Although America has been showing less and less interest in American Idol over the years, two-time Idol judge Harry Connick Jr. has very high hopes for Season 14.

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"We are trying to find someone who can sell records and become a big superstar. Given the talent we've seen, that isn't going to be an issue. We are going to be OK," Connick told The Hollywood Reporter.

"We had a ridiculous amount of talent through the door. At one point, there were 10 unanimous yeses. That has never happened before. It was really encouraging."

Connick sits on the judging panel beside Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban. However, for the episodes featuring New York auditions -- which will air on Fox next week -- Idol eighth-season runner-up Adam Lambert will fill in for Urban due to the passing of the country star's father-in-law.

"[Adam] was terrific, and having the perspective of someone who has been a contestant was really unique. It was so unfortunate, the circumstances having Keith not being there, but you couldn't find a better replacement for him. Those shows were exciting. It was really cool," Connick explained, adding that a plethora of talent showed up in New York.

The contestants this season will have a leg up on those in the past. According to The Reporter, associate musical director Michael Orland will assist the singers during the audition process. The contestants will also have the opportunity to put on a show at Los Angeles' House of Blues.

"To come in and audition with two a cappella songs is really kind of an oddity, so having Michael there and playing something and giving them some sort of support is really more realistic," Connick said.

"[House of Blues] gives them a chance to get their feet wet and perform in front of us in a slightly smaller context. We thought it was very helpful."

Among Idol's fourteenth-season tweaks and changes will be the absence of longtime judge -- and last season's in-house mentor -- Randy Jackson and the addition of his replacement, Scott Borchetta, a music producer who discovered Taylor Swift and will sign the season's winner to his Big Machine Records label.

"We're all sad to see [Randy] go, but Idol is constantly trying to reinvent and improve the show, not that Scott is an improvement over Randy, but it is a different take. In order for a show to remain successful for as long as Idol has, those things need to happen," Connick told The Reporter.

"You need to reinvent yourself. All of the changes that they made are positive. I haven't seen Scott work but I've talked to him and just sort of philosophically what he is about seems right in sync with the Idol program."

Idol producers also learned "what not to do" based on prior experience. For instance, a giant group of ousted contestants will not be brutally sent to an airplane hangar this time around. The show's elimination results will also be compressed into a two-hour performance episode each week.

"This is a fresh new approach and it's going to be a really energetic, jam-packed show, and I think that is what Idol needs right now," Connick said, adding that the judging panel will continue to deliver many more humorous "unscripted moments."

"I love to have a good time and mess around, but at the heart of this thing is a competition and I need to be a judge."

American Idol's fourteenth season premiered Wednesday night with a one-hour episode on Fox. The series will air another broadcast Thursday night, but it will be two-hours long and feature more auditions from Nashville.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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