it. "I was having so much fun. ... I was really, really going for the goal. ... There was probably six counts left in the choreography. I was really pissed off. I was like: Seriously now? I gave up so much to be here. I don't get injured that often, and an injury like that was so annoying."

Although executive producer Nigel Lythgoe invited Wong back to the show next year, Wong said he is not sure if he will return. In the meantime, he has picked a winner for this season: his buddy Kent Boyd. The dancers have been friends from the first day of auditions in Las Vegas.

"It sucks," Wong said. "I really wanted to continue. I knew he was always going to win anyway, but, still, I wanted to be by his side."

For more of Zap2it's interview with Wong, watch the video above. You can watch the video of Wong's now-famous last dance, his amazing hip-hop with All-Star tWitch, here. 

-- Maria Elena Fernandez
twitter.com/writerchica

Video: Zap2it.com

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"So You Think You Can Dance": A rising star falls

"So You Think You Can Dance": A rising star falls

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

It’s sort of funny that after the strong emotions following Wednesday night’s performance show, all the dances and controversial feedback didn’t really make any difference on the week’s elimination. Well, not “funny,” really. Ironic, maybe, but moreover, the results are a bummer.  

It felt like Thursday’s show wanted to deliver some redemption, positive vibes and good news in response to some bitter emotions following Wednesday night’s show, starting off with a beautiful, somewhat melancholy and eerie group dance that seemed to take place in heaven, with Ade presiding as head angel.

After that soft, white soothing performance, Nigel delivered the good news about the Emmy nominations bestowed upon the show and Adam Shankman as producer of the Oscars. To add more feel-goodery to the mix, Nigel mentioned that he will be working with Eleanor Holmes Norton to help pass a bill to set July 31 as National Dance day, which may or may not include a congressional flash mob, which is the first flash mob I would actually like to see (instead of deleting when it’s sent to me as a forward).  Dance heals us, not drives us apart!   

Sadly though there was business to do still tonight, and Cat announced who would be joining Alex Wong in the bottom three, as Alex was automatically down there because of his performance-preventing injury. I was surprised that the first dancer she brought out, Billy, was up for elimination. I thought Billy danced fine last night: I actually was more taken with Katee, his replacement partner, than anything else (I miss her) but I didn’t predict he’d be in danger. I think Adam’s advice to him, to just forget that he’s in a competition and dance the way he truly wants to, is good, because for some reason whenever Billy dances “seriously” I always think of Adam crying the first time he was on the show, and I think I’m ready to see Billy get loose.

Emmy voters did right by comedies and dramas, but need a reality check

 There's a lot to love about Thursday morning's Emmy nominations.

As expected, "Glee" and "Modern Family" both were nominated for outstanding comedy and did incredibly well across the board.

"Glee" earned 19 nominations in total, including lead actor nominations for Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele and supporting actor nominations for Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer.

"Modern Family" grabbed 14 in total, including supporting actor nominations for five of its biggest players, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet. (No love for Ed O'Neil or our personal favorite, Rico Rodriguez).

But there are other noteworthy things. For his long seven months hosting "The Tonight Show" on NBC, Conan O' Brien was nominated. For taking back "The Tonight Show," Jay Leno was not.

"Lost" returned to the drama category, where it definitely belongs. Matthew Fox received his first Emmy nomination for his impressive work in the series' final season. Emmy regulars Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson deservedly were nominated again.

Big on our TV radar: Finally! Recognition for two of the best actors in drama today: Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. Their portrayal of a realistic, loving, and hard-earned marriage on "Friday Night Lights" is touching and compelling and we have no idea why the voters have ignored them over the years. Their work in the fourth season of the show was outstanding and the only thing we're going to complain about is that the show itself was not nominated.

CBS broke into the drama category with a superb series, "The Good Wife." Julianna Margulies and her sidekick, Archie Panjabi, were recognized and it makes us smile.

We are thrilled that Jim Parsons has been recognized for the incredible job that he does playing Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory," but it's really hard to believe that the series was overlooked for outstanding comedy. It had a brilliant season. Shame on you voters!

