'American Idol' Season 13 Producers On What Will Change, Stay the Same
Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager are no strangers to the music television industry, but what are they going to do with American Idol?
The Fox series sacked a large majority of its execs following disastrous season 12 ratings. Now the competition's newest producers discuss what needs to change and what may stay the same.
With their own production company, Den of Thieves, the duo has worked on such major titles as the MTV Video Music Awards, VH1 Divas, and the CMT Music Awards. Speaking from their experience, what is American Idol still doing right?
"Also I think the show has heart on a very real, organic level. It doesn't feel like it's for the sake of the cameras," Ignjatovic told The Hollywood Reporter. "It still seems that it's about the contestants and that journey of being plucked out of a small town and becoming a superstar by the end. That still resonates."
As season 13 proceeds, however, it doesn't look like there will be sweeping changes to the program. Instead, it appears that the Den of Thieves cohorts believe that the competition just needs the correct mix of people.
"There's no question that it's about making sure the best product is getting out there and that [means having] the best contestants," Prager said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "They are the stars of the show and that's very much a unified effort here."
The pair are hopeful that American Idol can regain its previously strong following despite the saturated market for talent shows.'
"It's still such a strong viable format -- it's the original," Ignjatovic told The Hollywood Reporter.
American Idol will return in January with a new panel of judges.
