What twist is lurking for ‘American Idol’?

Borrow some ideas from Down Under
A more likely possibility might be something borrowed from another version of the series. “Australian Idol” underwent a significant makeover last year, improving ratings by making changes unlike any other version of the show worldwide had ever seen. Still, these weren’t groundbreaking changes; the show allowed contestants up to age 30, allowed them to play instruments, featured more singer-songwriters in the competition, and compressed the more boring parts of the show.

But their biggest change seems like a possible candidate for “American Idol 6”’s mid-season surprise. During the Australian show’s season, the “Up Close and Personal” episode shows contestants’ lives outside of the competition, and last year, they wrote and performed original songs as part of that episode.

“American Idol” is essentially a five-month karaoke contest, and when original songs are performed, they’re usually the insipid ballads assigned to the finalists. Having the contestants write and sing their own songs could be dramatic and illuminating, and could be billed as an event-style show. But that does lack shock value, unless they write hysterically awful songs about Paula Abdul hitting on them.

That would work nicely with the planned songwriting competition. In addition to the normal contest, “American Idol 6” will include a separate songwriting competition; the winning song will become the single released by the winner. Since regular Americans will be writing their own songs, we might as well have the finalists write some, too.

Leave the studio
“American Idol” contestants live together; in earlier seasons it was a mansion, and in more recent seasons they lived in a luxury hotel. So why don’t we see any of the drama that occurs there?

“We want the finalists to be comfortable during what little private time they have,” producer Nigel Lythgoe said in the Official Behind the Scenes Fan Book. Thus, cameras stay away, and we see the contestants only during performances or when they’re filming commercials for the show’s sponsors.

But “American Idol” has never shied away from humiliation, and isn’t exactly kind to its contestants in other ways, starting with the tortuous elimination process that occurs every Wednesday. To take that to the next level, cameras could invade their living spaces.

That could provide a glimpse of their lives — and personalities — off the stage, with the addition of a “Laguna Beach”-style episode every week. Or if producers wanted to go much further, cameras could catch the finalists in the shower, for example, and force them to sing a song right then, while bathing.

Borrow ideas from other reality shows
Most talent competition reality shows have taken ideas from “American Idol,” just as other reality shows constantly borrow from one another. And FOX, with its clones of other reality shows (such as “Trading Spouses”) is no stranger to this.

Maybe this season, “American Idol” could give its contestants a song and forced to perform it with only 30 minutes to prepare, like “Hell’s Kitchen” does with food and “Project Runway” does with garments. Or the show could force its contestants to eat only rice while living on a beach, like “Survivor.”

Actually reveal the vote totals
What would really shock America is if “American Idol” suddenly shared viewer vote information with viewers. For a competition that hinges on voting by fans, the show is not very forthcoming with information besides telling us which contestants were the least popular.

Revealing the exact vote totals every night might minimize the drama, especially if one person is the favorite, but at least it will end (some) of the conspiracy theories about the outcome of the show’s weekly voting, and let us know how popular our Idols really are. That would be a surprise.

Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.

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