By that same token, we are very excited that "Breaking Bad" was nominated and that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul (the fly episode!) got their dues again, but Anna Gunn is one of the finest actresses on TV right now and there seems to be room for her in the "supporting actress" category. (And what about Dean Norris?)

No surprises with "Dexter" and that's a good thing. Nominated for outstanding drama, it also earned nominations for Michael C. Hall and guest star John Lithgow, who seems unbeatable to us. We are still reeling from the season finale of that show, and it aired in December!

We did notice that FX's new drama, "Justified" was completely overlooked and that's a shame. It's well-written and Timothy Olyphant is phenomenal in the lead role. Walton Goggins ruled in his guest role. We know the dramatic field is crowded, but we would have made a little room for them.

We end with the reality category, which deeply disappoints us.

How on Earth could "Survivor" not have been nominated? Anyone who watches the show will tell you that "Heroes vs. Villains" was incredible television. Certainly more riveting than "Dancing With The Stars" or "Project Runway." We need a recount!

And let's not even talk about "RuPaul's Drag Race" because we might lose our tempers. A competition show that's got humor and heart and interesting challenges that require creativity. Seriously, voters?

And no nominations for Cat Deeley or RuPaul as reality TV host? Ugh.

OK, we'll try to return to our happy thoughts about "Glee" now.

--Maria Elena Fernandez

twitter.com/writerchica

Photos: From top, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen of "Modern Family" (Danny Feld/ABC); Julianna Margulies on "The Good Wife" (David M. Russell/CBS)

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List of Emmy nominations

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'So You Think You Can Dance': Mia makes up words and Nigel mentions soccer

Is anybody else ready for “SYTYCD” performance shows to go back down to one hour? With so many dances and partners per episode. I find myself having a hard time concentrating through all the routines. I like a lot of dancing, but I also liked it when only the top remaining tier of dancers performed twice per episode, sort of something that’s just reserved for the very best dancers who we WANT to see perform twice. There were some dances Wednesday night that I thought simply sufficed: They weren’t so great that they needed to be highlighted nor bad enough to complain about. Maybe I was just bummed because Alex sat the week out with a ruptured Achilles tendon (which gave Nigel a chance to mention David Beckham, and therefore soccer, once again).

Overall, I didn’t love the performances as much as I did last week, although I thought the judges were more excited about a couple of dances that I only found okay. I didn’t think Lauren sizzled or had enough authority during her cha-cha with Pasha (maybe it was the weird cut of “Telephone” that threw me off). Mia pronounced the dance “pure murderation,” but I’d say it was only partial murderation. I also thought the judges praised Kent for not being obnoxious during his hip-hop routine, which he was merely proficient in to my eyes: a sub-par Timberlake impression. Mia Michaels noted that he was lacking a bit of groove, but Adam claimed that he felt “drawn in,” which I didn’t get. However, I did think Kent and Lauren brought each other to another level when they danced together later on in the night: Uniting as two young strong dancers seemed to bring them new confidence.

I’m not a critic who ever claimed that Robert seems “arrogant,” but sadly I still don’t love him as much as the judges do. I feel like he could have come up with a more memorable character for his living doll dance with Kathryn. I don’t doubt that he is a completely nice, professional, hard-working guy, but I just don’t think he’s been able to summon a Simon-Cowell-type “moment” to date and I don’t feel like waiting anymore.

"So You Think You Can Dance": Tap tap tappin' on heaven's door

Well, if you’ve been watching the last few weeks of "SYTYCD," tonight’s results show shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, but if for some reason you still want to be surprised, I’ll save the reveal for the end. It won’t take long.

It was a pretty low-key results show, where the biggest enticement was the announcement that next week, the dancers will perform two routines, one with an All-Star they’ve never danced with and then one of their fellow contestants, so that should quiet down some of us who miss the inter-show dancing. And to sate those hungry for more All-Stars, the results shows from now on will feature footage of their auditions, along with an reprise of an especially beloved dance. Mark and Courtney once again danced to "The Garden" by Sonya Tayeh, still one of her best routines. I still wouldn’t mind knowing what the All-Stars are up to now, but I was happy with what I got.